(March 7, 2016 at 9:36 pm)bennyboy Wrote: Here's my opinion about this, and I'll be blunt.
CL has an avatar of a cute girl with big jugs, and speaks like Pollyanna. Several of the other posters in this thread have been especially kind to CL, and I think that it has a lot more to do with who they think she/he is than with the actual ideas. I guarantee if she had MY portrait as her Avatar, you all would have taken great relish in tearing her/him a new one. Shame on you guys for that.
Now, I have nothing against CL, and I'm happy to have religious people posting and making arguments. This helps me refine my position, and is of great value. However, this pick-and-choose relationship she has with her religion shows to me she's smart enough to realize that as a unified collection of philosophical ideas, it is completely incoherent. The next step for her, I would hope, is to ask whether ANYTHING, other than a general sense of goodwill toward humanity, is coherent about the Catholic institution.
And if there's nothing there but vague optimism and goodwill toward others, I'd ask her this-- why not shed the mythology and just keep the values, in their purest, most human form-- her own desire to be a good person?
I have not picked and chosen any Catholic teachings. I accept and adhere to all of them.
And as a woman, I find it pretty offensive that you're saying some people have been "niceish" to me only because of what I look like and the size of my chest, and not because of how I am as a person and how I have treated others here. (btw, I AM a she. You can ask that to one of the 10 forum members I have video skyped with, including KingPin, Tiberious, Whateverist, Losty, Poca, and others).
To answer your question, I won't give up my beliefs because they are what I honestly believe to be the truth. And contrary to popular belief around here, they actually DO shape who I am and how I conduct myself. Not on the big things, like, obviously I would not be a serial killer if I didn't believe in God. But with the little things and just every day attitude, conduct, outlook on life and on other people, yes, I do try to follow the teachings and examples of Christ.
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly."
-walsh
-walsh
