(January 6, 2015 at 8:05 am)Fidel_Castronaut Wrote: Are you ill? I mean, as in mentally deficient in some way that you continually misconstrue what people are saying to you.

Secularism is not the antithesis to religion. How can I put this in a term you will understand? A diagram? Phonetics?

Atheism =/= secularism. A large proportion of theists/atheists in a population is Irrelevant to whether that state is secular.

IVE NEVER SAID that secularism is responsible for the happiness of a given state's happiness, only that in general state's with secular structures have a trend of being 'more happy' and more productive socially and economically.

It's called a correlation. Don't look it up in a dictionary incase your set yourself on fire.

Repeat after me - secularism has nothing to do with atheism. Try it. Secularism is the GUARANTEE of religious freedom by ensuring the state does not enforce one (non) religion over another.

Just say it out loud until you understand that simple concept and before posting on this thread again. I mean FUCK! What the fuck is wrong with you?

.....FUCK.

LoL,, you need to learn to comprehend what you're reading. Atheism wasn't even mentioned in my last post, I was simply comparing Panama and Denmark, two countries that are polar opposites yet top the happiness charts, basically eliminating religion or lack there of as a factor.

The UAE however also ranks high yet they have sharia law, which means secularism is a not a factor either... Capiche?

(January 6, 2015 at 8:23 am)Huggy74 Wrote: LoL,, you need to learn to comprehend what you're reading. Atheism wasn't even mentioned in my last post, I was simply comparing Panama and Denmark, two countries that are polar opposites yet top the happiness charts, basically eliminating religion or lack there of as a factor.

The UAE however also ranks high yet they have sharia law, which means secularism is a not a factor either... Capiche?

Huggy, as I've said, when you talk, the line between bullshit and not-bullshit blurs.

You're arguing against yourself because, despite what you write above, your last post made numerous references the religiosity of the states you were referring to (Denmark and Panama). You were inferring the (non)link between happiness and religiosity, which is NOTHING TO DO WITH SECULARISM.

So again, what do I have to do to put this debate in terms that you understand? Do you like little pictures? I'm sure there's some pictures of secularism out there.

And finally, no, not 'capiche' you pigeon. Your links don't marry up to the data presented by abaris just a couple of posts ago:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel...untry.html

I reiterate - countries that have secular institutions and secular structures of government not only tend to be happier, they tend also to be much more productive economically and more cohesive socially.

Absolutely nothing you've blathered on about in thread will convince anyone, members or lurkers, 1. that this is wrong or 2. that you know what the hell you're talking about.

So, knowing that in keeping with your MO you'll just ignore every point put to you and just focus on one thing you think you might know something about, tell us all, in your mind, what secularism is. What do you think of when you think of secularism, keeping in mind that it's nothing to do with atheism in any shape or form.

(January 2, 2015 at 11:44 pm)ronedee Wrote: My major concern is that lies are the norm these days. And there are no consequences for lying. From the top on down! That alone bothers me the most. I have no answers: for myself, or for my children; I just tell them, that is the way life has become. Get used to it. Stand up for what is right when you can. And don't trust anyone!

If you participated here more often you would understand that a majority of people on these boards are more often than not distrustful of authority, don't respond well to unsubstantiated claims, and show fangs when confronted with an obvious falsehood. In addition, in the U.S. every politician ends his/her speech with "God bless the United States of America". You are barking up the wrong tree.

(January 6, 2015 at 8:36 am)Fidel_Castronaut Wrote: And finally, no, not 'capiche' you pigeon. Your links don't marry up to the data presented by abaris just a couple of posts ago:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel...untry.html

Actually that is the exact link I posted, thank you very much

(January 6, 2015 at 7:53 am)Huggy74 Wrote: Article from September 11, 2013
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel...untry.html

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(January 6, 2015 at 8:50 am)Huggy74 Wrote:

(January 6, 2015 at 8:36 am)Fidel_Castronaut Wrote: And finally, no, not 'capiche' you pigeon. Your links don't marry up to the data presented by abaris just a couple of posts ago:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel...untry.html

Actually that is the exact link I posted, thank you very much

(January 6, 2015 at 7:53 am)Huggy74 Wrote: Article from September 11, 2013
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel...untry.html

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And you ignored that all the top 10 states are secular.

Answer my question re: what you think secularism is (we all know you think secular = atheist but I want you to say it), and reply to the rebuttals, or GTFO.

(January 6, 2015 at 8:52 am)Fidel_Castronaut Wrote:

(January 6, 2015 at 8:50 am)Huggy74 Wrote: Actually that is the exact link I posted, thank you very much

And you ignored that all the top 10 states are secular.

Answer my question re: what you think secularism is (we all know you think secular = atheist but I want you to say it), and reply to the rebuttals, or GTFO.

And you ignored that, that list is older than the first one.

As I keep stating over and over, a societies happiness has NOTHING TO DO WITH SECULARISM, it is a non factor in these surveys, why you keep bringing it up boggles the mind.

Thanks Fidel, that's interesting about England. Yeah, faith schools make me sick. That's literally teaching you how not to learn.

(January 6, 2015 at 9:04 am)Huggy74 Wrote:

(January 6, 2015 at 8:52 am)Fidel_Castronaut Wrote: And you ignored that all the top 10 states are secular.

Answer my question re: what you think secularism is (we all know you think secular = atheist but I want you to say it), and reply to the rebuttals, or GTFO.

And you ignored that, that list is older than the first one.

As I keep stating over and over, a societies happiness has NOTHING TO DO WITH SECULARISM, it is a non factor in these surveys, why you keep bringing it up boggles the mind.

Well, as everyone else on the thread has understood and accepted, I never once said that secularism = happiness.

What I actually said was that states with happy populations also tend to be secular:

(January 2, 2015 at 6:30 am)Fidel_Castronaut Wrote: Consider for a second that often the most secular, least religious societies also tend to be some of the most prosperous financially and socially, and also the happiest.

Again, it's called a correlation. But remember not to look it up as it's a difficult concept to grasp.

And don't lie, huggy. You'd need a brain to be boggled before your statement could be even remotely true.

So congratulations. Hope arguing against yourself and revealing yourself to be a dolt over these past 5 or whatever pages was worth it!

Remember, if you ever feel like not being a total prick and answering mine and others questions, you know where we are. Otherwise, please don't stop embarrassing yourself.

Sure it does. Societies with an officially sanctioned religion will rub those with a different religion the wrong way. Secularism is merely official neutrality on the part of the political structure of a country as regards religion. It doesn't imply that the country is areligious. It is the best deal for everyone concerned.

(January 6, 2015 at 9:10 am)whateverist Wrote: Sure it does. Societies with an officially sanctioned religion will rub those with a different religion the wrong way. Secularism is merely official neutrality on the part of the political structure of a country as regards religion. It doesn't imply that the country is areligious. It is the best deal for everyone concerned.

Problem is for huggies nappies here is that he automatically equates 'secular' to mean 'atheist'. He even hints a few pages back that he thinks secularism is an 'atheist agenda', despite the fact that secularism was and is a christian idea put into practice in Europe in the 17th century.

He also ignores the fact that, whilst neither I nor anyone else here has said that 'secularism = happiness', it is impossible to look at the most prosperous and often 'happiest' countries in the world and not see the correlation to the implementation of secularism.

He keeps blathering on about 'freedom of choice', despite the fact that that is EXACTLY what secularism is. Preventing the state from imposing (non)-religion on you.

Honestly, I've lost count of the number of absurd illogical claims made by huggies that have been demolished on this thread.