Comments on: Why I’m an Atheist http://www.rustyparts.com/wp/2006/03/16/why-im-an-atheist/ : Blogging Linear Interstellar Points : Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:34:38 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Ephen http://www.rustyparts.com/wp/2006/03/16/why-im-an-atheist/comment-page-1/#comment-14086 Ephen Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:03:37 +0000 http://www.rustyparts.com/wp/2006/03/16/why-im-an-atheist/#comment-14086 thank you thank you

]]> By: isaac http://www.rustyparts.com/wp/2006/03/16/why-im-an-atheist/comment-page-1/#comment-1842 isaac Sun, 19 Mar 2006 05:10:14 +0000 http://www.rustyparts.com/wp/2006/03/16/why-im-an-atheist/#comment-1842 Eric makes me think of a something Dorothy Day said: <em>"Don't vote; it only encourages them."</em> I didn't vote in the last presidential election (now, I have to admit, I'm having second thoughts... I didn't know Bush was so violent. A so-called 'weak' president without any 'backbone' seems a better choice than one full of what my people call <em>'machismo'</em>). Anyhow, I think I'm going to try something different in this next election. Instead of using my political voice to speak silence, I'm going to figure out how the "least of these" would vote and cast my vote with them. So, if I'm in Durham, I'll go with the black caucus. Or maybe I'll go figure out how all these illegal immigrants would vote and give them my vote--do what they think is best. Just a thought. The ending of Jason's post reminds me of something Jacob Taubes, the "Paulinist nihilist":http://www.rustyparts.com/wp/2006/02/23/the-groans-of-creation-johnny-cash-jeffrey-stout-and-jacob-taubes-on-the-politics-of-nihilism/, wrote about the early church: <em>"now here comes a subterranean society, a little but Jewish, a little bit Gentile, nobody knows what sort of lowlifes are these anyways."</em> What a bunch of irrelegious folks, those early christians. I'm sure they would have made Dr. Dobson and his <em>Focus on the Family</em> crew blush. Eric makes me think of a something Dorothy Day said: “Don’t vote; it only encourages them.” I didn’t vote in the last presidential election (now, I have to admit, I’m having second thoughts… I didn’t know Bush was so violent. A so-called ‘weak’ president without any ‘backbone’ seems a better choice than one full of what my people call ‘machismo’). Anyhow, I think I’m going to try something different in this next election. Instead of using my political voice to speak silence, I’m going to figure out how the “least of these” would vote and cast my vote with them. So, if I’m in Durham, I’ll go with the black caucus. Or maybe I’ll go figure out how all these illegal immigrants would vote and give them my vote—do what they think is best. Just a thought.

The ending of Jason’s post reminds me of something Jacob Taubes, the Paulinist nihilist, wrote about the early church: “now here comes a subterranean society, a little but Jewish, a little bit Gentile, nobody knows what sort of lowlifes are these anyways.” What a bunch of irrelegious folks, those early christians. I’m sure they would have made Dr. Dobson and his Focus on the Family crew blush.

]]> By: Eric Lee http://www.rustyparts.com/wp/2006/03/16/why-im-an-atheist/comment-page-1/#comment-1841 Eric Lee Fri, 17 Mar 2006 21:06:12 +0000 http://www.rustyparts.com/wp/2006/03/16/why-im-an-atheist/#comment-1841 There used to be a blog called The Gutless Pacifist that had a lot of lively discussions (though often at times, delving into the immature). I remember at one time there was a discussion about voting and about how Alasdair MacIntyre (I think it was him) argues against participating in the liberal order on a national level, even to the extent that we shouldn't vote, using Christian reasoning for such a move (I acknowledge that many attempts are also made by Christians to argue <i>for</i> voting in national elections, although these days, I personally am less and less convinced, but I digress). Then, he was called a 'nihilist' by some people in the discussions. I wonder if this is in any ways similar? If MacIntyre is a nihilist, the assumption is that he "doesn't believe in anything', and in this case, the belief would be in the nation-state. Is this in anyway similar to the early Christians? I dunno? Peace, Eric There used to be a blog called The Gutless Pacifist that had a lot of lively discussions (though often at times, delving into the immature). I remember at one time there was a discussion about voting and about how Alasdair MacIntyre (I think it was him) argues against participating in the liberal order on a national level, even to the extent that we shouldn’t vote, using Christian reasoning for such a move (I acknowledge that many attempts are also made by Christians to argue for voting in national elections, although these days, I personally am less and less convinced, but I digress).

Then, he was called a ‘nihilist’ by some people in the discussions.

I wonder if this is in any ways similar? If MacIntyre is a nihilist, the assumption is that he “doesn’t believe in anything’, and in this case, the belief would be in the nation-state. Is this in anyway similar to the early Christians? I dunno?

Peace,

Eric

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