Tis the season...deja vu anyone?

[bewitched]

Originally Posted by Sir Dillon

No deal.

Because so many question it, its message not conforming to what some cosider their version of "good taste," and that it was equal space (which happened to be next to the tree/nativity scene) was used to remove via the court of public opinion; and that opinion used the first (questioning it) in substantiating the second (having it removed on allegations that it was hate speech and amounted to being illegal).

Thank you for the response.

I was going to respond to quite a few of your statements but I will restrict myself. And for the record (not that it matters), I am an Atheist.

I think most Christians would be offended every bit as much by a religious "message" if it contained an inherently negative connotation...let alone had little to do with the holiday season, as it were. For instance, I am confident you could expect an outcry from a large group of Christians if any one religious group chose an "End of Days" Christmas display instead of a nativity. Commonsensically, one is more patently offensive than the other, legalities notwithstanding. And I think this is the fundamental point most here are making. As Alex said early on, "specifically targeting a Christmas display for a counter-display is a dick move." By choosing the display they did, they intentionally courted controversy, end of discussion. If their motive had been anything other, they would have tailored it to be less offensive. They knew (or had to have known) they were being offensive; if not, they are a particular group of Atheists with which I would not be associated since I prefer to surround myself with people a few steps above booger-eating moron.

Further, just a semantic point that is really bothering me...

You stated, "There is no atheist domga...i.e. a doctine presented without proof."

You are applying only a very narrow definition of dogma, i.e. religious dogma. Since Atheism is an absence or rejection of the existence of a God/Gods, it is therefore an absence or rejection of religion. Hence, when EM referred to "Atheist dogma" he could only have been referring to dogma being defined as, "That which is held as an opinion; a tenet; a doctrine." [Webster's] Certainly, Atheism is a set of opinions...I would also argue that it encompasses both tenets and doctrines although I concede that the existence of the two could be objectively disputed.

Your statement, "Atheist have nothing but proof (at least far more than religious folk do) to substantiate their viewpoint" notwithstanding, I, as an Atheist have no more proof of the absence of God than a religious person has proof of the existence of God. To argue otherwise is to rely on the same fallacious arguements you have accused religious people of relying on.