A question for the Theists of the site(xposted)

Slayne
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A question for the Theists of the site(xposted)

 I just wondered... As theists I wonder why you have signed on to this site. I often wonder if it is because you:

 

A) Question your faith(agnostic theism)

B) think maybe by some measure you can get us to rationalize god(s)

C)have an inbetween stance on religion

D) feel it as an obligation to understand both sides of the arguement

E) maybe some other reason I am not quite aware of

 

My reasons for asking are not out of critical or malicious intent but rather a curiousity. I realize having no belief in todays society is veiwed by theists as  highly objectionable and therefore leaves me to question why you are here... I can only assume you are from Theist families or communities, so if you being here is known about by any of them what sort of shadow does it cast on you? or is Rational Response a dirty secret?

on top of that given you have been in the forums for a while what light have you seen in our site?

please give Details.


LosingStreak06
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For me, it is simply because

For me, it is simply because I like atheists. Like you in this topic, I am curious about the way people think, behave, and interact. You are generally much more fun to be around than, say, Christians (although they tend to be a tad more interesting). Also, I tend to be more accepted in the atheist crowd, due to my "unorthodox" behaviors.

As for my those around me knowing of my using this website, I'm quite certain that most of them wouldn't care, and as for the ones that would, rest assured that the Rational Response squad would be the least of their objections.

To be completely and utterly frank, I am not really very fond of the Squad at all (I can imagine the feelings are probably mutual, or would be, rather, given the proper circumstances), but I have a great deal of respect for many of the users of these forums. I wouldn't presume to blanket the entire body of people who use this site with a generalized opinion.


Slayne
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Wow, Thank you  that was a

Wow, Thank you  that was a very enlightening response it is much appreciated. And its warming to know you as a theists you respect a lot of us. I look forward to calling you a friend.

If God didn't want atheists than we wouldn't exist..


Watcher
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LosingStreak06 wrote:To be

LosingStreak06 wrote:

To be completely and utterly frank, I am not really very fond of the Squad at all (I can imagine the feelings are probably mutual, or would be, rather, given the proper circumstances), but I have a great deal of respect for many of the users of these forums. I wouldn't presume to blanket the entire body of people who use this site with a generalized opinion.

That's probably because you only see them when they are ranting on religion.

"I am an atheist, thank God." -Oriana Fallaci


jmm
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Slayne wrote: A) Question

Slayne wrote:
 

A) Question your faith(agnostic theism)

D) feel it as an obligation to understand both sides of the argument


relrick
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I'm gonna say... all of the

I'm gonna say... all of the above. I am a strong theist and strong Christian. That being said, I don't go to church, I think organized religion has done lots of damage for people of faith. But given what we now know and being a former atheist, I think it intellectually dishonest to remain an atheist.  I will demonstrate in other threads why.  Concerning Christianity, I think Jesus would agree with me on "religion" having a negative effect on his purpose and ours. Jesus wasn't hanging around the church's preaching to the choir, not at all.. he was in the midst of those whom really needed help. The homeless the drunks the downtrodden. Unfortunately it seems that many (and I shouldn't judge) "Christians" are not looking to help but rather judge. That was a big turnoff for me against many Christians especially the evangelicals. But what seems to be an unavoidable truth is... Something else is out there...just waiting for it to be found.

 


TheWanderer
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I suppose I would have to

I suppose I would have to answer A, C, and D.

 

I am an Agnostic Deist (some people count Deists as Theists, so that's why I'm posting here) that has been floating between Atheism and Theism for years. Therefore I want to get both sides of the arguments and since I can't find any Atheists that are open with their beliefs in RL (my college is strongly theist, though not dominated by one faith). Therefore I have come here in order to hear the Atheist side of things in a reasonable and rational environment. I've also started reading books on both sides of the argument.

 

I've just registered so I haven't had any "light" yet. Though I hope to learn a few things perhaps.

"My mind is my own church." - Thomas Paine


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A) No I don't question my

A) No I don't question my faith.

B) I am hoping that I can help people be at least agnostic, but since my view of God is that he loves you very much,  I just say let's wait until we're dead then we'll see what the truth is.  What I really want is to make sure everyone has a model of perfection and excellence that they can climb towards.

C) I don't follow this one.  I despise most organized religion and most pastors.  There is no room for hatred,intolerance (and therefore foolishness) etc in my religion.

D) Absolutely yes?  You can't really argue very strongly that God does or doesn't exist though.

E) I believe that theists and atheists need to be allies against foolish, hateful (mostly thanks to theists) thinking.  I'm trying to "get some light" as you put it from the arguments made here.  Everyone who isn't insane wants earth to be as utopian as it can be.

