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I was under the impression that every thread on this forum eventually devolved into the same arguments found in every other thread here. Maybe every post after the first page (posts #1-10) can just be ignored.
Atheists will always succeed in inspiring Theism. I know this not just from my own experience, but I remember sharing something here from a video blogger, and the guy posted an update a few days later saying that he had such a negative amount of atheist responses, that he was declaring himself an "ex atheist" or something to that effect. He no longer wanted to identify in that way.
That's funny. The earliest I can recall of you is you saying you'd walked out of a church because you didn't agree with their doctrines and some fairly amicable exchanges about people's own conclusions mattering more than dogma, and you suddenly backing away and becoming very ...what's the word...hostile I think covers it, arguing like mad against what I posted and (since you lost all your arguments) became what you are now - a mere atheist -basher.
That's just how i remember it, though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OzzyRules
I was under the impression that every thread on this forum eventually devolved into the same arguments found in every other thread here. Maybe every post after the first page (posts #1-10) can just be ignored.
Maybe all yours could be ignored. You never say anything now but mere anti -atheism.
That is a great post. Thank you for sharing your atheism and evolution in your thinking in such a graceful way.
More than my view of religion and spirituality evolving, I have grown to understand this forum and its purpose better.
I came to it expecting a more philosophical, even scholarly, discussion around spirituality because of the way it was set up, Religions (incomplete, but nevertheless a separation) and Religion and Spirituality. I did not know about the forum's own evolution to the present state.
While I find many thoughtful posters and posts, they need to be patiently culled. Which is what brings me back here, to see what is new.
Otherwise, as far as spiritual evolution, not so much. Forums such as this is not for that purpose anyway.
Maybe THAT is my evolution.
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Originally Posted by cb2008
Thank you, i enjoyed reading that.
Thanks.
I think I have been here long enough now to have seen and heard pretty much all the arguments, from an atheist perspective at least.
It's good to take time to sit back and just reflect once in a while. I guess the death of a person will make you do that, which is where I started with this thread.
I mean I'm not sure what the point of being here is, if you don't take away something from it?
My view of my religion actually hasn't changed from spending time on this forum (although my understanding of the person of Jesus continues to evolve as I study his word and pray), but I do appreciate your kind and thoughtful post. While atheists and theists are far apart in their ways of thinking and how they understand the world there is no reason why we cannot respect each other's differences and engage in conversations that are not condescending or antagonistic toward one another. It seems by your post that you would be able to engage in respectful, non-hateful discussions.
And while as a Christian I weep to know that you have not accepted Jesus into your heart, I will continue to pray and show you his love and compassion. God's kingdom is built by acts of mercy, either directly his own or those which he works through his children. There is too much hatred in the world. God continues to draw his children out from the world when they see there is no hope to be found in this life. Yet followers of Jesus need to display the peace that is found in the Lord in every situation and extend that peace toward others whether they be fellow believers or not (they may actively display a hatred of God).
Your post shows a peaceful disposition that believers yearn to be found in everyone. Thank you for letting us know of the kindness you have in your heart toward others.
Thank you. This is a lovely post and I appreciate the sentiment.
I appreciate when people pray for me.
It won't surprise you to learn that I don't think there is anything to pray to. But that's immaterial. It's the sentiment that counts.
Like when people wish you a Happy Christmas or Happy Hanukkah.
It's a gesture of goodwill to another human being and a lovely thing.
So right back at you I wish you well and happiness.
I don't think my overall view of either spirituality or religion has drastically changed. I do think more about what I have thought about spirituality and am deeper in my belief that it doesn't really have anything to do with religion of a God.
I came here to attempt to understand the what I thought were fundamentalists as I don't really know any in person and they are rarer in Canada than the States. I was told by Jeff base 40 that the term was n insult and to use Bible Believers instead. I have also discovered that some atheists and others are just as intolerant towards different ideas and prespectives such as what morals, Christainity 9r even reality are. And it's not just intolerance but seems like outright hatred or fear of others is much more widespread than I thought. I've learnt that some of those ithink of as devout religious people may be regarded as lacking faith by some of the stronger believers. I think I already knew that sone atheists were not nice people however the treatment of some Christians towards other Christians has been an unpleasant surprise for me.
I am still waiting for anyone to provide me with a sufficient reason for believing in their God or in the case of MysticPhD for his concept of God as reality. Not the reason I am hear however no reason to change have been presented.
Overall I think this is a place to learn about new ideas about religion or spiritual ideas but not one to change my mind or for me to try to change the minds of others. There are plenty of great religious and non religious posters here and some I certainly wouldn't want to spend time in person with.
I agree with you about Woodrow, RIP. I had a very negative and mistaken view of Islam based on the actions of the fanatics wreaking havoc through terrorism. Woodrow corrected my understanding of true Islam. He even revealed that what I considered my own view of death as rebirth is actually fundamental to Islam. They view death as a birth, a beginning not an end, which is why they do not fear it. Unfortunately, some evil-minded Imams and whatnot exploit this to create "suicide bombers" as tools for their political ambitions.
Yes. I think I got to know Woodrow at the height of all that Islamic extremism. It was very frightening. I think a lot of posters came here for answers about that. Another poster would have run a mile, but Woodrow never did. He just explained patiently and with grace how those extremists had nothing to do with the peaceful religion he knew.
Freethinking = Believing what you want to believe.
Wrong.
Freethinking = asking questions, considering answers, and sifting them for what makes sense.
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Have a nice life, Ozzy, mate.
