Don't date or marry Christian women.
Offline I had an interesting conversation last weekend with a guy I met in a strip club. He's a guy in his mid 20s that married a Christian woman. He was never religious. After just a year of marriage, she is seeing other men and he's going to strip clubs. I asked him why he got married and he said because she was a she was so sweet, he thought she would be content to be a good wife and she would never cheat(plus he was a horny young guy). So now, they're ready to divorce.
I told him love is blind, but marriage is an eye opener. Then I just flat out told him 'Religion is Bullshit'. I could see the light going on in his head for the first time in his life. Even though he had never been religious, he was trained by society to give religion undue respect and fooled by the phony piety and purity of Christian women. The thought that religion could all just be bullshit never crossed his mind till I said this.
There is a huge gender imbalance in Christian churches. Christian churches are very feminized, designed to appeal to women. Many churches have a 2 to 1 gender gap in female to male attendance. Of course the pastors are almost all male(men make better con artists). Mothers are generally the ones who indoctrinate their children with feminized Christianity. Christian men are generally considered kind of wimpy, hen pecked moma's boys. Single Christian women often bitch about this problem with Christian men.
As a result, this phenomenon of Christian women married to non-religious men. Apparently these women ignore their own bible's command to not be unequally yoked cause they don't like Christian men(or Christian men won't marry them). When I went to church(after being indoctrinated by my mother), I would always see Christian women praying for their husbands to be saved and come to church, but you'd never see the opposite of a husband highly involved in church with a wife at home. Apparently there is going to be a lot more women than men in heaven.
I am convinced that sex and marriage plays the biggest role in ending Christianity's dictatorship over society. If being a Christian women that attends these feminized churches means not having a husband or children they can indoctrinate, the church will die out. This myth of a Christian virgin being a good wife needs to be ended. Young men need to learn the facts of life before they decide to date or marry a Christian woman.
I think listening to Tom Leykis is the best education on the facts of life a young man can receive. Please, if you know any young men that might be vulnerable to falling into the trap of marriage to a Christian woman please have them listen to Tom:
Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success. --Mark Skousen
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But they are so fun to corrupt.
Just don't let them take half your money in divorce or force you to support any children she decides to indoctrinate with bullshit.
Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success. --Mark Skousen
Well, everybody has to get pre-divorced at least once in their twenties, right? Seriously, I'm going to be curious to see the atheist/atheist vs. theist/atheist vs. theist/theist numbers whenever someone does the study. I suspect that atheists will have less total marriages and a little less divorce (primarily because they don't think they have to get married to have sex).
I was on the flip side of this coin when I was too young to be married. I was still a Christian, and married a girl who had left religion. Oddly, one of the things I liked about her was that she wasn't like all the Christian girls. It seems this phenomenon goes both ways.
The tide is changing, but I believe that most non-theists simply don't have any idea what religion is doing.
Christianity was very appealing to women in the first century or two of its existence, too. In fact, throughout history, we can see that women's place in society was an indicator of what the church would become. Unfortunately for women, the changes in the church have almost always been to their detriment.
Good observation. There's more to it. For many reasons, including religion, women view it as shameful to not "stand behind their man," so even if women don't agree with the religion of a devout husband, they're more likely to go anyway. Men are taught that they're supposed to be going out away from their wives to win the bread, so it's no big deal to let the wives go to church alone.
Please read my essay On Myth, Sexuality, and Culture. It's part of a much longer work on the subject. I think you'll enjoy some of the history presented, and some of the misconceptions about what marriage is.
Interestingly, the church in Canada is dying for exactly the opposite reason. Women are leaving in droves because they can't deal with the contradictions of post-feminist society and patriarchal churches.
That name rings vague bells, but I'm picturing a radio shock jock. Ah, well, I suppose I can follow the link and see what it's about.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
Another thing about a relationship with a Christian.
Do you really want to be married to someone who is only loyal to you because of the fear of hell?
If you get married don't you want to be with someone who is with you because they love you and enjoy your company. Someone who has sex with you because they want to not because the Lord expects them to do this.
Hell is having to stay married because of the fear of hell.
