What does it hurt to let us believe? [YOU RESPOND]
Offline From:
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 12:42 AM
Subject: [General Question] Just a question
Aaron sent a message using the contact form at http://www.rationalresponders.com/contact.
I consider myself to be a believer in God in the Prostentant, non-denominational sense. Having said that, I also feel that it is imperative to constantly search for knowledge and truth in the world. Asking questions is the essence of humanity, what allows us to seperate from the animals. Furthermore, I feel very strongly that if someone else has a viewpoint on life, the world, religion, and so forth, that I would dismiss and refuse to believe, then I have absolutely NO right to force my views on them. I feel it's ok to explain to them my views, but I have no reason to try to force them to my 'side'. My question in all of this; if Christians truly feel that God is in their life, and that He leads and guides them with an unending love...what does it matter? Don't listen to the extremists that go to the ends of the earth to tell you how awful of a human being you are for not believing in God...trust me, most Christians don't really like them either. But if we find something that works for us, even if it's COMPLETELY false and even laughable that we believe in something so absurd, what does it hurt to let us believe?
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server.
- Login to post comments
Yep. Y'all are harmless.
"Anyone can repress a woman, but you need 'dictated' scriptures to feel you're really right in repressing her. In the same way, homophobes thrive everywhere. But you must feel you've got scripture on your side to come up with the tedious 'Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve' style arguments instead of just recognising that some people are different." - Douglas Murray
Do you vote? Do you spread your absurdity? Do you teach your absurdities to your children? Do you base your political and ethical views on those absurdities? Do you influence others toward your political and ethical views? If you can answer no to all those questions, I can't think of a way to find a fault with your behavior, though I would still regret that you never enjoyed rational thought. If you cannot answer no to all those questions, the answer to the "what does it hurt" question should become obvious.
Stultior stulto fuisti, qui tabellis crederes!
I have no problem with leaving christians alone as long as they do not allow their ignorance to intrude upon my life. This means no voting, no trying to direct the school board, no interference in the children's organizations in your community, and no involvement in legislation whatsoever.
Since christians want to keep people from marrying, perpetuate the myth of a married mother and father as the only viable family structure, want to introduce "intelligent design" ignorance in school, and think they have rights over my body, I have a problem with christians.
Personally, I dislike moderate Believers most of all.
They are usually nice humans. They are generally not the religious humans pushing their version of god's morality and god's law. They are generally fairly tolerant of the views and positions of others.
And they support thinking nutz.
I will rephrase. Moderate Believers support believing in invisible buddies and other such stuff. Moderate Believers say it's ok to get your guidance, your Truth, your way of life
from an invisible yet revealed source of knowledge.
OH... Folks like Phelps are indeed rejected on occasion... For Believing in the wrong things about an invisible buddy. Not that there is no rational reason for Phelps and like to behave such, but rather that Phelps and co. have somehow just misinterpreted.
I.e. according to Moderate Believers, Phelps and Co. are just not listening to what is not there in the same way that oh so nice moderate believers do.
Fun stuff if it didn't hurt so many so much.
tq
I'm a libertarian. I don't care what you do with your life. So, it doesn't bother me that you believe in God.
There are very few reasons I can give that have not been covered by the previous 3 posts so I will leave it at that. However, I feel opening up religious beliefs to skepticism enables us as a society to move beyond mere tradition. If free thinking men and women (many christian btw) had not challenged the idea of slavery it would most likely be still acceptable in most parts of the world, but society was able to move beyond this concept.
If you want to believe in celestial teapots I don't care. All too often theists come in complaining that they just want to be left alone to believe what they want and most of us respect that. You are correct that the extremists are the problem on many issues, yet the moderates do nothing to stifle the hate and indignance that spews from theirs lips. Yes, I find most aspects of god worship just insane, but I understand the need for some to believe because it gives them some ray of hope in their lives. Most christians I know personally are decent, if misguided individuals, but this does not mean that I have to respect their beliefs. I just have to respect their right to hold such beliefs as long as it does not harm anyone in the process.
I don't think you view atheists as evil like many if not most christians so I can honestly commend that. I would recommend reading Sam Harris' Letter to a Christian Nation to help understand some of the reasons religion poisons so many things. It isn't a long read and not as academic as many writers, but very eye opening to the problems with religion in America.
"Always seek out the truth, but avoid at all costs those that claim to have found it" ANONYMOUS
How can idol worship be appeased , tolerated ? Who would say it's okay? Who let's another off the hook for being an idiot ? A friend calls you on your shit ..... and religion is idol worship bullshit ....
Atheism Books.
Religious Moderation
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism