God Loves Me, Too

[My imaginary friend is GOD]

If your God is really as good and loving as you say, then God should love me even though I am an atheist and a lesbian. I didn't choose either. Why would God punish me for that? And God should love sex and love that we have it, because sex feels good and is good for us. He shouldn't put all these weird restrictions on it.

Belief in those restrictions just makes me think that the point of religion is to control people, and by remaining theists and maintaining those values, you are allowing yourself to be controlled.

[John V]

All these weird restrictions? The restrictions seem few and not at all weird to me.

[Kayenneh]

All these weird restrictions? The restrictions seem few and not at all weird to me.

You should not cut your hair around your temples and leave your beard be, you cant touch any part of a pig, you cannot wear blended fabrics, not eat shellfish, being in contact with women on their period, do I need to go on?

[frankiej]

And you have to believe in God... pretty big restriction there.

[Mystic]

When we talk about "God", we are talking about what absolute morality at the ultimate level, would do. Humans who believe Atheists or homosexuals ought to be hated, do so based on their belief in religion and their particular version of a partial vision of that absolute morality.

I agree that if there is a God, he would not hate Atheists or homosexuals. It may be possible (though I don't believe so), that he dislikes their decision, but it's not something that makes all their goodness and praiseworthiness go out the window.

This notion of amplifying the evil of x belief vs all other praiseworthy beliefs and actions Atheists have, is another thing as well. It's highly irrational.

Atheism doesn't define Atheists. It's just one small part of who they are, but since society treats the belief in God as the most important belief, it feels so defining in their eyes, and then atheists are on the defense to the condemnation of society.

It's tough. It hurts. All this hate. But what doesn't break you, hopefully, will make you stronger.

[John V]

You should not cut your hair around your temples and leave your beard be, you cant touch any part of a pig, you cannot wear blended fabrics, not eat shellfish, being in contact with women on their period, do I need to go on?

The discussion is about restrictions on sex.

[My imaginary friend is GOD]

I was talking about the restrictions of being in a heterosexual, married relationship in order to have sex. That doesn't make sense. How are you supposed to know if you are sexually compatible if you do not have sex before you are married? You could be making a terrible mistake!

[John V]

I was talking about the restrictions of being in a heterosexual, married relationship in order to have sex.

That's two restrictions, neither of which is weird.

That doesn't make sense. How are you supposed to know if you are sexually compatible if you do not have sex before you are married? You could be making a terrible mistake!

It makes perfect sense. I'm married 22 years and having the best sex of my life. You learn about each other as you go.

[Neo-Scholastic]

...if you do not have sex before you are married? You could be making a terrible mistake!

Only if you think sex is the most important part of a married relationship.

Atheists always say,"Yes but I can be good without God." But these same people, generally, are not good because they love God or their neighbor as themselves. Their good is self-referential and not true good. They are good only to secure their own benefit, i.e. tit for tat, and are motivated only by preserving earthly goods. They love themselves and the things of this world, like reputation, material gain, and hedonistic pleasures.

Hell is hell, in part because the good refuse to define their lives by love of self and the world. People in Hell choose to go and remain there because they continue to pursue what they believe are the highest goods. They believe falsities are truths and evils are goods because they do not believe in God. And if asked, they would say they like it there because they get to pursue all the things they loved in life, even though they fail to attain them, since it places them in constant conflict with the other residents of Hell.

Despite this, God's mercy extends even into the depths of Hell. First, he does not take away free-will or intellect, since these are what make us human. Secondly, He prevents people in Hell from totally destroying each other from their need to control and use each other in the pursuit of what the mistakenly believe is good and true.

[Kayenneh]

The discussion is about restrictions on sex.

Oops, got carried away, sorry