Ricky Gervais, a man I already found incredibly hysterical and witty, has just earned some glorious amount of respect points from me.

His last sentiment on 'accidental' beauty is fantastic, I wish more people could see from this perspective.

This pretty much mirrors my opinion on the video.

On a different note: Not that it matters, but there are many personal gains someone could derive from atheism, many of which are impossible to measure. No different than what some would say about having faith, I'm sure.

SciFi - More government handouts isn't charity.

Rather than help someone from your own heart, you'd rather the government ruthlessly enforce charity. Not a real way to benevolence.

I'd like to think I know something about charity. I've given out more money to needy people this year than 10 of the average atheists.

SciFi, you may want to do some research on private vs. public charity and benevolence. There's a great chasm between what the private charity does vs. government welfare.

THe rest of your post was meaningless.  I mean what's stopping athiests from giving money to charities they do support.  It's not like charities ever have enough money.

Also, as for welfare.   Your not actually giving YOUR money away.  Your giving other peoples money away.

Think about this.

Rich Republicans who think they are getting taxed too much give more money to charity then Rich Democrats who think they aren't getting taxed enough.  Conservatives, Atheists, Liberals and religious people all pay the same taxes.  They don't all give the same amounts to charity.

If you were a homeless man and you saw Dick Cheney and Al Gore walking down two sides of the same street.  You would be much more likely to get money from Dick Cheney then Al Gore.

Atheists can take or leave charity as they please. Where as religious people I often find more compelled to donate. Either way I don't think charity should be forced in anyway, if someone wants to donate they can feel free and I don't think anyone has the right to stop them.

That's just my opinion anyway

Oh also, lets play nice guys

I can't believe people are using statistics on "amount donated to charities" between these two groups. For starters, correlation does not equal causation. There are so many factors surrounding one's tendency to donation that claiming it relies solely on their spiritual affiliation is appalling.

Secondly, there clearly is an implication that because of this, frankly, bullshit study, that atheists/agnostics are less generous people - which, again, is bullshit.

Statistics mean nothing to the individual.

EDIT: And now some of you are bringing politics into this.
Seriously, that doesn't belong here. Go away.

I am kinda of an atheism but right now I am Agnostic.

highwaystar101 said: Atheists can take or leave charity as they please. Where as religious people I often find more compelled to donate. Either way I don't think charity should be forced in anyway, if someone wants to donate they can feel free and I don't think anyone has the right to stop them. That's just my opinion anyway Oh also, lets play nice guys

Well yeah.  That's obviously why.

It's the same reason conservatives donate more then liberals.

They feel more compelled to donate more to charity because they believe government intervention is worthless and their tax money is going to waste.

I mean... there are a lot of people who just don't do stuff because they're afraid of god or whatever.  If your not afraid of god.  You can do what you want.

That doesn't make them better people.  Being motivated by fear.  Nor was that what i was implying.

i didnt say it was charity, i said its helping the same people

most every atheist i know, is a nice person who cares about others, they may not give to charity, but are they lesser people becuase of that? i dont think so, do you?

This thread has officially been derailed by politically motivated bias, congratulations.

ot, im going to convert as many people to atheism as i can.