Less anger towards religion

[The Grand Nudger]

Throw away arguments are the worst. "Human life begins at conception, so abortion is intentionally ending a human life."

Okay, fine. We intentionally end a great many human lives from conception onwards for a great many reasons. Something merely being the intentional ending of a human life doesn't make it a philosophical dilemma. The point of equating abortion to murder is not to mount any such case, but to tug at heartstrings which, If we're being honest, don't actually appear to work all that well when it comes to killin folks. That's probably why that line didn't work to provide the necessary demographic support for bans - leading the afflicted to do a judicial end run on american governance. They hope to support this with similar antidemocratic schemes to diminish human rights at the state and local level.

The depths they'll stoop to in order to achieve this are, at least, good for a laugh. Things like asserting that pregant people should be able to use hov lanes. Seems funny until you realize that it's a plot to give the fetus some sort of standing in traffic regulations...and if it matters for some regulations.....

Meanwhile, the abrahamic god thinks abortions are kosher - to say nothing of the various other ways that human lives (and indeed all life) are ended. It's just his poor demented followers here on earth causing the trouble.

[The Grand Nudger]

Kind of an irrelevant thread, but just wanted to put out there that for some reason, during the last few years my hatred and anger towards the religion has considerably diminished for some reason.

I still despise religion and the church, but no longer I inform myself about it or dedicate much thought to it. My interest has shifted toward capitalism instead.

Anyone relates? God speed

Is an opposition to capitalism a widespread atheist opinion?  It seems I get a lot of that here. Whe. I look a around I only seem to see socialism in combination with capitalism working well. How do you see it?

I've never met any atheist opposed to capitalism.  Then again, most of the people I meet are americans, and overwhelmingly conservative americans, no less...so that's to be expected, eh?  

Critical?  Sure.  Aware of it's potential for harm?  Absolutely.  As much as any preacher sitting up there talking about the evils of this world and ideological materialism.  I think the misperception of some split is a remnant of cold war propaganda.  We were the faithful capitalists, they were the godless communists.  Universe loves irony, a bunch of people who say they follow a religion founded by a mooching commie who claimed to be the dictator of everything and who told them to give away all they have...have come to think of themselves as the guardians of private property...still engaged in some holy war with communists atheists.

[Mister Agenda]

Kind of an irrelevant thread, but just wanted to put out there that for some reason, during the last few years my hatred and anger towards the religion has considerably diminished for some reason.

I still despise religion and the church, but no longer I inform myself about it or dedicate much thought to it. My interest has shifted toward capitalism instead.

Anyone relates? God speed

Is an opposition to capitalism a widespread atheist opinion?  It seems I get a lot of that here. Whe. I look a around I only seem to see socialism in combination with capitalism working well. How do you see it?

Pretty sure the widespread opinion you're seeing among atheists is admiration for how certain countries, like Sweden or Denmark, order their political and economic affairs. Both of those countries have plenty of capitalism.

[Mister Agenda]

No, you are not.  And if you don't realize it, that's something you need to look into.

Everything I said is objectively true. Human life begins at conception. There is no other starting point. And performing an abortion is an intentional action that kills a human being. That also is a fact. The only discussion remaining is under what circumstances it it morally permissible to end a human life. Or if rights are grounded in anything besides power.

Being genetically human doesn't make something a human life (others have given examples), and it certainly doesn't make it a human being. I noticed how you glided from human life to human being as though there isn't a difference in what's being claimed there. The only discussion remaining is under what circumstances it is morally permissible to privilege a blatocyst, zygote, embryo, or fetus over the needs and safety of the woman (or girl) that it depends on to live.

[brewer]

This posturing by Neo is made all the funnier by all the stupid shit his god prescribed as deserving of death.

Which is a complete non-sequiter since I have made no theological claims. The way I see it, my points stand because replies are too busy impuning my motives rather than deal with the philosophical implications of the plain facts about what abortions are and what they do. From what I understand the first 14 days from fertilization are IMHO ontologically vague enough to warrant some measure of epistemic humility and consequent political moderation on my part. So all of those of you projecting your partisanship at me can go stuff it.

Mine was scientific, biologic and medical, often occuring/diagnosed far after 14 days.