FAITH, RELIGION, AND YOU

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I have like the idea that there is a divine force somewhere in this universe, but that we will never understand and if we try to understand it we are going to fight at the end due a stupid disagree with another one that is trying to understand it but no one really does. So that's why I consider myself an agnostic, if you don't know what that word means, it means the people that believe in (Chuck Norris).
Honestly, this is why religious topics are never good on the internet. Unless you have thick skin, there is a good chance someone is going to say something offensive to you.

That being said, I have no problem with people who preach about their beliefs, as long as they show respect to the people they are preaching to. I think that is something that can be universally agreed upon.
author=calunio
Versalia you're right, I overgeneralized. Like I said from the beginning, I was talking about preaching atheists in general.

Kentona honestly, this is a discussion I participated many times before, and no one ever changes his mind (here's a pattern for you), so I'm abandoning it right now. I'm just surprised that you're deliberately bashing on religious people, right after a bunch of community members expressed their beliefs with no attacks or critics of any kind in other religions, in a topic that was supposed to be pretty harmless, which is something you, as a moderator, would very likely disapprove if you weren't doing it yourself. That's what I think is wrong with (preaching) atheist. They're offensive, self-righteous and narrow-minded.

Regarding RMN, if a moderator wants to step in and reprimand me, they can. I should not be impervious.

As for my motivation to my posts, Oblic asked for a history of how you came to your beliefs. So I obliged. But seeing as how I am an atheist, it's going to be filled with questions I grappled with.

I wasn't intending to be offensive or self-righteous (mind, it is almost impossible not to be self-righteous when expressing your personal beliefs) but I am not being narrow-minded. My questions are earnest.

Lastly, belief is fascinating to me, and I do get overzealous about it. I apologize for that. So I grappled with questions, and then came to my conclusions, but I still wonder how other people grappled with them. And so I asked.
author=calunio
author=Zeuzio
I don't think kentona was bashing religious people. He was just sharing his point of view, which is what this thread's about, right?
author=kentona
I am glad that you acknowledge that religious people are dumb and close-minded :D


I never said that, btw.
I was making a light-hearted joke here.
:D

EDIT:
no one seemed to notice that I didn't refute that preaching atheists are dumb.
which was also part of the joke.

I should stop trying to be clever.
Craze
why would i heal when i could equip a morningstar
15150
I just have a lot of feelings.

EDIT: Like, I just appreciate being thankful and whatnot. On the car ride home from the dental hygienist just now I gave up a little prayer for how beautiful the day was and how glad I was to be able to have professional dental care every six months. I don't need a bible to say "yo', this is some good shit right here."
author=Craze
I just have a lot of feelings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUFT35S7Jb4&feature=related

I feel a little gayer now.

I agree with your EDIT btw.
author=tpasmall
I am a Jehovah's Witness. There are tons of misconceptions about my religion, but I don't feel like this is the medium to get to deep into them, because it will almost certainly lead to an argument/flaming not because of wrong motives, just because, well, this is the internet.

But anyway, I completely believe in the authenticity of my religion. I have studied other religions extensively and I love reading science articles. While many people feel that science proves religion wrong, I think they work hand in hand together, and that science actually helps prove the existence of a Creator.


Cool. So am I. Born and raised. :)
...Did the theme song for Fresh Prince immediately jump into anyone else's mind?

/tangent
@Mateui

Wow! I definitely thought I would be the only one here, haha.
author=tpasmall
Honestly, this is why religious topics are never good on the internet. Unless you have thick skin, there is a good chance someone is going to say something offensive to you.

Incidentally, it was an attack on atheism that caused the little upset.
This is one of the reasons I like this forum. The people are a little more mature and discussions go a lot further when people aren't getting pissed off because you challenged the views from their little insulated box.

Also, I was going to defend calunio's original stance on atheism as a religion, but he folded like a... folding chair :x
Are Jehovahs the ones that hand out The Tower magazine?
author=kentona
Are Jehovahs the ones that hand out The Tower magazine?


