Militant Atheists

[annem]

from edwest

Yes, the secular culture has gradually allowed its mass communication outlets like movies, TV programs, books, magazines and newspapers to promote a clearly anti-God message. Catholics in the 1960s had the direct or implied support of all levels of society. It was not illegal to have a Nativity scene in front of the local City Hall, we pledged allegiance to “one nation under God,” Christmas decorations and religious music were everywhere. The government of the United States constantly spoke of our Judeo-Christian heritage as a country.

But like a frog placed in a pot of cool water, Catholics in the late 1960s till today, gradually began to tolerate an increase in the temperature, until now, we are at risk of falling into the fire and burning alive in the secular world spiritually. Let’s check out the time line:

Late 1960s: Hippies want free love (sex with anyone), taking illegal drugs is cool, underground newspapers and comic books (comix) promoting anarchy, perverted sex and violence against the pigs (police).

Late 1970s: Gloria Steinem is demanding that women hate men, get rid of the men in their lives and think of themselves as victims. Adult Bookstores proliferate across the country

1980s: Dallas, and Sue Ellen driving while drinking booze straight out of the bottle. Porn in hotels and motels on cable. No-Fault Divorce completes its sweep across the country. Ads from lawyers in Midwest newspapers read: “No kids, $75.00 and you’re out.”

1990s: Adult Language and Partial Nudity on TV, explicit sex on the internet. The ACLU wakes up one day and decides all kinds of things are illegal.

2000s: The pot of water we are sitting in is boiling but Christians are divorcing and aborting and contracepting like non-Christians.

Dear Ed, very good post.

What interested me most was how little we Catholics have done to resist the culture that is increasingly degraded. The change on TV alone is simply staggering. In the 50’s Lucy on “I Love Lucy” couldn’t use the word “pregnant”. Today homosexuality is promoted, and every other bad guy on a show is a Christian.

Militant atheists don’t scare me as much as indifferent Catholics.

God bless, Anne.

 

[TomPiltoff]

Seems to me that Ed has a problem with people who don’t share his exact morals.

 

[cyberwolf001]

Anyone that doesn’t believe there is such a thing as a Militant Atheist PM me and I’ll show you what happened when I announced I was Catholic on a Science Fiction board with a large number of Atheist…

I’d post it here but there retorts would violate site rules.

 

[edwest2]

These are not my morals. The morals I was taught as a boy have been very gradually replaced by the morals taught by the world. The mass media has most of the blame. I watched as people slowly, gradually became poisoned by a little, then a little more, then a little more immorality. Had we gone, as a country, from I Love Lucy to Desperate Housewives, there would have been a huge outcry from Christians in this country, but because the Body of Christ was poisoned slowly, some of us didn’t notice the effects.

The Catholic Church tells me the following things are wrong:

Fornication
Prostitution
Abortion
Embryonic Stem Cell research
Homosexual acts (not Same Sex Attraction)
Masturbation
Cussing and Swearing, especially in public

Turn on ABC TV, and then catch George Carlin, and you’ll get all of the above and some tips on bestiality. What are the newspapers promoting? Pmp, a reference to a dirty profession, has appeared in my newspaper. Pmp my car or whatever.

These are not my morals but the morals that were taught to me in the 1960s that were thrown away by the Hippies, Radicals and Feminists. And for those who think I’m angry at the world, all I’m doing here is encouraging my Christian brothers and sisters to live the holy lives we are called to live by Jesus Christ.

This in a culture, a society that says, “What’s the big deal?” to all of the above. We, meaning Christians, have been liberated alright, liberated to be just like the world in some cases.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, I encourage you. As Christ overcame the world, all of us are called to do His will as best we can.

God bless all of you,
Ed

 

[JenniferMoon]

Edwest, once again I have to say you are correct.

The lines are being drawn. Something big is on the horizon. and I don’t want to watch when it unfolds.

 

[edwest2]

The road to salvation is narrow. The road to destruction is wide. Pray to God and do not lose heart. He will hear our prayers.

God bless,
Ed

 

[homeric]

edwest2,

“You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid them!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NRSV)

 

[TomPiltoff]

edwest2,

“You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid them!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NRSV)

But how is it that somebody can look at that quote and believe that it’s undoubtedly about today?

Couldn’t that just as easily be the 1970’s? Or the 1800’s?

 

[Angela_Tate]

My apologies for not posting earlier but this thread has waivered off from the get go so I will interrupt here to set the proper course.

First, the article’s title was “The Return of Radical Atheists”, not ‘militant’. So, let’s take the talk about militant athiesm off the table. Radical atheism, as the article goes on to explain, is nothing new. The article is about the resurgence of the movement to squash religion through books.

Next, the comments regarding popular media doesn’t even come into play in this piece. The source article speaks about the many books which are being written, published and sold in this revived movement of the atheists. There is no mention of mainstream television programs, movies, radio, etc., so let’s keep the discussion along the lines of the books mentioned in the source article, or their approach to the new movement.

Finally, this is definitely not a discussion about the End Days. That wasn’t raised in the source article and it doesn’t belong in this forum.

The central point of the source article appears to be:What is so disturbing about the current controversy is the tone of the neo-atheist discourse. These are not armchair philosophers pondering the meaning of life without a God. Rather, they deliver their message with such a vitriol and intolerance that calls into question not only belief in God but even respect for belief in God.

This is not theological debate. It is Cultural War.

For those participating in this discussion I encourage you all to go back to the source article, read it, and then base future posts on the issues raised in that article.

Thank you.

 

[TomPiltoff]

This is not theological debate. It is Cultural War.

I disagree.

Yes, there are atheists out there who hate Christianity (and all religion).

But come on, do you really think your religion is in any kind of danger at all?

 

[Angela_Tate]

I disagree.

Yes, there are atheists out there who hate Christianity (and all religion).

But come on, do you really think your religion is in any kind of danger at all?

For the record, the sentence you quoted was not mine. It is a direct quote from the cited article. That italicized and indented paragragh is a direct quotation from the article raised as the source of this discussion.

It is clear you disagree with the article’s statement that this is cultural war, but the question you raised would be directed at the author of the article, not me as CAF moderator.

Please continue the discussion based on that understanding.

 

[TomPiltoff]

Right, I know. I was just trying to get things back on topic.

 

[mlchance]

But come on, do you really think your religion is in any kind of danger at all?

In the U.S.? No, not really, but not for lack of trying. When supposedly prominent people compare taking children to church with child abuse, and they’re taken seriously, it’s at least cause to raise an eyebrow or two.

– Mark L. Chance.