You must listen to Tom Leykis and understand his rules:
http://www.tenetsofleykis.com/
I don't agree with them all, but I understand the priciple behind them. He needs to add never marry a religious woman.
Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success. --Mark Skousen
Wow. That is the guy I was thinking about. Shock jock, indeed. He's the male equivalent of a "Rules Girl."
If you don't know about The Rules, here are some excerpts from Wiki:
What I find ironic is that when you combine The Rules with Tenets of Leykis, you get a bunch of assholes acting like pricks to one another and never getting laid.
As something of an authority on human nature, I can say with a high degree of certainty that I wouldn't like hanging out with Ellen Fein, Sherrie Schneider, or Tom Leykis. They're all self-absorbed asses.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
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This contradicts one of Leykis' tenants:
That's right. If you follow these rules, you'll probably be called a jerk or an asshole. Wear it with pride. "Nice Guys" don't get laid.
Leykis claims you'll get laid more often for less money when you follow his tenants. I think it's mostly true because if you cave into whatever a woman wants, then she tells you when you can have sex. With men, controlling a girlfriend or wife always seems to boil down to money. If he contols it, he dictates the rules.
I think a lot of the rules for women are good for them, some are too obnoxious. With women, controlling a boyfriend or husband always seems to boil down to looks. If she's hot, she dictates the rules.
Bottom line is life and relationships are compromises. So make your own rules.
Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success. --Mark Skousen
I think he's probably correct. I'd hesitate to say that getting laid by a lot of women for less money is necessarily the goal most men have. I'm not sure most men actually know what their goal is. We do so much without thinking when it comes to relationships and sex.
It's not something we're comfortable discussing in this society, but sex is an odd yin-yang kind of balancing act between competition and cooperation. The down side of being a controlling man is that it seldom leads to long term contentment for either person. The woman is constantly resentful, and the man is constantly distrustful of the woman's motives -- and for good reason. He's shown her that he's just interested in her body, and she's correct to think that he'll "upgrade" if given the chance.
All relationships are give and take, but giving and taking can be done happily or unhappily. For my money, I find that dating women who genuinely want to give is better than emotionally beating it out of them.
Self-fulfilling prophecy if I ever heard it. Good luck with this.
The thing is, old people have sex, too, and none of them are as hot as the young people. Still, people manage to stay together. There must be more to it, eh?
While damn near everything does boil down to sex in the end, it's not nearly as simple as looks=sex=happiness. Keep your eyes on the RRS Authors section. There's a lot more on this subject in the works.
As long as you know that consequences follow actions, and you're prepared for them, knock yourself out. I'm afraid you're unlikely to have a calm sense of contentment with another human being so long as you follow the Leykis rules, but maybe that's not what you're after.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
We'll you can't know the consequences for sure, that is life. One big reason people turn to religion is they can't handle the uncertainty of life and death so they turn it over to an imaginary Jesus.
I'm going to do what seems best to me, I don't have a god, government or any woman tell me what I need to do. American men are way too pussy whipped thanks to our puritan heritage.
As a recovering Christian and divorcee, I don't need a sense of contentment with another human being, just myself. I seek a balance between getting laid when I want and having a good realationship. I don't follow anyone else's rules(including Leykis) but I do respect what he says.
Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success. --Mark Skousen
Like I said, as long as you know what you're doing, and what you're likely to get out of it, I can't say I have a problem with it.
The way I look at it, America is so deeply buried under mythology about sex and relationships that it's probably impossible to do much more than find a happy medium between several bad alternatives. It's further complicated by the naturalistic fallacy -- that is, something is good because it's natural. We can't say for certain that being slightly polygamous and female exogamous is the best way to be because we haven't defined what we mean by best. Best for whom? Best for happiness? Procreation? Best balance between all of the above?
Where I have problems with people like Leykis is that he advocates lying and manipulating women into having sex, and for me, I'd rather get it done myself than have to deal with the consequences of being an asshole and getting the kind of girls that assholes tend to be able to sucker into the sack.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
The guy at the strip was just non-religous so I can see how he ended up with a christian women. He was probably in no way opposed to or bothered by christiainity and the claims that it makes.
