i'm an agnostic bordering on atheism, when will candidates try and woo me?

hmm?

When will they woo me???

Hey, you and I are in the same camp. I consider myself spiritual, but
I shy away from organized religion. The natural spirituality that I
feel, feels squelched in most of the religions today.

They need to start catering to us!

It's kinda scary that the "base" of the Republican party is a large
group of people who are so entrenched in today's organized religion.
My senses tell me that almost everything about many organized religions
is counter to the ideas of peace, love, understanding and authenticity.

I say, the "base" is baseless!

:)

We need some political love, too.

This underscores the point...who in the world do these religious
fanatics think they are---demanding that the politicians cater
to their personal belief systems?

I don't demand that politicians carry pom pons and pass legislation
that requires children to say, "Rah! Rah! Sis Boom Bah!" every morning
after the pledge of allegiance.

;)

:toast:

No one will try to woo us. One candidate or another will, however, not demonize us as strongly.

So our vote is being sought, but on the QT.

Same as happens with all deeply unpopular minorities.

There's just no money in atheism - no holidays for people to spend money on, no real estate interests for churches and temples, etc.
If there's no money in it, you're just not going to get any politicians interested.

Unfortunately we seem to be in the exteme minority. So we are chopped liver.

We are not worth the effort. Too few of us to be bothered with, and more than likely we sure aren't going to be voting for Mitwit or Huckabible.

I'm easy. I can put up with all the courting of the evangelical voters as long as it doesn't sound like there will be creationism taught in schools and the bible taught as fact. :shrug:

Honestly, I don't care if there is a manger in Wal-Mart. I think it's silly but I am way past being offended by that sort of thing.

Mz Pip
:dem:

Who gets least attention? Why?

There's more of us than anybody knows. "The God Delusion" stayed on the NYT best-sellers list for nearly a year. Most nonbelievers are just afraid to speak up, usually for good reason.

It shouldn't matter what I do or don't believe, as long as I'm an American and uphold the Constitution in word and spirit.

I don't want religion mixed with my politics ever. If a candidate is asked what religion he/she is, it is fine to answer the question, but it should not be a political issue.

He constantly talks of "non-believers" when talking about different religions/beliefs/non-beliefs.

:toast:

:hi:

I don't care if he goes on the 700 Club every damn day proclaiming his own love for Jeezus. He acknowledges and affirms my existence. The last time I remember a major politician mentioning non-believers it was Daddy Bush saying he didn't think we could be good patriots.

* George Harrison

I agree that the acknowledgement is huge. :hi:

...Obama has unfortunately wooed me in the wrong direction. :( I'll support him if he gets the nomination, but he's making it difficult for me to be uber enthusiastic about his candidacy.

just sayin'.

Obama said: "It is doubtful that children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance feel oppressed or brainwashed as a consequence of muttering the phrase `under God.'"

I'd like to give him an earful of my experience as a child when I refused to mutter the phrase "under God". As a matter of fact, I did. I wrote to him soon after he made that comment, and explained what had happened to me as a child when I did not 'mutter the phrase'. I never even received a form letter back from his staff. :thumbsdown:

Sorry to hear it.

Even that much of an acknowledgment would have gone a long way with me.

He could've gotten back to you.

There's a reason we love him so:

"Whatever we once were, we're no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of non-believers," Obama wrote. "We should acknowledge this and realize that when we're formulating policies from the state house to the Senate floor to the White House, we've got to work to translate our reasoning into values that are accessible to every one of our citizens, not just members of our own faith community."

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/08/02/obamas_faith_forums.html

"I'm an atheist with agnostic tendencies. " I was too until recently.
Now I'm spiritual but not religious.

:shrug:

Seriously, though, good point, chimpsrsmarter. It's almost bizarre how much these people feel they have to wear their religion on their sleeves in order to get elected.

...was shown in all those pictures looking fit and outdoorsy!

...and no loafing around on the sabbath, you gotta work my brother

Even atheists, with a few exceptions, don't go mouth-breathing 'off the page.'

Until then, they'll take us for granted.