It is said the great ones catch teardrops in their hands.


BMcD
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Religious_Rebel

Religious_Rebel wrote:

Everyone who isn't insane wants earth to be as utopian as it can be.

I don't... and I don't think I'm insane.

I don't want a world where nothing bad happens. I don't want a world where everything is always happy and nice. A world like that is bland, it's empty, it's meaningless. Life's purpose, in general, is to procreate. That purpose has significance because we die. Everything else is the same way: it is not significant to stand on a rock... it is significant that the rock you're standing on is on top of K2 or Everest. The joys of my life have the emotional resonance they do because I know what it is to feel pain, misery, grief...

Were I to find myself in the hell that is a utopia, I would endeavor to kill myself before all of my life became a bland oatmeal of sameness... without lows, we can't recognize the highs.

"You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons." - The Waco Kid


The Doomed Soul
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Im in agreement with

Im in agreement with BmcD

 

My life is nothing without conflict, I need it to stay... sane...ish

Which is why i endeavour to make as much conflict as possible ^_^

What Would Kharn Do?


BMcD
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The Doomed Soul wrote:Im in

The Doomed Soul wrote:

Im in agreement with BmcD

 

My life is nothing without conflict, I need it to stay... sane...ish

Which is why i endeavour to make as much conflict as possible ^_^

I don't know about conflict, but challenge, certainly... and maybe that's a big part of why so many of us are drawn to conflict, or seem to instigate them, often without meaning to. We've removed so much of the challenge from our daily lives. Once you've got a job that can pay your bills, everything's on automatic until something bad happens. It all blends in together. We don't have any challenge in getting our food, we buy it at the store. We don't worry about where our water's coming from, we just open the tap. Shelter's taken care of as long as we go to work, do our mindless repetitive bullshit all week, and cash the cheque.

How amazingly dull. How monotonous. Is it any wonder that so many people look for any avenue that gives them a feeling of significance? That churches which claim inclusiveness really just want to shout out how special they are, and how God loves them?

How much worse would we find it if we really succeeded in making things safe for everyone? There's a reason we needed a frontier... a reason we still need new challenges to conquer, fights to fight, reasons to gird our loins and meet the foe head-on, shouting, "FOR PONY!"

"You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons." - The Waco Kid


LosingStreak06
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BMcD wrote:I don't know

BMcD wrote:

I don't know about conflict, but challenge, certainly... and maybe that's a big part of why so many of us are drawn to conflict, or seem to instigate them, often without meaning to. We've removed so much of the challenge from our daily lives. Once you've got a job that can pay your bills, everything's on automatic until something bad happens. It all blends in together. We don't have any challenge in getting our food, we buy it at the store. We don't worry about where our water's coming from, we just open the tap. Shelter's taken care of as long as we go to work, do our mindless repetitive bullshit all week, and cash the cheque.

How amazingly dull. How monotonous. Is it any wonder that so many people look for any avenue that gives them a feeling of significance? That churches which claim inclusiveness really just want to shout out how special they are, and how God loves them?

How much worse would we find it if we really succeeded in making things safe for everyone? There's a reason we needed a frontier... a reason we still need new challenges to conquer, fights to fight, reasons to gird our loins and meet the foe head-on, shouting, "FOR PONY!"

Sounds awfully similar to the thinking of Ted Kaczynski, and the need for the "power process."


BMcD
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LosingStreak06 wrote:Sounds

LosingStreak06 wrote:

Sounds awfully similar to the thinking of Ted Kaczynski, and the need for the "power process."

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating we turn back the clock and all become luddites or anything stupid like that. I'm just saying that as human beings, we seem to find our self-worth in achievement, and achievement doesn't come from things being easy.

Aristotle once opined that happiness is found not in leisure, but in labor, and I tend to agree with him: we derive a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment from the job well done, from knowing that what we did, we did as well as we could. The things that people so often get dissatisfied with about their jobs are almost never because the job is too challenging. They may feel overwhelmed or frustrated or tired of the physical strain, but it's never 'this isn't a satisfying experience' because of the challenge the job presents. The jobs that are dissatisfying to us are the ones that, even if they're physically taxing, we feel anyone could do. We don't like to be in a position where we feel we're replaceable. That diminishes our sense of individual worth, of our own self-significance.

We need to feel significant, if only in our own lives. We need to feel challenged, and feel we're meeting the challenge. What challenge is left in a utopia?

"You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons." - The Waco Kid