I am openly skeptical of biblical claims and I would not want to marry someone that saw things so much differently than I do on this topic of religion. I had a christian girlfriend once and we would sometimes argue about religion, I would not put myself through that again.She got "saved" then asked me to marry her a couple of times, so she could have sex with me without fornicating, but I declined. I wasn't goin to put up with this women for another year and definately not the rest the of my life..
I AM responding to this article.
I am a 32 year old christian woman from ohio, I think this article is bullshit
this woman oviously does not have a strong relationship with god. some one can belive in god and not have relationship with god
no one is perfuct we are sinners it is only through him and the decision we make to have a relationship with him, its only then through that decision can we let him change us from inside out. once we accept him and begin the path on a relationship only then can he transform us to the person he ment for us to be.
only through him can we begin to change but we must allow are selves to let him
to become a real woman of god is not a automatic transformation it takes time
you can not simply go to church and say thats a transormation and thats enough
ready your bible daily
join a bible study
develop spiritual friendships that can help you on the path to develop that healthy relationship with god.
confront your flaws to him and learn prayer
set up a times in the week where its your time with god
in doing these steps woman or man can get on the right path with god and becoming the person they are really ment be.
I have a hard time believing that religion was solely responsible for the breakup of this marriage. It doesn't seem likely that they would have gotten to the point of marriage if their differences in religion were so massive.
It's easy to try and pin the breakup of a relationship on reason X, Y or Z - but typically it's a combination of factors. Many couples make the mistake of not talking extensively about expectations, and seeing if their expectations are compatible. It sounds like that might have been a factor here. Anyway, I think the assertion "Never marry a Christian woman" seems a little absolute.
Nobody I know was brainwashed into being an atheist.
Why Believe?
Meaning she pretends to follow the way but only when it is to her advantage hence she is a hypocrite.
Perhaps she interprets the Bible far different than you do and sees this another way. As the diverse beliefs have resulted in countless different denominations she may belong to the church of the whatever works for you.
We may not be perfect but you are deluded in blaming it all on the nonexistent concept of sin. Relationships with invisible friends tend to not work out very well. The only change you see is that which you delude to yourself in your fantasy belief.
Don't hold your breath too long while waiting.
True, brainwashing takes time.
Please do. As you do and confront the contradictions, unreal events, history that is absolutely wrong, and in your words bullshit maybe you'll see Christianity for what it really is.
This means find others that are just as deluded as you. Certainly you don't want anyone to question your interpretations of the myths written so long ago by a people in Palestine that thought the world was flat and bats were birds. Non-believers tend to ask too many questions that usually start with why. Why for example did no one write about the adventures of the supposed son of god for around 30-40 years after the event? Why are there only 2 alleged writings by supposed disciples out of 12? Why did Jesus not return during their lifetimes as he claimed?
Confronting your flaws is an excellent way of understanding yourself such that you can be a better person. Prayer on the other hand simply is a complete waste of time. This time could be better spent on actual problems in the world or on yourself by improving your knowledge or flaws.
You could set up times during the week when you address problems such as working at a charity or simply educating yourself so you can work on those flaws you mention.
In doing the steps you suggest you will completely waste your time. Try my suggestions instead.
____________________________________________________________
"I guess it's time to ask if you live under high voltage power transmission lines which have been shown to cause stimulation of the fantasy centers of the brain due to electromagnetic waves?" - Me
"God is omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent, - it says so right here on the label. If you have a mind capable of believing all three of these divine attributes simultaneously, I have a wonderful bargain for you. No checks please. Cash and in small bills." - Robert A Heinlein.
No true scotsman = fail.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
Sure, if you like relationships where the other party never talks back.
The person 'he' meant us to be??? What is so wrong with the way a person is already?
Are you declaring that no one can change of their own accord except for what they believe?
And tell me... do you know when you have reached this alleged pinnacle of 'godly womanhood'?
So when is it enough? Are you 'there'?
Ahhhh. But then there are all of those wonderful little excerpts of the bible that tend to denigrate women.
1 Cor. 11:5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 11:6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. 11:7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. 11:8 For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. 11:9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
1 Cor. 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. 14:35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
1 Tim. 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 2:10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 2:15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
Rom. 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
So I have a few questions for you.
