Thoughts

[Astonished]

I came to sharp turn in the road a couple of months ago and haven't posted anything here since then and probably won't for a while.  I have a different outlook on things and have lost some passions I had and gained some others.  I spent 3 1/2 years in this forum defending and expounding on theism and christianity and I don't know that I changed the mind of any atheist.  Hopefully, I convinced some visitors who were on the edge to stay with their faith.  You never really know because there's no feedback.  I know that there's good stuff that comes from the discussion here, but I've lost my desire to continue for now.  I've seen numerous people who have shown up at our church's food distribution or meals and then show up at the worship services down the road.  It seems that actions get people's attention and when they become interested in your faith they come to you. Then they are ready to listen to what you have to say.

If they happen to be atheists who are still woo-believers then who knows, their defective minds might be swayed. That's why it's such useless label. I'd be impressed if you convinced a rational skeptic. But that would take a miracle, and well...those don't exist.
Also convincing someone to stay in their faith is like convincing a slave not to cast off their chains and reject their enslavement. Really, REALLY not something to be proud of, kid. And of course when you offer incentives like free food and community, people will show up. It's one of the unfair advantages religion has, that it's the majority of the population and has so much access to ill-gotten resources. Again, nothing to be proud of. That's emotionally manipulative and predatory. The only way you can actually bring anyone to your side, attacking the vulnerable when they can't defend against your bullshit and luring them in with lies.

I have benefited personally from this forum.  I wanted to get hit with every argument against my faith that is out there and you atheists were all too happy to accommodate me in that regard.  In fact, my butt is still smoking, but I've matured because of it.  I've actually become able to look at issues from different sides.  I can understand why so many atheists left christianity and can understand the way they think.  I now believe in the evolutionary process; it doesn't negate the need for God.  Though I disagree with their sexual morality, I support equal rights for homosexuals because we're all citizens and equal under the law no matter what our faith or lack of it.  I can also understand the anxiety that transsexuals experience day to day.  We don't have to agree on everything in order to come together to create a better society.

If you weren't emancipated from your delusions, that's not a benefit. Your definitions are skewed but what else is new? You pretend to look at things from different sides but you're still a homophobe, you've just graduated to not being a bigot too. Don't pat yourself on the back til you rid your mind of the poison causing you to think there's anything wrong with what other people do that harms no one. And while evolution may not negate the need for a god it does negate every historical myth regarding creation and whatnot, so regardless of your interpretation of whatever holy book you cherry-pick, you're still wrong and are being willfully dishonest not to acknowledge and admit this. So you're a bald-faced liar, but you want to condemn homosexuals for perceived immoral behavior? Fuck the fuck off, pissant. Your toxic beliefs are what are keeping society from getting better, dipshit. Read a fucking book other than something that holds boiling a goat in its mother's milk as a greater offense than rape.

I can't say that I like every person that I've come in contact with here, and not everybody likes me, but for the most part we've had civilized and respectful discussions.  Oh well, I try to be liked, but I gotta be me.  Anyone who makes an impact won't be liked by everybody.

I'll finish by saying that as an American I observe that the christian church in America has in large part strayed from the church that Christ founded and is in need of reform.  But it seems that as church congregations shrink, those left behind are the true believers that are going to bring the church back to its roots and the world will again see God through them.  To that end, I intend to use the time that I would have spent in this forum to do God's work for the people around me.  Maybe they'll see God at work, and if thy ask me about him then I'll tell them about him.

Feeling's mutual, prick. You want respect? Stop being dishonest. That's a good way to start. Hitler had a big impact on people; sure you want to use that analogy?

Fuck off with that reform bullshit. Did you never even open your damn holy book? You can't reform something built on a foundation of complete and utter shit. There's no good to stray from, it's all fucking bad, rookie. You weren't even worth this rant. Good riddance.