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I am an anti-theist, at least in regards to Christianity and like religions. That means I think that they are detrimental to our society at this point. I, of course, don't want them to be forced down, I just want to see them fade into obscurity as people realize they are not rational and not moral.
Christian churches in the US are doing a wonderful job of doing that for me at this point. People are leaving them in droves. While many leaving the churches will still hold onto a belief in a deity, hopefully at least that belief doesn't inspire Trump worship and hate for LGBT people.
This seems to sort of imply that belief in a deity automatically includes worship of a political nutjob and hate for LGBT people. Yes, I know that by and large, this is the face of the fundamentalists in this country, but it's puzzling that the churches who DO support and welcome LGBT people continue to be treated by non-theists as though they don't even exist. Even though you don't agree on the existence of a deity, why not join hands with, or at least give a nod to, those theists who fight against the same injustices you do?
^^^ Most Episcopal churches in Florida welcome LGBT and include them in all aspects of the services and operations of the church. The local Methodist church does as well. one local Baptist member has said repeatedly that we are NOT to ever discriminate against someone who is LGBT but to welcome them into the family of Christ just as Jesus would
So yes, the support is there. I am not sure how anti-LGBT other evangelical churches are, because all I hear is from specific people I know hat attend those churches and what they themselves tell me, not if it is an "official" doctrine or dogma or more of a personal one.
This seems to sort of imply that belief in a deity automatically includes worship of a political nutjob and hate for LGBT people. Yes, I know that by and large, this is the face of the fundamentalists in this country, but it's puzzling that the churches who DO support and welcome LGBT people continue to be treated by non-theists as though they don't even exist. Even though you don't agree on the existence of a deity, why not join hands with, or at least give a nod to, those theists who fight against the same injustices you do?
Probably why few discuss the easy drive they had this morning or a school that did not have a mass shooting or breaking news airliner landed with no problems again. People, companies or organizations being civil and good are not stories.
Probably why few discuss the easy drive they had this morning or a school that did not have a mass shooting or breaking news airliner landed with no problems again. People, companies or organizations being civil and good are not stories.
SO you mean Christians have told you that they sit around thinking and wishing that they could go out and kill someone but they cannot because they have morals. Because I have heard similar things from some Christians.
The fact that people think about doing something like killing shows that beneath it all, they still have a lot of self hatred and therefore hatred of others.
I do not know that typical evangelicals feel they are barely restrained from going off the rails and raping and pillaging. It is just learned helplessness -- they have been told they are terrible sinners and without god's unmerited favor they would be hellhound. Many were also raised in a fairly authoritarian fashion, with lots of stick and not much carrot. So they might FEAR they would do terrible things without god's all-seeing eye on them and his hand always threatening to smite them for misdeeds ... but in reality whether they realize it or not, their personal integrity and moral conviction have very little to nothing to do with their faith of origin and everything to do with their own perfectly functional internal compass.
When I left that faith I did not degenerate, suddenly or gradually, into some sort of libertine or miscreant. And it has been nearly 30 years now. If it were going to happen, it would have by now.
If anything, my motivations are less suspect. It's clear that I now refrain from being a bad actor because of empathy, compassion and a CHOICE to do the right thing. The fear of god's wrath was never a decisive factor in my life choices.
This seems to sort of imply that belief in a deity automatically includes worship of a political nutjob and hate for LGBT people. Yes, I know that by and large, this is the face of the fundamentalists in this country, but it's puzzling that the churches who DO support and welcome LGBT people continue to be treated by non-theists as though they don't even exist. Even though you don't agree on the existence of a deity, why not join hands with, or at least give a nod to, those theists who fight against the same injustices you do?
back in the 80's when I was in high school I used to say "they can go start their own christian church, jesus not only won't damn them, he will welcome them."
I was met with "But they are wrong!!! and have to be stopped". And I was always like "Yeah they are stupid ... go make a "better" church."
Probably why few discuss the easy drive they had this morning or a school that did not have a mass shooting or breaking news airliner landed with no problems again. People, companies or organizations being civil and good are not stories.
anti-god vs god makes money.
to bad we don't settle in the middle when observations show that we should.
I do not know that typical evangelicals feel they are barely restrained from going off the rails and raping and pillaging. It is just learned helplessness -- they have been told they are terrible sinners and without god's unmerited favor they would be hellhound. Many were also raised in a fairly authoritarian fashion, with lots of stick and not much carrot. So they might FEAR they would do terrible things without god's all-seeing eye on them and his hand always threatening to smite them for misdeeds ... but in reality whether they realize it or not, their personal integrity and moral conviction have very little to nothing to do with their faith of origin and everything to do with their own perfectly functional internal compass.
When I left that faith I did not degenerate, suddenly or gradually, into some sort of libertine or miscreant. And it has been nearly 30 years now. If it were going to happen, it would have by now.
If anything, my motivations are less suspect. It's clear that I now refrain from being a bad actor because of empathy, compassion and a CHOICE to do the right thing. The fear of god's wrath was never a decisive factor in my life choices.
I am not sure exactly what you mean to be the relation of this link is to the fear of evangelicals that they would go off the rails without Jesus. Some of them are already off the rails, of course, with the gun nuttery and other things both present and past, such as the SBC's past roots in racism (which they have since apologized for).
But to get back to the OP ... necro-thread that it is ... no I do not want to end or stop religion. If that ever happens it will have to come at the hand of the religious who depart their faiths in sufficient numbers that the faith is no longer sustainable. Unbelievers don't hold that power. That process has begun, but I expect it to take something on the order of centuries to get that far.
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