The Official Religion Thread

[Lady Quagga]

Christian doctrine typically does not allow for a "just in case" point of view on matters of faith. You either have it or you don't. Indeed, some Christians would argue that anything less than faith is sin.

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I think it would be sheer human arrogance to totally discount the idea a "supreme being", but only in the same sense that it would be equally arrogant to pretend we know everything about the Universe we exist in. Lacking any empirical data, I imagine I'd be placed in the "Agnostic atheist" bucket.

That's not to say that people should live without spirituality or some sort of moral code. There is a certainly a "Why am I here?" aspect of humanity which may not be satiated by pure science. But is belief in a particular deity the only way to fill that void? I would say no - and I would go one step further and say it is not possible for faith to fill that void. There is a whole study known as Neurotheology which explores the basis of human spiritual needs. And it is suggest that like other aspects of human nature, the "God part of the brain" is something human beings need to evolve and survive as a species.

And moral codes are established by the society we live in. From the time we are born, we are taught by our family, our peers, and our society at large as to what is and is not acceptable behavior. (Organized Christianity - particularly through its extension, the various versions of the Bible - has sought to enforce certain of these moral codes. Alas, while many of these codes may have been justified at the time they were established, they have failed to evolve, and one could argue that they are a bit outdated.) Now, lacking faith doesn't mean you can go out and act unruly. A monkey that steps out of line will very quickly find itself beat to sh*t by its clan. Human beings call it Law & Order, but the concept is the same. Hell, common sense dictates that individuals should be allowed to dictate how they live their own lives, so long as they do not infringe upon anyone else's ability to do the same.

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This is going to go on for a while. I expect many more miserable exchanges to come from this thread.

[smokehound]

um i just got out of highschool and everywhere i go its anti christianity, just by saying your christian you loose friends in the blink of an eye. You get cussed out and people treat you like your strange and call you things like jesus freak. your treated as an outcast. So i dont know where you grew up but i couldnt have been here in the us. I mean they even made it illegal to talk about God in school and are trying to take the in God we trust off of money, so once again. where do you live. your aware we live in a time where at least here in the US people are ridiculed for being christian, people burn churches. When a christian talks to a non christian about God they get an attitude and storm off and or cuss out the person or are rude to them in some way. One point in time i heard they wanted to take one nationa under God out of the pledge of Allegiance, this is a country that was founded under christian principles to. Again i ask Where do you live.

With all-due respect, what the hell are you talking about? Atheists are the minority in california. All the news-stations here are pro-christian. Especially FOX. This country was NOT founded on Christian principals! The founding fathers came here to ESCAPE from christian persecution!!!

The entire midwest is christian. I dont get your claims, they are way bogus.

[fish-o-haulic]

With all-due respect, what the hell are you talking about? Atheists are the minority in california. All the news-stations here are pro-christian. Especially FOX. This country was NOT founded on Christian principals! The founding fathers came here to ESCAPE from christian persecution!!!

The entire midwest is christian. I dont get your claims, they are way bogus.

Um WHAT!!!!! what are you talking about dont know how long its been since you were around people but ive faced crap like this ever since ive been in jr high, a time that kids are old enough to ridicule kids for stuff like this. Me along with friends and family have faced things like this. Are you aware that it is illegal to talk about God in school at least for the teachers to talk about it, are you aware that christians are ridiculed in the work place and in schools. ive faced it myself in school, and My own mother has faced it in the workplace. its gotten to the point where i just keep quiet about what i say unless asked about it. i would have to say your claims are way bogus. I know what im talking about it wasnt that long ago that i faced it, and am still facing it. I remember once in school my teacher helping us with history homework that was dealing with christian radicals. So my teacher was telling us what they beleived at the time, and i remember kids just saying i thot it was illegal to talk about religion in school, and my teacher had to explain she wasnt she was just helping us with work. One kid even said he could threaten her for talking about God in school, because its illegal. Again where do you live.

[bsp]

Honestly, why does anybody care what anybody else believes? Keep your beliefs to yourself and just chill when you're around others who don't believe the same thing instead of trying to disprove them. It honestly works out for both parties since NEITHER side will ever convince the other that they are right. Arguing on something like religion JUST builds animosity.

I respect others' beliefs and all I expect is that they will do the same. When I begin to have problems with others is when they start trying to prove the superiority of their way of thought on what is supposed to be a personal choice.

[fish-o-haulic]

How many people here would say that christians are ridiculed for being christians here in the united states? And how many know that it is illegal to talk about God or religion in general in school?

[DarkShadow]

Are you aware that it is illegal to talk about God in school at least for the teachers to talk about it,...

Yeah, it's called Separation of Church and State, which ironically, is one of the basic tenets that this country was founded on.

YET, you have gone on and said in your previous posts that this country was built on Christian values. Apparently, you didn't get the history lessons on the Puritans, and the reason they left England.

This is one of the main reasons it is very difficult to get into intelligent discussions about religion....it seems certain parts of history are omitted whenever it isn't convenient to certain arguments.

[fish-o-haulic]

Honestly, why does anybody care what anybody else believes? Keep your beliefs to yourself and just chill when you're around others who don't believe the same thing instead of trying to disprove them. It honestly works out for both parties since NEITHER side will ever convince the other that they are right. Arguing on something like religion JUST builds animosity.

I respect others' beliefs and all I expect is that they will do the same. When I begin to have problems with others is when they start trying to prove the superiority of their way of thought on what is supposed to be a personal choice.

Im not arguing with anyone just saying, i can accept what people believe, i just found what smokehound said about christians not being treated wrong in todays society a little hard to believe. Especially seeing with what ive faced personally.

[fish-o-haulic]

Yeah, it's called Separation of Church and State, which ironically, is one of the basic tenets that this country was founded on.

YET, you have gone on and said in your previous posts that this country was built on Christian values. Apparently, you didn't get the history lessons on the Puritans, and the reason they left England.

This is one of the main reasons it is very difficult to get into intelligent discussions about religion....it seems certain parts of history are omitted whenever it isn't convenient to certain arguments.

I dont remember everything about puritans. once again recently got out of highschool.

[Lady Quagga]

It's comforting to know kids are leaving high school without a basic understanding of the ideologies this country was founded on.

[smokehound]

Um WHAT!!!!! what are you talking about dont know how long its been since you were around people but ive faced crap like this ever since ive been in jr high, a time that kids are old enough to ridicule kids for stuff like this. Me along with friends and family have faced things like this. Are you aware that it is illegal to talk about God in school at least for the teachers to talk about it, are you aware that christians are ridiculed in the work place and in schools. ive faced it myself in school, and My own mother has faced it in the workplace. its gotten to the point where i just keep quiet about what i say unless asked about it. i would have to say your claims are way bogus. I know what im talking about it wasnt that long ago that i faced it, and am still facing it. I remember once in school my teacher helping us with history homework that was dealing with christian radicals. So my teacher was telling us what they beleived at the time, and i remember kids just saying i thot it was illegal to talk about religion in school, and my teacher had to explain she wasnt she was just helping us with work. One kid even said he could threaten her for talking about God in school, because its illegal. Again where do you live.

When did I say christians aren't being treated wrong? You just freakin lied.