1. Did you get your husbands permission to speak here?
2. Have you asked your husband these questions?
3. Do you wear a covering when you pray?
4. Do you own jewelry or wear ostentatious clothing? How modest is your wardrobe?
5. Have you bore children so that you may be saved?
6. Have you really read the bible or are you simply spouting off a Sunday morning sermon from your cuckolded preacher?
Bad idea if you want your women to be overly christian. Too many women are intelligent enough to spot the misogynistic pieces of the bible.
Honestly, I don't think you are even supposed to learn how to read. Seeking knowledge is what got Eve into trouble remember?
Whoa! I thought you said all that needed to be done was to make a decision and god would transform you. Now suddenly you have to have 'spiritual friendships'???
Aren't my flaws 'his' doing in the first place?
Why pray if god already knows what you're thinking?
Isn't your god supposed to be everywhere, all the time???
And yet the prideful nature of the allegedly 'true christian woman' shows through.
The sheer arrogance in your words to tell others that YOUR STEPS are the way to become a 'true christian woman' is mind boggling.
Since I was a young man, I have witnessed nothing less than purely unadulterated PRIDE on the part of christian women. The trials they must bear laid out for all to see their suffering. Boo Hoo. Boo Hoo.
The agonizing pain they feel when they have transgressed.
The fountain of tears they shed after fornicating with a known godless heathen.
The forgetfulness of the sin through the perceived forgiveness by their 'savior'.
Complete hypocrisy.
When her desires present themselves to be prioritized, the self-righteous veil of godliness covers her nature.
You write as if you are at your goal or never to be near it. You starve yourself of life itself to maintain the charade that no man could replace your jesus except in certain areas (i.e. bed, kitchen table, shower)
The sheer joy that lights up the face of a god-fearing woman when presented with some treasure or bauble that she has coveted upon the endowments of another.
That "Skweee!!!" sound she makes when you present her with a forbidden adornment to raise her above her god-fearing peers in status. And how later she regrets it and must repent.
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I have not been a member of this site for very long, but I have noticed a very high number of "hit & runs". Do you think they lurk without any idea of how to fight the wall of logic, or just stir the pot and go on? I can't imagine myself spending the time to post something I really believe in only to watch it be torn to shreds in a matter of a few posts. They are either spineless or they can't bring themselves to see the response to the shit they post. Anyone who thinks Christianity isn't a highly polished cult should see the theist responses on this forum.
" blah blah, strong Christian. Blah blah blllaah faith. I think blah blah God's will. Blah blah footprints in sand"
It always sounds like they are reading from a script at gunpoint.
I MIGHT be a little tipsy, so I am sorry for not using the whole "paragraph" thing. I am also in need of more ice. Anyone in the central Oklahoma area? Nah, I didn't figure. I'll edit it in the morning.
"So far as I can remember, there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence." - Bertrand Russell
Stewie: Yay and God said to Abraham, "you will kill your son, Issak", and Abraham said, I can't hear you, you'll have to speak into the microphone." "Oh I'm sorry, Is this better? Check, check, check... Jerry, pull the high end out, I'm still getting some hiss back here."
See, this is why I'm probably waiting until I'm at least 30 to consider marriage...
When you get to 30 consider it, then wait another 30 yrs to consider it again.
I married a christian woman and I'm content. Of course, in between the marriage and the contentment; I turned her into an atheist and she turned me into a pauper after the divorce. Ah, well. True love never dies, it just goes sour.
"Erecting the 'wall of separation between church and state,' therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society." Thomas Jefferson
www.myspace.com/kenhill5150
Is it a thing that the TRUE Christian's not know spell check? Is it written in the bible that thou shall be illiterate? Even if I could past their judging and criticizing, I can't get past their 3rd grade comprehension level of basic grammar
I suppose it depends on the level of religiousness one could tolerate. How can one have a rational conversation about expectations with someone that believes an invisible man is always watching and rewarding/punishing everything they do?
I believe this is the one social factor that must change for religion to die. If potential mates were seen as being delusional nuts for being religious, the churches would all soon shut down.
Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success. --Mark Skousen
"Many churches have a 2 to 1 gender gap in female to male attendance" -Sorry most of the churches i have been to are quite even, if not, there is actually more men.
"Christian men are generally considered kind of wimpy, hen pecked moma's boys." - Sorry but atleast 3 quarters of the males that attend my church have been brought up quite badly, took drugs as teenagers, ruined their relationships with the selfish acts of sex as a result of lust and not love. Moma's boys... i think not!
"Single Christian women often bitch about this problem with Christian men." - If they were real christians they wouldn't be gossiping! It's a sin remember? Sad how the minority spoil it for the majority.
Christians are beautiful people, maybe if you knew one personally you would understand. Sorry you feel this way about such a wonderful way of life. I'm afraid you can't call it crap though, especially when you yourself are not christian and wouldn't have even the slightest clue about what it's like.
Anyone have any questions about where i'm coming from... [email protected] would love to hear from you!
God bless
You can read the statistics here: And it from a Christian web site:
http://www.churchformen.com/allmen.php
http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2008/06/juiciest-religious-factoids.html
Unfortunately, your evidence is personal and antidotal and therefore not to be trusted.
I was raised in Catholic school for 10 years. As an adult, I went to Pentecostal, Baptist and evangelical churches for about 15 years. I know the bible better that 98% of Christians. I have met plenty of Christians. I went to plenty of churches and put on the act of believing in some pretty absurd things. Many of the people here are former Christians that you should talk to about what religion really is about.
Yes, Christians will put on the act of being nice (all the world's a stage). But at your core, you are being dishonest. Religion is about lying to yourself or having other lie to you until the lie becomes your truth. You are dishonest with yourself.
If one is only nice and "beautiful" to get heaven and avoid hell, is that really being nice? People will do anything the gunman wants if he puts the gun to your head. The social pressure in church is so great, one can never express what they really believe. If a Christian man is faithful, loving and nice to you to get heaven/avoid hell, is that really what you want? A man that toughs out a marriage just to get a reward in the next life? Is that really love or just an act?
Science offers the best insight on why people do what they do, and how relationships between the sexes work. Women use sex to get men to behave in ways they wish them to behave. This includes getting men to behave as nice Christians and pretend to believe and pretend to love.
I believe that by understanding what science tells us, humans can design better ways to relate to one another, including between the sexes. We can be honest about our selfish hedonist nature and not put on the continuous phony act of being holy.
Why not have an open discussion here with some of the former Christians?
Still waiting.
Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success. --Mark Skousen
You've got to be kidding me? You think we all live on an island isolated from the rest of the world? Do you picture us as hump back trolls living under a bridge waiting to pounce on believers?
That has to be the most absurd statement in this thread yet.
Are there nice people who believe? YES, many here can tell you of family members we love, or friends or co-workers WE LOVE.
THAT is a separate issue than the ability to prove a claim one makes on any issue, not just that of religion.
I am sure you have met nice Muslims, but you are not a Muslim because they are nice.
I can like or love a person and at the same time not buy a particluar claim they might make on any given issue. And just because I may like them or love them shouldn't require me to be dishonest with myself or them about that particular claim.
MY OWN MOTHER believes, I am fortunate that I can be honest about her with it and we haven't dissowned each other because of our differences on that issue.
I love my mom, but she, like you, like Muslims, like Jews all believe that their is some magical thinking super entity with no material body floating out there somewhere, selectively meddling in our lives. I may love people who believe this, but what do you want me to do, lie and say I find it credible or rational? I don't find it credible or rational.
I find it merely a projection of wishful thinking because of the species inability to get over it's own ego and wishful thinking because our species has not accepted it's own mortality and finite status.
Everyone here lives with or around believers and has them for co-workers, friends and loved ones. So please do yourself a favor and do not make the mistake of repeating such an absurd statement.
