Religion Discussion

[c-no]

I am the worlds worst Asatruar. Fight me nerds.

So you are the worst? Who is the best Asatruar then?

 

[Surtur]

So you are the worst? Who is the best Asatruar then?

Probably this asshole.

 

[Dudeofteenage]

These were basically the first euphoric atheists.

Yeah, there's definitely some common ground. Although arseholeish as the euphoric atheists are, at least they don't assume that the only way you can understand anti-religious ideology is with explicitly religious imagery. But they definitely share the same sneering disdain for everybody who doesn't share their ideology.

 

[Watcher]

I've posted a bunch in the various religion and evolution threads we've had on the forum and it's no secret I'm an atheist.

Although I tend to take religious debate off this forum largely because the forum has a tendency to just bait and present arguments that are erroneous just so you'll post a rebuttal.

The kids my age there were so happy. A kind of pure, non-selfish happiness and joy in caring for each other and listening to others issues and problems that I had never really seen before. It was a stark contrast to the sort of "bad christian" image that my atheist friends and I kept scoffing about privately.

Having gone to that thing really made me think.

Religion gave these people happiness, whether it can be considered "bigoted and false" or not. It allowed these teens to not feel embarrassed or lame about being good people and expressing compassion and understanding towards strangers. That's why I like where religious millennials are taking things- there are less of them , but they're not as gung-ho in their views as for example boomers and are way more laid-back and "you do you, I do me" about it.

I believe people should be entitled to whatever beliefs they want. Both the constitution of the United States and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada (the Country I live in) both allow for freedom of religion. I am not opposed to religions I'm opposed to ignorance. I largely dislike religion for ignorance and the tendency for people to believe in things either due to needing a feeling of belonging or fear.

The basic problem has more to do with religious people attempting to censor thought. Such as trying to push things like prayer in schools or intelligent design in science class. This is a problem and it has extremely long lasting consequences on society if left to fester.

This is actually a big reason why I dislike teaching religion to children and why I prefer the idea of teaching religion to people when they're older. This leads to less ignorance, more tolerance and less fear of nonsense concepts like Hell.

My church has definitely become a shadow of what it once was. I know more people who go to church sorely to "socialize" (hookup) than to learn about the Lord. Sad.

This is one of the biggest reasons churches exist at all in the modern day. And one of the reasons why I tolerate the existence of churches. Being more of a community center allows it to engage in charity and actually use it's tax exempt status for something good.

 

[Megahertz]

It's interesting to wonder if these kids would have come across self-actualization and self-betterment on their own without the "aid" of religion, and if it would have been better that way (It probably would have.) I know that the mindset of praying to a god to fix all of your stuff can be problematic as it might allow you to remove blame from yourself, but the number of people I see doing that in reality is dropping, because no matter what you do, real life catches up.

I largely dislike religion for ignorance and the tendency for people to believe in things either due to needing a feeling of belonging or fear.

Do you think that it takes a certain kind of mindset to be able to accept/realize that we ultimately have to create our own sense of purpose without the big blanket of comfort of "Be good for a god"? I know a lot of people who are scared shitless and cover their ears at such an idea. If these people were brought up without religion, do you think they'd still search for "the one and true purpose", or just go with the flow and live life for themselves like most atheists do?

The basic problem has more to do with religious people attempting to censor thought. Such as trying to push things like prayer in schools or intelligent design in science class. This is a problem and it has extremely long lasting consequences on society if left to fester.

Oh, absolutely. This is where the distorted thinking comes into place and this is my biggest problem with Christianity primarily - where it is in most denomination's doctrine to "spread the word of god". This phrase alone is what motivates people to shut their ears to any other opinions about religion because they're so absorbed in pushing their views on others. If Christianity, and by extension other religions were more of a self-contained school of thought that didn't focus on spreading, this problem probably wouldn't crop up as often... maybe?

 

[Watcher]

If Christianity, and by extension other religions were more of a self-contained school of thought that didn't focus on spreading, this problem probably wouldn't crop up as often... maybe?

As I said this is a big reason why I vastly prefer people teaching religion to people when they're much older. I believe a great deal of this ignorance stems from fear that goes back to childhood of things like sin and hell. It's a big reason why Catholic Guilt is a thing.

A person coming to religion due to wanting to seek spirituality is far more useful to them than coming to it because they're afraid of what'll happen if they don't. A great deal of atheist parents I'm aware of don't usually teach their children about religion until they're much older, and teach them about lots of different religions so they can have an open mind and be tolerant of other beliefs.

 

[AnOminous]

This is actually a big reason why I dislike teaching religion to children and why I prefer the idea of teaching religion to people when they're older. This leads to less ignorance, more tolerance and less fear of nonsense concepts like Hell.

It also leads to less religion.

The large religions that currently exist do so because they were good at convincing their believers to raise their children as believers, and to keep this going for thousands of years. The main reason religious people belong to the religion they do is because their parents did and their parents before them, and so on.

 

[Red_Rager]

It also leads to less religion.

The large religions that currently exist do so because they were good at convincing their believers to raise their children as believers, and to keep this going for thousands of years. The main reason religious people belong to the religion they do is because their parents did and their parents before them, and so on.

