If you don't believe in God, why does it matter to you if others do?
*grins* Stick around, I'm sure I'll piss you off again
And when I do and you tell me off for it, don't sweat it... I'm an Italian Unitarian... Arguing is pretty much my only form of communication
The moral of the story being that, If people believed in Big Foot and that belief did not change their decisions, actions and other beliefs, no one would have a problem with them.
Belief in a God (creator) is usually not a debatable subject.
Belief in God (monotheism) is a whole different kettle of fish, and when it leads to stoning, celibacy, homophobia, condom banning, racism, slavery, wars and conflict (all in the name of God), then people are going to have a problem with it.
That, and God gets in the way of science, which has been proven to help people
So all in all it's not so much a problem with God as it is a problem with religion. Religion being the very questionable interpretations of what this God wants with us.You mean is that what goes on in America and European countries, all secular countries?
No, because they do not derive any of of their decisions from religion. They are secular...
Thanks for backing my argument
Very good points.
Americans feel free,because the media has them well trained
but its the same with most other Western countries too.
What the Governments have instilled via propaganda etc is 'Their ethos of freedom' which most intelligent minds know doesnt match our personal idea of freedom. (The ones you mention are a great example)..
Ooops got off topic-um ok
Atheism is a form of religion ie, they have a message and they have a set of ideals to promote,so there will be always be conflict with the opposing side
That is true, even the one that showed a guy in a gorilla suit with a zipper
Ok, it is on Animal Planet Sundays at 10pm
http://animal.discovery.com/tv/finding-bigfoot/map/
Ahh I see, well I am very aware of religions benefits to mankind in the past, it certainly worked for us.
But I was more interested about its modern day benefits which in a way you addressed in your personal reason.
Allow me to summarise then:
-As as a theistic Christian you do not believe a large part of the bible (the old testament)?
-You do not believe that the events of the bible were meant to be taken literally (I hope)
and
-You see intrinsic value in the bible as a guideline for behaviour found (at least predominantly) in the stories of Jesus alone (not the Old Testament and its slavery and hatred).
So am I also right in concluding the following (addressing to the points in order):
- You believe that the bible should be re-written to contain only the moral and useful parts of the bible (not say, the mosaic laws) so that way there would be a not "TLDNR" version
- You believe that there should be a disclaimer at the beginning of the book reading "WARNING: content is fictional, any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental" or perhaps "based on a true story" if you so believe.
- Finally you believe that what the bible teaches is a better moral guideline then say a philosopher's book,
-An extra point, I take it you are not a church goer and prayer?
So to take your words and put my own conclusion on them:
The positive position of Christianity within our society is essentially what can be called "fairy tales for adults" wherein the story is believed to be fictional, though it carries a very important message. This is believed to be positive because some people pass the judgement that there is no existing alternative of adult based morals.
Allow me to pass this judgement about you however. It seems to me, that any adult who decides to turn to the bible for moral guidance is already a good and moral human being. The fact that you took the step to prevent whatever these "urges" might be shows that you knew it was wrong and wanted to find strength in something, which happened to be the bible. But what about a friend? Or any book about philosophy and morality in existence. These also feature stories of morality and support you through hard times. It seems to me that you value religion on the basis that it helped you to some degree.
I devalue religion because I believe that the one positive that it provides (moral guidance) is flawed from the start (it's deontology) and therefore should be replaced by an alternative.
You yourself have said that you must "work with what I've got" so If I were to ask you "should we try and replace religion" I can only assume that your answer would be "yes". That to me seems paired with the question "is religion good?" and the answer "no".
When there are working alternatives (atheists can be very moral people too, without having to read tomes containing lot's of gibberish), shouldn't we as rational human beings diverge the funds and donations, buildings, facilities etc. of religion to moral education ?
To put this into an extreme analogy, religion is much like a politician saying "killing 100,000 people in London has positive and negative points because although it will kill a lot of people and cause pain and confusion amongst the masses, it solves over-crowdedness in London". This would be a true statement if not for the fact that there are ready alternatives that with the same facilities as killing 100,000 people would produce the same or better results, without the downsides (contraception, state imposed child limit, emigrating 100,000 people instead of killing them).
