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February 21, 2012 at 9:19 pm (This post was last modified: February 21, 2012 at 9:19 pm by abc123.)
My dad's Catholic and he's always chuntering away about it and he acts as though he's superior, mentally.
It grinds on me that he is quite an intelligent person, well.. upon he was recently brainwashed I guessed.
February 21, 2012 at 9:58 pm (This post was last modified: February 21, 2012 at 10:13 pm by Rhizomorph13.)
(February 21, 2012 at 9:08 pm)AthiestAtheist Wrote:
(February 21, 2012 at 12:21 pm)Napoleon Wrote: The fear is what I don't understand most of all. I don't see coming to the conclusion that god isn't real as something to be fearful of. It makes me feel a hell of a lot better to know that some jackass experimentalist isn't going to 'judge my soul' and send me to burn for eternity.
But I guess that fear of hell is more what probably makes people not willing to use their brain.
This. So much.
(February 21, 2012 at 8:47 pm)Rhizomorph13 Wrote: To the OP,
In situations like these I find that it is best to try to empathize with the person you disagree with. It seems hard for you to understand how your mom might feel. I have been in the same position with my own mom. she is a Christian who never reads the bible or thinks about her religion much if at all. It is more like an assumed position, as it is with many Christians: "Of course there is a God, how could there not be one?" To understand it I would have to substitute a belief that I actually have, "I like meat, it is tasty why would I NOT eat it?"
Then I imagine a vegitarian or vegan hanging out with me and trying to talk to me about meat eating. How long would I suffer a person spouting off that meat was wrong? Not long at all! The subject would be of such little interest that even if the veggie/vegan was very well behaved and rational I would summarily dismiss the subject as worthy of my time. With my mom it is the same way, we have talked about it a little and found that we are both intransigent in our positions, so we talk about any other topic that might be of mutual interest, like I would with any other of my friends.
That is a bit of a different situation, as I have highlighted the inconsistencies above. You are comparing a person who doesn't think about religion to a meat eater, but, (I don't know about you, but) I think about meat every time I eat it. So it would be like a non meat-eater who doesn't eat meat, because they just don't, not because the believe it is wrong like vegetarians. If you ask me, not thinking about God is 1 step away from being atheist.
Good for you that you think about meat every time you eat it. That would be like Ryft, a theist on these boards who is well studied and thinks about God all the time. My mother is a Christian because it feels good to her, like I eat meat because it tastes good. When I said she doesn't think about it, I meant her reasons for being a Christian. She prays all the time, goes to church, and weaves God into her everyday language.
I am comparing someone who doesn't think about why they do something but do it just because it feels right to them to another person who doesn't think about why they do something but do it just because it feels right to them.
(February 21, 2012 at 8:51 pm)Napoleon Wrote:
(February 21, 2012 at 8:47 pm)Rhizomorph13 Wrote: so we talk about any other topic that might be of mutual interest
Yeah, that's exactly what annoys me.
Well, you know what they say about fanatics...
They will neither change their mind nor the subject. You seem mostly rational so, ya know, change the subject. Why do you care what fairy tale other people believe? Its not like there is some Atheist hell she would end up in if she doesn't turn from her belief. For me, I just feel bad for my mother; she really believes that I am going to hell and that hurts her. I don't want my mother to hurt. Luckily she is cool and doesn't pester me with her opinions unless I ask her, then she gives opinions consistent with her beliefs.
February 21, 2012 at 10:37 pm (This post was last modified: February 21, 2012 at 10:38 pm by AthiestAtheist.)
(February 21, 2012 at 9:58 pm)Rhizomorph13 Wrote: Good for you that you think about meat every time you eat it. That would be like Ryft, a theist on these boards who is well studied and thinks about God all the time. My mother is a Christian because it feels good to her, like I eat meat because it tastes good. When I said she doesn't think about it, I meant her reasons for being a Christian. She prays all the time, goes to church, and weaves God into her everyday language.
