The Current State of Atheism and Separation of Church and State

[@Arminius420]

Oh man, I love Dan Barker such a wonderful guy.

[@FrankOdonnell-ej3hd]

The fact that a fairly high official in the state of Oklahoma is forcing schools to buy “Trump” bibles or any bibles and also compel students to read them in school is one of the most alarming and absurd things I’ve heard recently about the far-right war on the public schools and if allowed to stand doesn’t bode well for the future of freedom of thought in this country⚛❤

[@restonthewind]

What if high officials in a state force schools to buy copies of "Catcher in the Rye" and also compel students to read them? The "Trump" Bible is fiction, right? What's the difference? When I was in high school, my English teacher asked us to read myths and write reports on what we read, so I reported on stories on my mother's copy of Pearl Buck's "Story Bible". The teacher took me aside and said, "These stories are from the Bible." I said, "I know.". End of story. I suffered no consequences and received a good grade on my reports.

[@stevenmyers6291]

@@restonthewind They don't want it taught as myth or opinion. It's okay in a comparative religion class. or to mention the religious origins of art, but not to teach religion as fact.

[@restonthewind]

@@stevenmyers6291 Every school dictates curriculum, but they don't decide how students receive it. If they teach kids that a war is righteous, I don't like it any better. I generally oppose state education, but the ancient religions don't offend me more than today's state religions.

[@debj1356]

Freedom from religion is crucial!

[@AsMr-km6ex]

Yeyyyy fresh Dan Barker content! I love his older vids and watch them often 🖤🖤🖤🖤🚫🙏

[@Xray-gk3hj]

Shermer has an excellent talent for gounding the theoretical prospects of intellectualism to solve social issues of today which seem logical but are in contrast to long term insticts for survial which includes harmones inherited dicated by DNA of territorialism and resouce protection which will continue to be dominent in human competiveness that can't be controlled by logic for the entire race.

[@justneoh8253]

1:10:20 that is why Confucius's Golden Rule of "Do not do unto others what you do not want done to yourself" has broader application and is a better version of stating empathy, because human beings feel the effects of negative feeling/treatment much more than those of positive feeling/treatment (e.g loss vs gain, avoidance of suffering vs feeling good, lesser harm vs more benifits). While many people want compliment/praise, many others don't feel they need these; however, almost universally people don't want to be dissed or being condescended. Avoidance of hunger is much more applicable than enjoying a delicious well cooked meal. 1:10:40 So called "Platinum rule" is not really stating empathy, because empathy originates from what/how we understand/feel about ourselves, and applicable to almost all people around us, including strangers, while this so called "Platinum rule" requires in depth understanding of that particular person probably after long term relationship and trust.

[@williamrunner6718]

Just think of the day when we can have a president that is non religious? Is it possible within the next 20 years?

[@johnsontunu4071]

Donald Trump is at heart most likely far from any formal religion. Money alone may be his true God.

[@N.Y.C.FreddyBling-z9u]

Skeptic :: - - Mr. BARKER! *(Guest!)* :: GREAT! :: Thank you and **Ron Reagan,. also, ET AL .,!

[@hueyiroquois3839]

I don't understand the difference between using vouchers to pay for religious schools and using disability and welfare payments to buy Bible and pay tithes.

[@stevenmyers6291]

Great stuff! We're dealing with some church/school stuff locally. There's an organization that likes to teach religion to public school students during school time, but outside the school. The problem is, schools don't have "unimportant time" when they can just let the students leave for a religion class. It seems to me they could teach the religion after school, but they just don't want to.

[@StevenMyers-wx6du]

Of what worth is gold in heaven, when the streets are paved in it? Reminds me of the Garden of Eden, where Genesis 2:12 says “And the gold of that land is good.” What worth is that gold to a solitary man? It only shows how manmade Religion is.

[@williamrunner6718]

I have never heard or read an objective definition for Free-Will. I define it as the ability of a natural object to move against the force of gravity on it's own. That is free will.

[@fritzbang4805]

No gods have revealed themselves to me, therefore I have nothing to believe in. Belief in a god is proof they don't exist because if the was a god no point would have to be made of it.

[@WE_R_DNA]

Tax the churches.

[@JohnDavis-e3c]

Near N. Orleans, says tax the churches.

[@susie4045]

This was really good! Eye opening! I’m struggling with many contraductions right now. Feels my brain might explode.😩

[@homewall744]

The purpose of life is to reproduce. All life does this, and it's usually compelled to reproduce.

[@StevenMyers-wx6du]

What’s contradictory is ID spouting the astronomical improbability of life originating naturally in a universe that was intelligently designed for life.

[@homewall744]

If the individuals that comprise the public wish to have public money spent where they like are not allowed, why are other individuals allowed? Get rid of public schools if they remove the liberty of people attending to learn what they think best to learn.

[@Muonium1]

An inveterate atheist myself, I'm sympathetic to most of the cases the FFRF fights for, but its members, including Barker himself here, are so often dripping with sanctimony and arrogant condescension that I can easily see how the religious are more frequently than not annoyed by them unnecessarily. Case in point Mr. Barker's astonishment here that such a thing as a conservative atheist could ever exist. Ya, here's one Dan, hi 🙋🏻‍♂✋🏻, a homosexual one at that. Breathtaking and repulsive, I know; stay right there, I'll fetch your smelling salts. 🙄

[@JohnDavis-e3c]

God, the author and conveyor of confusion.

[@RobertoRodriguez-nc9dr]

Agnosticism is the only rational way to the issue of religion. Atheism also demands faith. Let´s suppose God exists and is the creator of the universe, including mankind, how could anyone know if that "being" made it in such a way that it is impossible to assert with certainty that that "being" exists or not? As Buddha recommended, let´s not bother with that issue.

[@JohnDavis-e3c]

The buy bull sounds like an incitement to war and the plunders of war.

[@TC-zf1ji]

The problem is the fundamental misunderstanding of the constitution. The federal government cannot establish or restrict religion. The states have ever right to endorse/integrate religion into their schools and government institutions. Where are his sources? I've never heard of public schools outperforming private.

[@Upsideround]

I'm sorry you pseudo religious nonsense didn't teach you about the establishment clause. By your rationale the state can subvert freedom of speech because it only applies to the federal government.. Pathetic.

[@franksemmens3961]

Interesting that both men at several times referred to god as he or him. Why?

[@TC-zf1ji]

@franksemmens3961 interesting that you would find that interesting.

[@peacockis5254]

After Independence, there was widespread agreement that there should be no nationally established church. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, principally authored by James Madison, reflects this consensus. The language of the Establishment Clause itself applies only to the federal government (“Congress shall pass no law respecting an establishment of religion”). All states disestablished religion by 1833, and in the 1940s the Supreme Court held that disestablishment applies to state governments through the Fourteenth Amendment.

[@restonthewind]

The world is full of theists. If most football players want to pray before a football game, why would I care? I don't need to pray with them. If a few men want to wear dresses and play on a woman's volleyball team, other women can say "no thanks". You get that. Why do you need the Supreme Court to require a football team to refrain from prayer because your tiny minority objects?