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Why Are Politicians Urged To Hide Their Atheism?

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ToraToraTora | 14:39 Mon 19th Jan 2015 | News
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30848534
I would have thought not believeing any of the brands of fairy tales would be a good thing for an MP.
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God only knows.
14:40 Mon 19th Jan 2015
Gromit - "I attended church recently for a Christening ceremony. The Vicar talked a lot about the Great British Bake off. It was most odd. I expect he was trying to be inclusive and relevent to his congregation, but as an atheist observer, it just seemed utterly bonkers."

Ah, beware the trendy vicar types, they have no sense of humour, which is entirely forgivable, but like to think they have, which is not!

These can be easily identified, because they like to start sentences with "And ... dy'know ..."
No need to get the dictionary out to check the meaning of hypocrite on here.

All those atheist who are quite willing to get married in church and one in a Catholic church no less, could be simulated to those campaigning about the evils of drink, and then creeping into the pub to get sozzled.

Total hypocrisy.
andy-hughes, //I believe that is known as a 'win win' situation.//

No, it is known as Pascal’s Wager – a kind of get out clause. Not a philosophy a genuine atheist would adopt.

Jim, I agree with your post, but would like to expand it a little.

Atheists don't "know there is no god". Rather, in the complete absence of evidence, there is no reason for them to believe that there is one. There is a massive difference between these two positions.
You might need the dictionary to check the meaning of "simulated" though...

And hypocrisy, for that matter. Someone who says "I don't believe in God" did not add to that necessarily "and therefore I won't associate with anyone who does or what such people practice". They can celebrate Christmas (as a pagan-esque festival, or a chance to meet family). They can go to church and socialise with the people who do there and enjoy the music (or, perhaps, silently wonder what the point is). They can befriend theists, of all religions. And so on and so forth.

AOG,
The decline in religion in this country started after the first world war. People were killed on an industrial scale and everyone knew someone who had been killed. At the time, there was a rejection of mainstream religion, and a big increase in Spiritualusm.
I'm an atheist - and I didn't get married in a church. But if my wife had wanted to then I would have. It is not hypocrisy it is respect for your other half.

I am really struggling to understand how someone can be called a hypocrite because they respected the views of others and put the other person before their own 'non' belief.
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"To a certain extent yes, I am not deeply religious, but a question I would ask all atheist, how do you know there is no god? " - Well if there was there would be some evidence. Science has explained most of what we see. All the religions say their's is the true god? it just requires faith and that is the cop out of the terminal bulls5h1t3r.

AOG - "All those atheist who are quite willing to get married in church and one in a Catholic church no less, could be simulated to those campaigning about the evils of drink, and then creeping into the pub to get sozzled.

Total hypocrisy."

We must agree to disagree.

The difference between us is clear - I am utterly unconcerned by your belief system, or your apparent need to be angry and accusatory in defending it.

You however, appear to be getting rather het up about it.

Which of us do you think feels better?
Naomi - "andy-hughes, //I believe that is known as a 'win win' situation.//

No, it is known as Pascal’s Wager – a kind of get out clause. Not a philosophy a genuine atheist would adopt."

Says who?

And if you are right, what does that make me - a pretend atheist, or just someone who helps out when they are busy!
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It's no different to any sort of mumbo jumbo. I will belive in the potential existance of something now or past if there is some evidence. Eg I believe that dinosaurs once existed because there is a lot of evidence. I do not beleive in the Kraken because of lack of evidence.
Andy-Hughes, says I - and yes, it does make you pretend atheist. I've no idea who 'they' are.
aog, you are hitting the semantic brick wall and no matter how religiously you labour or how devout your endeavour you are unlikely to shake their faith.

If they are urged to hide their atheism it is likely to accommodate crowd mentality phenomenon as well as a convenience: easier to be assumed to have/follow a set of values ordained in some Religion's book.
59.5% of UK citizens identify as Christian (2011) and 78.6% in US (2001)

We also have the state religion, another tacit method of controlling the masses.
Tora,
The Holy Bible is all the evidence you need.

Satan has planted dinosaur bones to corrupt you.
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""All those atheist who are quite willing to get married in church and one in a Catholic church no less, could be simulated to those campaigning about the evils of drink, and then creeping into the pub to get sozzled." - not valid, it's more akin to a teetotaller going to the pub to socialise but not actually having a drink.
Tora / andy-hughes,
Have you ever done Jury Service? Did you swear on the bible?

I did Jury Service and elected to affirm rather than swear on a book. I was surprised I was the only one.
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not jury service but I have given evidence, I did the non religious oath.
George Osborne evidently believes that he can cut the deficit AND reduce taxes in the next parliament.
So as far as fairly tales go he doesn't really need religious ones ...
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worked in 1980/1/2 ich!
Naomi - "Andy-Hughes, says I - and yes, it does make you pretend atheist ..."

That's me told then!!!

LOL x
AOG - "All those atheist who are quite willing to get married in church and one in a Catholic church no less ..."

Do I see a hint of religious one-upmanship here AOG?

I do hope not, surely all God's children are equal in His eyes?

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