Modern Faiths

[GeorgiaBuck2]

If I told you I had a friend named Udo, that you couldn't see or hear but I know exists, which you respect that belief? Or would you think I'm crazy?

If I told you Udo is always with me, hears my thoughts, and helps me if I ask him - so long as what I'm asking is in accordance with his will, of course - would you respect that belief? Or would you think I'm crazy?

If I told you that when I die I'm going to take a similar form to Udo - he created me in his image, after all - and the two of us were going to hang out in paradise for eternity, would you respect that belief? Or would you think I'm crazy?

If I convinced enough people that Udo was real and they befriended him, too, and we worked to make society comply with our beliefs - perhaps even killed others in Udo's name because they didn't share our beliefs - would you respect our beliefs? Or would you think we were crazy?

I think we all know the answer to those questions.

And yet, I'm supposed to respect religion?

If you're not a religious person, then just don't post in the thread. If you don't like it, you don't have to read the posts. It's disrespectful to the posters on here that do believe in something more. You have a right to your own opinion, but don't go around and bash people's faith.

 

[Jake]

If you're not a religious person, then just don't post in the thread. If you don't like it, you don't have to read the posts. It's disrespectful to the posters on here that do believe in something more. You have a right to your own opinion, but don't go around and bash people's faith.

So it is "disrespectful" to have an opinion that you don't like? Based on that definition, we all have been disrespected here at one time or another.

I respect your right to practice religion. I do not respect your religion, nor am I under any obligation to respect it. It has done nothing to earn it.

As long as "faith" continues to negatively impact the world in which I live I will speak out against it. This superstitious nonsense has infected the planet for centuries, directly caused thousands of deaths, and none of it has any basis in reality.

If you don't like my posts feel free to put me on your ignore list.

 

[scarletmike]

So it is "disrespectful" to have an opinion that you don't like? Based on that definition, we all have been disrespected here at one time or another.

I respect your right to practice religion. I do not respect your religion, nor am I under any obligation to respect it. It has done nothing to earn it.

As long as "faith" continues to negatively impact the world in which I live I will speak out against it. This superstitious nonsense has infected the planet for centuries, directly caused thousands of deaths, and none of it has any basis in reality.

If you don't like my posts feel free to put me on your ignore list.

No. Dumbass, sick, twisted people have negatively impacted the world through faith. Most people don't use their faith to condone and encourage violence. I have never used faith to support violence, and hope I never will. Your beef lies with the people who seek to use faith for their own, unsatisfactory means, not the faith or religion itself (unless it is one predicated on violence).

You, on the other hand, regularly make demeaning, denigrating posts that suggests that any one of us that believes in some higher power lack common and necessary faculties. You attack the person more often than not, and usually the wrong person. Faith itself cannot cause harm or something bad, the interpretation of that faith can.

 

[Jake]

This is the kind of nonsense I'm talking about. Nothing good can come from it.

An area with one of the largest Muslim communities outside the Middle East is bracing itself for a 24-hour prayer rally by a group that counts Islam among the ills facing the U.S.

The gathering in Detroit at Ford Field, the stadium where the Detroit Lions play, starts Friday evening and is designed to tackle issues such as the economy, race, same-sex relationships and abortion. But the decade-old organization known as TheCall has said Detroit is a "microcosm of our national crisis" in all areas, including "the rising tide of the Islamic movement."

Leaders of TheCall believe a satanic spirit is shaping all parts of U.S. society, and it must be challenged through intensive Christian prayer and fasting. Such a demonic spirit has taken hold of specific areas, Detroit among them, organizers say. In the months ahead of their rallies, teams of local organizers often travel their communities performing a ritual called "divorcing Baal," the name of a demon spirit, to drive out the devil from each location.

I'm supposed to respect this? I'm supposed to take it seriously? Unfortunately, I do have to take it seriously because so many people buy into it that it affects society, but not because it makes any sense.

One group of idiots blaming another group of idiots for allowing an evil spirit to cause problems, so their solution is to ask another supernatural entity to get rid of it. Welcome to the fucking Stone Age.

http://news.yahoo.com/detroit-prayer-event-puts-muslim-community-edge-080208099.html

 

[Jake]

No, dumbass, sick, twisted people have negatively impacted the world through faith. Most people don't use their faith to condone and encourage violence. I have never used faith to support violence, and hope I never will. Your beef lies with the people who seek to use faith for their own, unsatisfactory means, not the faith or religion itself (unless it is one predicated on violence).

I refer you to the Crusades, and various other attempts by organized religious "leaders" to shape the world to their beliefs at the point of a sword. Whether or not some individuals, like yourself, do not condone such actions is irrelevant to the fact they have taken place.

You, on the other hand, regularly make demeaning, denigrating posts that suggests that any one of us that believes in some higher power lack common and necessary faculties.

I refer you to my friend Udo, in an earlier post. You didn't respond to it so I'll ask again, if I told you I had an invisible friend who did/promised all of those things would you question my sanity? The fact that your invisible friend is popular and has a book that says he's real doesn't make him any more real, logically speaking.

You attack the person more often than not, and usually the wrong person. Faith itself cannot cause harm or something bad, the interpretation of that faith can.

I'm no more attacking a person than you and Georgia are attacking me. Actually, I never called either of you a "dumbass", as you did me. I simply asked questions, and drew conclusions, that you don't like. Well, I don't like religion but I have to live with it. Welcome to my world.

 

[scarletmike]

I'm no more attacking a person than you and Georgia are attacking me. Actually, I never called either of you a "dumbass", as you did me. I simply asked questions, and drew conclusions, that you don't like. Well, I don't like religion but I have to live with it. Welcome to my world.

Read again. Evidently you and Best didn't get the context of the first two words. That's all I'll say on that. I really don't feel like feeding the trollish tone/nature that results in trying to discuss this subject with you.

EDIT: I suppose a semicolon or something else would make that more obvious, I'll fix that.

 

[Jake]

I've begun worshipping the sun for a number of reasons. First of all, unlike some other gods I could mention, I can see the sun. It's there for me every day. And the things it brings me are quite apparent all the time: heat, light, food, and a lovely day. There's no mystery, no one asks for money, I don't have to dress up, and there's no boring pageantry. And interestingly enough, I have found that the prayers I offer to the sun and the prayers I formerly offered to "God" are all answered at about the same rate.

Oh, but that does not comport with the Jesus Dream, and eternal life in "paradise", so I know it will not be well received. When logic confronts emotion, logic rarely prevails. Such is life.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Jake, would it be helpful if we created your own thread that you can bump whenever you want with this sort of stuff?

Or should I believe you just now hipped up to George Carlin?

 

[Jake]

After what Tim Tebow did to the Steelers today I may have to reconsider my position on religion.