Understanding/Sympathizing/forbearing people

[Handprint]

A Christian who begins posting here might be the nicest, sweetest, and most genuine person I will ever meet. But so fucking what? We are here to discuss ideas and concepts, at least in the sub-forums designated for such.

This is a good argument.

[Rokcet Scientist]

Not necessarily. Cognitive dissonance is a funny thing.

Logic, and clean reasoning and motivation, aren't.

[Handprint]

Not necessarily. Cognitive dissonance is a funny thing.

Logic, and clean reasoning and motivation, aren't.

Cognitive dissonance abounds in all sorts of things though, not just religion.

Yah know, when someone buys something expensive they cant afford, they have to justify it somehow and THAT is illogical, but hey, lots of people do it.

[Minimalist]

I am actually quite disgusted by how little compassion/respect/love/forbearance is shown to non-atheists on this forum.

How long would you a tolerate a "guest" in your home who does nothing but shit on your carpet?

If they want compassion and respect there are plenty of theist boards for them to go to pretend that their fucking fairy tales are real.

When they show up here I automatically assume that they are looking for trouble...until they prove otherwise.


Frankly, I'm seldom disappointed.

[Rokcet Scientist]

When they show up here I automatically assume that they are looking for trouble

And, like good hosts, we like to accomodate our guests.

[Minimalist]

All the fuckers think they are missionaries.




Some people knew how to deal with missionaries.

[Voltair]

It is good to have civil and peaceful discussions with people. However as Aleia pointed out this an atheist playground where people come to discuss/vent. People also get tired of hearing the same arguments over and over again to where just seeing it one more time makes them shit themselves.

A lot of religious people are not being intentionally deceptive. It wasn't that long ago that I de-converted myself and I still remember what it was like to believe. It wasn't until I finally started reading the problems with God/evidence etc that I began to even be able to see what was going on. However I also had not been very active with my faith for a couple of years and I imagine if it would have been possible that I would have resisted.

Indoctrination is also VERY hard to overcome at times. You are talking about issues that have been planted in peoples head for their entire lives, beat into them, repeated by them verbally out loud, read daily, etc. It can be hard to break free of those bonds. That is where I believe the understanding needs to come in but sometimes... people do step over the line. Don't get me wrong I am not saying anyone here does not have the right to tell people to fuck off I am just sharing my opinion

We are all hell bound together anyway!

[Abracadabra]

A Muslim or a Christian may condemn a person for their beliefs, not sympathize with a people holding a wrong cosmology, or failing to believe in the "right religion" and "true path", because this is what their scriptures teach, but what reason do Atheists have of being so zealous against people for wrong views?

I am actually quite disgusted by how little compassion/respect/love/forbearance is shown to non-atheists on this forum. I hope most atheists are not like the people on this forum.

I'd like to address a couple of things here.

First off, I am personally an Agnostic Spiritualist as I've listed by the "Religion:" label at the top of my post. My spirituality has nothing to do with any of the Abrahamic religions. There is nothing threatening in any way about my spiritual "beliefs", and I even fully confess that they are entirely "faith-based" and/or agnostic in nature. In other words, I don't even claim that they have any solid basis in reality. I simply reserve the right to consider these things as rationally plausible.

As non-threatening as this is, I've been basically shocked to discover than many atheists are quick to belittle me simply because I have an open mind to these spiritual ideas. And they even seem to like to gang up on "spiritualists" and make a "public target" out of them on these forum.

I personally feel that this is very sad, and totally uncalled for behavior.

However, in some respects I can't say that I blame many of these atheists. Why do I not blame them? Well precisely because of religions like Christianity and Islam.

Christianity and Islam are both based on the same "jealous-God" concept. And they both teach and cause their followers to believe that any "non-believers" of those religions are willfully and knowingly turning against their Gods and choosing to side with a demonic demon called "Satan".

