MySpace - Dan Barker (Tribute Profile) - 60 - Male - Madison, Wisconsin

Dan Barker (Tribute Profile)

		Unofficial page on the rational atheist Dan Barker Male 60 years old Madison, Wisconsin United States Last Login: 7/21/2009

View My: Pics \| Gifts

Contacting Dan Barker (Tribute Profile)

MySpace URL:

www.myspace.com/rationalatheistdanbarker

Dan Barker (Tribute Profile)'s Interests

General

The very concept of sin comes from the bible. Christianity offers to solve a problem of its own making! Would you be thankful to a person who cut you with a knife in order to sell you a bandage?

You can cite a hundred references to show that the biblical God is a bloodthirsty tyrant, but if they can dig up two or three verses that say God is love, they will claim that you are taking things out of context!

I do understand what love is, and that is one of the reasons I can never again be a Christian. Love is not self denial. Love is not blood and suffering. Love is not murdering your son to appease your own vanity. Love is not hatred or wrath, consigning billions of people to eternal torture because they have offended your ego or disobeyed your rules. Love is not obedience, conformity, or submission. It is a counterfeit love that iscontingent upon authority, punishment, or reward. True love is respect and admiration, compassion and kindness, freely given by a healthy, unafraid human being.

I have something to say to the religionist who feels atheists never say anything positive: You are an intelligent human being. Your life is valuable for its own sake. You are not second-class in the universe, deriving meaning and purpose from some other mind. You are not inherently evil--you are inherently human, possessing the positive rational potential to help make this a world of morality, peace and joy. Trust yourself.

For my money, I'll bet on reason and humanistic kindness. Even if I am wrong I will have enjoyed my life, the existence of which is under little dispute.

Truth does not demand belief. Scientists do not join hands every Sunday, singing, yes, gravity is real! I will have faith! I will be strong! I believe in my heart that what goes up, up, up must come down, down. down. Amen! If they did, we would think they were pretty insecure about it.

Just say NO to religion.

You keep accusing me of blasphemy all of the time, But I cannot be convicted of a victimless crime.

You believe in a book that has talking animals, wizards, witches, demons, sticks turning into snakes, food falling from the sky, people walking on water, and all sorts of magical, absurd and primitive stories, and you say that we are the ones that need help?

Books

Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist

Maybe Right, Maybe Wrong: A Guide for Young Thinkers

Maybe Yes, Maybe No: A Guide for Young Skeptics

Just Pretend: A Freethought Book for Children

Heroes

Dan Barker (Tribute Profile)'s Details

Status:	Married
Religion:	Atheist
Zodiac Sign:	Cancer
Children:	Proud parent

Dan Barker (Tribute Profile) is in your extended network
view more

Dan Barker (Tribute Profile)'s Latest Blog Entry [Subscribe to this Blog]

The Bible: Fact or Fiction...Dan Barker Debates (view more)

Harvard Debate: Dan Barker Debates Dinesh D’Souza (view more)

FFRF Gets Tough over Prayer at Public Senior Centers (view more)

Religious Tests for Public Office (view more)

A Troubling Court Ruling (view more)

[View All Blog Entries]

Dan Barker (Tribute Profile)'s Blurbs

About me:

Some Articles:

Christian Terrorism In Oklahoma City

I Just Lost Faith In Faith

Dear Theologian

Cosmological Kalamity

The Freewill Argument
for the Nonexistence of God

Freethought Nontract Now "Classic Literature"

Freethought And Prime Time Television

Why Jesus?

Bible Contradictions

Debunking the Historical Jesus

What Would Jesus Say About Gay Rights?

Leave No Stone Unturned

A Short Bio:

Dan became a teenage evangelist at age 15. At 16 he was choir librarian for faith-healer Kathryn Kuhlman's Los Angeles appearances. He received a degree in Religion from Azusa Pacific University and was ordained to the ministry by the Standard Community Church, California, in 1975. He served as associate pastor at a Friend's (Quaker) Church, an Assembly of God, and an independent Charismatic church. Dan was a Protestant missionary in Mexico for a total of two years.