With religion, it provides a questionable guidance of living. I would not say that the teachings of Jesus are immoral. But neither would I say it's complete.
The ten commandments, which most religious people seem to love, are all very questionable and interpretable. Killing can be the moral thing to do.
So in essence, I feel that religion should be replaced by secular education because from what I have seen, a secular person is more than capable of finding morals through general education.Wow, Holy Crap where do I start? Okay...
Actually, I treat the Old and New Testaments equally. I am most inspired by the teachings of Christ, but the Old Testament has worthy lessons as well. Of course so do the holy books of all other religions as well. If something resonates with me or inspires me then I don't really care about the source.
I take them figuratively. I do believe that Christ (either as an individual or as a collection of stories about many teachers) existed. It doesn't really matter to me though, it's the lessons that I care about.
Answered above. I believe there is intrinsic value in every value system, religion, or school of thought. (Including Atheism) On the flip side, I also believe there are problems inherent in each one as well.
Not at all. That would be destroying an entire philosophy and a slew of culturally important information just to eliminate the parts that are deemed inappropriate. Throwing the baby out with the bath water never helps. Christianity will either evolve with time to fit society norms or it will die out completely. Besides, Thomas Jefferson already wrote the TLDNR version of the Bible.
Besides, what I find moral and useful is likely not what every other person on this earth would find moral and useful.
LOL! No. But maybe Warning: Not for thumping. You may or may not believe what is written in this book but those are your own personal beliefs and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone else on earth but you. Please read responsibly.
Not at all. It provided guidance for me and served as inspiration, but so did a variety of philosophies. The image of Jesus just happened to have all the qualities I was trying to emulate. Nietzsche and Schopenhauer are great and everything but their thoughts would have likely made things worse for me.
I'm there almost every Sunday and I pray several times daily. My church is extremely open minded and accepting of all viewpoints. The prayer comes in the form of meditation and reaffirming messages. It is still directed at Christ though. To explain either my church or my view of prayer would take more space than tolerable.
Well, yes... sort of.
Not at all. It is positive because it offers another choice that might fit one's needs better than other alternatives. Choice is good.
Quick explanation... My abusive ex-husband caused the death of my 3 year old child. I very much wanted to kill him. Not the "I want to kill someone" that we all joke about, I mean the lay-in-wait and stab him multiple times kinda killing. I had no friends. Not a single one. I went directly from my son's funeral into a mental hospital where I received not one visitor or phone call for the three week stay. Wasn't really up for reading books on philosophy and morality either. I needed a role model for forgiveness pretty damn quick and Jesus on the Cross was what worked. So yes, my religion helped me and yes I value it for that. It kept me sane enough to find other sources and other methods to help.
And that is completely cool that you feel that way. Diversity is awesome.
My answer would obviously be no. Religion will adapt as it has always done. Trying to force the belief out of a world that is not ready to let go of it yet would be a disaster.
First, I know atheist can be very moral people. Secondly, "moral education" is a very tricky thing. The next question being "Who's morals?" If you aren't careful then you will create the same kind of mind control that your rail against religion for creating. Morals are unique to each individual/family/religion/culture. That's how it probably should stay. I prefer a million diverse religions to one universal code. Stagnation occurs without diversity.
You are right, that is an extreme analogy and not altogether apt. I'll save that argument for later though
No philosophy is complete. If it was there would be only one.
Which kinda illustrates what I am saying. I personally can not think of a situation where killing someone else is moral. Desirable, yes. Just, maybe. Necessary? No. As you said, there are always alternatives. Now, with that in mind, who's morals would win out with one uniform moral code?
And I don't feel it should be replaced because I see no reason to limit the sources of moral inspiration to one. In essence, that would be creating a godless religion with no room for individuality and growth.
I don't believe that religion is the problem, never has been, human beings who take it upon them selves to interpret scriptures to, and for, their own ends are the problem. Some religious people have a lot to give, positively, to society. Whereas others, the self appointed Christ themselves type, can only offer judgements and discrimination. No wonder some run a mile from religion. BTW, Happy new year, Melissa.
