Re: Atheists, smarter than religious people
real life wrote:Treya wrote:real life wrote:
I see.
So basically you just wanted to add 'hypocrite' to the earlier 'dog' and 'brainwashed' insults you hurled?
OK........still not sure how that validates your thesis that atheism is a 'smarter' alternative, as the title of the thread indicates, and you wrote in support of.
Also, just to clarify, if a Christian tells you 'I am a sinner' , and then they sin.......are they a hypocrite?
There's really no point in running in circles with this. This was never my "thesis". I didn't start this thread. I simply commented and spoke with the author of this thread. Then you jumped in to "save the day" or whatever because you were feeling a bit slighted by my comments apparently. Were they a bit rude? Sure. Am I a bit bitter towards christianity? Absolutely. I have a every right to be.
I thought part of christian beliefs is to forgive? To show grace and mercy to those who "don't understand"? So where's your forgiveness real life? Where is this "grace" and "mercy" that your "god" has so kindly extended to you? Why must you be sitting on a little perch waiting for someone to bring offence to you so you can jump all over them and show what a great "christian" you are? Doesn't the bible say:
Acts 24:15
15 I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. 16 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.
And what about this:
Romans 16:16-18
17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.
I don't really think you are suppose to be talking to me right now. According to this anyway. Oh, but wait:
No... wait... you are suppose to let me slap your other cheek AND give me your cloak. You are not suppose to repay me for however it is you feel I am treating you. Hmmm, I'm confused. How exactly are you suppose to be towards me real life? I'm not finding any clarity in these here scriptures. Can you clarify that for me?
Oh yeah... your question. The answer is simple. Actions speak louder than words. The problem I see with some christians is that they try to get their words to speak louder than their actions. Unfortunately, they are the only ones who are fooled by this.
No, you didn't start the thread, but you wrote in support of the thesis, stating that Christians 'didn't think for themselves' , asking 'how smart can they be?' and 'my dog is smarter', and 'Christians are brainwashed'.
I 'jumped in' for the same reason you did -- to discuss the issue. And I asked you how claiming others were stupid proves you are smart.
I don't really need to forgive you, because I'm not angry at you. You haven't done anything to me. But if I was angry, I would forgive you.
Your views hurt only yourself, and your attempts to lower others only lower you to the level that you are criticizing.
I have no bitterness against you, and I'm sorry to hear of your bitterness toward 'Christians' as a group -- most of whom you have never met and know nothing about.
Is that what you mean by 'tolerance' ?
Well real life, let me make an attempt here to soften my tone a bit as I know I've been coming off pretty harsh. First I would like to say that I am not attempting to "lower" anyone here. Not intentionally anyway. However, I realize that you've read what you've read into what I've said so that's pretty much a mute point.
So moving on... I don't know why you would be sorry to hear about my "bitterness toward "christians" as a group" considering I never said that. I said I was bitter towards "
christianity" I have stated repeatedly the phrase "some" christians. Not all christians. Not Just the ones I've met. But "some".
However I'll do my best to clarify my point so maybe we both can be on the same page here. What I mean when I say I'm bitter towards "
christianity" (not christians) is that I am angry at the things the christian doctrine teaches. The things that
many (not all) christians eat up like a candy bar.
My experience has been there comes with "
christianity" an air of superiority. A feeling of being somehow better than everyone else. Smarter than everyone else. Two steps ahead of everyone else. A feeling of being somehow more justified than everyone else. More worthy of good things than everyone else.
It's an air that is caught in the bubble of "
christianity". As far as tolerance goes well there's really not a whole lot among those influenced by "
christianity". Sure, many of them think they are "oh so tolerant" by putting up with that co-worker that gets on their nerves, while in fact they only keep their mouth shut about it when that person is on the room. As soon as they leave though out comes the garbage about what a rotten person they are... blah blah blah.
It's ok though you see because they are "repentant", so "god" will forgive them for doing that. Many of them feel justified by their actions. By how they present themselves to those who can see them, while behind closed doors the real person is seen only by a few. Sadly in america (in my opinion anyway) "
christianity" has reduced itself to the level of a trendy name tag. Something to call yourself. Something to be recognized as.
Just like Joe Boxer. It's the "in" thing to wear. It's cool to wear it. It's cool to be seen in it. But the fact still remains that those outer clothes don't change who that inner person is. It just makes them "appear better". More acceptable. So let me make it perfectly clear here and now that I am in no way, shape, or form claiming by any stretch that all "christians" are like this.
As I have said before, I've seen what I've seen. That's it. That's MY experience. Not yours. So why should I expect you to even try to understand. I really don't. I know how it is to be so engulfed within your belief that there's no room in your little box for anymore information. Especially anything that challenges what or how you think.
We're all just people real life. Trying to find our way in this world. We have our own ideas, our own perceptions, our own opinions. My problem with "
christianity" boils down to the fact that there is no room in there for someone to just be who they are. To think how they think. To make their own decisions about things. It's all about changing someone to fit the image that "
christianity" wishes to present to the world. "
Christianity" wants nothing more than to tell everyone else how they ought to be living their life.
There's no need to "think for yourself" because the bible does it for you. "God" does it for you. Tells you what you should think. How you should think. What you shouldn't think. What you should do. How you should do it. What you shouldn't do. Who you should be with. Who you shouldn't be with. On and on and on. It's not about what you think is right it's about what some book says is right. A book that contradicts itself over and over.
The icing on the cake though is that "
christianity" actually portrays all that as "free will" and then condemns anyone who would dare stand against that sort of thing and say, "Naaaa. I'd like to think for myself please." Oh, but you can't because that's not acceptable to "god" according to the bible, so therefore you are a rebel who is going to hell. The "loving god" who created you in his own image will condemn you to eternal damnation for not doing it "his way".
So concerning what I said originally that I think atheists are smarter than christians. Yep. Still holds true to ME. Based on the fact that atheists at least are willing to think for themselves however, the majority of christians are too afraid to even try.
What evidence do you have for God's existence that is any more compelling than that of Casper? Does the theme of a story grant credibility to it? Are you relying on Ad Populum? Ad antiquitatem ? How can you know either was anything but the conception of a storyteller?