Dan maintained a touring musical ministry for 17 years, including eight years of full-time, cross-country evangelism. An accomplished pianist, record producer, arranger and songwriter, he worked with Christian music companies such as Manna Music and Word Music. For many years, Dan wrote and produced the annual "Mini Musicale" for Gospel Light Publications' Vacation Bible School curriculum.

For more than two decades, Dan was accompanist, arranger, and record producer for Manuel Bonilla, the leading Christian singer in the Spanish-speaking world. He accompanied on the piano such Christian personalities as Pat Boone, Jimmy Roberts (of the Lawrence Welk Show), and gospel songwriter Audrey Meier, and was a regular guest on Southern California's "Praise The Lord" TV show (Spanish). One of Dan's Christian songs, "There Is One," was performed by Rev. Robert Schuller's television choir on the "Hour of Power" broadcast. To this day, he receives royalties from his popular children's Christian musicals, "Mary Had a Little Lamb" (1977), and "His Fleece Was White As Snow" (1978), both published by Manna Music and performed in many countries.

Following five years of reading, Dan gradually outgrew his religious beliefs. "If I had limited myself to Christian authors, I'd still be a Christian today," Dan says. "I just lost faith in faith." He announced his atheism publicly in January, 1984.

Dan was PR Director of the Freedom From Religion Foundation from 1987 to 2004. He was elected co-president of the Foundation with Annie Laurie Gaylor in 2004. He is a contributing editor of Freethought Today and is involved with the Foundation's state/church lawsuits.

Who I'd like to meet:

Emma Goldman, Joseph Lewis, Richard Feynman, Thomas Jefferson, Isaac Asimov, Ayn Rand, Carl Sagan, Sigmund Freud, George Carlin, Charles Darwin, Friedrich Nietzsche, Albert Einstein, Richard Dawkins, Penn Jillette, Woody Allen, Sam Harris

Dan Barker (Tribute Profile)'s Friend Space (Top 40)

Dan Barker (Tribute Profile) has 407 friends.

Star

RationalAtheist.com

First Freedom First

Susan B.

Charles Darwin

The Secret Delusion

Col. Robert G. Ingersoll

No Indoctrination

Creationist Opposer

Atheist Activists

TPO

American Atheists

Kathryn

Elizabeth Cady

Keith Lowell Jensen

Andrae - The Religiously Irreligious One

Shamelessly Atheist

Martin

The Bastard Fairies

Charles Evolution

Tom

╓╥╖²

Atheists United

BAD RELIGION

John

Louis

Curtis

Bert McDert

Becky

Josh

Phreak

oneoveralpha

Lynn

Karalyn

American Anthropology

infidelguy

Chad

Nils

Aimee

View Dan Barker (Tribute Profile)'s Friends: | |

Dan Barker (Tribute Profile)'s Friends Comments

Displaying 25 of 157 comments ( View All | Add Comment )