Happy New Year Hollie! Long time no see
Indeed, good to see your smiling face, feisty spirit and well reasoned arguments. I'm home.
You hit the hammer to the point.
I can't recall ever seeing someone trying to convert the 'converted'. It's not like Atheist go door to door. Atheist don't try to strong hold society and politics, influencing laws that affect people outside of their religion. Religion belongs only in the family.
I.E. Abortion: Christian's oppose abortion because they believe at the moment of conception, God puts a soul in the zygote. Since it's not a fact that this happens, a Christian's opinion is only relevant when it deals with his or her family.
So why would a Religious person think he or she has the right to dictate another human's life on the basis of a religion, a religion who has no more or less credibility than the other major religions.
It isn't the belief in man made religion. It's the intention's of it. This is why people who don't believe are passionate about the debate.
Really you should be fighting to protect the "innocent" from Jesus, being that 20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage. (50% of all known and unknown end in miscarriage, also) Jesus is the ultimate abortionist.
It is impossible to know that 'Jesus' installs a soul at the moment of conception. If you think you know this for a fact, please seek psychiatric help! Being that this is just your belief, you have no right perusing it outside of you family. (I.E. mind you own business)
Obviously abortion is a tricky topic. I wish everyone was responsible enough so we didn't need it, but life is more complicated than that.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Please don't get me started on Hitler. Some extracurricular studies will without doubt show you Hitler wasn't an Atheist. (Atheism isn't a political stance, duh!)
Here, I will get you started on the right path-
A) Hitler thought only the white race came from God. (Atheism?)
B) What religion was his followers? (soldiers, supporters, ect...)
C) What religious symbol did Hitler's officers wear?
D) What religion helped the Nazi party by handing over Jewish family records? (in order to trace back bloodlines to exterminate the Jews)
(To be fair many Catholics did help hide Jewish people from persecution, but only after they were baptized)
“Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.” –Adolf Hitler
(Does he sound kind of mad being that the 'Jews' killed Christ?)"My feelings as a Christian points me to my Lord and Savior as a fighter. It points me to the man who once in loneliness, surrounded by a few followers, recognized these Jews for what they were and summoned men to fight against them and who, God’s truth! was greatest not as a sufferer but as a fighter. In boundless love as a Christian and as a man I read through the passage which tells us how the Lord at last rose in His might and seized the scourge to drive out of the Temple the brood of vipers and adders. How terrific was His fight for the world against the Jewish poison. To-day, after two thousand years, with deepest emotion I recognize more profoundly than ever before the fact that it was for this that He had to shed His blood upon the Cross. As a Christian I have no duty to allow my self to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice… And if there is anything which could demonstrate that we are acting rightly it is the distress that daily grows . For as a Christian I have also a duty to my own people." –Adolf Hitler, in a speech on 12 April 1922 (Norman H. Baynes, ed. The Speeches of Adolf Hitler, April 1922-August 1939, Vol. 1 of 2, pp. 19-20, Oxford University Press, 1942)
Anyways, the Nazi officers had "Gott mit uns" ("God with us") on their belts. What does "scull and cross bones on their caps" have to do with Atheism? FYI, the scull and cross bone is a navy thing. America's navy uses it still today. (I.E. special ops)
Don't use Hitchens against me! He's on my team, regardless of this topic! lol (Even after death, as his work lives on.)
All in all, I agree abortion is bad for the most part, but my opinion is irrelevant being that I'm a male. (and its only relevant for a female when she, herself, is placed with the decision.)
Thanks for link to that Christian site. I noticed they spread lies, too. From the page you linked...
"But it’s not Christianity that’s injected evil into the world. In fact, the worst massacres in history have been committed by atheists (Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot) and virtual pagans (Hitler). Christians have amassed their share of sins over the past 2,000 years, but the great murderers have been the church’s enemies, especially in the past century."
"Swastikas have also been used in other various ancient civilizations around the world. It remains widely used in Indian religions, specifically in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, primarily as a tantric symbol to evoke 'shakti' or the sacred symbol of good luck. The swastika is also a Chinese character used in East Asia representing eternity and Buddhism." wiki
The Illuminati News and Youtube are your sources?
