Question for the religious

Clearly it is logical.

Living your life dedicated to ideals and morals while believing in a creator has no downside at all.

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For the same reason we have different languages, but all are for a common purpose.

 

I am not religious, but I imagine some people feel very passionately about their ideas and beliefs whether they are political, spiritual, personal, ideological philosophical or materialistic. Then they want to share them and their perceived value to others. Most of us have ideas and sets of beliefs we want to 'sell' as some point. Whether those ideas and beliefs are as mundane as parenting opinions, or what the best browser is, or as abstract as which God to worship or whether Trump is better than Clinton, our founders ensured that a marketplace for ideas would always be easy to find, and easy to access.

I don't see why believers in a faith have to justify promoting their ideas more than believers in the Republican platform or believers in mutual funds have to justify what they do promote their ideas. Its now like everyone gets to market their beliefs in this country without judgement, except people who have religious beliefs.

I don't care if you are coming to my door to sell a vacuum , a set of carving knives, a candidate, a local petition, or a church. I care that you act politely, leave my kids out of it, and take a (*)(*)(*)(*)ing hint. When I say I am not interested or its a bad time, then you should go away. If you are willing to respect my boundaries, I will treat you as a salesperson politely, whatever you are selling .

 

As a Deist I say live and let live so long as no harm is being done. As a Deist my views are closer to atheists than religious theists as Deism is the antithesis of organized religion.

 

That is oddly true however we have one advantage as Atheists (especially the Agnostic Atheists) in that since there is not sufficient evidence presented to convince us by the people making the claim of a nature we can quantify the truth is on our side as in science the greatest tool our species has to advance itself.

But I'm happy to co-exist with religious faith once it becomes in our culture like Masturbation a fun activity which makes one feel nice but to be done in private not flaunted in public, and discovered on ones own with some healthy guidance from parents once one starts exploring it. That's a workable goal we skeptics should be aiming for making faith rather harmless and get it out of the way of scientific progress.

 

So in the Bible were the nuts right or were they wrong when they slaughtered people who worshiped other versions of God?

 

People who commit evil acts in the name of religion does not invalidate religion itself.

If some form of the personification of evil exists, then it's primary goal would be to turn people away from religion, would it not?

 

So you base your whole belief system on lack of divine intervention in your personal life? Arrogant remember that is what I described Atheists, not as an insult but rather as a truthful description.

 

Outside of quoting a very old argument, can you provide any proof of your assertion? From a "purely logical" point of view you have no way of knowing this, just something that you have choosen to believe. I do not.

 

Typical of one who has no proof, only assumptions, about the subject. Shows the typical compassion of most of the religious posters in this thread. That is to say none.

If you thoughts and actions are the blueprint for having religion, I certainly don't want it to happen to me.

 

This is what I have been saying concerning religion. The religious seem to feel that they have a perfect right to push their beliefs whether they are wanted or not and, as seen in the posts in this thread, attack any who dare to disagree with them. Kind of defeats what they claim to stand for.

 

Look at it another way mate:- years ago kids at school were going round saying- "Wow! have you heard that new singer called Elvis Presley yet, he's absolutely sensational !"
Same with christians, they simply want to tell you how sensational Jesus is..
Right Elv??

"Uh-huh"

 

And yet the claim is constantly made of a personal god. An entire belief system is based on this. Is this arrogant too? From my point of view it is the height of arrogance.

 

. Some PEOPLE seem to feel they have a perfect right to push their beliefs whether they are wanted or not. I have had Vegans do this, car salesmen do this, pro Clintonites do this, pot legalizers do this, Pro-lifers and Pro-choicers do this, let alone telemarketers of all kinds. You should have met some of the former cigarette smokers I have!

 

Which belief system? I thought your Atheism is not based on a dislike of a particular religion.

 

It's pretty basic.

If you believe in a higher power and you're wrong, well, you'll never know you were.

If you don't believe in a higher power and you're wrong....

Then again maybe that's why some people who have near death experiences have a comforting experience, while others experience nothing. Perhaps the nothingness is "hell".

 

No, they demand you accept their word for it while disregarding all other religions and teachings. And attack you if you do not conform.

 

You show just how little you have to bring to the discussion. The entirety of religion is a belief system in a particular god and you know it, just can't admit how naive and unprovable it is.

 

Really reaching there for what you cannot prove or know. Making up any excuse you can for your stance.

I stated earlier that I have had a near death experience and saw no evidence of a god.

BTW, if you do believe in a higher power and you are wrong you just wasted a good portion of your life.

 

I wonder how well your non-belief would stand up in if you were confronted by Islamic fanatics that took over your community.

Would you convert, or die?

 

Now we are reduced to the "what if" game?

Would YOU convert or die?

Personally, I would probably die as I would have been fighting them all along.

 

I've seen "hate preachers" on TV, but I can assure you most Christians don't do "hate" or "attack"..
Personally I couldn't care less if people reject Jesus because it's no skin off my nose if they don't want to come to the big party in the sky. Jesus said to his mates at the last supper- "The next time I drink wine I'll be drinking it fresh and new with you in my father's kingdom".
That's me out then, I don't drink (sniffle)
As for other religions and teachings none of them is fronted by the Son of God himself, which gives Christianity a bit of an edge and it's become the biggest game on the park..



As JC said- "I've beaten the world" (John 16:33)

 

You're also reaching for something you cannot prove or know.

And yet others do have near death experiences where they encounter a myriad of religious experiences. Perhaps your experience was of hell....a nothingness.

Believing in God wastes none of my time, in fact it helps define it and enriches it.

 

I would have superior firepower and numbers with my fellow Christians and shoot the Islamic invaders dead if they began acting up.

 

You're welcome to your delusion, I have to posit nothing in answer to your questions. You on the other hand assert your god without evidence and I therefore dismiss it without evidence.

 

Pascal's Wager huh? Haven't heard that on in a long, long time.