I am comparing someone who doesn't think about why they do something but do it just because it feels right to them to another person who doesn't think about why they do something but do it just because it feels right to them.
Oh, I missed the part where you said you were talking about your mother and not Napoleon's.
So you wasted your time refuting what I said, because we were talking about a different person!
"Sisters, you know only the north; I have traveled in the south lands. There are churches there, believe me, that cut their children too, as the people of Bolvangar did--not in the same way, but just as horribly. They cut their sexual organs, yes, both boys and girls; they cut them with knives so that they shan't feel. That is what the Church does, and every church is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling. So if a war comes, and the Church is on one side of it, we must be on the other, no matter what strange allies we find ourselves bound to."
(February 21, 2012 at 9:58 pm)Rhizomorph13 Wrote: Why do you care what fairy tale other people believe?
Yeah you're right. Why should I care if my own mother is living a lie her whole life? Seems silly doesn't it.
Just because your mother doesn't believe what you believe doesn't make it a lie. Just because you don't believe it to be true doesn't mean it is any less true to her. If she believed in fairies and it didn't affect her loving you or anything in the rest of her reality would you care? Could it be that you hate religion, or the religious enough to where simply holding that belief makes one unfit for society or useless?
"There ought to be a term that would designate those who actually follow the teachings of Jesus, since the word 'Christian' has been largely divorced from those teachings, and so polluted by fundamentalists that it has come to connote their polar opposite: intolerance, vindictive hatred, and bigotry." -- Philip Stater, Huffington Post
always working on cleaning my windows- me regarding Johari
February 22, 2012 at 8:00 am (This post was last modified: February 22, 2012 at 8:02 am by Nine.)
(February 22, 2012 at 7:06 am)Napoleon Wrote:
(February 21, 2012 at 9:58 pm)Rhizomorph13 Wrote: Why do you care what fairy tale other people believe?
Yeah you're right. Why should I care if my own mother is living a lie her whole life? Seems silly doesn't it.
Its very frustraiting but some people are just so deep in the idea you cant do anything to change that. You can only reason with people that want to be reasoned with. (why do i think that is a film quote?)
(February 22, 2012 at 7:06 am)Napoleon Wrote:
(February 21, 2012 at 9:58 pm)Rhizomorph13 Wrote: Why do you care what fairy tale other people believe?
Yeah you're right. Why should I care if my own mother is living a lie her whole life? Seems silly doesn't it.
Just because your mother doesn't believe what you believe doesn't make it a lie.
[/quote]
Well christianity is clearly a lie from any logical point of view.
(February 22, 2012 at 7:32 am)tackattack Wrote: Just because your mother doesn't believe what you believe doesn't make it a lie. Just because you don't believe it to be true doesn't mean it is any less true to her. If she believed in fairies and it didn't affect her loving you or anything in the rest of her reality would you care? Could it be that you hate religion, or the religious enough to where simply holding that belief makes one unfit for society or useless?
I think the point many people make, Tack, is that a lack of critical thinking in one area tends to lead to a lack in others - sometimes dangerously. But there are many good examples of people who believe bullshit and are otherwise perfectly sane beings capable of leading healthy, fulfilling lives. And there are others who don't. [shrugs]
(February 22, 2012 at 8:15 am)KichigaiNeko Wrote: It is the job of mothers to annoy their offspring.
Oh and also embarrass the hell out of them at their 21st Birthday parties
Very true went to University open day and my mother decided it would be a good time to discuss my inability to clean my room then hug me saying "mummys little soldier.." Definitely the way i want my potential future class mates to remember me..
February 22, 2012 at 8:24 am (This post was last modified: February 22, 2012 at 8:26 am by KichigaiNeko.)
Comes with the Birth Certificate sweetie... all legit and government issued
Think about it...you have bugged the HELL out of us for nine months... caused nothing but anguish and heartbreak for the next 7 years...spoken in monosyllables for the next 7 years and you think you can get away without paying a price??
"The Universe is run by the complex interweaving of three elements: energy, matter, and enlightened self-interest." G'Kar-B5