A)..... How do you know there's a "spirit" in us?
B).....What food is illegal? I can eat anything I want with out government dictating my choice. Having what you do in "public" controlled is different. What you do in public affects other people. So smoking in public doesn't damper an individual's rights. If smoking was outright banned, that would be different story. Religion is used to control people and assert power. I.E. Every time you hear a politician talk about God, do you think it's sincere, or do you think there's an agenda behind it? I.E. Rick Santorum's speech last night after the Iowa caucus. His talk about God was so loaded that it made me sick. Maybe he's sincere with Religion, but I can assure you its relevancy last night was that of an agenda.
I don't think it's fair to say one group of people are better than the other. (I agree with you, Atheist are no better than religious people, for the most part, since we live in a secular world nowadays.)(a human body is dead without its indwelling spirit, it simply cannot live without one.)
tlmcgaa70,
If an indwelling human spirit is a necessity for human life, then why is it that every other biological life form - based on the same carbon as are humans - survives without a "human spirit".
Truth now - you're just making this stuff up, aren't you?
(I can eat anything I want with out government dictating my choice.)
You may want to google U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Prepare yourself for a shock.
Troubled Man,
That is a shame that you feel the way you do. I am far from *Superior*. I trust in the Supreme. I share my thoughts to help others see the light. I wish you all the best! Shalom.
Thanks
(philanthropy)
I don't. I don't have time to waste on spending time on anything trying to persuade them on anything. However, I wrote a hub on atheism because there are so many religious people trying to convince me there's God that I got sick of defending myself. Now I just refer them to the hub and leave it at that. I truly don't want to have to defend my viewpoint that there is no God. I don't mind if they believe that there is a God so long as they don't 'witness' to me.
- Those are very strange ideas about the universe. Did you make that up?
- That is entirely false, we base our knowledge of reality on the laws of nature.
Yes, they were a result of the Big Bang.
- Emile Rposted 12 years ago
0 
this conversation is painful LizzieBoo, I wish you would research these things before you say them.
Okay, ("Christians believe in contraception. Catholics don't.")
Catholics are christians.
There are 1.1 billion catholics.
Catholicism makes up more than half of all christians
Which means, if someone say "I am a christian" you can assume that they are catholic, since the majority of christians are catholic.
(The pope only has moral the authority to say something is wrong.He can't ban things.)
Not according to the 1.1 billion people that follow his church . To them, when the pope says "you can't do this because if you do you'll burn in hell for the rest of your life" they take it seriously . So the weight of this man's words for these poor people is much greater than that of the law or an army.
[Where is the army that would alow him to do so?]
Why even say things like this? Switzerland doesn't have an army. They still have laws. They still have bans.
"Millions of people are dying from the spread of Aids in Africa because they have polygamy on a grand scale, prostitution, child rape which is sanctioned by witch doctors and a rape statistic in Cape Town of one in two." Yes, and what is a way to stop all of these cases resulting in the spread of HIV? Condoms.
@philanprothy2012
i dont mind when you tell lizzieboo she is wrong (she's catholic she has to be) but your talking nonsense when you say that most of the bible doesnt add up
im pretty sure for example that dinosaurs come under the same category as animals in fact modern science has shown that most dinosaurs are warm blooded "dragon" is satan...
noah had a lot of time to do it in, about 110 years so he had ample time that is if you believe humans lived longer in those days and uhm...god helped him look after the animals if he can create them he can keep em quiet for a few months
Really, it sure looks like a forum to me.
I have no idea what point you're trying to make other than the fact you don't understand any of those things.
But, that's exactly what you have done.
Come again? Okay, sure. Heaven is not a reward. It is a spiritual destination. I'm doing what I do because my heart desires to do what is right by the Lord. I'm not behaving in such a way to "get" something. It grieves the Holy Spirit when I don't follow him.
The destination is part of a journey to be with the one I love. It's not about the "getting". It's about love which gives nothing in return if I'm only in it to get something.
You make it sound like a very cold marketing purchase, which I disagree with.Miss MelissaK, why then do you look to the bible or Jesus for moral guidelines?
Why can you not deduce for yourself what is moral and not moral?
