Mass shootings a question for atheists.

[Godscreated]

@Brian37, you are with thought a doubt the most insensitive person. What makes you an expert on the way people deal with tragic situations, who says that an atheist can not express the way they feel about such tragedy. I expressed the way I felt and it seems no one has a problem with what I said, you should try expressing yourself with a bit of sensitivity and you might find people accepting your concern. It's actually unbelievable to me that you would take issue with Christians expressing the way they feel about this tragedy or any other such situation. It might be appropriate that you grow into a mature person before spouting off about things like this with no compassion for the way others feel, the only thing you have expressed here is you are what you claim Christians are.

[Faith No More]

Brian37, it seems to me that you have good intentions, i.e. atheists having equal rights, however, when you use issues such as this one to complain that atheist's must silently grieve, a claim I have seen no evidence for, you risk only furthering the us vs. them mentality that religious beliefs bring. The end goal should not be simply to have equal rights, but it should be to be accepted as a good, moral, decent human being. Once that happens, equal rights will logically follow.

If you truly think atheists can't grieve publically and think you can prove it, use examples that aren't so fresh and raw in the public's mind. I see no difference between your opportunism and that of a fundamentalist Christian that says god allowed this to happen, because we have fallen from his grace.

[LastPoet]

Unsubstantiated bullshit = poet's preogative; I suppose.

Hey hey, don't blame poets, don't make us all a bunch.

[Brian37]

@Brian37, you are with thought a doubt the most insensitive person. What makes you an expert on the way people deal with tragic situations, who says that an atheist can not express the way they feel about such tragedy. I expressed the way I felt and it seems no one has a problem with what I said, you should try expressing yourself with a bit of sensitivity and you might find people accepting your concern. It's actually unbelievable to me that you would take issue with Christians expressing the way they feel about this tragedy or any other such situation. It might be appropriate that you grow into a mature person before spouting off about things like this with no compassion for the way others feel, the only thing you have expressed here is you are what you claim Christians are.

Seems to me you are acting like the expert. If people, AND THEY DO, deal with trauma differently, then the insensitivity is on the part of people like you in public events that only believers have any right to say anything.

Get this through your head. I am not talking about god existing or prayer, in CONTEXT of a public memorial in person at such an event. I am talking about your back of the bus attitude of expecting us not to say anything even if it is merely expressing empathy.

If Christians are not being political at such an event when they state their belief, why do you think an atheist couldn't state their atheism without being political at such an event?

Why couldn't an atheist say, "On behalf of atheists, we'd like to extend our thoughts for the victims and survivors"?

Please tell me how THAT sentence alone BY ITSELF, is political? Are you trying to say that we are incapable of empathy? Or is it you think we.
shouldn't state what we are in these situations?

If I simply went to that memorial with a hat that said "atheist" and said nothing, how is that different than a Christian wearing a cross at the same event? If you are capable of expressing empathy, while stating what you believe, and know it is not political at such an event, why should atheist be treated any differently?

What gives you special rights at such an event where only you get to mourn and express belief, but expect atheists to keep their mouth shut?

But no one here should suggest the actual live in person memorial should turn into a debate or a hate fest on either side. Debate should be left here which is what we are doing right now.

But at the actual event, a Mormon, A Hindu, a Muslim and an Atheist should have equal rights to state how they mourn and if their belief comes up in that mourning statement, you have no right to a monopoly to such events.

SINCE you are also not an expert on how people should mourn, then you should value my right to say I am an atheist or wear an atheist shirt or hat at such a memorial, just like you wear a cross. Anything less is a double standard.

SINCE you are not an expert, and since we are all the same species, you have no right to expect anyone outside your label be a Jew or Muslim or Atheist or Siekh to expect them not to display their beliefs in a UNIVERSAL expression of empathy. Christians are not the only people who know what is like to lose loved ones, or have a community go through such horrors. You have no right to a monopoly on such events.

[Faith No More]

I am talking about your back of the bus attitude of expecting us not to say anything even if it is merely expressing empathy

You keep stating this but have given no examples of this happening. When has an atheist ever been told not to express empathy?

[Brian37]

If you truly think atheists can't grieve publicly

Yea we can, as long as we don't wear anything that says atheist, like Christians wear a cross, and as long as we don't say we are atheists.

Oh and you got me, I forgot that along with the Ministers and Prechers who spoke, Sam Harris was invited to speak too.

As long as we are silent Uncle Toms and be atheists in silence, we can mourn too. Yep.

[Jackalope]

Yea we can, as long as we don't wear anything that says atheist, like Christians wear a cross, and as long as we don't say we are atheists.

What's stopping you?

[Brian37]

I see no difference between your opportunism and that of a fundamentalist Christian that says god allowed this to happen, because we have fallen from his grace.

Bullshit! Nowhere near the same. I have never suggested that a private funeral or a public memorial be turned into an agenda. You again are confusing a private message board with a public event.

My mother is Catholic, sometimes a preacher will come over to her retirement home and give her communion. Do you fucking honestly think, when I witness that, I get into a debate with the preacher AT THAT MOMENT?

There was a Baptist trio singing at dinner for my mom's retirement home last night. Do you think I stood up and said "fuck god" right at that moment?

You are stupidly making a private message board outside the context of a completely different event as being the same.

But we could not speak at a podium, nor are we invited, nor can we wear a shirt, or button, or hat like believers wear a cross, at such events. If you do, or say you would, you are in the minority.

[Faith No More]

Yea we can, as long as we don't wear anything that says atheist, like Christians wear a cross, and as long as we don't say we are atheists.

Give me one example of this.

Oh and you got me, I forgot that along with the Ministers and Prechers who spoke, Sam Harris was invited to speak too.

Now you sound like a little child that didn't get picked for the kickball game, and in no way does an atheist not being invited to speak keep you from puclically grieving. Did you ever stop to think that everyone who died might have been a Christian, and the people who were picked to speak were done so at the behest of the family members?

As long as we are silent Uncle Toms and be atheists in silence, we can mourn too. Yep.

We, as atheists, do have a long way to go, but you're making it sound like we live in Saudi Arabia. Plus, your insistance on using insensitive opportunism to further your cause is not helping the situation.

[Minimalist]

@Brian37, you are with thought a doubt the most insensitive person.

WTF are you blabbering about, G-C?

BTW, the god you believe in let this happen. Fuck both of you.