Atheist Camp

It seems everybody needs something to believe in or not believe in. Onward atheist soldiers.

I made a deal with God, I said I'd believe in him if he'd believe in me. He hasn't put me in charge of a world-dominating religion yet, so I reckon he doesn't exist after all.

Well, my first thought is 'what happened to the Woodcraft Folk'?

Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam. I'm sure I'm worth a Humber Super Snipe.

AHA! You are Salim Meghani! I claim my five pounds, Colley Kibber.

I think it is good that people who have no particular religious belief have the opportunity to palm their children off onto somebody else for a few weeks. Some people compained about the scouts' religious affiliations. The scout/ guide promise is that we will do our best to do our duty to God, to serve the monarch and help others. This could be construed as discriminatory against atheists, republicans and selfish bastards, but if these were the organisations founding values, then don't join if you don't like it. I can't understand why people feel the need to convert others to their point of view be it atheism or sacred kangaroo hopping. This is essentially a individual private matter. jude

jude you can't dump your children at that camp (I looked into it months ago) - you have to go with them and bond

only if you wear the right kind of suit

It will be interesting to see if any of those kids become religious just to annoy their parents.

My notion of 'God' (and I use that term cautiously in case people think I mean that in the Abrahamic sense) would also lead me to marvel at the universe and life within it rather than be pre-occupied with theological constructs, which have as much meaning as origami folds. However, I don't think it my place to criticize another person who finds dressing up in vestments and incense waving helpful to their life journey. And despite its failings, the church is the biggest provider of social care (health, education...) in the world so it can't all be bad. jude

jude, this is all they're doing: "Campers are taught that ethical behaviour is not dependent on religious belief and doctrines, that religious belief and doctrines are sometimes a hindrance to ethical and moral behaviour, and that irreligious persons are also good and fully capable of living a happy and meaningful life." can't see anything wrong with that.

"a child is not a vase to fill but a fire to be lit." left by `t. imaan tretchicovmanicova "the perfect man has no self; the spiritual man has no achievement; the sage has no name." chuang tzu "be master of mind rather than mastered by mind."

I agree... I can't see anything wrong with that either! jude

ftse100 - I bet you are a really good person to have around in a crisis, with so many useful motivational offerings : )

I sinned today; I thought of a naked woman, shit just done it again, pleas...bugger and again, forgive....crap; lovely boobs, me...mmmmmm, and help me...wow 36DD, not to sin...bugger don't bend - too late, again...ahhhhhhhh that's better! I feel absolved...and knackered.

Never underestimate the power of fools in large groups. graffito in bar outside US Air Base in Turkey

Last Saturday's Big Questions discussed this summer camp and asked the question whether atheism was becoming intolerant. I certainly think atheism has moved on from the way it was 50 years ago where atheists looked upon believers with perhaps a little contempt but mainly pity for their unenlightened state. I think some of the hostility has arisen due to religious, particularly Muslim fundamentalism. Or more accurately, a few very vocal atheists who vehemently oppose religion have used the growth in public awareness of religious fundamentalism as an opportunity to attack religion. My own position is one of social liberalism where religion should not inform public policy or law but religious freedom should be respected. So, for example, Catholic adoption agencies should be free to refuse to place children with homosexual couples. However, homosexual couples should be free to adopt from elsewhere. One of the professors at my University sent me this http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/artic... And as I said: “Interesting and encouraging to read - the two sides of the assisted suicide debate shout so loudly, most people don't consider that the problem is not what the State should authorise but the very fact that the State assumes authority in a matter where they should have none. On the individual level the journalist and I disagree - he would personally not choose to live once life is no longer useful or fun, whereas I hope I would choose to live because I believe life has value beyond those two measures. However, our conclusion is pretty much the same - suicide as an individual and private matter should be neither sanctioned nor banned. This demonstrates how a libertarian bioethics approach could potentially engender the most harmony in a pluralist society (I might have religious leanings but I certainly don't want to live in a theocracy). jude