Atheists after all are more moral people than religious people.
Before you protest and say otherwise, consider the religious teachings that lead people to believe that abortion is wrong and gay people will go to hell
Also consider the idea that atheists are less likely to go to prison.
Also consider the fact that atheists are also more likely to become scientists. Science being one of the most moral fields to pursue. Including medicine, of course.(This is it. I will not be partaking in the forums anymore nor will I look back for your response.)
This is certainly an effective method to get in the last word.
"You know it's wrong to kill"
it is not wrong to kill in all cases. If a bear attacks a group of campers, I would not say it was wrong to wound or kill that bear. If a person attacks a group of campers with malicious intent I would say it was not wrong to wound or kill that bear.
If by killing one man I could save 7 billion people, I would kill that one man, even if it was myself.
Murder is not always morally wrong. It's a fallacy to say it is. The Bible and it's deontological views are sickening. Lying is also not always wrong -lie to save a life is moral, theft is not always wrong - theft to feed your family is moral, even coveting your neighbour's wife is not always wrong if you knew that everyone would be happier if you re-married with her.
utilitarianism is moral.
How do we know what is right and what is wrong? Our upbringing. How did our parents know what was right and what was wrong? Their upbringing. This goes up the family tree into history. Society, through trial and error learned what was right or wrong.
Do you know what is completely wrong with the argument "where does your morality come from?" - "it must be God"? It's wrong because we have so much proof that we call historical documents showing that humanity started off with barbaric, evil customs and then through trial and error learned what was right and what was wrong . Through positive and negative reinforcement learned what was right and what was wrong.
If God is the source of our morality. Then 1000 years ago there wouldn't have been widespread malicious murder, pillaging and rape. 2000 years ago there wouldn't have been widespread malicious murder, pillaging and rape. 5000 years ago [b], there wouldn't have been widespread malicious murder, pillaging and rape.
[b] Only recently has this barbaric behaviour stopped. Only 200 years ago we were still enslaving our own race , calling them a different race entirely.
If you look at the history of man, the further back in time you go, the more brutal we acted. If you suggest that God dictates our intrinsic morality, then you suggest that humans will always act the same, no more barbaric now then they were 5000 years ago, no more civil. After all, why would God's power over us falter? He is all powerful after all.
And what changed? What developed over history so that humans became more moral every century and millennia? Society.
With every tragedy, every horror, every war waged and fight fought, we built upon our society and their rules. Religions formed, and used fear in order to control people, making sure they didn't misbehave, telling them they would burn in hell and suffer all pains if they would. This worked. This really did work. Humans were able to control themselves using fear tactics. The reason "thou shall not kill" and all the other commandments were invented? Because humans could see that if none of these bad things were happening, then less bad things would happen to them. It is a selfish motive. It is our need to survive and reproduce that makes us moral.
Humans learn from mistakes, their own ones, and other people's. We were not born moral, we were born more or less as a blank slate. After that we learn. We learn how to behave in order to survive. We understand concepts, we understand that if everyone in a group doesn't commit crime, then no one, including yourself will be a victim of crime.
So where do I get my morality from? From my parents and the understanding that morality makes the world work better, and if not caring for every other human being, it at least improves my own situation and my own survival chances .
"Atheists less likely to go to prison? Is this an advertisement for satan and his minions?" it is a statistic, derive what you will from it
"Just because someone claims to be a Christian doesn't mean the Holy Spirit is active in their lives or that they've ever cracked open the Bible. " that probably leaves Christianity to less than 1000 followers...
- Muldaniaposted 12 years ago0
LizzieBoo unfortunately, when you get rid of the concept of hell, people stop going to church, look at Britain
this makes me sad
Best quote of the week
Personally, i don't care if others believe in God or not. Morality is not unique to either.But somehow people seem to think that morality is different among each individual.
Asking questions about definitions isn't going to get out of the obvious mess you've created for yourself.
The dictionaries are the standard of definitions that all humans are to abide by, asking for a definition of a word takes less than 5 seconds to answer thanks to google
The ones that did devolve to destroy each other, didn't survive to reproduce and carry on the gene...
They were not the fittest to survive, so they didn't.
