American Family Association Leader Calls for Tax on Atheists

[IAmFirst]

Personally, the more idiots with microphones, the better. All they do is make religion look bad. Plus one for us atheists.

They also make idiocy look more 'normal'.

Perhaps. But to whom?? Some idiot who says things that the dumb, the misinformed, already believe out loud certainly doesn't change the opinion of those who are educated, religious or not.

Fischer, Phelps and the like appeal to the already stupid.

[Azdgari]

To me, for one.  Yeah, the effect is more of an "I-am-surrounded-by-idiots" feeling in my case.  But is that the impact on everyone?  Consider, especially, the religious.

[IAmFirst]

My catholic parents don't believe gays burn in hell. Neither do my religious relatives and friends who I attended catholic school with. They all say that these trailer park evangelists aren't religious AT ALL. They'll claim the same thing about any politician running with a bible-based campaign.

In CA, I have a lot of friends from many different backgrounds. None are regular churchgoers, even those who claim to be religious, and people like Fischer are laughable.

It will also be fair to say that the majority of my former catholic schoolmates are agnostic/atheist due to these idiotic guys like Fischer and the ambiguity of the men of cloth.

Did you all forget about Harold Camping?? Was the majority of the US population believing his apocalypse? No. Not even one percent. There were some idiots who did, and they were laughed at too.

[oogabooga]

Actually, going to church doesn't improve your health. Enclosed spaces filled with all sorts of people for prolonged periods of time are breeding grounds for communicable diseases. So people who do go to churches and expose themselves to pathogens (and in turn expose others to their own) should be forced to pay extra. They're willingly endangering themselves and others. Problem solved.

[Turbo SS]

Well, I'll start my own church and get the tax break.  We can meet in my house or barn.  BYO strippers and beer...and $ones for the collection plate.

[kcrady]

WRT the UK vs. US...er, comparison, you subjects of the Queen have an actual, bona fide established state church.  Your (mostly symbolic) Head of State has, among her titles, "Defender of the Faith" (though I'm not sure how much defense she actually provides...).

Hmmm...  Maybe we ought to try that, since it seems to have worked for you lot...  "OK, Mr. American Patriarchy Association dude, we'll make the US a Christian Nation^tm but first all you Christians have to get together and agree on exactly what doctrines the Church of the United States will preach and whose hierarchy will get to be in charge of it.  We'll give it half of the Pentagon's budget."  Then all the nutjobs massacre one another until only a handful are left, and the Ninth Circuit Court hands down a ruling that says, "Uh, guys, First Amendment?"  We say "Oops!" and call the Church O' the U.S. thing off now that there's nobody left who wants it.

I do find it strange how people who despise every conceivable action of the Federal Government (besides blowing up dark-skinned people on the other side of the globe) are so desperate for its sanction on their religion, which they apparently want to turn into a (*gasp!*) government program.  Conservatives, do you really want Socialized Christianity?! 

[Aspie]

I do find it strange how people who despise every conceivable action of the Federal Government (besides blowing up dark-skinned people on the other side of the globe)...

Don't forget policing women's vaginas!

[jedweber]

If this guy somehow could force us to go to church, I don't think it would go the way he plans. Imagine a few of us in bible study class, challenging all the nonsense being taught, pointing out contradictions and absurdities in the scripture, questioning every baseless claim made by the pastor in his sermons... After a week or two they'd be desperate to get rid of us!

[Death over Life]

If this guy somehow could force us to go to church, I don't think it would go the way he plans. Imagine a few of us in bible study class, challenging all the nonsense being taught, pointing out contradictions and absurdities in the scripture, questioning every baseless claim made by the pastor in his sermons... After a week or two they'd be desperate to get rid of us!

You'll be surprised just by how true that is! In my Christian days, I had some agnostic theist friends who were permabanned from ever going to most of our 150+ and counting churches because they simply asked questions that the Pastor couldn't answer. I think regarding us, they might attempt to burn us at the stake or crucify us if they can't get rid of us like that anymore.

[joebbowers]

Don't forget for one moment that that's exactly what they would do if they could get away with it. They've done it before and in countries where their authority is absolute they still do it today.