View from an agnostic

[pie2]

 

even in this thread I'm told I need to be more spiritual and consider it more passionately.

 

this is what I am talking about. religion is everywhere, and I can accept that. my kids participated in christmas concerts at school, did the easter coloring sheets, sing the national anthem with line "god keep our land" in it. etc.

 

I don't ask religious people to give more thought to being non-religious. I don't ask them to change their beliefs, yet I can't be afforded that same respect.

 

I believe in what I can see, measure and experience. Sure there are some things I can't explain, but to me, organized religion doesn't offer a viable explanation that is any better than saying the flying spaghetti monster is responsible. ( no, I'm not a pastifarian)

 

You're right OP. My main goal was trying to address a part of the thread, while attempting to keep it on-topic. Threads often get pulled in different directions, and those directions can often be related to the OP, in roundabout ways. Seems I offended you (sorry!)...it wasn't my intention.

 

On the other hand, I did attempt to respond to your OP:

 

Why do some consider me to be "evil" simply because I don't agree with them?

 

(see third post in thread)

 

Unfortunately, it seems the all-too-common practice to ask a question, and then not dialogue about what the OP was inquiring about. Maybe not in your case, but some posters seem to want more of a soapbox to complain rather than a forum to discuss. When my response to the OP was possibly passed over, it gets unclear what the intentions are in starting the thread, and what sort of responses are "on topic".

 

Again, wasn't trying to offend you OP.

[Timshel]

I had this epiphany a few years back, many years after leaving organized religion:

 

God is Love.

 

therefore, Love is God.

 

Love.

 

Yes. 1,000 likes.

[Timshel]

I would only add that there is only one truth. There are our perceptions, memory and intellect but at the end of it, what actually happens/happened, there always has been and will be a singular, unalterable truth.

[bippy123]

As someone who is agnostic and raised my kids to form their own sense of spiritual beliefs, I'm always surprised at the way some (not all) religious people, especially christians, view themsleves as somehow superior to everyone else, and fit religion into everything.

 

For example, one person told me my daughter's depression was due to her being possessed by a demon, and that if i had really wanted to help her, I should have taken her to church.

 

I try to be nice to people whether or not I agree with their religion. We get people coming to our door ( usually mormons of jehova's witnesses) trying to give me literature. i try and be polite, and look at in terms of they genuinely believe they are helping people and doing good in the world. I stuck a Dawin fish on the front door so they would know my beliefs, and they don't come so often.

 

I've been polite to proselytizers all the way from born again Christians to friends of Fallon Gong, but why won't they respect my right to not believe or to question belief? I don't ask or expect them to agree wth me, why don;t I get the same respect.

 

Why do some consider me to be "evil" simply because I don't agree with them? I don't cheat, I don't steal, I don't cheat on my taxes or do anything especially heinous...I don't even drink or smoke. I may tell white lies and use colorful language from time to time, and I am far from perfect, but why do they feel they are in any position to judge someone simply because they don't agree with their religion?

I don't consider you evil if that is any consolation to you

 

I was recently working for my friend at one of his clients house and the client was constantly trying to shove his Mormon faith down my throat. I'm catholic myself, and he started in on how the Catholic Church is a satanic church etc etc. he was preaching the whole day and by the end of the day I had the biggest headache .

 

I started to understand how agnostics must feel when anyone tries to shove their religion down anyone's throat. It taught me a profound lesson . Anyways I'm what you would call an inclusivist which means that if someone were honestly searching for the God honestly and doesn't end up an Christian they can still be saved in the end .

 

I won't shove my faith down anyone's throat but if someone were trying to put it down I will defend it fiercely .

[bippy123]

That's simple. Your disbelief in organized religion is a threat to their self-created delusion in a higher power. People who are religious don't think for themselves. They use religion to hide behind, to justify their behavior (whether it's moral or immoral).

 

Whereas, atheists (like me) and agnostics (like you) question the purpose and validity of organized religion. We see its flaws and aren't afraid to seek answers outside of organized religion, which I view as a gigantic cult meant to brainwash and control people using fear and lies. Catholicism and Scientology comes to mind as two major offenders. Religion is used more for evil purposes than good ones.

 

I think Christian missionaries are evil. Christian missionaries are obsessed with converting EVERYONE from every culture. They remind me of the sci-fi characters The Borg, whose motto is, "Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated." Christian missionaries go to foreign countries with the intent to destroy that country's culture and spirituality by forcing them to adhere to Christianity in the name of God. Meanwhile, a culture is destroyed and that's justified in the name of religion. Missionaries destroyed African culture. Just completely decimated it like a swarm of locusts to a farmer's crop. Who died and made Christians the ONLY religion?

 

Fear. Fear is the reason why religious people feel threatened by those who dare to question their choice of spiritual belief system: Christianity etc.,. Reality --- that there is no God, no true religion -- is too frightening for those kinds of people to handle. They can't live in a diverse world. They need everyone to believe the same things as they do, or they feel that their safety is threatened. It's insane.

 

Wow , what a bunch of rambling nonsense .

I can prove to you very easily that atheism itself is a religion. I have done it many times . Please tell me if this is any evidence for the soul and the afterlife from science ? Is there or is there not? Lets see if you are posting from emotions or reason

 

Religion is used more for evil purposes then good ? It's obvious that you have very little historic knowledge of religion . Please answer this question . Why is it that religious people give 3 times as much in average then atheists ?

 

And please don't talk about evil. Atheism has butchered more people in the span of 100 years in modern times the. All the religions did.ever heard of the league of militant atheism? Even atheistpedia, oops I meant Wikipedia has info on them.

 

So if your an atheist your a person of faith as well , except in your faith we are nothing but pieces of meat that came together by a combo of chemical interaction and blind chance . And calling something evil without an objective standard of best is evil and what is good is insane.