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I notice that many of the threads are ongoing arguments between believers of [enter something here] and non-believers.
Neither side will ever convince the other of their position, so I ask: why respond? Is it a visceral need to be right and to be acknowledged as being right?
Each side disputes the validity of the others' arguments. Each side argues from their "higher moral ground" position.
Why does anyone care what anyone else believes or thinks?
I am part of a minority in my religious beliefs, and it would never occur to me to tell someone else they are wrong and then try to "prove" it. I am not diminished by people not believing as I.
I notice that many of the threads are ongoing arguments between believers of [enter something here] and non-believers.
Neither side will ever convince the other of their position, so I ask: why respond? Is it a visceral need to be right and to be acknowledged as being right?
Each side disputes the validity of the others' arguments. Each side argues from their "higher moral ground" position.
Why does anyone care what anyone else believes or thinks?
I am part of a minority in my religious beliefs, and it would never occur to me to tell someone else they are wrong and then try to "prove" it. I am not diminished by people not believing as I.
My mordant curiosity is asking these questions.
It's a fair question, and I can't speak for anyone but myself.
1. My background is science.
2. I'm a Buddhist, a minority religion in this hemisphere.
3. The idea that the majority RULES over the minority is repugnant to me.
Hm, well....welcome to the R&S where arguments are circular and repetitive for all of eternity. Or until Jesus comes back. Or when we are reincarnated. I don't think it's anything other than curiosity from both sides but being polar opposites and trying to convince either side is indeed, futile.
I can't speak for anyone else but I do care what others believe, not necessarily what their side notes are. I do not, however, mind what others think of me here. It's the only place I get to say how I feel and think. I'm sure that's true of both sides. I hate conformity but I've learned that sometimes you have to in order to have any kind of peace in your life.
Good questions, very relevant. If you're beliefs are not Christianity, then I guess you wouldn't know about the dynamics and hypocrisy of it. And fwiw, I'm not one to try and prove anything anymore. I wanted to make sure everyone in the entire world went to heaven when I was a Christian and now that I'm not, I can see how that was super annoying.
And btw, it seems to be the religious who are always demanding "proof" of the non-religious. As we all know, it's impossible either way. I think that's what makes it so frustrating as a believer. We're all disappointed and frustrated with not being able to say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are RIGHT. Never going to happen.
I notice that many of the threads are ongoing arguments between believers of [enter something here] and non-believers.
Neither side will ever convince the other of their position, so I ask: why respond? Is it a visceral need to be right and to be acknowledged as being right?
Each side disputes the validity of the others' arguments. Each side argues from their "higher moral ground" position.
Why does anyone care what anyone else believes or thinks?
I am part of a minority in my religious beliefs, and it would never occur to me to tell someone else they are wrong and then try to "prove" it. I am not diminished by people not believing as I.
Hm, well....welcome to the R&S where arguments are circular and repetitive for all of eternity. Or until Jesus comes back. Or when we are reincarnated. I don't think it's anything other than curiosity from both sides but being polar opposites and trying to convince either side is indeed, futile.
I can't speak for anyone else but I do care what others believe, not necessarily what their side notes are. I do not, however, mind what others think of me here. It's the only place I get to say how I feel and think. I'm sure that's true of both sides. I hate conformity but I've learned that sometimes you have to in order to have any kind of peace in your life.
Good questions, very relevant. If you're beliefs are not Christianity, then I guess you wouldn't know about the dynamics and hypocrisy of it. And fwiw, I'm not one to try and prove anything anymore. I wanted to make sure everyone in the entire world went to heaven when I was a Christian and now that I'm not, I can see how that was super annoying.
And btw, it seems to be the religious who are always demanding "proof" of the non-religious. As we all know, it's impossible either way. I think that's what makes it so frustrating as a believer. We're all disappointed and frustrated with not being able to say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are RIGHT. Never going to happen.
Well, I think there MAY be a way to prove it, at least prove there is something after death which is what we are all worried about. That is the ultimate thing which religion offers to us - a life after death, but many people believe there is life after death anyway - regardless of a religious belief.
