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As far as individuals are concerned, my feeling is one of pity, not of disdain.
Same. I actually feel incredibly bad for them. It is a terrible thing to not be in total control of one's own mind and self, but rather under the control of a parasitical belief system that is merely using you as a vector to spread itself to other people.
Same. I actually feel incredibly bad for them. It is a terrible thing to not be in total control of one's own mind and self, but rather under the control of a parasitical belief system that is merely using you as a vector to spread itself to other people.
Reminds me of that hurdles runner Brianna Rollins, who in the interview after her win kept thanking god for the talent and what not that enabled her to win Girl, you have to thank yourself for practicing hard, for giving your best, for making the best of the good genes you luckily have thanks to your parents' genes.
Reminds me of that hurdles runner Brianna Rollins, who in the interview after her win kept thanking god for the talent and what not that enabled her to win Girl, you have to thank yourself for practicing hard, for giving your best, for making the best of the good genes you luckily have thanks to your parents' genes.
Whenever I think of it, I am strongly reminded of the Issac Asimov story "Hostess". In the story, we find that humanity is possessed by a entirely mental parasite that is the ultimate cause of a lot of our erratic behaviors and problems.
Same. I actually feel incredibly bad for them. It is a terrible thing to not be in total control of one's own mind and self, but rather under the control of a parasitical belief system that is merely using you as a vector to spread itself to other people.
What aspects of my life does religion control? Pretty much the same aspects that the law controls. My faith has led me to being a more compassionate and caring person, encouraging myself to treat others with kindness and respect and give more freely. Sadly, too many people who claim to be Christian do not follow the words of Christ and twist passages from the OT to justify their own bigotry. There's no reason to pity me; my faith has made me a better, happier person.
This thread has done nothing but reinforce the stereotype of the angry, hateful, insult-throwing Atheist, with nearly every page expressing disdain for religion or religious individuals.
I believe in freedom of religion and the separation of church and state.
The U.S. Constitution does not consider atheists or religious people to be mentally ill.
Whether you are a Christian or not, Christ had things pretty well figured out in life and has provided the world with valuable insight into improving human behavior.
The Carpenter's Son was a cool dude with some relevant insights, no doubt about that. Doesn't mean one has to buy into the entire Messiah thing.
What aspects of my life does religion control? Pretty much the same aspects that the law controls. My faith has led me to being a more compassionate and caring person, encouraging myself to treat others with kindness and respect and give more freely. Sadly, too many people who claim to be Christian do not follow the words of Christ and twist passages from the OT to justify their own bigotry. There's no reason to pity me; my faith has made me a better, happier person.
I don't buy that. In my experience people simply are and become what their potential allows them to be and become. Most people change as they get older, some become better people, regardless whether they are religious or atheists, a few stay the same, and others become even worse people, regardless of religion.
If you are a good person, you are a good person because of your genes, your upbringing, your company, etc.
But all within limits, I do not believe in bad people becoming good people or the other way round, unless their former or latter state was/is only a kind of mask.
I used to work in a retirement home, it was interesting to witness how people changed as Alzheimer and other diseases brought out their real selves and their masks fell.
If you're willing to bet your eternal destination on it, that's on you.
Not the damn Pascal's Wager argument again, please?
By not setting out to die in combat, you're betting your eternal destination - at least if the old Norse gods have it their way. And we have exactly the same amount of evidence for their existence, so... if you die the straw death, it's off to Hel with you.
- Yes, of course disdain for religion. Most of us atheists consider religion stupid, so what else can you expect. We do not consider religion an equal alternative to atheism, but an inferior, outdated one, responsible for many problems on this planet.
And here's one of my problems with many Atheists; not only do they argue from a point of assumed superiority, they use the negative aspects of religion to justify resistance (or outright intolerance) of it and either reject or ignore the good things it does. There is so much charity and volunteer work inspired by religion. Most of the charities in my city are faith-based. Missionaries are all around the world right now bringing food, medical support, education and drilling wells for people that desperately need help. A friend of mine is in a Christian group who donated all of their profits directly to a charity, which they helped to found, that fights human trafficking.
Yes, while there are problems created by religion, there are many acts of kindness and charity inspired by religion that are conveniently overlooked by those looking to criticize it.
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Girl, you have to thank yourself for practicing hard, for giving your best, for making the best of the good genes you luckily have thanks to your parents' genes.
