Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart Bashes Atheism

Lincoln Diaz-Balart, a Congressperson from Florida, saw the “Divine Performing Arts” show the other night and couldn’t stop raving about it.

“I was very moved by the song that talked about the damage that atheism has caused and is causing. It was very moving, but all of the performances were moving, uplifting; they teach us about the eternal nature of mankind and of how we have to be humble.

“The songs carry the sense that evil will not prevail, and so the message is that the truth ultimately prevails. It is extraordinarily uplifting and I am so happy to be here.”

While he’s a Republican, this guy is a moderate.

To quote Daniel Florien:

In other words, atheism is evil and damaging society and “eternal truth” will prevail. And this is a Congressman!

Illinois State Representative Monique Davis must be giving lessons in anti-atheist bigotry.

And if you don’t think this is bigotry, just think of the outcry we would’ve see had Diaz-Balart said the following:

“I was very moved by the song that talked about the damage that Judaism has caused and is causing… The songs carry the sense that evil will not prevail, and so the message is that the truth ultimately prevails. It is extraordinarily uplifting and I am so happy to be here.”

"Fair point."

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t3knomanser

Congressman, would you care to provide clear examples of the damage caused by atheism? Please include explanations of why this actually is damage, and not merely something you dislike, as well as a clear vector through which atheism is the clear and distinct cause of the damage.

I’m a busy man, so if you could keep it under 1,000 words, that’d be stellar.
Siamang

Wow, I wonder what the song is?

Good thing there will be lots and lots of prayers to the Christian god for the inauguration. That’ll make sure that Washington gets the clear message that their job is to be religious leaders telling Americans what to believe, rather than servants of the public asking them what they need the government to do.
Bill

they teach us about the eternal nature of mankind and of how we have to be humble.

Humans are special and eternal, now that’s humble!
Eric

Oh, was I supposed to be surprised by this? The liberals don’t like that we exist, why should a ‘moderate Republican’ be even close to accepting of atheism?
Steve

Ironically, it wasn’t a Christian show at all. The Divine Performing Arts company is an arm of Falun Gong. My wife and I went to see it not knowing what it was- It billed itself as a celebration of Chinese Culture. I wonder if this Congressman knows that by endorsing Falun Gong, he’s pissing off the Chinese government?
Here’s my impressions of the show.
Glen Sears

I think t3knomanser has truly highlighted the fatal flaw in such thinking. I often think of villainizing atheism as villainizing rainstorms. Sure, occasionally an atheist can cause some trouble, but overall atheism is resoundingly positive and benefits humanity greatly (and I’d be happy to provide any number of examples, most notably the ridding of crippling doubt and guilt toward oneself). And it certainly cannot hold a candle to the trouble other movements have caused throughout history.

Religion has an awful history when it meddles in government. Almost invariably the breaking point is between church and state, which is precisely why we have the constitutional protections we do. Imagine one of the Founding Fathers seeing how their duality of protection has been bastardized as a martyr for religious influence…
ollie

Sorry, but I agree with this statement:

“I was very moved by the song that talked about the damage that religion has caused and is causing… The songs carry the sense that evil will not prevail, and so the message is that the truth ultimately prevails. It is extraordinarily uplifting and I am so happy to be here.”
Steven Carr

What were the lyrics of the song about atheism?
Mn

Look at the statistics for theism and crime rate – don’t tell me that all those crimes are done by, what ? 16% of Americans ? Atheists are a minority, yet you have horrendous crimes, prisons are full etc. Oh, yeah, those theists who commit crimes are not True Believers … But then a rabbi approves the “indiscriminate killing of civilians” (as long as they’re Palestinians, of course)

What I’m saying is – theists ignore the fact that God is watching them and judging by the monstrosity of the crimes humans are capable of – they behave like there wasn’t any god, no punishment after they die. If they think they’ll be able to get away with the crime, on this planet, in this life, they’ll commit it.

Again looking at crime figures in my own country, where 90% of the people claim to be orthodox christians, we have a lot of “atheists” who just happen to equate religion with morality when these statistics are made or generally, when it suits them and their interests.

If people would actually see their deity making appearances and actually punishing someone, they wouldn’t commit any crime but they see the relativity of justice on this planet and as long as it is a chance they won’t be discovered and no god has been seen punishing … why not kill/rape/harass/steal ? And then they rationalize that with passages from the OT or invoke “religious freedom” like the vatican does with pedophiles.