Christianity in particular inspires many of its followers to become extreme proselytizers or evangelists who act like they "speak for Jesus" and constantly go around insulting everyone who doesn't believe in their jealous God by insinuating that these atheists (or even members of other religions) are choosing to reject God and must join the Christian Cult to repair the situation and that nothing else is deemed acceptable.

This amounts to nothing more than emotional-terrorism, as well as a display of extreme disrespect for non-believers of these religions. It's also an extremely ugly display of arrogance on the part of the proselytizers who act like they "Speak for God" or "Speak on behalf of Jesus".

In short, it's not only disgusting, but it's pathetic.

In light of these Abrahamic religions, and especially Christianity, I'm not the slightest bit surprised that atheists are quick to reject even the slightest mention of spiritual ideas as being utterly ignorant and stupid.

They probably have it in their heads that any form of spiritual belief that is encouraged to grow will more than likely evolved into something as hateful as Christianity.

So they try to nip any potential belief of spirituality in the bud, before it grows to become the extreme arrogance and religious bigotry supported by religions like Christianity and Islam.

So, yes, I agree that atheists are very quick to spit in the face of anyone who even remotely suggests that there might be a 'spiritual essence' to reality.

But like I say, in light of the "jealous-God" religions is it truly any wonder why they feel they way they do?

Christian proselytizers and evangelists even make me want to throw up and I have no problem believing in a spiritual essence to reality.

I just see no reason to create such a hateful picture of a jealous God as the ancient Hebrews created. I personally stand in amazement at how anyone can support such a hateful picture of a God.

That's basically a very sad situation right there.

Nobody wants to hear about anything spiritual after that nightmare.

And I personally don't blame them.

[Bgood]

Abracadabra wrote

Christianity in particular inspires many of its followers to become extreme proselytizers or evangelists who act like they "speak for Jesus" and constantly go around insulting everyone who doesn't believe in their jealous God by insinuating that these atheists (or even members of other religions) are choosing to reject God and must join the Christian Cult to repair the situation and that nothing else is deemed acceptable.

I totally agree. The world's institutions of Abrahamic religions are corrupt, ridiculous and evil in many ways. Many atheists are in stark opposition to these forms of religion, which is understandable from my p.o.v., but yet they are not necessarily always stoic. Many times athesists react emotionally to beliefs which contradict their own reasoning and scientific leanings. This shows some intellectual maturity on their part for defending common sense and logic, but also sometimes reflects alot of emotional and spiritual immaturity in displaying anger. I am still guilty of this myself once in a while.

Biological and social sciences will say that the psychological and physical benfeits of many Eastern religions, yoga and meditations help make the student/practitioner a more well rounded individual. In summation, although atheists have a leg up on believers in a major sense, they sometimes stop there and build a comfort zone of cynicism, self righteous arrogance, and HYPER-criticism. Eastern religions help tremendously in carrying atheists and deconverted Xtian believers like myself, into further progressive steps toward more holistic well being and clarity of analysis. So although atheism is better than believing hogwash, it may not be the ultimate label one wants to die with. Unfortunately, the most hardlined atheists may never encounter their own innate divinity within themselves and remain forever bitter. So I have compassion for everyone at the deepest level because I am one and the same as them. I been there, I'm here now, but I'm moving ahead.

[The Grand Nudger]

Fuck me, pity party round two, we're not going to go over all of this again are we?

Eastern religions are in the same boat as any other, they offer no leg up, they don't make you more "well rounded"..what kind of garbage are you peddling? People can do very well for themselves from within any framework that works for them, psychologically speaking. There is nothing about any religion that makes it "better" psychologically (and spiritually is a moot point..either redundant in context or completely meaningless). Progressive steps towards more holistic well-being............? I've never encountered my own "innate divinity" because it does not exist, and yet I'm not bitter about that. The bitter atheist card..yep, eastern religions, giving you clarity of analysis, freeing you from cynicism, self righteous arrogance and hyper-criticism. I'll pass, thanks.