Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am always surprised how many atheists pretend to have religion and have church weddings , church funerals or have their kids christened. What is that all about. I have long held the view that actually Atheists/Agnostics are the most common people in our society but still so many cling to appearances and tradition. If everyone was truly honest I genuinely believe most Christians would be in a minority.
Christmas "Christians" are the most common by far in my opinion, people with no faith but a great fear to disturb social order and break tradition.
I have seen people I know in Church services ( weddings, christenings, funerals ) who actually bow their head and even say amen when I know perfectly well that they like me are atheists. That is just bizarre....
I agree 100% with this observation. Perhaps that's a difference between being an 'active' atheist and a 'non-active' atheist Religion is so ingrained in our social fabric so as to appear to be the normal state of things, especially when it comes to ceremony. So many people just don't question it.
I have been with my husband for eight years and in that time he has never been to church. His last church experience was sunday school when he was a kid. However, he thought we had to christen our son. When I questioned him as to why, he couldn't come up with an answer...the argument went something like 'because you are supposed to'. After some discussion he conceded that I had a point.
A different situation that also gets to me: when my father was critically ill in the ICU after an accident recently, the chaplain kept coming around when I was having quiet time by his bedside. He was a very nice man and I appreciated his concern, but I didn't feel he had the right to involve himself in what was an otherwise private time. I usually talked to him briefly and it always ended with 'is there anything you want me to do?' i.e. pray over him. I just politely said thanks but no thanks. My father is not a religious man by any stretch of the imagination. I just feel it's 'preying' on people's vulnerability. I felt like he was a vulture, waiting to dish out the last rites and claim one for his own cause. But I didn't have the strength to get angry or upset. Anyhow, he recovered, no thanks to any gods, but to modern technology, drugs and the dedication of the medical staff
I feel your pain. Every time someone at work has a relative die or someone has cancer, the prayer emails hit my inbox like nobody's business. I kind of get annoyed by them, to be honest. But then I feel guilty, because they're just trying to help people through hard times. Whatever, it still annoys me, that might make me a bad person. I feel like religion is appropriate in personal, family environments, if that's what your into. But keep it out of the workplace. Please.
That wasn't your question. Sorry. I went off on a tangent. My answer is that I don't bow my head or genuflect or anything. I just look off into space and that's okay, because I don't think anybody's paying attention to me anyway.
When a tragedy hits and the prayer stuff goes on and on, I just skate by rephrasing it into I hope for the best. Because that is all a prayer is - a hope and a wish. What was the old saw - a prayer is how to appear to be involved and helpful while doing absolutely nothing.
A tragedy is not the time to address philosophical differences altho if it is your tragedy and the religious are intrusive, you have every right to ask them to leave you alone.
When a tragedy hits and the prayer stuff goes on and on, I just skate by rephrasing it into I hope for the best. Because that is all a prayer is - a hope and a wish. What was the old saw - a prayer is how to appear to be involved and helpful while doing absolutely nothing.
A tragedy is not the time to address philosophical differences altho if it is your tragedy and the religious are intrusive, you have every right to ask them to leave you alone.
That's a really good point. I just don't understand the concept of praying. How is asking God to take care of somebody going to make it happen? If God knows everything, including your thoughts, what's the point in asking? My understanding is that he does what he wants, I don't see how making a formal request is going that change that.
That's a really good point. I just don't understand the concept of praying. How is asking God to take care of somebody going to make it happen? If God knows everything, including your thoughts, what's the point in asking? My understanding is that he does what he wants, I don't see how making a formal request is going that change that.
The concept is easier to understand by analogy. Imagine that for all intents and purposes you are God to ALL the cells in your body. You basically ignore them and let things run on autopilot, right. But when you receive "pain" signals from some of them . . . you investigate and deal with it . . . whether it's an infection or whatever. Same principle.
I stay respectful and quiet, but I don't bow my head. Last year at my aunt's funeral, I was there to pay my respects and give hugs to my uncle and 3 cousins. During the church service, I stood when everyone else stood, but I didn't read along with everyone else from the prayer book, didn't sing from the hymnal, and didn't bow my head. Respect for my late aunt, or anyone else for that matter, doesn't include playing along with a religion I want no part of.
Pre-meal praying, which is a very rare occasion for me these days now that most of the old folks are gone, gets the same treatment... respectful silence, but no pretend supplication. That just ain't in me.
The concept is easier to understand by analogy. Imagine that for all intents and purposes you are God to ALL the cells in your body. You basically ignore them and let things run on autopilot, right. But when you receive "pain" signals from some of them . . . you investigate and deal with it . . . whether it's an infection or whatever. Same principle.
That doesn't make it real in any way. Praying has been proven to be 99.9% ineffective. Pain is real. God isn't.
First and foremost I do my best to avoid a situation where this comes up but if I am trapped I stand still but I do not bow my head and I do not close my eyes. I usually have a look around at the people to see the look on their face out of curiosity.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Religion is so ingrained in our social fabric so as to appear to be the normal state of things, especially when it comes to ceremony. So many people just don't question it.
