(September 15, 2010 at 2:02 pm)dave4shmups Wrote: Ok, so we just talked on the phone, but he said that why not just look at porn magazines, why not just "live it up", because you're not accountable to anyone?? How do I answer that objection to my Atheism?? He also said, where are you going to go when "your hear melts down", ie, hard times hit? Finally, he said that morals come from somewhere, and that we are getting worse rather then better, as human beings-presumably without Christianity.
Why not just live it up? I'm all about self-controlled hedonism (yay porno!), I have one life to live, let's have some fun! But at the same time I have the human drive to succeed, have a family, and I don't want to hurt others, I have a strong passion for helping people in fact.
When I hit hard times I do what everyone does, go to family, friends, and the people I'm close to. Your pastor isn't doing anything different, his congregation and his friends in the church are his support. Why do I need to have the same support? Especially one that thinks at the end of the day I'm burning and in pain for eternity.
As to getting better or worse; by whose definition?
I would argue a society that legalizes victimless "crimes" like recreational drugs and prostitution, provides government healthcare, only budgets for a defensive military, invests heavily in science and technology, doesn't get riled up about homosexuality or race, and lets me do my thing is far superior and more moral than a Christian nation (so really, I cannot WAIT for the rapture), but your pastor would disagree with me.
Whenever you feel stuck by a question your pastor poses, remember that he's always making these grand assumptions that his view of right and moral is the universal one. He has no more authority on the subject than you or I do. His suggestion that looking at porn magazine is bad, well the only reason I agree is because its free and better online, who the hell still reads magazines? : P If loving the pleasures of life is wrong, I don't want to be right!
My religion is the understanding of my world. My god is the energy that underlies it all. My worship is my constant endeavor to unravel the mysteries of my religion. 
