Celebrate Religion here

Quote: 1BB

Only on DT. I'll get right over there. :-)

I really don't know what this DT site is all about, I can guess, but I have only read one link that pertained to the all female ban week. Better known as the Evil Wizard ;).

Quote: 1BB

Do you not find it mean spirited when someone is ridiculed over and over for their religious beliefs especially when that person who started the thread, in good faith, is a priest? Do you not find it mean spirited when the terms flying spaghetti monster, noodly appendage and invisible friend are used over and over when discussing one's religion and the God that they worship?

Nah. The Christian text is pretty harsh on non-believers.

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And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul, but that whoever would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman.


And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Quote: 1BB

Do you not find it mean spirited when someone is ridiculed over and over for their religious beliefs especially when that person who started the thread, in good faith, is a priest? Do you not find it mean spirited when the terms flying spaghetti monster, noodly appendage and invisible friend are used over and over when discussing one's religion and the God that they worship?

Ridiculing someone for their beliefs is rude. Ridiculing the beliefs themselves is not. That's a subtle distinction, and it may seem to some to be a distinction without a difference.

The Pastafarian "creed" is a case in point. It's used to illustrate how some atheists perceive religion and religious dogma.

BTW believers (used to mean religious people, regardles of a specific religion) make some pretty outrageous statements about atheists. I will readily admit the Good Father hasn't done so much. Things like saying "Atheism is a religion," which prompts naturally the very sarcastic response "and not collecting stamps is a hobby." Or "atheists are angry at god," usually elliciting "and unicorns and dragons, too."

There is disrespect on both sides.

Quote: rxwine

Nah. The Christian text is pretty harsh on non-believers.

Excellent. These are the things that should be used when arguing/discussing religion and it would not be mean spirited.

Harsh is an understatement for this particularly disturbing quote and I'm sure there are many more. Yikes!

Quote: rxwine

Nah. The Christian text is pretty harsh on non-believers.

You mean things like we are all going to hell?

I believe the bible says believers will hate and betray. Their own bible says believers are bad people.

Quote: Nareed

Ridiculing someone for their beliefs is rude. Ridiculing the beliefs themselves is not. That's a subtle distinction, and it may seem to some to be a distinction without a difference.

The Pastafarian "creed" is a case in point. It's used to illustrate how some atheists perceive religion and religious dogma.

BTW believers (used to mean religious people, regardles of a specific religion) make some pretty outrageous statements about atheists. I will readily admit the Good Father hasn't done so much. Things like saying "Atheism is a religion," which prompts naturally the very sarcastic response "and not collecting stamps is a hobby." Or "atheists are angry at god," usually elliciting "and unicorns and dragons, too."

There is disrespect on both sides.

Atheism is religious in nature but not a religion itself. There are atheistic religions however, there are also religious people who are atheist. Many years ago My daughter and I were driving and I was listening to an atheist talk show on the radio and she looked at me and said, what do they do? get together and not read the bible? "out of the mouth of babes". I thought that was pretty perceptive for a little kid.

Quote: pew

Atheism is religious in nature but not a religion itself. There are atheistic religions however, there are also religious people who are atheist. Many years ago My daughter and I were driving and I was listening to an atheist talk show on the radio and she looked at me and said, what do they do? get together and not read the bible? "out of the mouth of babes". I thought that was pretty perceptive for a little kid.

Yeah, that's pretty good, pew. She's a smart kid.

Quote: pew

Atheism is religious in nature but not a religion itself.

Sorry, I don't follow. Religion is belief. Atheism is absence of belief. What am I missing?

Quote: gpac1377

Sorry, I don't follow. Religion is belief. Atheism is absence of belief. What am I missing?

Gonna sound like splitting hairs, but believing in God requires a leap of faith, a thought process. Atheism also involves a thought process on the existence of God, but in this case, choosing non-belief, or not taking that leap of faith. It is still a belief system, but a rational (as in reasoning, not as in the opposite of irrational) choice.

Quote: pew

Atheism is religious in nature but not a religion itself.

How?

I treat the claim of a deity the same way I treat claims of astrology, phrenology, numerology, etc. I require evidence for such claims. If any is available, the evidence can be reviewed and assesed.

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There are atheistic religions however, there are also religious people who are atheist.

There are faith-based ideologies with practices approaching religious conventions, complete with dogma, ritual, sins, penance, indulgences, etc. Politics is rife with it. But calling it an atheistic religion misses the point. Religious people may not adhere to a faith or church, but they're not atheists.