And to say we don't understand is absurd too. Many of us here, not all, but many did at one time believe, including me. Seeing the companionship and happiness of any group of any religion does not make the claimed god of that label real. The ancient Egyptians sought companionship and community in the belief that the sun was a thinking being, that didn't make the sun a thinking being.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
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Others have covered the stats and I'm not going to respond to your ""no true Christian" fallacy but I did want to ask about this:
Your point about these guys not being mama's boys is based on how they lived before they became Christians. How are they now? If there wasn't a problem with emasculation by Christianity why have groups like Promise Keepers?
"I do this real moron thing, and it's called thinking. And apparently I'm not a very good American because I like to form my own opinions."
— George Carlin
I want to make a statement here. I was in the born again shit from age 18-27. I even went to a fanatical religious college. I can tell you my best friend in those days was a 'ladies man" he never took the Bible serious and loved the ladies... He he would tell me of many Christian wives he slept with..
Also, I can tell you from personal expericance most Christians commit secret sins... adultery, porn you name it...it is there in teh church just as much as it is in the regualr non theist world.
Actually, in church, emasculation wasn't so much a problem for me as a woman as the male control issue with our specific congregation. I suppose that it's different depending where in the country you attend a worship service. I'm the kind of person who's not going to be taking either point of view on this issue, as at the moment, I myself am not sure exactly what to believe.
Growing up I was continually torn two ways, my father being a devout, by-the-book Christian and my mother viewing them more as a group of self absorbed snobs who look down their noses upon others. Like the choices people make to fornicate, live together before they are wed or choose not to have children. Mom believed these were all lifestyle choices that each person could make on their own, where-as my father would ridicule such people. I always found that odd, considering that my father was not exactly an angel himself as a young man.
It made no sense to me how he could have done those same things at one point and condemned others for it.
My mother's point of view always appealed to me as more acceptable, more logical. She believed (as far as I could tell) that God was real, but didn't buy into all the ideals associated with Christianity. Seeing that she didn't completely by into all of those beliefs made me want to step back and take a serious look at why I was going to church. In the end, I had found that the reason I went was simply because I had no choice...because I felt like I was disgracing my father if I didn't.
As I gained more knowledge about the world, I realized that the church community could be compared to a cult in many ways and the church goers could be compared to delusional, but as I'm not really sure of what to believe at this point in my life, I can't say with any degree of certainty that this is a true statement.
My grandmother is the ultimate believer in the church community and God, and while I love her very much, there's so many views that I just completely disagree with. Right now I am living together with a man before being married, however we ARE engaged. Not that I feel like I owe this to anyone or like it would change of of their damming views about my living situation. In fact, when I told my grandmother that I would be living together with my fiancee, she asked this very question: "And just how do you plan to reconcile with the lord for that?"
I looked her dead in the eyes and said, "Grandma, with the utmost love and respect, it's none of your concern what I do while living with someone I love."
They preach love and forgiveness, but they look down on you primarily because you do not comply with their specific demands, despite the Bible being open for debate, hence the many different denominations. And their "love" seems more like pity directed at the people they see as sinners. Or perhaps you have questions about the Bible or the specific denomination to which you belong. As someone who was made to attend churches for 20 years, I have witnessed first-hand how uncomfortable Christians become when someone begins to question their way of thinking. I've also been on the receiving end of the questions about Christianity. When I had no choice but to believe, it was very uncomfortable for me to try to answer all the questions directed my way. After all, It isn't like I knew everything about my religion when I was only a kid. I only believed what I was told to believe.
As I said before though, as of this point in my life, I am nether and Atheist nor a Theist. I'm just someone who wanted to share my views, as I find this to be a very interesting discussion. I don't think I'll ever be quite "Atheist" status, I'll always believe in something. I just don't have any idea what that is and I don't think I really need to believe something specific to be happy with my life.
Anyway, pick apart if you must. Just decided to share.
Thanks for sharing. Your views are important to us, please join our site and continue to post. We are the RATIONAL response squad; ad rational agnostics [this is how you describe yourself] are always welcome.
"Very funny Scotty; now beam down our clothes."
VEGETARIAN: Ancient Hindu word for "lousy hunter"
If man was formed from dirt, why is there still dirt?
I think this may be the best sign that religion is on the wane.
Why young Christians aren't waiting anymore
If the religious can't control young people's sexuality, there is not much else they can control.
Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success. --Mark Skousen
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