This is why theism is dangerous – people don’t have a genuine concern for another human being’s wellbeing, they view it as relative, just like their “holy books” are on morality and whatever they do, they can seek redemption/salvation later ’cause god said that can be done too. The suffering they might have provoked to another is not important, it’s all about personal salvation that can be achieved no mater you many bodies you’ve left behind.
Justin jm

Ironically, it wasn’t a Christian show at all. The Divine Performing Arts company is an arm of Falun Gong.

IIRC, Falun Gong is a fundamentalist, Creationist belief, (not necessarily Christian fundamentalism though).
hoverFrog

If you define God as the source of all good AND you define atheism as being anti-God then atheism is evil. Of course, both ideas are utter bollocks. Perhaps the Congressman would benefit from a good dictionary?
RobL

The Congressman’s fax number is (202)225-8576 You cant use his web link to contact him unless you are in his district, but I did send him a fax letting him know what I think of his statement.

This kind of nonsense wont stop unless we inundate them with complaints when they open their stupid mouths. Wont change what they think but it might change what they say.
Miko

Wiki may say so, but he doesn’t seem especially moderate to me. Categorizing wiki’s list, he’s for: promotion of the police state, wasteful military spending to benefit his home district, isolationist foreign policy, and legislated morality. Even if you mitigate it a bit with opposition to FMA and better than average support for immigrants, he’s still fairly typical for a Republican, no?
Trina Hoaks

I will contact my Congressman and ask him what he thinks of Diaz-Balart’s remarks. I am just out of Balart’s district.

Of course, the state of Florida is backassward anyway. The state motto is “In God We Trust.” The Bill was passed to make it so in 2006 by none other than Jeb Bush.
Trina Hoaks

And, yes, I will be writing about this. It will be my first article tomorrow morning.
Ingersoll’s Revenge

Judging by a description of the show, it sounds like it was largely am anti-communist screed, and almost every American over thirty equates communism with atheism.

Is it possible that said statement was an honest mistake? He was probably thinking,

“Yeah, those commie bastards! Stalin and Mao murdered millions! And now we got ’em too, those god-dang atheists! Damn, I miss the Cold War!”

Just a thought.
Cannonball Jones

the message is that the truth ultimately prevails.

So he’s on our side after all then? I was worried there for a second 🙂
Fran

Review

The songs were dreadful, both in their lyrics and musically, gooey with treacly sentiment and bristling with repellent aphorisms (“the theory of atheism puts humanity at risk”);

I guess his musical taste is on the same level as his tolerance.

Does this good Republican know that Falun Da believes in gods, not his God, and also believes in “external qi gong” – i.e., superstitious magic?
Lawrence S. Lerner

This is the sort of hatred and prejudice that persuaded me to switch from Republican (which I had been since I first voted in 1956) to Democrat.
If the Republicans want to be the party of white fundamentalist males, that’s fine with me.
Craig

Ingersoll’s Revenge Says:

January 13th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Judging by a description of the show, it sounds like it was largely am anti-communist screed, and almost every American over thirty equates communism with atheism.

Is it possible that said statement was an honest mistake? He was probably thinking,

“Yeah, those commie bastards! Stalin and Mao murdered millions! And now we got ‘em too, those god-dang atheists! Damn, I miss the Cold War!”

Just a thought.
*********
Please do not give these idiots an excuse.

It is just plain bigotry, and, if you don’t believe in my god you are a worthless piece of trash syndrome that has to been silenced once and for all in this country.
Hoffy

Yawn, what’s that, more ridiculous statements by a politician with the intellect of a flea, how unusual,a falong gong show, is that the same as the old gong show we used to watch all those years ago, must be the new version, Yawn zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Jan

Stop spreading bigotry here please. Falun Gong is a spiritual exercise, and its practitioners are cruelly persecuted by the dictatorial Chinese communist government (that actually is kinda klepto-crony capitalist). I am surprise that you all people who claim to uphold reason would endorse religious persecution. Freedom and human rights are paramount in a society based on reason. At the minimum level of decency, freedom of religion and conscience should be upheld, no matter what you believe in.
frank

I’m having trouble seeing this as bigotry. So what if this guy thinks atheism causes damage? Some of my best friends think the same thing. And I’ve got a books on my shelf entitled “god is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything” and “The God Delusion,” and I’ve also read one entitled “The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason.” We atheists accuse religion of causing harm all the time. How can we then turn around and accuse a person of bigotry for saying the exact same thing about us?