Can Atheists and Theists live together in peace? (Mormonism, church, agnostic)
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Confession time. I haven't been exactly truthful about my religious history, but I feel I should come clean for myself more than anything...
I'm sure some here have gathered as much, (though I haven't actually admitted it until now) but I started as a Mormon kid raised in the "Mormon Taliban" to very strictly religious parents, was a LDS missionary, got married in the temple and the whole shebang, only to turn away and become atheistic/agnostic in my early 20's. After that I carried around a fairly militant anti-mormon ball and chain for many years... college was the peak of my hating days (I went to college during my late 20's, BTW) and I spent a long time spreading hate and discontent on religious subjects and even more time pretending none of that ever happened... even here on the forum.
I tell everyone this because I want you know that I know what it feels like to be newly godless, to "shake off the shackles of oppression" and all that hoopla and to feel the pain and difficulty of having to rebuild my world view from scratch. I've been both the stereotypical religious fanatic and "foaming at the mouth" religious hater that we know and "love" every day on the forum.
Once my mother bought me an entire box of garments (the infamous "Mormon underwear") and begged me to wear them again with tears rolling down her cheeks; I rejected them (in a fairly ass-hat way too ) but inside it broke my heart. It made me so angry that something so arbitrary (and well... stupid) could cause so much emotional pain to my own mother... and myself.
My crisis of faith nearly cost me my marriage and while that trip has been infinitely more painful than a weepy mother with a box of underwear, I'll simply say it drove a huge wedge between my wife and I that I suspect will only fully go away if I go back and fully embrace Mormonism (which I'm not willing to do either). It's been a rough road, one I don't think people should have to walk if they don't have to.
My turning point was a class in college called "The Anthropology of Mormonism". We had a very astute professor who once taught at BYU but was excommunicated from the Mormon church for speaking against it. He had every reason to hate the LDS church... but he didn't. He didn't practice the religion but he had clearly made his peace with it. I am so glad I took that class because it made we realize it was more important to understand something rather than just dislike it.
It was only the other day while reflecting on this stuff I realized that I have finally made peace with myself and my old belief system. I can honestly say I feel FREE... my loved ones and LDS friends more or less accept me for what I am and I accept them. I no longer feel any hatred for the LDS Church either (though I admit I can't resist poking fun at it from time to time!)
Finally, I can see religion from a cultural perspective and it even makes a bit of sense when seen from "above". It's not perfect, but humans are nothing if not adaptable!
I know the "Mormon Taliban" set will never approve of my comfortable and aloof "Jack Mormon" status, but I don't need their approval to be happy, nor does their lack of approval make me angry.
I hope my story helps others... I want the haters to know they don't have to carry that burden through their lives, and I want the believers to know they can still love and enjoy the company of their "lost sheep" without worrying about their standing in the eyes of god. What matters now is NOW...Things can and do work out. Religion is but a piece of a greater thing... life.
Anyway, I don't have much more to say about religion for now. It's been a wild ride (and it's not over yet), but I wish good things for all sides. I hope we can someday find the courage to be one people again instead of dividing ourselves between imaginary lines.
Thanks to all the great minds here that have opened me up to a world of perspectives on the subject of religion. I hope to speak to y'all in the far reaches of CD!
Of course we can. All that's required are people of good will. Forums like this, and the Net in general, help bridge the gap towards a better understanding between peoples. Understanding breeds tolerance and from there, acceptance and respect can take root.
Depends which religion you are talking about. For quite some religious people, if you don't pray to the same God(s), you are a free target of atrocity.
Tolerance and restraint from killing aren't most religions' strong traits even they may advocate both.
If we can get along with our self, there is no reason we can not live in peace with other people, even if we don't share the same beliefs.
there is no true reason Atheists and Theists can not co-exist in Peace. It is when we doubt our own beliefs we tend to be hostile towards other beliefs or non-beliefs. Disagreement need not be with malice or anger.
Confession time. I haven't been exactly truthful about my religious history, but I feel I should come clean for myself more than anything...
I'm sure some here have gathered as much, (though I haven't actually admitted it until now) but I started as a Mormon kid raised in the "Mormon Taliban" to very strictly religious parents, was a LDS missionary, got married in the temple and the whole shebang, only to turn away and become atheistic/agnostic in my early 20's. After that I carried around a fairly militant anti-mormon ball and chain for many years... college was the peak of my hating days (I went to college during my late 20's, BTW) and I spent a long time spreading hate and discontent on religious subjects and even more time pretending none of that ever happened... even here on the forum.
