Religion
Related: About this forumCity council declares God 'owns' City of Winfield - What was that about "foisting?"
What? I was under the distinct impression that only non-theists foisted anything upon people. Declaring that God owns your city has nothing to do with religion, or god, or beliefs. And fuck anyone who says different.
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/01/reaction_mostly_positive_after.html#incart_river
WINFIELD, Alabama - In December, as its last act of 2014, the government of this Marion County town of about 4,700 residents declared Winfield to be a "City under God" by unanimously passing a resolution.
The resolution states:
Whereas we acknowledge God is the owner of the City of Winfield and that it is a City under God. We acknowledge that at all times, He is in control.
Whereas, we acknowledge that through His leadership, the Mayor and City Council will seek his wisdom and knowledge to be good stewards of the city.
Whereas, we acknowledge that though prayer, with His guidance and presence, that we will be able to trust that no problem will be too large or too small to overcome.
Whereas, we acknowledge that the City of Winfield is where it is today because of God's grace and mercy.
Whereas, we acknowledge that at all times and in all circumstances, His will shall be done.
Whereas, we acknowledge that to God be the glory.
Price, who was elected mayor in 2012 and who installed a Ten Commandments monument in his local wrecker service business, said he sees no end to the sinful ways of people without change.
...
He also said he doesn't feel the council is excluding other religions with the resolution.
"I'm going to step on a lot of people's toes but there's not but one God and, that one God, to Him be the glory," Price said. "There's no other way; there's no other God. There are a lot of religions out there but only one God."
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Nope. No foisting there. Move along. Nothing to see.
silverweb
(16,402 posts)[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Is that counting the pigs and chickens? It's more like a hick village, not even worth notice.
Heddi
(18,312 posts)can just fuck off if they live there?
That seems kind of...rude. Those non-God believers have every right to live without Jesus being pushed down their fucking throats as anyone else
silverweb
(16,402 posts)[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]If there are nontheists who like living there and have a problem with the new "city" status, then they need to speak up.
Out of a total village population of ~4700 in rural Alabama, I really doubt there are many or even any nontheists.
Let's save the outrage for places where people are actually being foisted upon by aggressive theists. There are plenty of them.
AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)Ada, Oklahoma: A Baptist student told a local newspaper she wouldnt take professor William Zellners classes because he was an atheist, triggering a flurry of abuse. Zellner received harassing notes and telephone calls, some threatening. His car was vandalized, for a time on a daily basis. A local church sold I am praying for Dr. Zellner buttons. His children experienced shunning and beatings from religious children.
Minneapolis, Minnesota: First-grader Michael Bristor, an atheist, was denied an honor roll certificate when he refused to participate in an unconstitutional prayer time at a public school. For three years, administrators ignored the familys complaints until a lawsuit was filed.
Caro, Michigan: In December 2001, Anonkaan open atheist who maintains a museum of Christian religious atrocitiesappeared before the Tuscola County Board of Commissioners to challenge a nativity scene placed on public land. Commissioners responded angrily, saying she had no right to be present and proceeding to ridicule her. Anonka and her family suffered repeated harassment including annoyance calls, threatening calls and letters, and vandalism. In February 2004, the county settled in U.S. District Court, agreeing to pay an undisclosed sum and to issue a public expression of regret.
Pocopson, Pennsylvania: My own atheism came to prominence when I became involved in a legal challenge to a Ten Commandments plaque on the wall of the Chester County, Pennsylvania, courthouse. Neighbors organized a shunning campaign, some area merchants refused to do business with me, and I received hundreds of threatening letters and phone calls. (The depth of public animus against me became a subject of local news and magazine coverage.) I was forced to close my interior decorating business because of death threats that compelled me to stop visiting the homes of persons unknown to me.
Calgary, Alberta: An eleven-year-old boy (name withheld) experienced daily physical attacks and threats against his life by schoolmatesnotably the sons of three local pastorsafter protesting intercom readings of the Lords Prayer in a public school. He was repeatedly body-checked into hallway walls and attacked in the rest rooms. One pastors son stalked him with a butcher knife in an empty portable classroom. Despite the seriousness of this incident, no action was taken. The boys parents transferred him to another school for his own safety.
http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/downey_24_4.htm
Etc
silverweb
(16,402 posts)[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Carry on. I'll keep my powder dry for now.
Heddi
(18,312 posts)I won't quote the "when they came for the X, I was not an X, so I said nothing" because I don't think you care. I don't think that you would care if this was enacted in a city of 1 million, or 7 million.
If the people of the town want it, who cares?
