FWIW, I get what you are saying. I’m not into government enforcement of my (or anyone’s) religious beliefs, either. Like the old saying goes “You can’t legislate morality”. If one forces or coerces people to believe, it’s not really belief, is it? What one is really saying is “My god needs my help to run things”. If your god needs you to enforce his will, he’s not much of a god.
I pretty much quit discussing religion any more specifically than what I just posted, because these threads almost always decend into the same mud slinging campaigns. Some people will keep watching a TV show they don’t like just so they can sit and complain to everyone around them about how stupid it is. Whutev.
I am going to be spending the next couple of days loving my family and Christmas. It doesn’t feel nor look like Christmas here, but we do the best we can do.
You will all have to wait until Thursday to bash me, but until then, I extend my most hopeful wishes that yall all have the most wonderful of Christmas with all your most wonderful families.
You mention Paul but specifically I was asking about Jesus and his teachings. Do you disagree with anything Jesus said, or think it only applied to long ago? Or do you think everything attributed to Jesus, at least, is true and should be followed today?
After reading it, its hard to ignore but I will feel free to ignore your beliefs. Your stance on gay marriage seems confused to say the least. Maybe restate it.
MostlyUseless: Good to hear from you! Your moderate stance make you a very comfortable kind of believer, the kind who isn’t threatening and hostile.
In my youth, I was a threatening and hostile atheist. One of those guys who’d chop down crosses. Bad. Worse than bad, stupid. I got over it, and, over years, migrated toward a moderation somewhat akin to yours.
I thought it was pretty clear. Religious opinion is personal. Government legislation works under the principle of equality, so religious opinion should not intrude.
I found the OPs statements positive and what a secular country made up of varying religious/areligious folks could look like.
Thank Og! My feet are sore from picketing churches all day in the cold, and my arms are sore from threatening passersby with my two clubs while carrying my “Down with Christianity” sign, especially because I have to carry a second one since I printed Christianity too big to fit on only one; “ity” doesn’t make much sense if I hold it in the wrong place.
Thank you for offering your beliefs here. It’s good to occasionally hear from a Christian who isn’t telling me I’m going to burn in hell for all eternity, or that Muslims are the antichrist, or that gay people can be fixed via prayer, or that I can’t possibly understand this or that b/c/v because I don’t have the spirit indwelling to guide my Bible reading.
We need more outspoken mainstream-to-liberal Christians around here, and I really mean that. There’s no such thing as a Christian who follows every single command and law, so I don’t buy the whole “cafeteria Christian” label. Even my sweet, sweet grandma who went to church every single Sunday and Wednesday disagreed with Paul about how women should behave in church. Hope you’re having a happy Christmas, from one atheist who has been baking Christmas cookies for a week now.
Actually what you are saying is more akin to “having lost a female child i could never speak to someone who has lost a male child because i have no true understanding of their feelings”. Does that sound silly? You can understand the feelings of homosexuals perfectly, because they are exactly the same as yours.
I’d say about half the posts in this thread have been bashing. I’m not a believer myself but I’m constantly amazed at how many non-believers feel they have a duty to be hostile to believers (usually Christians).
I don’t have any questions right now so I’ll just welcome the OP to the board and wish him and everyone else a Happy Christmas.
As an atheist, I’m embarrassed by the hostile response of some of you to the OP’s positive and thoughtful message. I believe the majority of Christians are more like the OP and not like the “damn you to hell” biblical literalists that non-believers take such a delight in bashing.
Merry Christmas, MostlyUseless. I don’t share your beliefs, but I respect your right to a different opinion and wish everyone would be as non-judgmental.
