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Erik Richardson

Teacher, Richardson Ideaworks, Inc.

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If these guys (and others) are right and religion is delaying human progress, how do we move forward?

1.Are the churches too deeply embedded into our nervous systems to ever be able to shut them down?

2.If not, how do we succeed in shutting them down?

3.Where are the scholarships to support the next generation of religion's critics?

4.Where are the communities with positive, shared vision/values to support a more rational, scientific future?

Related Talks:
Topics: atheism logic progress rationality religion science
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    Shawn Hart

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    Apr 10 2011: Just the opposite. I believe that decline of the acceptance of God and Christianity has led to the decline of our society today. We have become so self absorbed in greed and progression that we have our children killing each other. There is this severe case of hate in our society, and for some reason it is always blamed on God. When we were "One Nation Under God" we flourished as a country. We became the one true SuperPower nation in the world. We prospered in nearly everything we tried. But as soon as we started taking God out of our schools, and our governments and our basic principles, our nation began its decline. Our economy is terrible; almost every country in the world (even the ones that we have come to thier aid) seem to hate us; we have some of the highest crime rates in the world; divorce rates are outrageou; family values are terrible; (we rule when it comes to latchkey kids left at home to take care of themselves), and our prisons are all full.

    You say that God is holding back our progress...I believe God was the only factor enabling our progress, and we as a nation turned our backs on Him, told Him to get our of our lives and leave us alone; and then when He backed off, we blame all the problems on HIm. If you ask me, I think we are just ungrateful. Bring God back; show HIm the respect He deserves; and I believe we would see our Nation prosper all over again.
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      Vasil Rangelov 50+

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      TED TranslatorAssociate
      Apr 10 2011: Oh... sorry... I did not realized all natural disasters, viruses and wars started in the last few decades.

      I did not realized there were no plagues at times where everyone believed in God.

      I did not realized Steven Pinker is a liar when he suggests violence has decreased in history and not increasing*, again keeping in mind more people believed in God then than now.

      I didn't knew the great depression, at a time where the US was still "one nation under God" did not happened.

      And most importantly, I didn't knew that without God, I'd have no moral compass.

      Thanks for enlightening me and making me see the connection.

      (sarcasm... obviously...)

      * http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_on_the_myth_of_violence.html
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        Shawn Hart

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        Apr 27 2011: I did not say that God pampered us with bonbons and champagne...I said that our country prospered. You look at how far we advanced socially around the world. We went from a nothing country with hardly enough guns to defend itself to the ONLY true superpower in the world in less than 200 years. We overcame nearly every obstacle before us. We landed on the moon and have now stretched beyond. And then just as we usually do...We took the God we served and spit in His face. We took all the credit for ourselves and denied that even existed. The freedom we found "UNDER GOD" became a freedom to do whatever we wanted regardless of the consequences. And now look at us. Our government can't even get along on the budget. Hundreds of men and women elected to serve the desires of a nation, and they can't do it. You want to know why...because we all used to want the same thing, and now we all just want to protect ourselves. We could care less about "the other guy". United States of America...I don't think so...we aren't even close to being United about anything. Our mothers are killing their children; our children are killing each other; our prisons are full, our borders are hostile, and our bank accounts has been overdrawn for too many years to count. By all accounts, we are the very depiction of a disfunctional family on the verge of emotional collapse. All the prozac in the galaxy couldn't help this nation. And the one God that could help us...well...we just don't think He is important any more.

        But that is okay. Spit in God's face. Live however you want to live...do whatever you want to do. Believe as much as you want that there are no consequences. But for the time being, I'm not going to worry about warning you about Hell or anything like that...but I will ask you this one question...

        How's your Chinese. Because what God giveth...God always has the power to take away.

        (NOT SARCASM...OBVIOUSLY)
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      Ted Barnes

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      Apr 11 2011: This is simply ridiculous.

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