I am wondering how you could come up with your conclusion.Originally Posted by BienvenuJDC
I guess we hear…….. what we want to hear.
I am wondering how you could come up with your conclusion.
Since it is the atheists who want to control what is taught in schools, blotting out prayer in school and other events (even though the majority may want it among a local group, wanting to remove any reference to God all around. In fact there is the thread here that shows them talking about banning religion. The ACLU very actively protests anything to do with religion. That is how I come to that conclusion. While I can admit that there are negative Christian influences. I rarely see that atheist can even see their negative sides. They laugh and scoff at any mention of the possibility.I am wondering how you could come up with your conclusion.
Les Miserables,
Volume 1, Fifth Book, Chapter 3
Remember this, my friends: there are no such things as bad plants or bad men. There are only bad cultivators.
W a r n i n g
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"It is not that I am mad; it is only that my head is different from yours.”
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Oh, brother. I can't believe my comments have been taken so far out of context. I was clearly being facetious when I said we could ban religion, and those words were immediately followed by "or if that's too harsh, we could at least hold them accountable?" The point being that groups of people shouldn't be allowed to operate outside the laws we are ALL governed by.
In that particular conversation, the most heinous church related crimes were being discussed. It's really kind of creepy that someone would fixate on that and somehow twist it to mean that atheists are trying to force their "belief set" on everyone. Keep the hate going, I guess. (Now I will be quoted as saying "keep the hate going" and it will be used as a means of villifying atheism)
In the same manner, Christianity is vilified. But it seems from my perspective, that it is the rule, not the exception that Christianity is vilified. Also, it seems that many individuals speak harshly and bitterly how they cannot respect the belief in a God, but very few if any at all have made such statements against atheism.
Les Miserables,
Volume 1, Fifth Book, Chapter 3
Remember this, my friends: there are no such things as bad plants or bad men. There are only bad cultivators.
Christianity only causes harsh bitterness when Christians are inflicting cruelties on others. I'm not even bitter about it, I just have a right for my children to NOT experience it in public schools. If that, to you, makes atheism a religion (and one to rally against, as you frequently do), then there is no reasoning with you. You're like self-proclaimed death to freedom. I hope you will someday find out what empathy is.
Where Reason is, Imagination is too.
Where Imagination on its own is, Reason hides.
In your posts you consistently describe religious thinking and atheism as if they are contrasting belief systems vying to promote their competing perspectives. The problem with this is that atheism is not a belief system at all but the absence of a belief system. Wishing to uphold the constitution by preventing the establishment of religion in public schools is not promoting an atheist belief system—there is no such thing—it is merely preventing religious people from imposing their beliefs on others. We should vilify anyone who thinks they can use public institutions to promote their private religious beliefs, even if they are part of a group constituting 98% of the local population.
I invite all right thinking people to join with me in Secular Orthodoxy. To find out what it is, visit my blog. Only genuinely good people are eligable to join
Well, the never ending war continues.LOL! People have been fighting to defend their religions for centuries. Today we have the same argument but it has changed its face. Atheists speak against religion. But if we can take a deeper look we may see that we have been bombarded with Buddhist and Hindu beliefs without ever noticing it. Atheists are not aware that they are not Atheists at all.
Secondly, generalization is dangerous as it distorts the fact that everybody is unique. We can’t say that Christians, Buddhists, or Hindu are certain way. If people who invest so much energy in their argument about religions could step back and analyze their thoughts and feelings they would learn a big deal about themselves. The name of the game is personal growth.
Since it doesn't involve me, I have to admit that I do enjoy watching Atheists and Christians fight.Well, the never ending war continues.LOL! People have been fighting to defend their religions for centuries. Today we have the same argument but it has changed its face. Atheists speak against religion. But if we can take a deeper look we may see that we have been bombarded with Buddhist and Hindu beliefs without ever noticing it. Atheists are not aware that they are not Atheists at all.
Secondly, generalization is dangerous as it distorts the fact that everybody is unique. We can’t say that Christians, Buddhists, or Hindu are certain way. If people who invest so much energy in their argument about religions could step back and analyze their thoughts and feelings they would learn a big deal about themselves. The name of the game is personal growth.