I probably wouldn't have been baptised Catholic if it didn't happen as a kid. However, my parents took a hands off approach with religion and let me draw my own conclusions. I joined up with a Christian group when I was going through shit, but I had some disagreements with doctrine and left. There are people who turn to religion because they are going through an inner struggle and the doctrine gave them strength to persevere. Christianity, with the exception of Calvenism, does advertise itself as the religion of salvation. Join us and become saved. I could have gone down that path as well. Then again I did get exposure to some Christianity as a kid. I'm still seeking my own spiritual Truth and if I do turn back to Christianity it would most likely be through the Gnostic path.

Until then I'm a seeker looking at other religions when I have time and come to my own conclusions to make sense of life an existence.

 

[Arctic]

Here's some Bible verses for if someone here still is a God-fearing Christian.

Numbers 31:17-18 - Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
Exodus 4:24 - Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the LORD met [Moses] and sought to put him to death.
2 Kings 23-24 - Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city and mocked him and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!” When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number.

Join the euphoria

 

[Henry Bemis]

Recent thought I had:

Considering all the crazy-ass theories about how the universe came about (universes colliding and breaking off), is it entirely possible we're asking the wrong questions?

Not "Is there a Creator?" or "If there's a Creator, does it care?" But rather, "If there's a Creator, does it know it has created?"

In other words, we all could be someone's bastard children.

 

[Arctic]

Recent thought I had:

Considering all the crazy-ass theories about how the universe came about (universes colliding and breaking off), is it entirely possible we're asking the wrong questions?

Not "Is there a Creator?" or "If there's a Creator, does it care?" But rather, "If there's a Creator, does it know it has created?"

In other words, we all could be someone's bastard children.

You mean like God is some guy sitting on a toilet seat and we are the maggots that crawl in his excrement.

 

[Carlos Thin]

I'm a Jewish atheist who grew up in a Catholic country. I like having debates about it, as I don't know where I stand in the whole scheme of things.

I dislike Orthodox religions; I find following ancient texts to the letter is practically retarded for the human race.

Looking at the universe, -- which is quite depressing, I can definitely see where the creationists are coming from.

My latest question: Can a god (God in the Abrahamic tradition) change its mind or make a mistake (besides the human race)?

 

[Abethedemon]

I'm an agnostic, but I find religion fascinating. I identify most with two religions. The first is Discordianism, which is great because it's silly about being serious, and the second is the Church of the Subgenius, which is serious about being silly.
Hail Eris! Praise "Bob!" Fnord!

 

[Trombonista]

I'm a Reform Jew who likes to go to Conservative services (that is, when I actually go to synagogue).

 

[Arkangel]

I'm an atheist. I've got no problem using the term to describe myself because all it means is that I don't believe that gods exist. My mind could be changed, but I haven't seen any compelling proof yet and I don't believe there ever will be.

I've got no problem with religious people as long as they're not infringing on other people's rights with their beliefs.

 

[Grand Number of Pounds]

I was raised fundamentalist Baptist but I'm not really sure what I believe now.

 

[Eldritch]

Originally raised as kind of a nondenominational christian because my mom never found "church people" she liked. Around middle school I went full fedora for awhile in a bout of depression. Not too long ago me and my dad both went to a nearby tibetan buddhist temple and now consider ourselves buddhist.
My mom's atheist now, she was originally raised in one of those pentacostal churches where they dance around in the aisles and speak in tounges.
As for my views on other religions, well, I think the hippy cashier at this one shop said it best: "All religions should be equally respected, but some religions are just a bit more chill than others."
One thing I don't get is why so many fundamentalist christian highschoolers in my town are turning to mormonism, I don't understand how it appeals to them from their perspective.

 

[Zeorus]

One thing I don't get is why so many fundamentalist christian highschoolers in my town are turning to mormonism, I don't understand how it appeals to them from their perspective.

I like to think that it's two things:

1) We actually have a few theological things in common (but not as much as we have in common with Catholics)
2) Our crazy beliefs make more sense than their crazy beliefs.

 

[Cosmos]

I was baptized as a Catholic literally two weeks after my birth and I've been a practicing one since then. Since I turned 17 or so, though, I don't go to Sunday Mass nearly as much. I feel guilty about it but, at the same time, I feel like God isn't going to cast me into hell because I oversleep all the time, haha.

My family and I aren't strict about our faith at all (and Catholicism is actually a pretty liberal religion, especially compared to some Protestant sects) and neither is my parish, the Catholic schools I went to, or the Catholic people who are around me, so you won't see a lot of religious intolerance from my end. I'm totally fine with gay people, as are most of the Catholics I know; tbh I think all of the controversy surrounding homosexuality is fucking retarded. Another thing I disagree with the Church on is animals; I think that animals can have souls as well as humans because so many animals are far too intelligent and good for me to consider that they don't have souls like I do.

Finally, I'm fine with agnostics/atheists; some of my close friends are actually agnostic/atheistic. I do have a problem with anti-theists though (as in, people who are anti-religion instead of simply not believing in God) because in my experience those people tend to disrespect and insult me for being Catholic. I can get past a lot of things, but I don't want to be friends with someone who insults me and my beliefs.

 

[Overcast]

My parents are both Christian. Not extremist Christian thankfully.

I became atheist when I was a teenager for a little while. Partly because I had a hard time believing in something that I couldn't really see. But it was mostly because I thought it seemed cool.

Now, I'm simply agnostic. The world works in weird ways, so who knows, maybe there is a higher power up there that has a plan for us all. I certainly don't know. And I won't give anyone who does believe a hard time.

I do think the extremes on both sides are stupid. Whether it be people of the Westburo Baptist Church or that one guy that thinks he's making a difference by placing the Bible and books about it in the Fiction section of the library.