Why DON'T you believe in other gods?

Jana said:
Religion is one of the ways of making life here and now more human and more alive.
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Why though?

Why does it take an afterlife to make some people feel human and alive?

Then there are other people that feel human and alive just by virtue of being human and alive.
 
acd said:
Why though?

Why does it take an afterlife to make some people feel human and alive?

Then there are other people that feel human and alive just by virtue of being human and alive.
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That's just the way it is.


Billy said:
Is it now... tell me more Dr. Lecter.
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It's Dr. P. Whiddelstone, thank you very much!
 
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acd said:
Why though?

Why does it take an afterlife to make some people feel human and alive?

Then there are other people that feel human and alive just by virtue of being human and alive.
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Not all religions have an afterlife.
 
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Sriracha said:
Actually, I do.
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Really, and you thought they werent judgmental? Haven't you ever been on the other end of their haranguing and droning about going to hell for not agreeing with their cosmic Jewish zombie?
 
UBERROGO said:
There are plenty of reasons and those reasons are usually voiced in threads like this, but one reason that rarely gets mentioned is they are never presented to me as legitimate.

Example: from what I understand the Mormon god has a different name than the regular christian god, but they've never presented them to me. I just dont have enough money for scientologist to come knocking on my door to let me in their club, but same thing: they never presented it to me.

The reason I would expect and require god to be presented to me in person by a human is that I think god and religion is both a inner thing and a interpersonal relation kind of thing.

Now this isnt the primary reason for not believing but I just dont feel its helpful to just be echoing other people.
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So wait, you don't believe in other Gods because of advertising?
 
Horatio said:
I apologize, for I assumed you would figure I find my beliefs as strange and convoluted as anyone else's. After all, who really knows the truth?
If you feel my above posts are personal attacks on you in any way; they are not. Though the fact that you listed "admit I am smug" as the first question is hinting you are upset.
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Don't feed the troll, Billy has a shit fit whenever the topic of religion is brought up, which is stupid really, because it's all based on someones own personal opinions and beliefs.

Best to just leave it as "Whatever you say."
 
Auron said:
Don't feed the troll, Billy has a shit fit whenever the topic of religion is brought up, which is stupid really, because it's all based on someones own personal opinions and beliefs.

Best to just leave it as "Whatever you say."
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You arent banned yet you little nazi?
 
OK, I'm an atheist, but I really don't get why certain people here are being so immature about religion in general.

What does it matter if someone else thinks religion helps them feel alive and live to the fullest? You don't have to think that way...no ones forcing you to. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and different things work for different people. (No shit, captain obvious) Just leave them to whatever makes them happy and do your own thing.

I'm an atheist who was brought up in the church by missionary parents. I've seen the absoloute worst of the church, I've seen the best. Like I've said in other threads...I was doing a theology degree, and the more I learned the more it all came off as BS. I don't beleive because there is no evidence. The deeper you get into Christian theology (I hate to say it, but most of the Gods are all fairly similar, so im just going to go with theme of christian God here) the more questions there are and the answers given aren't nearly good enough. I know that's fairly general, but things just don't add up. If you have faith, that's wonderful...but for me personally, believing in a heaven where God will sort all wrongs from earth...it just doesn't cut it for me.
I find religion fascinating....it's full of history and wonderful (also wonderfully fucked up) stories and morals. Not all Christian morals are bad.

The only time I get hostile is if there's someone who just won't stop trying to shove their beliefs down my throat. Even at that, the respectful ones who wish to discuss why I don't believe anymore are welcome. As long as I'm not badgered, I have no problem sharing my experience and exactly why I don't believe. I also have no desire to crush another human and try to destroy their faith for them....for some people this is so central to their life and who they are, what would be the point of making someone "see sense" if they don't really want to and risk crushing them completely? It just seems cruel to me.
 
Neverwhere said:
OK, I'm an atheist, but I really don't get why certain people here are being so immature about religion in general.
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I don't think this was directed at me, but I will say that when someone mentions that they are a Christian, my defenses go right up and I do sort of keep my distance… I can't help it. I can't say I feel the same way about all religions-- just the 3 major ones, but I've had Muslim friends and Hindu friends and Christians are by far the worst. If someone is a Buddhist, I have exactly the opposite reaction and I want to know more. But then, it also depends on whether or not they take it super seriously or are just that way because they've never asked themselves why.

I think it has something to do with a lot of the more vocal proponents of 'moral issues', and how religious leaders can be more like politicians. I know there are more liberal churches that are really open and accepting (I was raised in one, my parents still go), and they're fine… they also tend to be pretty quiet about a lot of things. But I do have relatives that are more into the right-wing political aspects and are strictly anti-gay, anti-abortion, believe the rapture is coming, sinners will be punished, etc… and basically everything they say enrages me, not even because it's something I disagree with but because it's just blatantly untrue and has been proven as such.

