Atheist student groups flower on college campuses

[discocrisco01]

Source: Associated Press

AMES, Iowa (AP) - The sign sits propped on a wooden chair, inviting all comers: "Ask an Atheist."

Whenever a student gets within a few feet, Anastasia Bodnar waves and smiles, trying to make a good first impression before eyes drift down to a word many Americans rank down there with "socialist."

Bodnar is the happy face of atheism at Iowa State University. Once a week at this booth at a campus community center, the PhD student who spends most of her time researching the nutritional traits of corn takes questions and occasional abuse while trying to raise the profile of religious skepticism.

"A lot of people on campus either don't know we exist or are afraid of us or hate us," says Bodnar, president of the ISU Atheist and Agnostic Society. "People assume we're rabble-rousing, when we're one of the gentlest groups on campus."


Read more: http://www.kmir6.com/Global/story.asp?S=11550580&nav=menu1458_2

[Grey]

1. Good for her....

That's a tough job she's taken on.

[harry_pothead]

2. K&R from this atheist

[Christa]

3. K & R

:woohoo:

:woohoo:


:woohoo:


:woohoo:


:woohoo:








there is no god and I am his prophet

[Odin2005]

4. YAY!

:)

[Warpy]

5. Religion is a tool for conformity and requires perfect consensus

and that's why atheists are despised by religious people.

Good luck to her. She's probably putting a human face on atheists for the non religious, but anyone who is a religious true believer will want her dead.

[AnneD]

9. While religion can be used as a tool for conformity.....

in the hands of those looking out for their own self interests, we don't reach consensus rarely if ever (even in our Bible class). But what we do is try to learn to live a better life, show the compassion that was demonstrated for us, and by doing so be worthy and to have hope.

I always find myself quoting Bruce Lee...religon is a boat to help you cross the river. I am also reminded that in my father's mansion, there are many rooms. Which makes me think that he talks to us in the language we understand. And in the end......God would never need a star ship. :spray:

I wish her well in her endeavors and I am sure there are those that her message will resonate with, but as for me....I feel a little bit better knowing I won't be alone during the roughest of times and that sometimes is just the bit of courage I need.

[PatrynXX]

10. totally disagree

I don't want them dead. And I'm a believer. And it's very hard to offend me. Dislike hate of any sort and this one doesn't help. Know at least one and she's really nice. And kinda understandable since she had a brain tumor and lost her job. I can't imagine ever being an atheist. To think there is no beyond. If I was one, I would have committed suicide long ago. :(

Just have to seperate the radical Christian right from the imperfect Christians. Or at least those who acknowledge they aren't perfect. Not holier than thou Carrie Prejean. And most Christian music is motivated by money so don't listen much to those. www.randythompson.org he's the only sincere one I listen to. And he's given his cd's out for free. Fully able to copy his cd's without the RIAA risk. He's an indie... has had numerous offers from the big record companies but refuses to sign.

Being that my religion has a tainted past, have to listen to the others anyway. Even pagan's. I've got a few pagan symbols in my room that would get some radical rights to shoot in my general direction, but don't assume every "true believer" (which I'd never use... not that snooty) is a violent son of a bitch.

[Goblinmonger]

15. I'm glad you don't want us dead.

But trust me that you know more than one atheist. Really. Many, many, many do not state they are atheists because of the societal stigma. I keep mine under wraps for the most part because I am a teacher and don't want to deal with it.

Also, you don't have to have bad stuff happen to you to become an atheist. We don't lack a belief in god because bad things happened to us. I arrived here after many years of thought after having graduated from a high school catholic seminary.

Personally, I think the fact that there is no "beyond" means that I need to make the most of this life. It's all I have. To end it early would be horrible. I honestly don't know why Christians aren't hoping for their lives to end as soon as possible so they can go to their reward.

I don't believe every believer is violent, for what it's worth, but we aren't the most hated minority in the US because all believers are loving as you seem to be.

[JNelson6563]

19. I think you needn't worry.

Since you are not able to wrap your mind around man's mortality your mind is not likely to stray into the realm of atheism. And no, even if such a horrible thing were to befall you, you would likely NOT kill yourself and squander your only shot at life.

As an atheist I always wonder why believers are afraid to die, if eternal life awaits, what's the problem?

Julie

[Festivito]

12. Check that you're not projecting there.

I find the atheists on DU, and that would include bouts between myself and yourself, that the atheists posting here require conformity of expressing exactly what their view of atheism is, and anyone who does not agree with that DU atheistic consensus is severely castigated in posts.

EDIT TO ADD: I applaud people to gather and express their personal beliefs.

[MineralMan]

6. Kudos to her.

She's not proselytizing...just telling people they can ask her questions. Nobody has to.

[GeorgeGist]

7. Athiests don't have a monopoly ...

on the folly of equating religion with God. Most people do.

[PatrynXX]

8. one's a religion and one isn't

Atheism is the belief that there is no god. More like a cult. I prefer Agnostics to atheists.

