Religion

secret_goldfish:

i agree with an individual who believes that there is a higher spirit, or however you want to phrase it, what i dont agree with is atheism. how are you to say that you are in power of everything that happens to you?

That's not really what athiesm is about, though. Athiests don't believe in god; this doesn't mean they think they are god. If they feel in control of their own lives without relying on divine action, then more power to them. Nobody can be completely in control over what happens to them, but I don't see what this has to do with athiesm.

clarissa:

BuryMeInBlack625:

-nod- Yeah. How can the Jews and Muslims and Christians be so respected, but atheists aren't respected at all? They're called ignorant and they're harped on to be Christian (or at least around here they are. I don't know about other places) every single minute of their lives?
Is it because atheists are the ones the Christians can go after?

The way you worded that made it sound like you thought all Christians enjoy putting down athiests... I don't know if that's what you meant...

If athiests are disrespected, then I expect it's because it's perceived as nihilistic and anti-establishment. Because the word means without belief in god, it's seen as an absence of belief. Like darkness is the absence of light. I'm just guessing though, I don't know if any athiest-hating religious people think this.

i hope you werent insinuating that i hate atheists, because i dont and if i did that would be more ignorant than believing that you have the power to control everything that happens to you.

secret_goldfish:

and another thing, atheism seems to be a fad. again the majority of you who have commented against my opinion, have bands in your ava whose members are atheistic. its amazing how much the media affects the public these days...

There are peaks and troughs. Athiesm has always been fashionable amongst many young people. I think it's good that bands open doors for young people.

clarissa:

secret_goldfish:

i agree with an individual who believes that there is a higher spirit, or however you want to phrase it, what i dont agree with is atheism. how are you to say that you are in power of everything that happens to you?

That's not really what athiesm is about, though. Athiests don't believe in god; this doesn't mean they think they are god. If they feel in control of their own lives without relying on divine action, then more power to them. Nobody can be completely in control over what happens to them, but I don't see what this has to do with athiesm.

i said that i agree with agnostics and do not agree with atheists.

fate comes with faith. in my religion (Catholicism) God controls everything, good and bad. so if you dont believe in God, who do you rely on? no one, well no one but yourself, that is.

BuryMeInBlack625:

-nod- Yeah. How can the Jews and Muslims and Christians be so respected, but atheists aren't respected at all? They're called ignorant and they're harped on to be Christian (or at least around here they are. I don't know about other places) every single minute of their lives?
Is it because atheists are the ones the Christians can go after?
Or is it because no one dares to insult Jews for the simple fact that they were being killed by Nazis years and years ago? Is it because we fear Muslims?

Atheist arent the only ones. Every adult where I live that knows me and my other hindu friend constantly try to convert us. Were teased and bullied about it, and we arent even allowed in some churches with family members because of our beliefs. Dont think atheist are the only ones getting it. The jews in my school are also teased and accused of being afraid of Germans. The muslims in my school are bullied and teased, and the female ones with the things they wear on their heads (im sorry, I forgot what its called) have those pulled off while walking down the hall. Anyways, no, atheist are not the only ones christains go after. No religion is fully respected by other religions.

secret_goldfish:

i hope you werent insinuating that i hate atheists, because i dont and if i did that would be more ignorant than believing that you have the power to control everything that happens to you.

I didn't mean to insinuate that.

clarissa:

secret_goldfish:

and another thing, atheism seems to be a fad. again the majority of you who have commented against my opinion, have bands in your ava whose members are atheistic. its amazing how much the media affects the public these days...

There are peaks and troughs. Athiesm has always been fashionable amongst many young people. I think it's good that bands open doors for young people.

i agree with you. only you can choose what you believe in or dont. though i do believe that a good number of fans from such and such bands are rashly conforming.

clarissa:

secret_goldfish:

i hope you werent insinuating that i hate atheists, because i dont and if i did that would be more ignorant than believing that you have the power to control everything that happens to you.

I didn't mean to insinuate that.

im sorry then. i assumed you did but then again when you assume you only make an ass out of you and me. :]

um...I went to church five times in my 15 years of life
I think im Christian...but i dont really believe in going to church.
Because if God (which ever one you believe in) is everywhere...then why go to church to speak with him/her...
Why should you have some guy in a robe talk to God for you?
these are just my belifes...

secret_goldfish:

i said that i agree with agnostics and do not agree with atheists.

But if you can understand that people are unsure of god's existence, then can't you extend your understanding to people who refuse to believe in it? If something has believers, it will also have its disbelievers.

secret_goldfish:

fate comes with faith. in my religion (Catholicism) God controls everything, good and bad. so if you dont believe in God, who do you rely on? no one, well no one but yourself, that is.

Relying on yourself to take responsibility for yourself and to accept what happens to you is one of the few most empowering things in the modern world. Why do we need to rely on someone/thing? The only answer I can think of is fear.

secret_goldfish:

i agree with you. only you can choose what you believe in or dont. though i do believe that a good number of fans from such and such bands are rashly conforming.

Yeah, they probably are. It's natural to imitate the belief systems of people you respect. Hell, Morrissey nearly made me turn vegetarian again. Nearly. It may be comformist, but I think most young people adopt the beliefs of their favourite band members due to persuasion as they're still finding their own opinions.

secret_goldfish:

im sorry then. i assumed you did but then again when you assume you only make an ass out of you and me. :]

I love that saying TOO much. XD

clarissa:

secret_goldfish:

i said that i agree with agnostics and do not agree with atheists.

