RE: A question to atheists
February 15, 2015 at 1:07 am
(This post was last modified: February 15, 2015 at 1:12 am by emilynghiem.)
(February 12, 2015 at 2:14 am)EccentricAlien Wrote: Okay so I don't want you to be confused by the title of this thread, I am agnostic.
So here's the story. A while ago I was arguing with my mom about what we both believed in. She is a very religious Catholic. She was telling me a story about how one time she went into a church and suddenly, the priest or whatever from that church came to her and told my mom that she should get back in a relationship with Mary (Jesus' mother). Funny enough, my mom was a bit "distant" ( I don't know how else[/size][/font] to describe it) with Mary at that time. For example she didn't pray to her and things like that.
The question is: When arguing with a religious person, how does a non-religious person respond with something "supernatural" like that??
There are two things going on here I would address, one is how do you explain this Mary connection to Christians who reject it in order to resolve that issue common among fellow believers, and second is how do you discuss and describe this in secular terms where a nonreligious person understands it.
1. to resolve this among Christians, I have heard it explained as praying with friends, but Mary is like a friend who is not physically here but alive in spirit or memory. So the connection in prayer is still done on the level of conscience where Christ Jesus represents the universal connection between people in spirit. The point is NOT that Mary replaces Jesus, but fellowship is sought with Mary the way people would join with friends in group prayer or fellowship.
2. to explain this to secular nonreligious types, prayer is a positive way of connecting people in agreement to help focus our energy and loving thoughts and actions. Mary is a symbol of grace, mercy, forgiveness and comfort, so invoking and focusing on this image invokes that level of motherly love and grace that includes and soothes people. so it has a positive healing effect to use Mary as a symbol of focus.
does that help.
even if you don't believe that Jesus or Mary are these universal figures for all people, the fact that so many people are joined in central focus on these figures,
that woudl concentrate all those positive thoughts and energy collectively and that energy would have a positive healing effect on people.
(February 12, 2015 at 8:13 pm)Nope Wrote: My elderly aunt did something similar to me. First, she pmed me worried that I would not be among those she sees again in heaven. I answered as politely as I could. Later, she told me that she had experienced Jesus in some deep way and wanted me to know he was real. She is old and I love her so I wrote back that I was happy she had an experience that gave her joy but I still didn't believe. What else could I say? My response must have discouraged her from writing because she didn't answer back. Maybe that is the only way the OP can respond to his mom. Tell her you are understand that she has something that makes her happy but that you simply don't believe.
Hi Nope i would turn the tables and ask your aunt to start asking Jesus some questions. Ask her to ask God/Jesus, does Jesus mean the spirit of Justice and does Jesus govern the secular gentiles and nontheists under natural laws using science and reason.
If her understanding with Jesus is true, the answer should be yes that Jesus manifests to the secular gentiles as Equal Justice under law that brings peace.
or something like that, find out what her answer is from God.
