re: High School Football Coach Baptizes Players

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you're basically admitting that, yeah, religion is a cultural phenomenon.

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There are a great, great many things that can be reduced to cultural phenomenons. That this can be done is no reason to reject them. It isn't exactly groundbreaking to suggest that geographical and cultural forces shape our identities as human beings. What is the alternative? Become a completely atomized individual, free of influence?

You are proving my point. It's fine man.

We are still friends.

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Atheists are the worst. At least say you're agnostic and admit that. For you and your fellow sociopaths to think in Ptolemaic terms is selfish and more close-minded than any Assembly of God snake charmer. There is an infinite universe out there.

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I don't believe being an atheist implies that we think there is a zero chance that deities exist. We simply don't believe that there are any out there, at least not any with intentions or characteristics consistent with the world religions.

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Yeah, right

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The grounds of a public school shouldn't be used for religious demonstrations led by employees. Keep that at home, church, or private school.

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Atheists are the biggest proselytizers on the internet lol. I’ll never understand why some people feel then need to so ardently defend their belief in not believing.

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Because even though I don't believe God exists, His followers certainly do - and they vote, have political and community influence, and many even desire to kill others in acts of terrorism.

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And there’s a lot more people on the internet advertising and defending their atheism than that re Christians.

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That's because being an outspoken atheist in the Deep South can destroy your career and ostracize you from the community. A lot of atheists seek the anonymity of the internet to speak their mind in a way that Christians can do freely out in public.

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There are a great, great many things that can be reduced to cultural phenomenons. That this can be done is no reason to reject them.

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We are not talking about a preference for food, clothing, language or sports that can often be tied to one's geographic location and is essentially arbitrary and superficial.

We are talking about something (the supposed influence of God) that really should transcend cultural barriers - but it doesn't. If the Christian God exists and wants people to understand His message, religious preference shouldn't so obviously come down to where you're born and raised. There should be something so clear and inherent about Christianity that good people understand it and are drawn to it whether they are born in the USA, Saudi Arabia or China.

I think the fact - and it is a fact - that society plays the biggest role in one's religious preference indicates that there probably isn't a deity behind any particular faith who is pulling the strings. If an omnipotent deity is truly behind one religion and desperately wants us all to follow it (as Christians believe) it doesn't make any sense for that religion to thrive in one location but not another - but yet that's exactly what we see.

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Atheists love saying this

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They do, especially in this place.

Same as those that come out the closet.

Such brave people!

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Wut

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Contrary to what you were taught by your religion teacher, most people who say they are atheists don’t mean that they actively believe that there is no god. They mean that they lack active belief that there is a god. In short, they looked at available evidence and found it wanting, but are open to looking at other evidence as it becomes available.

Sounds like agnosticism to me. I know, I know, there are agnostic atheists and agnostic theists, but that's pretty pedantic. If you don't know and don't have an affiliation, just say agnostic.

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The grounds of a public school shouldn't be used for religious demonstrations led by employees. Keep that at home, church, or private school.

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No one in this community has come out and said they have a problem with this so why does anyone else care?

Why do you need to insert yourself into their business? That’s the part I really do not understand.

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I think the entire point of the post is church and state should be separated, this is well established. The school and parents made an exception because this fit in with the culture of their region, ie it was Christain.

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I’m not even going to get into the separation of church and state.

This is their community. Their kids. Their school. No one is being harmed. Let them do what they want...

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The school and parents made an exception because this fit in with the culture of their region, ie it was Christain.

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Ok so what? Give me somebody that is effected by this bitching and we’ll talk.

If we want to talk about hypocrisy, do you think a majority Muslim community would get flak for doing this? No. They wouldn’t.

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Had the coach been pushing kids to become Muslims or Jews, there would be much more pushback which is extremely hypocritical and shows how fricking illogical organized religion and it’s followers are.

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Already addressed this

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Also, I think the OP goes into detail how religion is nothing more than cultural norms pushed onto kids and the process is repeated for generations, which is why religion and geography are so correlated.

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That is a separate argument that has little to do with the article.

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ETA: this is a message board so I don’t think OP is inserting himself in anyone’s business, just making for good discussion on here, the OT.

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The organization that is fighting the coach and community on this is inserting themselves in this and they have no involvement in the community. That’s who I’m talking about. OP just agrees with what the organization is doing

Tom Herman baptizes his players with his big wet lips

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I just don't understand why a baptism has to take place at the 50 yard line of a public high school football field. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to do this at home or church?

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As a Christian, yes.