Do you believe in God or a Higher Power?  Today while watching the Presedential Inauguration, I think it was very obvious that the Christian religion played a large part in the proceedings.  My father was an atheist and my mother is a Christian, and I attended a liberal arts college where I studied humanities and science and in those courses you are taught that Evolution was how we all came to be here and that religion was basically just a tool that has been handed down to us by primitive men that couldn't understand the world around themselves in other ways than by creating mythical gods.  And, I do feel that religion has brought about many horrible things in the past.  However, on another level, I think religion does bring hope to people that wouldn't derive hope from anything else.  So, I guess that I am a Robert Anton Wilsionian agnostic when it comes to the question of whether or not there is a God.  What are your thoughts on the subject?

No thoughts on Religion - I'm an atheist =P

So you're agnostic to the existance of God because some people draw hope from believing God exists?

I do not believe.

I am atheist, I do not believe there is a God or any kind of higher power that could be described as such.

No. I am an atheist, because of the absence of scientific evidence of any religion.

I think that religion is an (obsolete) artefact of human physical and cultural evolution and in general harms people's ability to think for themselves and enjoy their life.

Do you want me to give you the link to the exact same topic from a month and a half ago? The arguments there are already very well developed....

      Sure.  However a month ago there wasn't a highly important politicial function which featured religion playing such a large part in its proceedings in a country where there is supposed to be a separation of church and state.  And what was so odd about today's proceedings were that it was Democrats having religion being such a large part of their ceremony (usually people don't connect liberal Democrats with religious belief.  That is supposed to be Republican turf).  So, is religion making a comeback in tough economic times?

Wow... it seems like alot of people on this site as aetheist liberals.
I think religion requires a sense of being connected wieth others, and Obama was drawing on that in his speech. A lot of Atheists I know simply don't feel that connection. (with people; all the aetheists I know have a faith in science and some feel a connection with nature)

Actually the whole "Seperation of Church and State" isn't anywhere in the constitution or bill of rights.

It was just something that was derived from one of Thomas Jefferson's personal letters. 

It was just something that was latter added on to the first ammendment to go along with it.

There is really nothing against the state having a religious bias so long as it isn't preventing other people from believing what they want or granting undue advantage to a religion.

Besides.  He has to prove to like a third of the country that he's not a secret muslim.

Anyone who expected him to not play up the religion thing wasn't paying attention to him before they voted for him... he may be one of the most deeply religious presidents we've ever had.

I was laughing on the inside because of it

It was like a big "f*ck you, atheists!" when the preacher started praying.
And since obama is one of the most liberal presidents in a long time, this made it even all the more funny!


BTW, everyone who said you are an athiest, that's kind of depressing.