The wording is a little off, but basically, yeah.
chana
(Socrates would certainly not contadict me!)
1584
My view : I'm afraid (?) human beings are genetically too limited not to, somewheres, have a belief, in fact more of a need, for a more clever and powerful being : why is it that I , an profound atheist, CANNOT help myself from thinking or even saying "thank you" and feeling grateful when something really wonderful happens to me?
Oblic
Once a member of RMN, always a member of RMN!
1937
Wow, whoa... okay, maybe I was wrong to start this here. I had a really long day and just had a chance to sit down and read all this, and I actually couldn't keep up with the posts!

I'm glad this many people are willing to share their beliefs with a community that I feel is very tightly knit; this, to me, is like baring your true feelings to real world friends or even family for some of us here (I'm not that close to anyone here yet, but I still think that some of your opinions matter; in other words I care about what some of you think).

I hope that no one is truly offended after all of this; again, that was never my intent. I am seriously fascinated by this facet of society! Religion, in general, for better or worse, shaped human existence. That is a fact. And I'm sure it will for quite a while (again, for better or worse). And I truly believe that it gives insight into why people do the things that they do, even on a day-to-day basis. My point here is, I think, is I never meant for anyone to argue (an ideal wish, I know). It's nice to see passionate people, on either side of the argument, but I don't want any hate or negativity to come out of this. Mostly because I feel like we are a relatively happy, fun-loving community!

Anywho... My thoughts...

I was never baptized. My parents weren't really that hard up about religion when I was younger (I can't remember a time I went to church with them other than a funeral... sad but true). But, since both of my parents worked, I always had a day-time babysitter. Until I was 5, my babysitter was EXTREMELY religious (not sure what faith exactly, but yea…). I was once punished, and I swear on my life this is true, for saying “holy cow”. Her reasoning? “Only god is holy!” Now, I will say this (SPOILER ALERT): I am an atheist, but I harbor no ill will to those that follow a religion, even after (several) experiences like this throughout my life.

Later in my life, while going through some rough times, and still having some semblance of a belief in a god, I started to question my existence. Not god’s existence, mine. Again, being young and dumb, I kept the belief in god, and started to think that there was something wrong with me. I felt that, considering what I had learned throughout my life, if life was crappy, god had a reason for it, and he was making it so. I lived like that for YEARS. I even had a girlfriend in highschool that tried very hard to actually convert me to Christianity. She loved me, but thought I was primitive and flawed.

Finally, after meeting a ton of different people in college, I finally started to form my own ideas and opinions about the whole thing. It made the most sense to me that a god couldn’t exist (at least in the way most people believe). It didn’t make sense. The world (on a grand scale) is a pretty crappy place. Don’t get me wrong, there is much to live for, and lots of good in the world. But there is too much bad for a god to truly exist. The only “god” that I could possibly believe exists is a “computer programmer” like god. Kind of like, we are all in the matrix or something… but I highly doubt it.

Sorry that was longwinded, but that’s my story (in a nutshell I suppose).

In terms of other people, I say live and let live. I won’t try to convince you of anything as long as (excuse my language) you leave me the fuck alone about what you believe. To quote a good friend of mine: “A person’s religion should be like their genitals: keep it to yourself, and don’t shove it down others’ throats”. I mean this in the sense that I don’t want to be converted… I still enjoy hearing about other people’s life experiences!

Again, I am grateful that so many of you shared, and hope that more will! I know I got a bit angry in there, but there were some sensitive bits… sorry.

