(August 8, 2014 at 9:05 pm)whateverist Wrote:(August 7, 2014 at 1:56 pm)Michael Wrote: Hello there. I'm a Christian (Benedictine) interested in good natured discussions with those of different views to myself. I'm a lay member of a monastic community, and so favour silence over preaching. I'm also a scientist by training and profession, so have an interest in how people relate to both faith and science.
Nice to meet you all.
Excellent and welcome. Just encountered you first on that "Can Science and Religion Overlap" thread where some clown sidetracked discussion for a while.
I really hope you like it here and will favor us with your views when you can. I'm forever conflicted about the time I spend online but I have to say this place has been special place for me. There are many individuals here who have won my affection and respect, and that can't be discounted even if it does happen online.
You don't strike me as the sort to shrink from a challenging environment and bear in mind that many atheists are former theists who are angry and hurt about the way important people in their lives disappointed them on account of religion. I suspect that in most cases the religion was total shit but I think you may embody a much better theology. Personally, I would be content to share the planet for all time with atheists and superior theists. (I don't automatically think you are mistaken in your theism.) Please do show us how it can be done.
Thank you Whatervist.
Yes, I think you touch on something important when you say atheists may have been hurt in some way by theist or by theism. I think the personal stories are always important. It's never made much sense to me to try and completely dissect those away from the positions we each hold; we would end up leaving important things unsaid, I believe.