Even besides how it has affected me personally, I think that religion can be extremely destructive, and I can't say the same about atheism… because atheism isn't really part of your identity the way that Christianity is, and it doesn't really influence your politics, or your actions… and it's not like your spirituality suddenly disappears because you're an atheist.

In fact, I would love it if Christianity would disappear forever… because it's unnecessary, and you can definitely be happy without it. It's just a case of the negatives outweighing the positives, as well as the fact that I'm 95% sure that it's all untrue.
 
Apone said:
I don't think this was directed at me, but I will say that when someone mentions that they are a Christian, my defenses go right up and I do sort of keep my distance… I can't help it. I can't say I feel the same way about all religions-- just the 3 major ones, but I've had Muslim friends and Hindu friends and Christians are by far the worst. If someone is a Buddhist, I have exactly the opposite reaction and I want to know more. But then, it also depends on whether or not they take it super seriously or are just that way because they've never asked themselves why.

I think it has something to do with a lot of the more vocal proponents of 'moral issues', and how religious leaders can be more like politicians. I know there are more liberal churches that are really open and accepting (I was raised in one, my parents still go), and they're fine… they also tend to be pretty quiet about a lot of things. But I do have relatives that are more into the right-wing political aspects and are strictly anti-gay, anti-abortion, believe the rapture is coming, sinners will be punished, etc… and basically everything they say enrages me, not even because it's something I disagree with but because it's just blatantly untrue and has been proven as such.

Even besides how it has affected me personally, I think that religion can be extremely destructive, and I can't say the same about atheism… because atheism isn't really part of your identity the way that Christianity is, and it doesn't really influence your politics, or your actions… and it's not like your spirituality suddenly disappears because you're an atheist.

In fact, I would love it if Christianity would disappear forever… because it's unnecessary, and you can definitely be happy without it. It's just a case of the negatives outweighing the positives, as well as the fact that I'm 95% sure that it's all untrue.
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I hear what you're saying, and I agree with most of it...but you've kind of highlighted part of what I was saying. It's all down to the individuals. It's not the religion as a whole. You're going to have assholes like that in every walk of life...it wasn't christianity it would be something else to piss you off. All my relatives are the same, so I feel your pain. :)
 
Billy said:
Really, and you thought they werent judgmental? Haven't you ever been on the other end of their haranguing and droning about going to hell for not agreeing with their cosmic Jewish zombie?
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Duh. Most everyone sees both sides of the coin.
 
In my limited experience with xtians, they are not judgmental until you become one. They're all super nice to you because they want to save your soul and want to add notches to their 'rewards in heaven' belt. Invite you to pancake breakfasts. Once u go all the way with them, then they start treating u like shit, getting judgmental, send u weird messages on fb about how you live your life, and stop serving you pancakes. <-- Evangelical xtians. Catholics have always been aiiite

atheists are mean, soulless creatures that make me cry. Not one atheist has EVER made me pancakes, either. Not once.
 
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CindyLou said:
In my limited experience with xtians, they are not judgmental until you become one. They're all super nice to you because they want to save your soul and want to add notches to their 'rewards in heaven' belt. Invite you to pancake breakfasts. Once u go all the way with them, then they start treating u like shit, getting judgmental, send u weird messages on fb about how you live your life, and stop serving you pancakes. <-- Evangelical xtians. Catholics have always been aiiite

atheists are mean, soulless creatures that make me cry. Not one atheist has EVER made me pancakes, either. Not once.
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I'll make you pancakes! I make awesome pancakes! And they wont even have the cost of anything like your soul, you can just eat them for fun.
 
CindyLou said:
In my limited experience with xtians, they are not judgmental until you become one. They're all super nice to you because they want to save your soul and want to add notches to their 'rewards in heaven' belt. Invite you to pancake breakfasts. Once u go all the way with them, then they start treating u like shit, getting judgmental, send u weird messages on fb about how you live your life, and stop serving you pancakes. <-- Evangelical xtians. Catholics have always been aiiite

atheists are mean, soulless creatures that make me cry. Not one atheist has EVER made me pancakes, either. Not once.
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I'm not good with pancakes how about something else?
 
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Apone said:
I don't think this was directed at me, but I will say that when someone mentions that they are a Christian, my defenses go right up and I do sort of keep my distance… I can't help it. I can't say I feel the same way about all religions-- just the 3 major ones, but I've had Muslim friends and Hindu friends and Christians are by far the worst. If someone is a Buddhist, I have exactly the opposite reaction and I want to know more. But then, it also depends on whether or not they take it super seriously or are just that way because they've never asked themselves why.