I tell everyone this because I want you know that I know what it feels like to be newly godless, to "shake off the shackles of oppression" and all that hoopla and to feel the pain and difficulty of having to rebuild my world view from scratch. I've been both the stereotypical religious fanatic and "foaming at the mouth" religious hater that we know and "love" every day on the forum.
Once my mother bought me an entire box of garments (the infamous "Mormon underwear") and begged me to wear them again with tears rolling down her cheeks; I rejected them (in a fairly ass-hat way too ) but inside it broke my heart. It made me so angry that something so arbitrary (and well... stupid) could cause so much emotional pain to my own mother... and myself.
My crisis of faith nearly cost me my marriage and while that trip has been infinitely more painful than a weepy mother with a box of underwear, I'll simply say it drove a huge wedge between my wife and I that I suspect will only fully go away if I go back and fully embrace Mormonism (which I'm not willing to do either). It's been a rough road, one I don't think people should have to walk if they don't have to.
My turning point was a class in college called "The Anthropology of Mormonism". We had a very astute professor who once taught at BYU but was excommunicated from the Mormon church for speaking against it. He had every reason to hate the LDS church... but he didn't. He didn't practice the religion but he had clearly made his peace with it. I am so glad I took that class because it made we realize it was more important to understand something rather than just dislike it.
It was only the other day while reflecting on this stuff I realized that I have finally made peace with myself and my old belief system. I can honestly say I feel FREE... my loved ones and LDS friends more or less accept me for what I am and I accept them. I no longer feel any hatred for the LDS Church either (though I admit I can't resist poking fun at it from time to time!)
Finally, I can see religion from a cultural perspective and it even makes a bit of sense when seen from "above". It's not perfect, but humans are nothing if not adaptable!
I know the "Mormon Taliban" set will never approve of my comfortable and aloof "Jack Mormon" status, but I don't need their approval to be happy, nor does their lack of approval make me angry.
I hope my story helps others... I want the haters to know they don't have to carry that burden through their lives, and I want the believers to know they can still love and enjoy the company of their "lost sheep" without worrying about their standing in the eyes of god. What matters now is NOW...Things can and do work out. Religion is but a piece of a greater thing... life.
Anyway, I don't have much more to say about religion for now. It's been a wild ride (and it's not over yet), but I wish good things for all sides. I hope we can someday find the courage to be one people again instead of dividing ourselves between imaginary lines.
Thanks to all the great minds here that have opened me up to a world of perspectives on the subject of religion. I hope to speak to y'all in the far reaches of CD!
If we can get along with our self, there is no reason we can not live in peace with other people, even if we don't share the same beliefs.
there is no true reason Atheists and Theists can not co-exist in Peace. It is when we doubt our own beliefs we tend to be hostile towards other beliefs or non-beliefs. Disagreement need not be with malice or anger.
Did you just ignore both my post, which is of no importance, and thousands years of history of human killing and torturing each other for religious reasons?
Did you just ignore both my post, which is of no importance, and thousands years of history of human killing and torturing each other for religious reasons?
No
But I do believe we as humans have the ability to overcome the past and live in peace with each other. It begins with one person at a time. there is no real reason Theists and Atheists can not co-exist in peace. I disagree with atheism very strongly, but that is no reason I am going to be hostile towards any or shun my atheist friends.
But I do believe we as humans have the ability to overcome the past and live in peace with each other. It begins with one person at a time. there is no real reason Theists and Atheists can not co-exist in peace. I disagree with atheism very strongly, but that is no reason I am going to be hostile towards any or shun my atheist friends.
You as an individual may not but there are millions if not billions of people who did, have done, are doing it and will do it again. They have always been hostile towards other non-believers or believers of different or even the same God.
They have been killing and torturing others ever since the beginning of the human history under the God's name all the way till today and it's hard to believe they will stop any time soon.
I am not saying atheists are any better but atheists don't kill or torture under God's name.
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) but inside it broke my heart. It made me so angry that something so arbitrary (and well... stupid) could cause so much emotional pain to my own mother... and myself.
