"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...
Let's all stop calling atheism a "scientific viewpoint" ....

Loose translation of the "Old Man's" Chinese: The Tao I can describe isn't
the (real/whole) Tao. I generally agree with you on that level. But the
cornerstone of Judism, Christianity and Islam is the belief is that God, the
creator of the universe, promised a stone age sheepherder who'd be
considered a criminal today, all of the lands between the two great rivers -
provided that he cut off the end of his dick (Gen:7-10) To them, I am an
atheist.

A friend had an ant farm as a child. Some times he neglected it and many
ants starved. Then he'd overcompensate and provide too much food and the
colony would thrive then become overpopulated. Finally, he got tired of the
project and flushed it. In later years he wondered: Did the ants believe in
a god? Did the wonder what they had done to deserve starvation? To deserve
plenty? Why their world was finally destroyed? Did they have prophets who
created then answered these questions for them. Did they have priests who
claimed to know what he (their god) was doing when he was actually out
fishing or playing ball. Did these priests proclaim that he loved each and
every ant? Did the ants pay these shamen to perform for them, and tell them
these stories? How well ...