The thing about democrats...we kind of *do* care about people, especially minority groups who may be adversely affected by such measures.
phil89
(1,043 posts)beaming with pride that so many great scientific minds and philosophers claimed to be christian. It made sense for them to claim that when you look at the alternatives they faced.
cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)I don't care if it's population is 47, 470, 4700, or 47,000. When elected officials foist their beliefs on their constituents, in opposition to establish law and the Constitution, a fight should ensure.
silverweb
(16,402 posts)[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Who do you fight then?
Heddi
(18,312 posts)is that okay? I mean, everyone wants it, so who does it harm?
What if there was this thing called the Constitution? Maybe the town should read about it, because they really seem to have no clue what it is, what it stands for, and what it allows or doesn't allow.
silverweb
(16,402 posts)[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]But you have fun. I'll move on to other, more egregious offenders.
Heddi
(18,312 posts)a town of 47,000? 4 million? 400,000?
A religious minority in a town of 4700 is just as demeaned by this act, and I'd say even MORE demeaned, than a religious minority in a larger city or town.
But it's good to know that you don't care about that.
And how is the slavery thing a bad analogy? The people want it, let 'em have it, right?
Curmudgeoness
(18,219 posts)There is a reason that we have the laws and the rights and freedoms that we have in this country. It is what makes this country what it is. It does not matter if every single person in that town believes in God and agrees with the city council. One of the principles that this country was founded on was a separation of church and state. This move was a thumbing of the nose to that principle. What they do in private is their business, but they cannot put forth a declaration like this.
okasha
(11,573 posts)that folks can make out their property tax checks to "God?"
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Heddi
(18,312 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Heddi
(18,312 posts)rather than make a point that this is a really bad thing for any town or city to do, regardless of the population, you Why make a point when you can crack a joke? And some people wonder why so many non-theists have an issue with religionists and their lack of care about church/state separation issues. Eh? who cares?
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Enjoy.
Heddi
(18,312 posts)that you promise the non-theists regularly you take !very seriously! when it's obvious that you're only interested in things that make religion look good, and haven't really got a problem with the things that makes religion look bad. If you had a problem with this action, you would have said so. Over 50,000 posts leads me to believe you say many things.
You got up in arms because someone "disrespected" a photo in your treasured Interfaith group. THAT WAS SERIOUS STUFF. I mean, saying a bad thing about a picture...how horrible! How offensive!
But encroaching theocracy...hey, joke time! he he he heh ehehehehe
Heddi
(18,312 posts)So I'll say it again real slow
You get very upset when anti-theists and others point out that we (anti-theists and others) don't feel that you (and other religionists) take certain issues regarding religion seriously. Such as the separation of powers. Such as bad things done by the church, in the name of the church, or bad things done by the religious, in the name of religion.
You (yourself, as well as other religionists) assure us repeatedly that you DO take these things seriously. That they ARE a source of stress for you (yourself, as well as other religionists).
I say that is not true because you got so much more upset over what you felt was disrespect for a photo of gender-segregated worship (in interfaith), yet not a peep (except for joking comments) here about a real issue regarding religion, namely, the separation of church and state. It was more important, based on your heated responses, that a PHOTOGRAPH was insulted, rather than the Constitution. You were much more vocally upset at the DESCRIPTION of a photograph than the REALITY of the non-believers (or Non-Christians) in this town in Alabama.
So when you assure us that these are real issues that you take seriously, we can't help but not believe you, as your posts in this thread have proven. You are only upset when someone says something bad about religion, and hardly upset when religion does something to earn bad things being said about it
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Heddi
(18,312 posts)and read it again. I think I was pretty clear as to what my point was. Did I use a white font by mistake? Is it not showing up???
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Heddi
(18,312 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)The City Council of Winfield Alabama passes a resolution dedicating the city to God.
Someone posts a joke.
Justin laughs.
You go all meta on him, exhibiting more outrage at him than you do the City Council of Winfield.
How'd I do?
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)okasha
(11,573 posts)I suppose I should have used the smilie for the humor-impaired.
Curmudgeoness
(18,219 posts)You are laughing at jokes about a town declaring to be the property of God, even though this is against what this country was founded on. But you have no opinion about this declaration being wrong, or stepping on the rights of all citizens. I don't expect outrage if you can't build that up, but the least you could do is state that this is not acceptable. Stand up for the separation of church and state.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)My opinion is that it is wrong and a violation of the law.
But that was not what this was about. This was about attacking me.
Curmudgeoness
(18,219 posts)where there is only the shadow of a tree branch. You got instantly defensive just because of who responded to you. I read the exchange and figured out what was meant without problem. I did not see an attack, I just saw the desire to have you respond to the matter in the OP.
And thank you for doing that.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)okasha
(11,573 posts)Serve the damfools right.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)ReRe
(10,597 posts)... than a hypocrite.