EDIT: Damn you guys are fast... I guess it did take me a while to type that up though...
Versalia
must be all that rtp in your diet
1405
author=Dyhalto
Also, I was going to defend calunio's original stance on atheism as a religion, but he folded like a... folding chair :x


because his point was pretty weak and foldable like paper - it applies to anybody of any belief system or any fiercely-held opinion who preaches to everyone else about it, not just atheists or religion.
author=Craze
I just have a lot of feelings.
Okay go home

...also I realized I never really went into what I believe? Right I should maybe do that just in case people care which they probably don't but anyway

I'd like to say I'm an atheist, but there are just too many things that science can't (and I believe, will not) answer for me to completely be all "yeah we are things on a planet and we die and rot in the ground and this was all totally random and meaningless". However, aside from that, I don't really know what I believe. I can't get behind any of the religions out there, because I see organized religion as a method of controlling people rather than an answer. I'm a student of mythology; I've studied ancient religions and I see patterns that have carried over into modern religions (as well as the stories that are pretty much rehashes of myths as old as civilization itself); I have no reason to doubt that it's a tool for people with power to use to scare those without power into following them blindly.

But in saying organized religion is balls, does that mean I think the idea of a creator or some kind of deity or afterlife or whatever can't exist? Nope; however, I have no idea what those beings would be like, or why they would create us, or why we would have a second life somewhere, or what anything means. It hurts my head trying to think about it, because I believe it's one of many things human beings just can't explain or comprehend; we have no way of knowing what comes after, because we'll never get to die, record evidence, and then come back and tell everybody.

So, I'd say the most I believe in terms of some sort of personal philosophy thing is that, no matter what people believe, we're all gonna die someday, so we might as well make this life the best we can for everyone who lives it.

tl;dr: yeah I don't fuckin' know let's bake a cake made out of rainbows and smiles

author=Versalia
author=Dyhalto
Also, I was going to defend calunio's original stance on atheism as a religion, but he folded like a... folding chair :x
because his point was pretty weak and foldable like paper - it applies to anybody of any belief system or any fiercely-held opinion who preaches to everyone else about it, not just atheists or religion.

Also because it's not a religion! There is no "church of atheism", there is no system in place for how to practice atheism; it's just a name given to a set of common beliefs that exist out there. However, I do think the argument that some people who are atheists are as preachy and insufferably ignorant as some religious people holds water, but I'd say that's more because some people are kind of dumb and ignorant and because they lack the ability to think for themselves they parrot what someone else is saying and are presumptuous (and arrogant!) enough to believe they know THE TRUTH~.
author=tpasmall
author=kentona
Are Jehovahs the ones that hand out The Tower magazine?
The wording is a little off, but basically, yeah.
Oh right, it's the Watchtower.

I've read it a few times. I've learned some interesting things (like a theory on Hell that I enjoyed), but at other times I see things like "Does God make earthquakes to punish people?" and that's when I shake my head (and my faith in humanity suffers).
Oblic
Once a member of RMN, always a member of RMN!
1937
Man... I wish that all of us, or at least those that cared to go, could sit done at a bar to discuss this. Or at least a common area in which we could actually converse. Forums are a bit slow... and even a chatroom wouldn't be much better. I feel like a lot of people actually have a lot of cool stuff to talk about, but the medium isn't the best.

C'est la vie. We'll manage, I suppose.
author=emmych
author=Versalia
author=Dyhalto
Also, I was going to defend calunio's original stance on atheism as a religion, but he folded like a... folding chair :x
Also because it's not a religion! There is no "church of atheism", there is no system in place for how to practice atheism; it's just a name given to a set of common beliefs that exist out there.
My point was going to be that atheism exhibits all the same qualities of a religion too. Absolute faith in the non-existence of a supreme being (or several, like Mt. Olympus) is not different from belief in the existence thereof.
Plus, you have a group of believers whose ardent conviction ranges from passive to militant. It's exactly like other religions where you have extremists (suicide bombers, Qu'ran burners, people who enter #JesusLoveYou and pick fights) and passive believers (people who do their own thing quietly).

Saying there's no "Church of Atheism" is a weak argument because in any widespread belief system, the beliefs come first, then the institution is built by the followers. Atheists have chosen not to erect citadels for non-worship. Good thing too. Waste of f--king land.