Some of the best people I could name adhere to religion. Way I look at it, they are born that way and could not change under any circumstance. All I ask is that they understand that I could not be other than an atheist under any circumstance. That given we could get along just fine.
I'm pretty much with you there, edgar, though I have to say I just don't know either way ... the arguments of the "absolutes" of each side of the proposition just don't do it for me. One thing is certain, IMO; tolerance is a two-way street, while biggotry is a blind alley.
edgarblythe wrote:Way I look at it, they are born that way and could not change under any circumstance.
I agree with EVERYTHING you said except for that....Free will, I was born into a Christian family and I avoided the brainwashing.
Child, I just gotta risk lookin' stupid here, and I gotta ask. Your avatar ... is that Schneider from One Day At A Time??
I was the only member of my family going to church, because I wanted to be a part of what they said they had. All of their teaching and other means of trying to reach me failed. I consequently accepted what I am and have been growing in my own way ever since. I have always been open to new truths and have altered some of my basic positions over the years.
Am I the only one that finds it annoying when people ask if you believe in God and you say "No" and they answer "I'm sorry"?
What I hate is when people (even jews for some reason) just assume that I'm going to celebrate christmas. Why is that?
Probably because most people wherever you're living do celebrate it.
Even I had my avatar wear a green bow this last Christmas season on a2k. A vicarious thrill, sort of.
Christmas annoys me. It takes too much attention away from the really important event... New Years!
Yeah, its sad the way the true meaning of the Saturnalia has been waylaid, isn't it? I mean, The Winter Soltice used to really mean something.
Do you ever notice how Christianity steals other religions? How annoying!
So, whatever happened to Mithras anyway? (kidding, kidding).
Christmas is my favorite part of the year.
You won't see it from what i post here, because this is a place at which we discuss such matters--but i don't care if anyone thinks as i do, almost never discuss this topic IRL, and don't ridicule others for their beliefs. As i don't give a tinker's damn what those around me believe, absent the immediate threat of violence on their part, you can bet i don't proselytize. Prosyletizing atheism seems to me to be a contradiction, at any event. I see the crusading atheist, and the athesists who make a religion of science, as simply religionists in other guises. There is a gentleman i know, about 15 years older than i, who has a university education, and is more or less the typical Ohio conservative, who is vehemently anti-religion. In practical terms, from the discussions we've had, i'd say he's agnostic. But his exposure to the Catholic church as a child left him very angry, and the insensitivity and the self-serving nature of organized religion. It wasn't hard for him to transfer that contempt to Protestant denominations. He is a quiet, mild-mannered, good-natured man, and the only time he becomes vehemently angry is when the subject of organized religion is broached.
This must be the first time I've actually read every post in a thread. Some made me laugh, some made me think, and I've also picked up a couple of good ideas.
Setanta- I would bet that there are plenty of "gentlemen" and "ladies" out there, who do the same thing. In many cases, I think that rabid atheism or agnosticism is a reaction to early negative experiences with religion.
If religion was not so pervasive in our society, if my life were not so affected by the religion of others in many ways, I would probably seldom bring the subject up.
Child of the Light wrote:Am I the only one that finds it annoying when people ask if you believe in God and you say "No" and they answer "I'm sorry"?
Yikes! I could only ever avoid giving someone a blast for such behaviour if they are a client - and even then I move the discussion on FAST! Eeeeeee - how rude.
Mind you, some non-theist folk here are pretty damn rude too.
Another one I hate is "lapsed Catholic". Lapsed? Left! EX-Catholic. I mean, I am not - but lots of my friends are recovering Catholics (damn, now I have been rude - never one to be able to cling to the moral high ground for long.....) Or - "lost your faith". It ain't lost if I ain't looking.
Mind you - as a quasi-sometimes Buddhist, since age 14, who am I to talk? An illusion, it would seem....
