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Prominent atheist Richard Dawkins is helping to turn the time-honored tradition of summer Bible camp on its reverent and respectful head by supporting the launch of a camp for godless heathens, reports U.K. newspaper Times Online. For five days this July, Camp Quest will welcome atheists to learn about moral philosophy, sing John Lennon songs and compete (for cash prizes) to disprove the existence of the unicorn. This will be the first such camp in the U.K., while six others exist in the U.S.
While some people think this is a great chance for young atheists to reaffirm their beliefs while learning to think rationally, others see it as some sort of godless indoctrination camp that's sure to create murderous communists.
But in reality the atheist camp and God camps seem pretty much the same -- full of kids whose parents forced a viewpoint upon them and then made them go sit in the woods to think about it while all the normals play Xbox back home.
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Tuesday 30 June
By Emma
I'm glad these kinds of camps exist.
even though it's odd that this news story is just now surfacing, considering similar camps have been around for years, i love hearing about technical 'out of the norm' things such as this.
in Oregon, they have 'unschooling camps', where people who disagree with the school systems here in the US, and have either dropped out, or what they may, can go to these camps and learn about other options, because there ARE many options in today's society.
Follower's of the christian faith can be some of the most judgemental people.
If you want to get judgemental, rude, and caddy, Atheism is not the epitome of arrogance as some have said in this thread, maybe the fact that the majority of the followers of God are some of the most weak, fake, and pathetic people around, considering they must solely depend on a mystic being, that may or may not be true, as opposed to themselves.
If a bill can be passed 'legally and officially' "apologizing for slavery", then in my opinion, an atheist camp is not so out of the ordinary or wrong.
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Tuesday 30 June
By linda
what kind of junk camp is this..... give me a break. let the kids go to regular camp and stop trying to take away there hope of believing in God. This is a sick thing they are doing to these poor kids and what kind of insane parents are these that send there kids to this camp...taking anyones spiritual life away is a horrible abuse.these kids are not getting much of a chance and when they are in real trouble and think they cant call out to God then what?they are left with nothing. many times in my life I seen miracles happen and I know there is a God.these poor kids are being robbed of a relationship with God and just because some of you dont believe there is a God=does not make it true. teach the children to pray and see what the Lord will do and then see what the truth is. sad sad sad what this world has come to.Jesus said bring the little children unto me.
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Tuesday 30 June
By Diana
SO THIS CAMP TELLS THE THRUTH TO CHILDREN?,LOL. NO THEY TELL LIES TO CHILDREN, WHO ARE BROUGHT UP NOT BELIEVING IN GOD..RICHARD DAWKINS SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF HIMSELF....IF THERE ISN'T ANY GOD, HOW ON EARTH DID HE GET HERE, BY THE TOOTH FAIRY? LOL, HE AND ALL OTHER ATHEIST ARE DISGUSTING....THIS IS A EVIDENCE OF DEMONS HERE ON EARTH....
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Tuesday 30 June
By Diana
WE:::::: I AM SORRY , I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO SAY....
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Tuesday 30 June
By Diana
I WILL NEVER FALL UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ATHEIST, IF I DO, SO HELP ME GOD, PLEASE HELP ME...I THINK THAT ATHEIST ARE COMMUNIST. THEY CAN'T THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX...EVEN AGNOSTICS AND OTHERS ARE COMMUNIST....LIKE ATHEIST...
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Tuesday 30 June
By Diana
IF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ATHEIST,ETC. WOULD GO TO THE U.K. IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR EVERYONE....
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Tuesday 30 June
By Hmm
I don't see how this is a problem. I know that a lot of poeple that aren't religious and don't believe in god join clubs or go to camps simply for the fun or the perks (i'm not saying ALL people but i know a couple). So the fact that they made a fun camp for atheists, that can still sing songs together that just aren't about god is ok with me. But why call it atheist camp? Why not just call it camp!
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Tuesday 30 June
By Joe
okay... I don't believe in an omnipotent individual, but I do say the under god part.. I'm tired of writing an essay when i feel like explaining my religious beliefs so heres a summary: DO NOT FKN CALL ATHEISM A RELIGION. We(a lot of us) despise the idea of religion. In shorthand, it is a way of controlling the masses and why? Because stupid people need controlling. One day people will be advanced enough and civil enough not to stab you in your ass when your not looking, but fellow atheists, the time has not yet come to rub it in their faces we where right. People just aren't civil enough to live a a simple life with out some form of brainwashing. so until then, I fully encourage brainwashing. disband free thinking until we can do it peacefully. and no i'm not some puss libeal fuck. I believe if you're told your working for 20$. and someone hands you 20$ and then a mob of people demands you pass half of it around to them. fuck that. fuck the mob. that mob is why people need to continue believing in a god.
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Tuesday 30 June
By Gayle Tice
I can only describe my personal belief system as multi-theistic. I believe that all peoples systems of faith stem from the need to feel like we are not alone, explain what we cant “scientifically” or otherwise, and establish a list of principles on how man nature and whatever else there is should be treated. Here are the beliefs I follow. Number one the 10 commandments don’t kill don’t steal don’t hog everything for yourself no body’s feelings will get hurt by me following those rules. Number two the Buddhist belief that if we are meant to know about it someone will tell us so live your life as you will as long as you aren’t preventing others from doing the same and don’t dwell on that which you have no control. That doesn’t mean I don’t look for the answers to the big questions but im not going to tell you your religion or lack of is wrong because I can’t prove or disprove any of them. As for this summer camp I say whatever floats your boat. I have seen an atheist teenager forced into a 2 week summer camp because her parents thought it would change her evil ways she brought the whole group down and I bet a catholic at the atheists camp would do the same thing.