Everyone is born an atheist	Jul 4 2009 2:24 AM Happy 4th of July Hope your's is filled with tons of fun and laughter!.
Allied Atheist Alliance	Jun 28 2009 7:28 AM This is a poem written by a teenager with cancer. She wants to see how many people get her poem. It is quite the poem. Please pass it on. This poem was written by a terminally ill young girl in a New York Hospital . It was sent by a medical doctor - Make sure to read what is in the closing statement AFTER THE POEM. SLOW DANCE Have you ever watched kids On a merry-go-round? Or listened to the rain Slapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight? Or gazed at the sun into the fading night? You better slow down. Don't dance so fast. Time is short. The music won't last. Do you run through each day On the fly? When you ask How are you? Do you hear the reply? When the day is done Do you lie in your bed With the next hundred chores Running through your head? You'd better slow down Don't dance so fast. Time is short. The music won't last. Ever told your child, We'll do it tomorrow? And in your haste, Not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch, Let a good friendship die Cause you never had time To call and say,'Hi' You'd better slow down. Don't dance so fast. Time is short. The music won't last. When you run so fast to get somewhere
American Atheists (Official)	Jun 25 2009 9:35 PM American Atheists wanted to say... HAPPY BIRTHDAY! May your day be full of happiness, joy, and reason! American Atheists is a nationwide movement which defends the civil rights of nonbelievers, works for the separation of church and state, and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy. American Atheists, Inc. PO Box 158 Cranford, NJ 07016 Tel: (908) 276-7300 Fax: (908) 276-7402 http://atheists.org
Everyone is born an atheist	Jun 25 2009 5:59 PM Happy Birthday from Everyone is born an Atheist I Hope your birthday is filled with tons of fun and laughter!.
Allied Atheist Alliance	May 28 2009 2:49 AM
۞	May 28 2009 12:06 AM :)
PROJECT EVOLUTION APPAREL	May 8 2009 8:58 PM www.peapparel.org
State of Protest	Apr 20 2009 2:38 PM
PROJECT EVOLUTION APPAREL	Apr 6 2009 4:31 AM THANKS FOR THE ADD. COME VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.PEAPPAREL.ORG
Atheist World	Mar 27 2009 5:53 PM .. MORE AT ATHEISTNATION.NET
Atheist World	Mar 17 2009 7:46 PM Thanks for the add.
Tralfamadorific	Mar 12 2009 7:37 PM Thanks so much for the gracious addition. Not to be a whore, but look for my new book "Leisure Time", coming soon. It has sacrilege, sacrilege, and more sacrilege. Not suitable for true believers and other irrationals. Randy
Everyone is born an atheist	Mar 8 2009 7:31 PM Thank you fellow atheist for the add. atheist need to stand together!
node	Mar 4 2009 6:41 PM Thank you for putting together this tribute site, and thank you for the add.
Steve	Mar 2 2009 1:52 AM
Lynn	Jan 31 2009 5:15 AM Thanks for adding me.
Jane Austen	Jan 31 2009 3:46 AM Thanks for the add! Great site! J
Keνịn	Dec 23 2008 2:18 PM HAPPY FESTIVUS!!
UrbanScooters.com : 626-799-2099	Dec 7 2008 3:02 AM MYSPACE FRIENDS ONLY... that means you! Grab 5% 0FF our already stupid low online prices on electric bicycles, electric scooters, push scooters, gas scooters and everything else in the store! Enter DISC0UNT C0DE "MYSPACE" for 5% 0FF (Internet 0rders 0nly). 0ffer ends 1/12/09. Go get it... www. UrbanScooters. com
I Wanna Be With a Skinhead Girl!	Nov 19 2008 3:28 PM I love Dan Barker! I listen to Freethought Radio every week!
David	Oct 30 2008 12:58 PM Thank you so much for the add. I hope that you have a great day.
Missy	Oct 2 2008 4:28 AM This comment was sent by your friend via the Green Spot app. To block this app and all communications from it, click Here. ------------------------------------------- Hey Dan Barker (Tribute Profile), I left you a gift. Click and pick it up.
Louis	Oct 1 2008 12:47 PM This Irish comedian, tells you God loves atheists because we never windge or ask for any thing. Watch Dave Allen, he's great.
David Mills	Sep 29 2008 12:16 AM Texas Freethought Convention
Missy	Sep 23 2008 5:44 PM This comment was sent by your friend via the Green Spot app. To block this app and all communications from it, click Here. ------------------------------------------- Hey Dan Barker (Tribute Profile), I left you a gift. Click and pick it up.

Add Comment

Press Room | Advertise | Developers

MySpace a place for friends

HAPPY FESTIVUS!!