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Response to a Catholic
September 22, 2015 at 3:00 pm
I am assuming I'm not the only one who got a long private message from one of the Catholic ladies hanging around these parts. Her unsolicited diatribe just happen to catch me on a day when I was feeling unusually mellow (even for someone living full time on a sailboat – a decidedly mellow way to live). I actually took some time to author a response, only to discover she had blocked anyone from replying. I kind of liked what I wrote though, so I thought I would post it here, maybe catch what others think about such things...
“How could you not realize that your diatribe contained nothing original, insightful, or even particularly interesting? What would you think the response would be other than offense or amusement? All you will manage is to reinforce the opinions about religions and believers that most on this forum formed long ago; counter productive to say the least.
The main reason that I stopped debating with religious people is that we simply don't speak a common language, making it impossible to communicate. Human kind has evolved, not fallen from some exulted plain of perfection. Humanity's gods don't exist outside of human imagination. No one needs saved from being tortured forever in a hell created by a vengeful god. Your claims are, and I mean this as literally as I can, nonsense; words strung into sentences that contain no meaning.
I know Catholics who are much better educated than you appear to be (including some priests), who are much more compassionate than your words on this forum make you appear, and who are much deeper thinkers than your diatribe would indicate, who would find your claims of hell equally insipid and shallow. For some of them hell is a metaphor used to encourage each person to grow into their full potential as a human being. The sacraments emphasize the need of community and compassion, the rituals a way to reinforce living each day faithfully. While I consider their approach quaint and somewhat dated, it is also helpful to some and harmless to any.
Others think of hell as a place of no consequence to people. For them a loving god is capable of, and has provided for, the salvation of every person. They treat the world with compassion, forgiveness, and understanding because their god has set the standard. Why the hell exists at all is a bit of an unnecessary complication, a question of doctrinal trivia that is also harmless. Catholics I know who hold these positions have the exact same opinion of a hell used by a wrathful god to torture billions of souls for eternity just because they offended it as I do; childish and immoral on its face, harmful and irresponsible in its effects. Worshiping such a god would be impossible for them, as it should be for anyone with a heart and a mind.
Sadly, all you have evidenced with your words is that you have betrayed your own humanity and made yourself deaf to the compassion and wisdom that others have found to be part of the god you think you follow.
Which, I fear, is a string words that will have no meaning to you.”
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RE: Response to a Catholic
September 22, 2015 at 3:34 pm
Just an FYI, the PM was not from me lol.
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly."
-walsh
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RE: Response to a Catholic
September 22, 2015 at 3:43 pm
(September 22, 2015 at 3:34 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Just an FYI, the PM was not from me lol.
Pretty sure everyone who has been paying attention and has a brain knows that. But just to be clear we just recently banned such a pm spammer and it definitely was not CL.
If there is a god, I want to believe that there is a god. If there is not a god, I want to believe that there is no god.
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RE: Response to a Catholic
September 22, 2015 at 3:44 pm
OP, protip: microscopic gray font sucks.
"I was thirsty for everything, but blood wasn't my style" - Live, "Voodoo Lady"
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RE: Response to a Catholic
September 22, 2015 at 3:50 pm
(September 22, 2015 at 3:34 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Just an FYI, the PM was not from me lol.
Lol I was just going to chime in with that. 
I got the same diatribe from the spammer. It didn't have enough smilies for my taste. 
We are not made happy by what we acquire but by what we appreciate.
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RE: Response to a Catholic
September 22, 2015 at 3:55 pm
I was all confused when I got a message from Drich asking me why I messaged him and why I blocked him from replying. I was like "uuuuhhhhh what??"
Lol. I guess I was one of the few people who did not receive a message from this person.
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly."
-walsh
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RE: Response to a Catholic
September 22, 2015 at 3:57 pm
(September 22, 2015 at 3:34 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Just an FYI, the PM was not from me lol. Then I owe you an apology. If anyone knows how to delete a thread, this one can and should go away. Once again, I am sorry for thinking it was you.
Tim
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RE: Response to a Catholic
September 22, 2015 at 3:59 pm
(September 22, 2015 at 3:57 pm)tjakey Wrote: (September 22, 2015 at 3:34 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Just an FYI, the PM was not from me lol. Then I owe you an apology. If anyone knows how to delete a thread, this one can and should go away. Once again, I am sorry for thinking it was you.
Tim
Haha, no problem. You're ok, you never actually said it was me. You just said "one of these catholic ladies".
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly."
-walsh
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RE: Response to a Catholic
September 22, 2015 at 4:00 pm
Was it from TheThinkingCatholic? Because they defecated throughout the forums.
"I was thirsty for everything, but blood wasn't my style" - Live, "Voodoo Lady"
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RE: Response to a Catholic
September 22, 2015 at 4:01 pm
(September 22, 2015 at 3:57 pm)tjakey Wrote: (September 22, 2015 at 3:34 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Just an FYI, the PM was not from me lol. Then I owe you an apology. If anyone knows how to delete a thread, this one can and should go away. Once again, I am sorry for thinking it was you.
Tim
You didn't mention Catholic Lady, only that it was a Catholic lady. I'm sure CL harbors no grudge. Better to get it out into the open that the pms were NOT Catholic Lady.
If there is a god, I want to believe that there is a god. If there is not a god, I want to believe that there is no god.
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