Why I care about religion

[Chairboy]

Awesome post, Halo, thanks.

[Neubob]

Originally posted by cav58d
Im not a serial killer, because its where I believe I would go if I were executed for such a crime...

That's interesting. Personally, I'm not a serial killer because I don't want to take a human life. I'd hope that most people have an inherent sense of right and wrong without it having to be rammed home through a ritualized recitation of a fairy tale.

Religion is nothing but a fraternity--a group of fraternities. The belief in god, in and of itself,  is distantly subordinate to all the perks of membership, the justifications and rationalizations that such membership ensures, and the universal right to belittle anyone belonging to a competing fraternity, or no fraternity at all.

Claiming to do something, anything, in the name of god is a shortcut to conscious thought. It's a shortcut that the majority of people need. A shortcut that one day, hopefully, humanity will be able to discard.

If anyone who is truly religious ever took a step back from their own ego, they would realize just how presumptious it is to assume that they had any idea what something as powerful and mysterious as 'god' thought, did, or had planned. In fact, the biggest honor anyone could give to 'god' would be to claim total and utter cluelessness. In reality, most religious people I've met have a pretty good idea of what god is about. To help dispell some misconceptions, maybe religion should be renamed sacreligion. Any way you slice it, it's nothing but a ritualized method to delude yourself.

[Gunthr]

The problem is atheists scare people who believe in some form of god. The erroneous assumption is that atheists have no ultimate divine no-no's, hence have no restrictions against doing anything they want, including antisocial things.

 talk about generalizations...

[lukster]

Originally posted by Chairboy
Another atheist put together a short video that succinctly represents my views as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4fQA9mt-Mg

It's called "Why a care about religion".  The folks I'm really hoping will see this are ones like Lukster and his friends that suggest that I'm somehow not entitled to an opinion on a subject that has such a large impact on my life despite my decision not enroll in the 'club'.

Same ole stuff there Chairboy. I don't recall anyone here ever suggesting you aren't entitled to your opinion. You get responses from me because you express your opinion often in a way that seems to solicit a response. If you'd rather I just ignored your opinion you have only to ask.

[john9001]

i don't use cash , i use my debit card, it dosn't say god or satan, it just has my banks name and some numbers on it.

and i don't have to fill my pockets with those funny round metal things they give you back when you use cash.

[lukster]

Originally posted by john9001
i don't use cash , i use my debit card, it dosn't say god or satan, it just has my banks name and some numbers on it.

and i don't have to fill my pockets with those funny round metal things they give you back when you use cash.

I got my first credit card (Sears) back in '78 I think it was. It had the number 666 in the middle of the number. If it wasn't the mark of the beast it was sure a burden I can do without now.

[Eagler]

You are free to believe or not to believe in anything you want ..
Just don't try to trivialize my beliefs just because they maybe 180 from your non beliefs

Strange how some can't differentiate between a belief in the Divine and man's usually screwed up attempt to define it through organized religion .. they are not the same

[Chairboy]

Originally posted by Eagler
Just don't try to trivialize my beliefs just because they maybe 180 from your non beliefs

Let's list the offenses:

1. I trivialized your belief.
2. Your belief stripped me of constitutional rights, barred my children from groups, strips science from education and and more.  Oh, and sprinkled in with the other things, you've trivialized atheism any number of times too.  That's fine, but don't pee on me and tell me its raining.

I feel that there is a double standard between religionists and atheists.  Atheists are expected to respect the sanctity of religious beliefs, to not assert that the religions are fiction, to not try and "convert" anyone, and to quietly go through life accepting the various slights and impositions produced by religion.

People who have religion, on the otherhand, are generally encouraged to allow atheists to stay alive, but anything past that is fair game.  It's ok to make fun of stupid atheists, it's ok to try and convert them, it's ok to pigeonhole them and take away rights, and so on.

[SFRT - Frenchy]

Religion is like your sexual preferences, do whatever makes you feel good, but don't throw it in my face. Everytime I see a bumper sticker "God loves you", or ear "In God we trust", I picture Laz runing around in stalkings and leather undies.

[Holden McGroin]

Seems like Athiesim takes as much energy as being a born again Baptist.

Thank God I am agnostic.

[cav58d]

To all the attacking, disrespectful atheist on here...If your son or daughter were to find religon in their life, how would you deal with that?  Would you take the same cheap shots you put on us, and say them to your own kids?

[Eagler]

Originally posted by Chairboy
Let's list the offenses:

1. I trivialized your belief.
2. Your belief stripped me of constitutional rights, barred my children from groups, strips science from education and and more.  Oh, and sprinkled in with the other things, you've trivialized atheism any number of times too.  That's fine, but don't pee on me and tell me its raining.

I feel that there is a double standard between religionists and atheists.  Atheists are expected to respect the sanctity of religious beliefs, to not assert that the religions are fiction, to not try and "convert" anyone, and to quietly go through life accepting the various slights and impositions produced by religion.

People who have religion, on the otherhand, are generally encouraged to allow atheists to stay alive, but anything past that is fair game.  It's ok to make fun of stupid atheists, it's ok to try and convert them, it's ok to pigeonhole them and take away rights, and so on.

you live in a country that was founded on a belief in a Divine Maker with the freedom to choose how to believe or not to believe but the fact is it was based on the belief that there IS such a GOD/Power/ Consciousness /Enlightenment /Good Force/whatever label u want to use..
sorry for all the "various slights and impositions produced by religion" you have to endure, must be terrible
ps
I am not trying to: "..make fun of stupid atheists ...convert them..pigeonhole them..take away rights" cause I really don't care if you dont believe, it's ur karma, good luck with it

[Chairboy]

Eagler: So you're ok with laws in various states that make it illegal for atheists to hold office?

I'm not just tilting at windmills here.

[Chairboy]

Originally posted by cav58d
To all the attacking, disrespectful atheist on here...If your son or daughter were to find religon in their life, how would you deal with that?  Would you take the same cheap shots you put on us, and say them to your own kids?

I sure hope I'd handle it better than the various religionists I've met/heard of who have been in the equivalent situation except with their kids deciding to be atheist.  In some cases, they've even cut off contact with the offending child.

I'll raise my kids with my beliefs, and if they choose religion, all the best.  I suspect it's unlikely, it's pretty rare for people to convert once they've begun to apply standards of evidence to new concepts.  You gotta get 'em young.

[lukster]

Those poor downtrodden atheists. Rise up and throw off the man before he feeds you to the lions.