Open discussion of the Christian Why We're Here thread

[Neo-Scholastic]

The problem is when the cult gets too big and too powerful and insists that everyone else join the cult and that the government bends to the cult's will.

Don't you believe that your political opinions are correct and should become policy? Every form of government imposes its will on its citizens or subjects based on some value system. What makes an atheistic value system, if there really is such a thing, any better? Why should Christians be forced to adopt purely secular values?

And besides don't you know the difference between a cult and a religion?

[brewer]

Did you read my IRL post? I don't care on a person to person level, but that changes when I'm expected to behave christian because everybody around me is christian or get the shaming/shunning treatment. I think the only place you have to put up with walking in my shoes is here.

I'm sorry people have shamed you for being atheist. A good way to respond is to not do the same thing and shame others for being things you're not.

I'm pretty thick skinned now, they still make the attempts but are mostly ignored. 

A good way to respond is just take it? Gee thanks. 

A better way to respond is sarcasm.

[Silver]

And besides don't you know the difference between a cult and a religion?

A religion is just a cult with a bigger following.

[The Grand Nudger]

Political opinions informed by religious beliefs have no place in a secular government.  This is for -your- protection more so than any atheists.  See, we can fake it till we make it, we don;t have deeply held religious convictions that might lead to us being incapable of assuring the inquisitur that we believe in his silly god.

If you have a -secular- justification for your political opinions then we can discuss our varying political (not religious) opinions as legitimate equals and hash that out.

Civics 101.

[Catholic_Lady]

The problem is when the cult gets too big and too powerful and insists that everyone else join the cult and that the government bends to the cult's will.

Don't you believe that your political opinions are correct and should become policy? Every form of government imposes its will on its citizens or subjects based on some value system. What makes an atheistic value system, if there really is such a thing, any better? Why should Christians be forced to adopt purely secular values?

And besides don't you know the difference between a cult and a religion?

Yes, this^

Everyone imposes their value system on how they vote, etc.

Most American's value system includes freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state. But the differences come in the finer details than that, and of course everyone will vote based on what they think. Religious and non religious people alike.

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I'm sorry people have shamed you for being atheist. A good way to respond is to not do the same thing and shame others for being things you're not.

I'm pretty thick skinned now, they still make the attempts but are mostly ignored. 

A good way to respond is just take it? Gee thanks. 

A better way to respond is sarcasm.

No, not what I said at all.

[Whateverist]

Much like you have a healthy fear of the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Koran, the Sutras of Buddha, etc., and respond positively to them?

There is only one God and He is not part of those religions. None of the gods of those religions has ever tried to show me anything at all. That being said they are and always will be false.

GC

Wow, I did not realize we had on these boards an actual god whisperer. Gods who show the guy who goes by GC here are genuine. Those who fail to make themselves known to GC are fakes. Yep, GC is just that important. A regular celebrity.

[Neo-Scholastic]

Political opinions informed by religious beliefs have no place in a secular government...Civics 101.

Then you failed Civics 101. The law in the USA is that there shall be no religious test for holding office. It doesn't forbid anyone from voting their conscience, to select candidates or support legislation, for whatever reason.

[Whateverist]

Wow, another seer with the gift for sniffing out 'the truth'.

What if god never existed...

Then everyone alive now, in the past or in the future will die hopeless meaningless deaths.

Of course everyone here is going to die, that's obvious. But why should they be meaningless. They'll just mean what a death has always meant, except to those who harbor supernatural what-if stories. From the point of view of their special place, everyone not going there is just going to be so, so sorry. Right.

[The Grand Nudger]

Political opinions informed by religious beliefs have no place in a secular government...Civics 101.

Then you failed Civics 101. The law in the USA is that there shall be no religious test for holding office. It doesn't forbid anyone from voting their conscience, to select candidates or support legislation, for whatever reason.

Vote your conscience all you like.  If your "conscience" just so happens to be casting gods ballot in absentia..don;t be surprised when whatever legislation that amounts to fails to pass or gets struck down.  

Sure, the law in the us says that there won;t be any religious test..that;s not all it says......now is it?

You'll have to have something better than "It rustles my god's jimmies!" if you want to write policy.

[Catholic_Lady]

People's values are going to influence how they vote, no matter who they are. There are always going to be people with different values from yourself who will vote differently from you. That's just a fact of life, better to accept it and try to be understanding of the opposing view points.