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Tuesday 30 June
By cmonpeoples
Most people come to their OWN faith like this (any "faith" that is): first they're told a belief when young and simply believe it; then they eventually doubt that belief upon finding unanswered questions or conflicting experiences; and finally, they work through those questions and settle on a faith that is truly their own - maybe it's the same as the first, and maybe it's different. This process can take a long time, and some people remain stuck in the first stages indefinitely. Even so, any coerced forcing or limitation to a person's own process of growth and understanding is always bad. Yes, teach and answer questions, but don't indoctrinate, especially with deceptive and selfish motives. That said, a quote from Luke Ch.17: "Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin." [for context, speaking that such a death is more comfortable than the experience of that person when coming before God in judgment]
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Tuesday 30 June
By Trrrr
so normals are xbox playing kids... interesting.
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Tuesday 30 June
By cmonpeoples
And another thought came to mind: It seems like atheists are the ultimate pessimists (aka "realists"). Nothing - what a horrible ending to look forward to. How existential, how enlightened. However, it's a pessimistically secure ending, is it not? No uncertainty, no chance at the disappointment that comes from holding high hopes and having them crushed. Atheism seems more like a defense mechanism against lost control and misplaced hopes than anything else. It's easier than dealing with the notion that there may exist more than can be seen and measured scientifically. And how can we control that which we don't know or understand? Well, we can't, except to deny the existence of any such thing. But that just defies all logic. Has even the history of science taught us nothing? (it has ALWAYS been correct and all-knowing through time, right? or then again...) Plus, atheists take scientific discovery of any new phenomena to implicitly state that those phenomena are self-created, but this doesn't disprove God. It just enlightens us as to HOW God did it, how the universe is run and designed by our Creator.
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Tuesday 30 June
By Mary
Jane, When you ask "What kind of evil being would let their only son DIE so that a bunch of selfish heathens could live?" that is a very good question. God sacrificed His only begotten Son, who had never sinned even once, so that whosoever believes in Him (Jesus) would not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). God loves you personally so much He was willing to pay that price - which was higher than you or I could ever imagine paying for anyone, ever. His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:6-9). Jesus showed us God's love in the flesh. He laid down his own life. He wasn't forced to do it, not even by God, His Father.
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Tuesday 30 June
By Paxrail
Jesus said, "Let the dead bury their own." The angels at His tomb said, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?"
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Tuesday 30 June
By Erik
To Becca Timmons;
I understand your point, and I understand that many atheists don't care if others believe in God. It is the ones who so vehemently try to rid the world of what they believe isn't there that I refer to.
As for religions hating other religions; As a Christian, I don't hate other religions. I just believe that they are wrong, and that includes the religion of Atheism. There is too much complexity, too much order, in the universe for it to be a series of random accidents. I have to say that, if you have deeply examined your beliefs; that there is no God, and you still believe this, then your faith is stronger than mine. Everything I have seen and heard leads me to believe that SOMETHING created the universe. From there, it was a matter of deciding what that something was, and Christianity makes the most sense. This is a path taken by some very notable former atheists, including C.S. Lewis.
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Tuesday 30 June
By Hunter
i go to a christian camp and i'm 15 years old, i would like to express extreme dissatisfaction-not with the article-but with the author. i have no problem with people expressing their views and i have best friends who are atheists, but i HATE that you said that parents force them into these camps. i am 100% positive that i chose to go this camp and my parents did not choose it for me. i have always been more religious than my parents and i asked them to sign me up. i hope that whoever wrote this article gets a slap in the face from our generation because we can think for ourselves.
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Wednesday 01 July
By Nancy
To all atheists: Would you ever murder anyone? Would you ever steal from anyone? And if your answer is yes to either of these questions, would you feel guilty? Why?
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Wednesday 01 July
By Tim
I'm not an Atheist per se, but I do believe that whatever god there may be has no interest in what happens on earth whatsoever, and all of the "rules" are completely man-made. So I'll answer this question.
I could become capable of killing without guilt if someone I loved were in immediate danger of being murdered. Also, and I'm not 100% sure on this, but it's possible that I'd become capable of killing if a woman were being raped and I was in a position to stop it. Those are the only two conceivable times I could ever be driven to that act.
As for stealing, I did it a couple of times when I was very young and didn't understand the concepts of ownership and loss yet. As I got a little older I understood why I wouldn't want things stolen from me, so I didn't steal anymore, and I made amends with those I had stolen from. Hell, I don't even download MP3s.
The only conceivable way I would ever steal would have to be in desperate self preservation, only if my theft would not cause anyone else to die, and I'd still feel guilty and make amends as soon as possible.
Wednesday 01 July
By Tim
Of course it's considered "normal" to believe in god. There are a lot of people out there who are unstable enough to off themselves immediately if they had to come to terms with the idea that we're just out here on a floating rock in space for no reason other than to float around a ball of fire for a hundred or so years.
Either way, a camp for athiests is no big deal. I mean, Christianity gets camps, and their kill count is way higher than athiesm.
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Wednesday 01 July
By Roe
I don't think kids should be brainwashed in any way...sending them to athiest camp seems insane to me. Let them grow up and figure out what they believe in on their own.
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