Atheists prefer to be in one's face if they are of a Christian religion. Agnostics don't know if there is a god. Easier to deal with.

[mrbarber]

11. Incorrect

Atheism demands proof that there is a God. Since none is available, they do not believe.

As for the second part, are you really trying to paint the Christians as the victims of a minority that is ranked along with "socialist"?

[Christa]

13. Atheism is the lack of belief in a god or gods.

I really could care less if there is a god or not. I do not WANT to believe.

[onager]

14. Where's that pie chart..?

There it is! The special Carrie Prejean edition...

[TalkingDog]

16. Princeton disagrees with you (in part)

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=atheism

# S: (n) atheism, godlessness (the doctrine or belief that there is no God)
# S: (n) atheism (a lack of belief in the existence of God or gods)

And a number of these definitions use the word "Belief"

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=ch3&defl=en&q=define:atheism&ei=M7EIS4veJImWtgfy4qDECg&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title&ved=0CAcQkAE

Unfortunately many atheist allow theist to frame the discussion. Belief is irrational and by its nature anathema to proof. Atheism claims rationality (although the atheist I know personally, don't reflect that particular trait other than their claims to it). Trying to debate Belief vs Rationality is a pointless exercise. They have no commonality other than a common springing from human consciousness.

So an atheist demanding "proof" of something that demands to be accepted solely on faith, is as irrational as a believer trying to prove their god exists, in spite of the demand to be accepted solely on faith.....

You may not have a beef with Christian believers, but you continue to fight with them by proxy through the language you use. (because I've noticed an interesting trend among American atheist, wherein they only have problems with Christians, but not with...say Jainism)

[iris27]

17. If a Jainist got all up in my business with his faith, then I'd have a problem with him.

Thus far, it's only been Christians who have done that.

[JoeyT]

18. Agreed.

I've never had a Buddhist throw a rock at me for escorting a woman into a clinic.
I've never seen Jewish people burning crosses to terrorize minorities.
I've also never seen a Sikh kid bullying another kid for being a different religion.
When that happens, I'll be happy to rail against Buddhist, Jewish, and Sikh religions.
Or at least the people in them that harm others and try to force their beliefs on others, which is pretty much the gripe anyway.

If it makes people feel any better, at least we bother to argue with you. Most of us just laugh at Scientologists.

[dmallind]

24. No it doesn't.

Like all dictionaries it lists usages, and there are indeed two usages for atheism.

Being a dictionary it only lists them rather than explaining that the first usage is strong atheism, a viewpoint of a distinct minority of atheists. The second is weak atheism and is both far more common and exactly in agreement with the poster you are trying to refute.

Lacking belief in something is not the same as believing in its absence or negative.

If I claimed to be a millionaire would you simply not believe me until I proved it (weak atheism) or take it as a firm article of belief that I was not so rich without evidence in either positive or negative support (strong atheism)?

Agnosticism is a question of epistemology not ontology. We know this because the term was invented by a man who left voluminous writings on what he meant.

And you are drawing an incorrect, if somewhat understandable, inference from the behavior of many American atheists. Most of our "problems" are indeed with Christians rather than Jains - but that's only because it is Christianity rather than Jainism that is constantly being forced upon us - since we live in a majority-Christian country. Atheists in India (see positiveatheism.org) spend far more of their efforts debunking and complaining about Hindu hegemony for exactly analogous reasons. We generally treat the religious claims made by ALL religions pretty equally - that they should never be conflated with laws or assumed to be a valid determinant of personal worth or objective truth. There is no difference between Christianity and Jainism in the slightest in this regard - the difference is only how much greater the threat is of Christianity interfering with our lives than Jainism that makes the distinction look like it is chosen, whereas it is simply a reaction.

[rd_kent]

21. Atheism demands nothing.

You are just as ignorant as the poster you responded to. Try looking it up in a dictionary.

[rd_kent]

20. I think it is impossible for you to be MORE ignorant than you are.

Atheism is NOT belief that there is no god, Atheism is a LACK of belief in a god. Try looking it up in a dictionary before you go spouting off a definition you are completely wrong about.

And you know what the difference between a cult and a religion is? The size of the congregation. Atheism has no rituals, codes, dogma or ideology, so how can it be a cult. Try looking in a mirror and you will see a cult member.

Seriously, you only embarrass yourself when you think you know what you're talking about yet you dont even know the simplest definition. Moran.

[darkstar3]

22. The puma set twice for green will always run clockwise.

And that makes just about as much sense as what you posted.

Before you start telling people what it is that they believe or don't, maybe you should do some research into certain labels, or understand a little more about the concept of self-identification.

[uberllama42]

25. What a broad brush you have, Grandma!

I can't remember being in anyone's face lately. But I guess you wouldn't know about atheists like me, because we're not likely to harass you.

[humblebum]

23. Atheists anywhere are having to deal with the fallout from

things others have said or done eg. Hitchens exhorting "ridicule, hatred, and contempt" for religion and many similar actions and events. There was a time when campus atheists were considered quite ordinary, but that is changing and will continue to do so.