I've been thinking that there should be a thread for non-believers and non-theists on this site such as atheists, agnostics, deists, freethinkers, secular humanists, skeptics, and etc. It's where we can discuss science, skepticism, secularism, logic, rationality, reason, and nontheism. It's also where can post articles, news stories, and videos on the matter. I figured if the theists and believers on this can have their own thread(s), why not a thread for us? If they can be open about their beliefs, why can't be open about our disbeliefs. I ask the theists and believers on this site NOT to post their input and beliefs here. You guys get to have your "Prayer Requests" and "Thank you God" threads. Let us have this one. I post on your threads about by disbeliefs, I ask for the same courtsey. Also if any of you have thin skin or are easily offended, I suggest you exit the thread now. You may not like what you find here. Here is a video of atheist discrimination and intolerance in the media. It's a fantastic video. It also lists famous non-theists in the video: [youtube]6m1NfhZ8Uc0[/youtube]
I'm going to post alot of non-theism videos here so we can discuss them. Top Ten Creationist Arguments: [youtube]SSxgnu3Hww8[/youtube] Top Ten Creationist Arguments Part 2: [youtube]xfZFsXfCy6s[/youtube] I love The Thinking Atheist videos.
Check out Thunderf00t's YouTube Channel. He's a Professor at Oxford and he's known for creating a series called "Why Do People Laugh at Creationists?" Everything in the videos are expressed in a professorial and professional means. The series is ever growing and he specializes in topics like this. [YOUTUBE]BS5vid4GkEY[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]istxUVBZD2s[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]BdEZTdOlGss[/YOUTUBE]
Richard Dawkins attended a HBCU and engaged in a debate about Science in the black community. He started off by speaking on the "Out of Africa" theory and from there everyone on stage spoke on their views. It's over an hour long, but well worth watching. [YOUTUBE]7diwQ5dHZ0U[/YOUTUBE]
Good thread idea but rather than entertain arguments for or against God and creationism, I'd be more interested in addressing strategies for revamping black culture without Christianity and Islam.
I agree. Good idea for a discussion. For those who are non-believers living households with or in close proximity to parents who are devout, it can difficult to assert your spiritual (or non as it were) independence without being perceived as insensitive and disrespectful. It's ironic considering that those who don't share their parents beliefs are quite often on the receiving end of reactions ranging from relatively mild pushing to attend church services to practically being ostracized. Parents would have to be the focus of any strategy that aims to untether (detangle) black American culture from its over reliance on religion and the church because they, more often than not, are responsible for continuing to pass down these traditons. And believe me, I'd rather say crutch as opposed to tradition. As I see it, pastors, local and national (Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson, Creflo Dollar), have little influence on current and future generations without relying parents to continue perpetuating their theology and livelihoods. That's not to solely attack so called prosperity preachers but includes all who force feed their doctrines the masses.
"I've been thinking that there should be a thread for non-believers and non-theists on this site such as atheists, agnostics, deists, freethinkers, secular humanists, skeptics, and etc. It's where we can discuss science, skepticism, secularism, logic, rationality, reason, and nontheism. It's also where can post articles, news stories, and videos on the matter. I figured if the theists and believers on this site can have their own thread(s), why not a thread for us? If they can be open about their beliefs, why can't be open about our disbeliefs. I ask the theists and believers on this site NOT to post their input and beliefs here. You guys get to have your "Prayer Requests" and "Thank you God" threads. Let us have this one. I don't post on your threads about by disbeliefs, I ask for the same courtsey. Also if any of you have thin skin or are easily offended, I suggest you exit the thread now. You may not like what you find here." Fixed.
Black Freethinkers Blog Talk Radio... http://www.blogtalkradio.com/blackfreethinkers Someone recommended me this and it wouldn't be a bad idea to check it out.
Absolutely! I can already tell you that black non-theism, secularism, and humanism are on the rise in the black community. You can see it in the links BBW posted. Here is an article about it as well: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/fashion/african-american-atheists.html?pagewanted=1&_r=4&hpw Here is excerpt from the article: "Feeling isolated from religious friends and families and excluded from what it means to be African-American, people turn to these sites to seek out advice and understanding, with some of them even finding a date. And having benefited from the momentum online, organizations like African Americans for Humanism and Center for Inquiry-Harlem have well-attended meet-up groups, and others like Black Atheists of America and Black Nonbelievers have been founded."
Meeting black atheists has been the best and the only pleasure I've gotten out of this site. Your views and persistence are much appreciated.
It's good to know I'm not the only one, lol. Thanks for posting the YouTube items as well. [YOUTUBE]p_SEmcFVG-8[/YOUTUBE]
Anytime fellas. It's always good to meet fellow black non-theists out there. If any of you guys have a Facebook account, then I suggest you join some of the black atheist groups on there. You'll get to meet alot more of us on FB. You can also add me as a friend
Black Americans are still a very tribal culture, which is why we don't have as many subcultures as white Americans. It's very easy to get shunned by blacks. All you have to do is not agree that George Bush is racist, or that Halle Berry is the best looking chick on the planet, or that Tupac was the best rapper ever. Simple things like that can get you labeled as a sellout. But the one thing you never do is tell them that you don't believe in God. Smoke weed, sell crack, pimp hos, and you're cool. But tell them that you don't believe that an all loving, all knowing man in the sky is looking out for you and you're done for. A lot of it is social pressure and tradition. It's not actually 'God' that they love, but rather, they love the people who taught them about God. By rejecting God, they feel like they're rejecting their loved ones because their loved ones will give them an unsaid ultimatum. Some relatives of mine are doing that exact thing right now. They assume that if they don't socialize with me or give me attention, maybe I'll seek God in order to get back in their good graces.
Not as much of the ghetto-minded people as much as your friendly neighborhood Sunday Christians, and old blacks who like to act like somebody completely different during the weekdays.
Well I don't know about you but my family is deeply religious and at this point I'm culturally Christian more so than actually believing in the doctrine and we all get along fine. We don't impose our beliefs on each other and that to me is more about respecting boundaries than unbridled devotion being accepted or not accepted. Set your boundaries and people usually respect them as far as I've seen anyway.
Oh, I'll definitely take your word for it. I know Christians who are not the kinds who judge, much to my chagrin. Despite all that, I still think that in the back of my head, though more progressive in their thinking, I still feel that they'd enjoy a good judgment on others who doesn't believe what they believe.
Shit you don't have to deal with religious folk to deal with that shit. Fanatics are fucking fanatics across the board whether its for national pride, school pride, political pride, or even dumb ass sports team pride fanatics fuck it up for everyone. Dudes in NY take this Yankee Redsox rivalry way too seriously and actually start fighting people with Redsox caps. Just plain stupid ass fanatics. Its too difficult for those simple ass jethros to just live and let live. Many of my friends are hardcore atheists and agnostics and religious types yet they know enough to shut the fuck up around me because at this point in my life I could care less what the deeper truth is. It has little to no baring on my current situation in life. I can't be swayed on my position right now and unless someone can actually show me how caring about it can affect my life in the here and now I don't want to hear it anymore. The bickering does more harm than good and I think a lot of people are beginning to see it.