The altruistic ones who could make friends and socially bond did survive, so they did
I bet you didn't know that we're not the only animals with empathy
LOL! You were the one asking for definitions. How very dishonest of you.
A little rude of you to choose one internet stranger over all the others to publicly invite out for fishing
It's nice at least to be invited to the party
Actually, it looks more like this...
E=mc^2.
E = Energy
m = mass
c = speed of light
^2 = squared
Hence, E is equal to the mass times the speed of light squared.
Don't take it personally seanorjohn.
I think we all rant from time to time. I just ranted at lizzieboo. I feel kind of bad about it, even though I said what I thought. I'm sure Pcunix was just having a bad day.
I am perfectly happy being atheist. I have never tried to convince others in my disbelief, but so many times I bump into believers trying to make me change my mind. I don't believe in God, and it doesn't matter to me if others do. Whatever makes each individual happy is fine by me, all I ask is the same respect in return as an atheist
Yea I agree,it shouldn't make a difference.
Here's my theory:
Christians once converted truly beleive that their messsage of Christ will change and transform people ,in such a way that they will be set free from the burden of sin ( therefore enhance or heal an individuals life ..(short version)
An Atheist believes that because of religion the world has been the victim and slave to its lies and acts of atrocities. Evil to the bone. Therefore anyone who believes in God and/or the Bible is promoting the growth of this myth.
Both groups are sincere in their beliefs with varying degrees of extremities,in how they choose to stand ......and deliver.
I stand as a Christian,because thats my choice,but we should all be free to choose ,freedom in the true sense.
The common denominator is surely Love,or could be our goalIn other words, you want to change and transform people and you will press forth in that endeavor despite the fact people don't wish to be transformed by others simply because they have their own minds and wills. That is the height of pure selfishness and unbridled disrespect to others, putting it mildly.
No, atheists don't really have to believe that considering history books are full of the atrocities committed in the name of God and the Bible, for which we find the true origins of myths and lies.
Yes, you are free to chose to follow the path of an belief system that disrespects the wants and needs of others in it's attempt to convert and deceive. No, the common denominators are honesty and respect. Love has nothing to do with it.
Eaglekiwi, I love your answer and agree with the sentiments you express.
Honestly, I think anyone who pushes their religious beliefs on others or thinks they're elite for believing a certain way can go shove it. The info is there for everyone.. share it if you want to.. but try not to push religion or non-religion on people and we can all be happy.
There are many spokes in a wheel to make it go around (successfully)
I think its neat to hear different opinions
I dig ya attitudeor... are we just feeling like arguing today? lol. Are you arguing my opinion? lol. Thought you liked opinions
(Sorry ,missed your post)
No, I am not Buddhist, but I am open to teachings from all kinds of other religions ,even secular. Just depends if I like it or feeds my spirit/soul
Is like most things( for me) if someone or something ,even entertainment doesnt edify or leave me feeling good about myself I cancel the download lol
Oh yes, that is evidence of something, perhaps a few things that may require professional help.
It is confirmed when you make false claims and the facts are held up in front of you, time and time again.
You aren't conforming to my beliefs. You are making claims that are an affront to reality and facts. It's dishonest.
Really? Just because they believe in God?
How about when believers start evangelizing their religion, or post lies about science, or hatred towards homosexuals, etc. etc. etc.
Are you sure that might not have something to do with it?My own experience of atheists and christians being arrogant or perhaps cynical seem to be mainly online ,for in the real world most people are not as intense,or as focused on the subject.Sure there may be discussion,but much more respect or tolerance is shown by both sides (IMO)
One thing that does amuse me though , (perhaps its just hubpages) where the non-believers armour up and cant wait to stride into a religious discussion
It would be like a Christian walking into an Athiest forum and talking sh*t about their beliefs? then feeling attacked..or a white guy holding up a sign at an A.N.C meeting exclaiming his dislike of N*****..
The brainwashing results in the Faith, not the other way round.
The starving of the world who will die today for lack of food would disagree with you. However, you are free to tell them to their faces if you had the courage to do so.
Then, stop evangelizing your Faith.