You're lucky if they consider you a citizen. GHWB certainly didn't. :shrug:

"There are No Atheists in Foxholes, now get out!" said Chaplain Smith, while cowering in the ditch with the rest of the squad.

:+

we will never be wooed.

-P

Or whatever you choose to call it. :-)

How else do you think any other group in this country gets pandered to?

A single person speaking out or griping, however well justified, doesn't get much traction. A single person has freedom of speech and all that -- but what really gets noticed is large numbers of vocal adherents throwing money around.

Go to it.

Hekate

Less than 1% of atheists are in prison. Which means there are more of us percentage wise that are not in prison and also less likely to be barred from voting in some states.

It's okay to discriminate against us, we're loathesome, sick and not to be suffered.

You're scum and virtually everyone except other scum agrees.

But then, you knew all that...

could be good and moral without the threat of heaven or hell hanging over our heads!

Many believers like to claim they're better, yet cite the need for some cosmic retribution to keep them in line. Those of us who do the right thing just 'cuz it's the right thing should therefore be somewhat "better" by definition, since we not just acting like mensches because we're looking over our shoulders, yet this concept is foreign to them. For such a concept to be foreign to them, they'd have to have accepted--indeed, embraced--some kind of inherent scurrilousness in themselves which would make them less "good". Even if they obediently toe the line so the big whoseywhatzit doesn't burn 'em to the ground repeatedly forever, they're still not behaving themselves any better than those who possess that demonic moral compass.

In effect, they're saying they're better because they're worse and greater because they're less, which makes them in perfect sync with the religious mindset: absolutely certain, despite all contradictions. In fact, the more ludicrous the belief, the greater the virtue of the believing; to swallow a real hum-dinger of a whopper fantasy fib, one must holier than a porcupine's speedo.

Wonderful stuff, this religion: it's a better way to waste vast amounts of time and energy than bad relationships, hard drugs or sports.

Those who are comfortable in their lack of need of an organized
religion, in my experience, at least, are far more comfortable in
their own skins than religious fanatics, who are so insecure in
their faiths that they have to constantly blast it in the faces of
others in order to quell their own doubts.

In turn, those most insecure in their beliefs are most comfortable with
those who are most in-your-face about their religion (sincerity not required).
Therefore, they are the ones who crave pandering. Those such as yourself have
no need of such pandering, and the politicians are smart enough to grasp that,
so they do not waste their time bothering. You will vote according to your
common sense, not your fears.

happen:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2374562&mesg_id=2374562

Instead of posturing with all this fake rugged individualism "not a joiner" shite.

by comparing atheists to any number of hobbies and activities? Do people really think they are equivalent? Do non-skierts think you are automatically immoral and untrustworthy? Is skiing a philosophical position on a question that has driven mankind since well before recorded history? Do non-skiers control every branch of government at every level? Would 50% of the popullation refuse to vote for a skier even though they agreed with them on the issues?

Just follow your conscience and vote for the best candidate.

:evilgrin:

to the fact that I try to be sensible. When A candidate appears sensible then they woo me.


GObama!

I say this as an Atheist. I have the same faith that God does not exist as a Christian, Muslim or Jew has that a God does exist. I used to be an Agnostic but, personally, the ambiguity was no longer required after years of reading and seeing the atrocities of Mankind against itself.

I will say that I could be convinced that there is a God but not the kind that the Muslims, Christians and Jews believe in. Something a little more Lovecraftian would fit based on my experiences. Yet there is still enough Agnostic empiricism in me to doubt even that.

to the "never really read the Bible" crowd.

Spirituality has no place in the public arena.

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:6).

too many Christians seem to forget that Jesus was put to death by the combined efforts of Church and State.

but actually having an event for the non religious would be pretty sweet.

I'm of course not advocating it. I'm just saying that it would play well with some parts of the country.

We haven't had a good hitjob on atheists/agnostics on CNN in a few weeks now. They must be saving up the big bucks. Last time I saw one, they were only able to get sports commentators to talk about atheism. What a crock.

I truly think that if a candidate tried to woo religious skeptics and outright non-believers at this point in time, he or she would flat-out lose, and I don't want another repub presidency.

Edited for clarity