I think it has something to do with a lot of the more vocal proponents of 'moral issues', and how religious leaders can be more like politicians. I know there are more liberal churches that are really open and accepting (I was raised in one, my parents still go), and they're fine… they also tend to be pretty quiet about a lot of things. But I do have relatives that are more into the right-wing political aspects and are strictly anti-gay, anti-abortion, believe the rapture is coming, sinners will be punished, etc… and basically everything they say enrages me, not even because it's something I disagree with but because it's just blatantly untrue and has been proven as such.

Even besides how it has affected me personally, I think that religion can be extremely destructive, and I can't say the same about atheism… because atheism isn't really part of your identity the way that Christianity is, and it doesn't really influence your politics, or your actions… and it's not like your spirituality suddenly disappears because you're an atheist.

In fact, I would love it if Christianity would disappear forever… because it's unnecessary, and you can definitely be happy without it. It's just a case of the negatives outweighing the positives, as well as the fact that I'm 95% sure that it's all untrue.
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I share these sentiments as well..

Neverwhere said:
OK, I'm an atheist, but I really don't get why certain people here are being so immature about religion in general.

What does it matter if someone else thinks religion helps them feel alive and live to the fullest? You don't have to think that way...no ones forcing you to. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and different things work for different people. (No shit, captain obvious) Just leave them to whatever makes them happy and do your own thing.

I'm an atheist who was brought up in the church by missionary parents. I've seen the absoloute worst of the church, I've seen the best. Like I've said in other threads...I was doing a theology degree, and the more I learned the more it all came off as BS. I don't beleive because there is no evidence. The deeper you get into Christian theology (I hate to say it, but most of the Gods are all fairly similar, so im just going to go with theme of christian God here) the more questions there are and the answers given aren't nearly good enough. I know that's fairly general, but things just don't add up. If you have faith, that's wonderful...but for me personally, believing in a heaven where God will sort all wrongs from earth...it just doesn't cut it for me.
I find religion fascinating....it's full of history and wonderful (also wonderfully fucked up) stories and morals. Not all Christian morals are bad.

The only time I get hostile is if there's someone who just won't stop trying to shove their beliefs down my throat. Even at that, the respectful ones who wish to discuss why I don't believe anymore are welcome. As long as I'm not badgered, I have no problem sharing my experience and exactly why I don't believe. I also have no desire to crush another human and try to destroy their faith for them....for some people this is so central to their life and who they are, what would be the point of making someone "see sense" if they don't really want to and risk crushing them completely? It just seems cruel to me.
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I also fail to see how asking why someone chooses to believe something is immature--when they volunteer information and make themselves a part of the discussion.

The thing that you don't know is that some of us have loved ones who are fervent believers, too. I go to church with my mom when she asks me, I go to stations of the cross with her--I even get into theological discussions with her which I am exceptionally careful not to turn into religious debates--I try to maintain a common ground and agree with her-- because I respect her right to her own beliefs. I also understand how important her faith is to her, and I think it would be cruel of me to dash it to bits. I would never question her faith to her. I'm the same with my brother, when he complains that "God hates me" after a bad day--I encourage him otherwise. It's not for me to change their mind. (My mother and brother are also not total bigot zealots..)

People have to arrive at these things on their own.
But I even have to practice my smiling and nodding when certain family friends tell me I am going to tell for "living in sin," to avoid an episode at functions..
But it's immature of me, I guess, to question in the context of a discussion on why I don't believe in god--religious belief altogether. There is a time and place to share one's true beliefs and opinions and to question things--true. I actually understand that, thankyouverymuch ;-D

Your preaching to me (at least that's who I assume you are preaching at--given that you've already said I was immature) isn't necessary.
 
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Neverwhere said:
I hear what you're saying, and I agree with most of it...but you've kind of highlighted part of what I was saying. It's all down to the individuals. It's not the religion as a whole. You're going to have assholes like that in every walk of life...it wasn't christianity it would be something else to piss you off. All my relatives are the same, so I feel your pain. :)
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Except its not down to just individuals... youre from Ireland, Protestant vs Catholic? In the US we have a different story, we have INSANE Christians pushing their morality on everyone via the laws of the land. Trying to keep gays from being able to marry the one they love, trying to overturn Roe V Wade, shit even as early as the 50s and 60s, it was religious Christians who wanted to maintain the laws that kept whites and blacks from interracial marriages. I grew up hearing "God made whites for whites and blacks for blacks"... Seriously? The Catholic pope was against condoms until recently (only gay prostitution changed his mind) and helped condemn millions to death in Africa, preaching that condoms would send them to hell... meanwhile there was a fucking HIV epidemic going down.

Its shit like that that goes in the face of all these hippy lovey dovey Christians who keep insisting that they dont want to force anything on anyone, and yet thats exactly what their religious leaders/organizations do. Its why I am a NEW atheist and believe in countering such influences anywhere I can. The abrahamic religions belong in the mental rubbish bin with Zeus and Osiris.
 
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