So, rather than stopping the evangelizing of your Faith in order to stop the conflict, you evangelize your Faith to promote more conflict.
Obviously, you are telling us how to live and what to believe, yet you feel persecuted when others don't want to hear about your Faith. Notice it is YOU who is causing the problems.
That was pompous, mean and nasty, just like you don't want others to act.
Hmm..I don’t think that is always the case.
I have seen many many arrogant, selfish Christians.
And I have met many, many good, kind-hearted, humble atheists.
To be honest with you, I get along much better most times with atheists than Christians…. and I'm a believerHmm...i guess it depends on one's experience.
To be very honest with you, the people who are the most arrogant and selfih typically end up being Christians...but that's in my experience.
I understand what you were saying
You mean, the same way a Muslim can arrogantly deride Christianity right here on these forums?
Maybe its a human characteristic to want to label and file things and people.
I know I believe in God,and as long as I live I am open to learning all kinds of truth and knowledge,however it presents itself.
I am reminded of a quote I saw some place
"Stand for something, or fall for anything"
- ahorsebackposted 12 years ago0
- <--- coveted double laughie award
I am reminded of a quote I saw somewhere:
" It's good to be open minded - but not so open that your brains fall out"Hi Seek n find. I didn't have a real choice. I was raised a Catholic by loving, well-intentioned parents.
My problem is it's brainwashed into kids. I wasn't taught evolution so I obviously wasn't aware of its huge significance in the world. Also, not only wasn't I taught about other religions, I wasn't even aware there were atheists. I didn't trust science at all. I remember a religious video that taught the Grand Canyon was formed during Noah's ark and that carbon dating was a conspiracy. This mistrust made me arrogant and combative towards my teachers and allowed me to accept other conspiracy theories which eventually led me prey to right wing hate radio, which in turn spread my mistrust towards "mainstream" media, Hollywood, pop culture, higher education, etc. It taught no sex before marriage which messed up my sex life considering marriage looked about as exciting to me as a box of postcards.
I sought lazy, supernatural shortcuts to success. I always knew God would show me the way, so instead of pursuing a real education by the "elitists", I tried Amway and followed other pseudo experts like Ken Roberts and Ted Warren in the investing game (well intentioned know-nothings).
I'm still behind, but thanks largely to the internet, around my early-mid twenties, I shook a lot of this garbage off and luckily I still have time to re-educate and make the best of my life. Blind faith is the exact opposite of what should be taught to children. They should be taught all sides, how to pursue knowledge, and how to apply reason. If they then decide for themselves there's a God, at least they made the choice. Yikes, sorry for the sermon. See, I still haven't fully shaken it Anyway, have a good one.
Related Discussions
- 21
If they truly believe that there is no God, why does it matter to them that I do
If they truly believe that there is no God, why does it matter to them that I do believe?I have written online Christian articles. Those who comment on my Christian writings are usually, 75% Christians, 25% atheists. I appreciate all the comments, but what I find interesting is how hard some of the...
- 34
As long as you are a good person, does it matter what religion you believe in?
As long as you are a good person, does it matter what religion you believe in?
- 23
Believers aren't suppose to judge others ,so why judge an athiest?
Believers aren't suppose to judge others ,so why judge an athiest?it seems one hubber is going full out to make athiests look foolish on here by judging what an athiest thinks without actually thinking before they question. is judging us ok because we don't believe?
- 46
Why can't atheists and believers leave each other alone to not believe or believ
Why can't atheists and believers leave each other alone to not believe or believe?Why is it that atheists (not all, some) continuously question believers about their belief and vice versa; why do believers (not all, some) feel they have to justify their belief? Surely if you don't believe in God...
- 883
Believers Have to Prove the Existence of God
Many believers like to say that Atheists should prove that there is no God. Believers should know that existence has to be proved, not the non-existence. If a thing exists, it is possible to prove its existence. So believers should prove the existence of God if he exists. But if they want to do it,...
- 986
When a non-believer says they have looked God, how did they do it?
We hear often of atheists claiming that have looked for evidence of God but can find none but what would convince them? How do they go about investigating? How do they expect believers to prove it to them when it can only be proved to oneself and not by another?