But if you can understand that people are unsure of god's existence, then can't you extend your understanding to people who refuse to believe in it? If something has believers, it will also have its disbelievers.

secret_goldfish:

fate comes with faith. in my religion (Catholicism) God controls everything, good and bad. so if you dont believe in God, who do you rely on? no one, well no one but yourself, that is.

Relying on yourself to take responsibility for yourself and to accept what happens to you is one of the few most empowering things in the modern world. Why do we need to rely on someone/thing? The only answer I can think of is fear.

i know that there are always going to be people who disbelieve in every religion, there is nothing that i can do to change someone's mind and nothing that i would want to. i dont extend my understanding to athiests because they flat out disagree with any form of a God. And though this is going to sound stubburn(and actually is stubburn), the only thing we have to fear is God.

clarissa:

secret_goldfish:

i agree with you. only you can choose what you believe in or dont. though i do believe that a good number of fans from such and such bands are rashly conforming.

Yeah, they probably are. It's natural to imitate the belief systems of people you respect. Hell, Morrissey nearly made me turn vegetarian again. Nearly. It may be comformist, but I think most young people adopt the beliefs of their favourite band members due to persuasion as they're still finding their own opinions.

secret_goldfish:

im sorry then. i assumed you did but then again when you assume you only make an ass out of you and me. :]

I love that saying TOO much. XD

so do i. and i love hearing your opinion clarissa. i find that you are the only one is this thread that can voice it without hysterics and with manners. i will admit that i am very stubburn but i love hearing your side to the tale. it truly "expands my horizons" as corny as that sounds

Not Your Favorite Record:

I think im Christian...but i dont really believe in going to church.
Because if God (which ever one you believe in) is everywhere...then why go to church to speak with him/her...

I think that's very smart. When I went to Church years ago, they always told us we had to go to Church to pray to God, but if He (or she or it) really is everywhere, I don't see why there has to be specified buildings you have to go to just to prove your faith.

secret_goldfish:

i know that there are always going to be people who disbelieve in every religion, there is nothing that i can do to change someone's mind and nothing that i would want to. i dont extend my understanding to athiests because they flat out disagree with any form of a God. And though this is going to sound stubburn(and actually is stubburn), the only thing we have to fear is God.

You must have met some pretty adamant athiests. Needless to say, they're not all like that; many will be happy to debate the existence of god but you can never make someone agree. And as for fearing god, I thought he was supposed to be benevolent? Surely a little repentence and all will be fine? Or am I just being ole sarcy pants again? Sorry, I've gone off the track suddenly.... What I mean is I don't get why God would demand fear from us. Beause if we're good only out of fear, then that's not real goodness.

secret_goldfish:

and another thing, atheism seems to be a fad. again the majority of you who have commented against my opinion, have bands in your ava whose members are atheistic. its amazing how much the media affects the public these days...

Well, not all of us.
I don't even know what his religon is...

See, i'm getting in touch with what you're thinking when you say atheists are all cycnical, nihilistic, anti-establisment, spiteful, ignorant trolls. Well, that stereotype does exist. I'd like to think as a fairly optimistic, happy person (who just so happens to not believe in god), i'm not one of them.

I suppose atheism implies a lack of belief, and a lack of belief in turn accentuates a lack of hope. Not necessarily, but the basis for such a belief is still there.

Now, can you really justify branding such a vast group of people 'ignorant'?. Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheists number around 1.1 billion believers the world over.

secret_goldfish:

so do i. and i love hearing your opinion clarissa. i find that you are the only one is this thread that can voice it without hysterics and with manners. i will admit that i am very stubburn but i love hearing your side to the tale. it truly "expands my horizons" as corny as that sounds

I always like hearing the Other side of the argument too, especially as you're giving as good as you get. Can't beat a good debate of a Friday evening. I mean, who needs a life anyway?

but why is fear a bad thing? is it so horrible to admit that there is something more powerful than you are? i think that saying that your not afraid of anything is worse than saying you are afraid of everything

clarissa:

secret_goldfish:

so do i. and i love hearing your opinion clarissa. i find that you are the only one is this thread that can voice it without hysterics and with manners. i will admit that i am very stubburn but i love hearing your side to the tale. it truly "expands my horizons" as corny as that sounds

I always like hearing the Other side of the argument too, especially as you're giving as good as you get. Can't beat a good debate of a Friday evening. I mean, who needs a life anyway?

:]]] that made me laugh. religion debates are always so fiery because there is no real proof that there is a God. its only a matter of believing or not believing.

secret_goldfish:

i know that there are always going to be people who disbelieve in every religion, there is nothing that i can do to change someone's mind and nothing that i would want to. i dont extend my understanding to athiests because they flat out disagree with any form of a God. And though this is going to sound stubburn(and actually is stubburn), the only thing we have to fear is God.

So you speak for all 1.1 billion of us when you say that?.

In my opinion the God of theology doesn't exist. I'd love to believe, but based on current evidence I just can't. Where is the proof?. I don't know. I can wait. So far, its been a fifteen year long wait, who knows how many years i'll have left. Until something seeks to convince me this vast, unseeing, invisible entity of whom the rest of the world speaks actually exists, I will continue to disbelieve its presence because there is simply nothing to contradict me.

So, here we have tackled my views on the God of the people. Now, on to the creator. So, something put us in this world, something created the universe, something catalysed the creation of a Cosmology we know as the universe. I can agree with that. Whatever that 'thing' was, no human knows, but I do believe it existed at one point.