Rather than knocking each other out, they should direct their annoyance at people like myself. I mean, I believe in that flaky consciousness stuff that really doesn't fit well with either Atheism or Christianity, but might be OK with Hinduism or Buddhism (as long as I'm not in India or China). I like both Darwin's Evolution (with a proper interpretation of "chance") and Near Death Experiences. I believe in both the Big Bang and ghosts.
But no, I don't get to be the target.
However, I can sympathize with both sides. Christians think Atheists don't like them and will scorn them every chance they get. They're right. Atheists think Christians don't like them and will scorn them every chance they get. They're right. It all generates a lot of needless hurt feelings, which from an adequate distance is quite amusing.
In the mean time, with all that New Age mindfulness, I will likely win the culture war by default because I'm not interested in fighting in it.
You talk about Buddhist concept of consciousness but it is a first layer what this religion is all about. BTW, I don’t understand how you can enjoy watching fight. I guess, it is a male staff…..Don’t you think that there are more empowering ways to relate to each other rather than fighting.
Yes - I understand that, and it's not a bad position. The thing is as soon as you start to say all these things are the same, then someone else will point out that there are lots of differences too, and the opposite may result.True tolerance is accepting that people believe different things and that that's ok.My point is that if people see similarities they may not want to fight with each other but dance and laugh together. People argue when they see differences and if they can’t accept it but fight to death to defend their beliefs. On the basic level we see that catholic religion is different that Buddhism,or Hindu is different than Egyptian religion, or Gnostic is different that Greek/Roman. But when we look deeper we may be quite surprised.
My point is that if people see similarities they may not want to fight with each other but dance and laugh together.
To reiterate an earlier point - the religions that are the closest Islam, Christianity and Judaism seem to disprove your point. They don't seem to do much laughing and singing together in Jerusalem. (I wish they would of course).
On the basic level we see that catholic religion is different that Buddhism,or Hindu is different than Egyptian religion, or Gnostic is different that Greek/Roman. But when we look deeper we may be quite surprised
Go on then - surprise me.
It's amazing that someone can have spiritual/religious beliefs and believe in evolution and other scientific discoveries, and somehow their brains don't explode in the process!
Last edited by Drkshadow03; 08-13-2011 at 05:34 PM.
"You understand well enough what slavery is, but freedom you have never experienced, so you do not know if it tastes sweet or bitter. If you ever did come to experience it, you would advise us to fight for it not with spears only, but with axes too." - Herodotus
https://consolationofreading.wordpress.com/ - my book blog!
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Um...Well, the never ending war continues.LOL! People have been fighting to defend their religions for centuries. Today we have the same argument but it has changed its face. Atheists speak against religion. But if we can take a deeper look we may see that we have been bombarded with Buddhist and Hindu beliefs without ever noticing it. Atheists are not aware that they are not Atheists at all.
Secondly, generalization is dangerous as it distorts the fact that everybody is unique. We can’t say that Christians, Buddhists, or Hindu are certain way. If people who invest so much energy in their argument about religions could step back and analyze their thoughts and feelings they would learn a big deal about themselves. The name of the game is personal growth.
Buddhism is secular, that doesn't mean all atheists are Buddhists. Still, I wouldn't have a problem with it if someone called me a Buddhist, or said I'm not atheist, or if they called me a Christian. I know what I don't believe in. I'm well acquainted with me. Sorry to rob you of your big "gotcha".
It's not dangerous to say Christian groups have lobbied to have Christianity forced on public school children in America, because they don't make any business of hiding it. Unless, are you saying Christians are a danger to people who stand up for their human rights? Is this another argument for atheists to not bring up child molestation cover-ups? Also, I very specifically say Christianity is the religious group that I'm at odds with, because it's the only one that effects my daily life. For the last four hours my neighbor (the local postman) has been blasting country western Christian music. "You don't got love if you ain't got Jesus!" "Whatchu gone do when your time comes to repent? Hehe, yeehaw! Whatchu gone do then?" Nice, fun lyrics. You're right. I should never make the claim that it's fricking annoying.
This strange argument to try to convince atheist people that they are religious will in no way benefit you. Even if you somehow convinced us that we had some irrational belief system (I don't), it wouldn't elevate Christianity above criticism. Sorry. You are not superior to other humans for having faith.
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