I have been a Spiritualist, been to mediums, sat in seances, felt 'presences', etc Now, that does not prove there is a life after death, but many Spiritualists would say they have experienced their loved ones returning and giving them messages. Personally, I am not so sure of this because we all want it so fervently.
And, now on to the bolded piece above.
There are already people who can point to NDEs and out of body experiences, not only that but also the government has conducted research at SRI (Stanford Research Institute) by Targ and Puthoff, on Remote Viewing. The government paid for and conducted at Fort Mead a unit of Remote Viewers for nearly 25 years. Many of those viewers came across other non-human entities. What is happening there? Science needs to investigate and be more open about what they find.
Science is starting to study consciousness and with that, it appears as if there are indications that we may be living in a multi-dimensional reality. Perhaps we are only a few decades away from proving there is no finality of death and that there may be some part of us which continues after our physical body dies?
I notice that many of the threads are ongoing arguments between believers of [enter something here] and non-believers.
Neither side will ever convince the other of their position, so I ask: why respond? Is it a visceral need to be right and to be acknowledged as being right?
Each side disputes the validity of the others' arguments. Each side argues from their "higher moral ground" position.
Why does anyone care what anyone else believes or thinks?
I am part of a minority in my religious beliefs, and it would never occur to me to tell someone else they are wrong and then try to "prove" it. I am not diminished by people not believing as I.
I notice that many of the threads are ongoing arguments between believers of [enter something here] and non-believers.
Neither side will ever convince the other of their position, so I ask: why respond? Is it a visceral need to be right and to be acknowledged as being right?
Each side disputes the validity of the others' arguments. Each side argues from their "higher moral ground" position.
Why does anyone care what anyone else believes or thinks?
I am part of a minority in my religious beliefs, and it would never occur to me to tell someone else they are wrong and then try to "prove" it. I am not diminished by people not believing as I.
My mordant curiosity is asking these questions.
Why is this a problem only for religion? People have argued in science, philosophy, usw, it is how we progressed as a society. And if people are posting false or dishonest information, that also needs to be responded to, so that people who are reading this forum can make a honest decision.
I notice that many of the threads are ongoing arguments between believers of [enter something here] and non-believers.
Neither side will ever convince the other of their position, so I ask: why respond? Is it a visceral need to be right and to be acknowledged as being right?
Each side disputes the validity of the others' arguments. Each side argues from their "higher moral ground" position.
Why does anyone care what anyone else believes or thinks?
I am part of a minority in my religious beliefs, and it would never occur to me to tell someone else they are wrong and then try to "prove" it. I am not diminished by people not believing as I.
My mordant curiosity is asking these questions.
I think it's a combination of reasons, including frustration, that some world governments, such as the U.S., allow people to believe and worship as they please. Individuals may feel powerless against the government; however, they can make the environment unpleasant for those with opposing views within their vicinity. Unfortunately, many people were never taught or had to appreciate the differences among humans.
Why is this a problem only for religion? People have argued in science, philosophy, usw, it is how we progressed as a society. And if people are posting false or dishonest information, that also needs to be responded to, so that people who are reading this forum can make a honest decision.
Religion is not external to us as science or even philosophy is. It is our way of living, it is internal, it is not something other than who we are. It is a construct invented by scholars to study something that is actually indefinable. Church and temples are not religion. It only exists within. This is why one can be spiritual and not practice everything that his religion may say he must. He can choose.
Oddly, if you move from R & S to the Christianity forum you'll find that the vast majority of touche-kicking contests are between believers. The perennial "Calvinism vs Arminianism and the nature of free will" debate has gone nuclear there of late, for example. So it is not a believers vs unbelievers phenomenon, it is just a human phenomenon. When someone puts up a web site specifically for discussion and debate, it shouldn't surprise us that people discuss and debate things, with varying degrees of good or ill will.
Sometimes when a believer asks why we have to fight, what they are really asking is why can't we all just have a nice echo-chamber tea party where everyone basically agrees or agrees to disagree. There are Christian owned and operated forums where Christians can go and do just that. Including ones run by fundamentalists who only allow people in that very narrow and specific belief system to participate. Maybe sometimes the solution is to just go someplace like that, where never shall be heard a discouraging word -- if that is what you are after.
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