Really?
So this professor is such an unloving sociopathic monster that he’s only nice to people because he’s scared of being punished after he dies? Because that’s what his statements seem to imply.
Not that I think you should be saying this kind of thing exactly if you are at the Bible study group. Really, if the church is good for your wife, then help her to keep it – remember nobody’s perfect, and there are asshole atheists, too, you know.
I went to Catholic school and that’s not what I was taught.
Much ado about nothing at the bible study last night. I took off to put the kids to bed once the discussion got started last night, and by the time I came down it was apparently over. My wife said that some of the, um, denser people in the group thought that the sermon was just great, but the overall consensus was that it was a negative message. Curiously, the sermon hasn’t been put up on the church’s website as a podcast yet, and we don’t think it’s going to at this point. That’s a good sign, I think.
I did miss a great line, though. Paraphrased, it apparently went, “Not believing in god is like believing in unicorns.” I guess some people in the group just can’t fathom how someone can be an atheist. Oh well. Not my crazy not my problem, that’s what I say.
Shrug, it was about philosophy. My teachers who happened to be priests didn’t turn their lessons on chemistry, physics or philosophy into catechesis.
The month and a half (our school year was divided into five “terms” which lasted about this much) dedicated to philosopher-theologians involved a lot of discussion on “faith vs reason” (which was one of the three “subjects” of the term, as established in the national curriculum) and some on “proofs of the existence of God”, but it was always an intelectual thing… “it’s this way because that’s the way it is” wasn’t acceptable to Ambrosius, wasn’t acceptable to Albertus Magnus, and it certainly wouldn’t have been acceptable to Father López. Dude normally refrained from turning corrosive in class, but any student with that kind of reasoning would have found himself drenched in verbal acid.
This could be a good opportunity. Were I you, I would be interested in hearing their answers to why they think people don’t believe in God. Prior to the meeting, I would have a little write-up as to why I don’t believe. I’d try to be as inoffensive as possible and I would only pull it out if I was specifically asked.
Whups, seems I’m too late…
…
You mean like it says in the Bible?
Kind of a funny choice of mythical beast to compare atheism to…
Gosh, I’m glad I’m an Episcopalian! When I took classes(I was switching denominations) the priest said “Being Episcopalian means you don’t have to check your brains at the door!”