Here's a Question for Christians and Atheists

[Woodrow LI]

Originally Posted by DewDropInn

I am sorry, Woodrow.That must have been very difficult for you.

I had a lot of company. It seems at least half the kids in my Grade School lost their fathers.

I think the mutual sharing helped lessen the grief. Also had 2 uncles (My Mother's brothers) that stepped in as surrogate Fathers. Took me fishing, hunting and all the neat stuff. But it was an era in which kids had to grow up fast. Still have great memories of my Uncle Johnnie, he was the black sheep of the family, bought me my first beer at the age of 10. I got sick on it. Gave me my first cigarette, I got sick on it. Taught me how to swim, tossed me out of a boat. He wasn't much older than me enlisted in the Army at the age of 16 right after Pearl harbor(Lied about his age) he signed up for "the duration" and was wounded at Normandy and that ended his Army Career.. Still remember when he was discharged from the Army. It was only after he died I found his Purple heart and silver star in his "Junk box". Still have a lot of memories of him. He was quite an outdoorsman and gave me a deep love of Nature. He never married and we were pretty much his Family. He taught me how to hunt with the following instructions I got to take only 1 bullet and had to eat whatever I shot. And I had best not come home without any meat to put on the table.

Now to relate this back to the OP. Johnnie was an Atheist. Our family was deeply devout Lithuanian Catholics. Nothing in our Family lives ever convinced him to believe in the existence of God. I doubt if anything could.

[Asheville Native]

Originally Posted by KCfromNC

I thought this thread was for Christians, not people who imagine themselves as gods.

Really, since it is not titled christianity, why do you think that? You do realize that christianity is a minority religion don't you? Or do you?

Why can't a god post here, after all that would fall under spirituality wouldn't it? And maybe Satan himself could chime in, and Zuse, and Thor, and all the thousands of other gods. And <gasp> even non-believer heathen atheists can post here.

[DewDropInn]

Originally Posted by Woodrow LI

I had a lot of company. It seems at least half the kids in my Grade School lost their fathers.

I think the mutual sharing helped lessen the grief. Also had 2 uncles (My Mother's brothers) that stepped in as surrogate Fathers. Took me fishing, hunting and all the neat stuff. But it was an era in which kids had to grow up fast. Still have great memories of my Uncle Johnnie, he was the black sheep of the family, bought me my first beer at the age of 10. I got sick on it. Gave me my first cigarette, I got sick on it. Taught me how to swim, tossed me out of a boat. He wasn't much older than me enlisted in the Army at the age of 16 right after Pearl harbor(Lied about his age) he signed up for "the duration" and was wounded at Normandy and that ended his Army Career.. Still remember when he was discharged from the Army. It was only after he died I found his Purple heart and silver star in his "Junk box". Still have a lot of memories of him. He was quite an outdoorsman and gave me a deep love of Nature. He never married and we were pretty much his Family. He taught me how to hunt with the following instructions I got to take only 1 bullet and had to eat whatever I shot. And I had best not come home without any meat to put on the table.

Now to relate this back to the OP. Johnnie was an Atheist. Our family was deeply devout Lithuanian Catholics. Nothing in our Family lives ever convinced him to believe in the existence of God. I doubt if anything could.

Thank you for sharing that. It sounds like your Uncle Johnnie was a good person. I'd rather have an atheist who is a good person in my life than an religious person who isn't.

(My Dad, a WWII vet once told me that every boy in his high school graduating class expected to be killed in the war. I think that's one of the most astounding things he ever said to me. It really made me think about what they went through and the cost of war.)