[Thanos]

These days atheists are probably much better at conveying the basic truths of human decency and dignity that were revealed at the Sermon on the Mount than most self-proclaimed Christians are. Far, far better than any of the radical psychotic extremist right-wing lunatic ones anyway.

[N_Fiddledog]

Thanos Thanos:

These days atheists are probably much better at conveying the basic truths of human decency and dignity that were revealed at the Sermon on the Mount than most self-proclaimed Christians are. Far, far better than any of the radical psychotic extremist right-wing lunatic ones anyway.

I'm not sure I see any examples of that. They're much better at 'signaling their virtue'. After that they're pretty much like any other 'sinner' by my reckoning.

Take you for example, T. I like you but you can be a bit of a dick sometimes - same as me.

C'mon...don't be difficult. You know it's true.

[Thanos]

Any religion that has "not one of us" as it's main pillar isn't worth spit on the sidewalk. And that includes modern radicalized American "Christianity" as much as it does the very worst of Islam.

[N_Fiddledog]

Thanos Thanos:

Any religion that has "not one of us" as it's main pillar isn't worth spit on the sidewalk. And that includes modern radicalized American "Christianity" as much as it does the very worst of Islam.

I'm not sure I know what you're talking about but I'm going to guess. And believe it or not I agree with you.

I used to be in a position where I communicated daily with a lot of Sikhs. There was this one I considered a bit of a buddy. He was Sikh by culture but hadn't become religious. He drank and smoked and wasn't always happy but always made an attempt to appear cheerful. Then one day he appeared scrubbed clean with a spotless, carefully folded turban on his head. He turned into an insufferable dick after that.

I had a similar experience with a Jehovah's witness.

I think it's like you say. When we get too deep into any faith based believe system (even global warming ideology ) we can fall into this whole I'm so much better than the unbeliever mind set. Then we start thinking 'I have a right to expect more.'

This is why I try to avoid getting in too deep. It pleases me to wade around though. So I do.

[herbie]

$1:

She calls herself an atheist to describe her non-belief in a theistic, interventionist, supernatural being called God.

Goddam Prog/commie who doesn't think a giant bearded white man who demands to be worshipped and decides if your souffle rises and when you need to poop!
God isn't a noun?
Heretic! Burn her! Burn! Burn!

[N_Fiddledog]

If you're going to pirate my terms do it right. It's Prog->Comm.

And quite frankly I don't think your Prog->Comm faith has a lot to brag about either.

[BeaverFever]

N_Fiddledog N_Fiddledog:

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

I don’t see where she called it lies. I don’t think she’s hostile to religion she just believes it’s allegory and not literal.

So you do care then. You care about her opinion. You just don't care about anybody whose opinion might disagree with yours.

Well that's nothing new Beave. I'm not sure why you keep feeling the need to drop in and remind us though.

As to her hostility to the church. Yeah, I guess she's prepared to tolerate it as long as it's prepared to change for her into something that's not actually a church. Good for her, I guess. Not so good for those of us who had a church once.

I kind of want my money back.

No I don’t care what happens to her or the church. . My comments above are just pointing out a fact. She’s not anti-religion she’s in fact devoutly religious. But just happens to believe that the stories are allegory and not meant to be taken literally

[Thanos]

N_Fiddledog N_Fiddledog:

I'm not sure I know what you're talking about but I'm going to guess. And believe it or not I agree with you.

I grew up in the 1980's. And even in dull old irrelevant Calgary I was told that I was going to Hell for playing Dungeons & Dragons and listening to heavy metal bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. I've never forgiven the evangelical cruds who spoke to me like that, and I never will. And this still, today, forms the center of my antipathy and utter loathing for American evangelicalism and American right-wing politics, because the same pathetic closed-minds that told me I was going to Hell, just for enjoying some things their brain-dead religion couldn't understand or accept, are the same pathetic closed-minds that are in control of the entire United States now.

I'll sooner die on my feet with the hippies, the homos, the feminists, and the Latino "invaders" that I'll ever make peace with the evangelicals, the fundies, or any of the right-wing creeps & hypocrites that make up today's modern "conservatism". Understand this and then you'll understand me entirely. This, for me, IS total war to it's bitterest end, no matter what happens to me or anyone else. With certain things, IMO that represent the absolute worst of the human heart & mind, there can never be any peace or accomodation. I hated them back then, I hate them now, and I'm going to hate them forever. Hell, I WANT to hate them forever just to let them know that some people will never surrender to them, ever.

This is my war. It will never end as long as I'm alive.

[fifeboy]

Thanos Thanos:

N_Fiddledog N_Fiddledog:

I'm not sure I know what you're talking about but I'm going to guess. And believe it or not I agree with you.

I grew up in the 1980's. And even in dull old irrelevant Calgary I was told that I was going to Hell for playing Dungeons & Dragons and listening to heavy metal bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. I've never forgiven the evangelical cruds who spoke to me like that, and I never will. And this still, today, forms the center of my antipathy and utter loathing for American evangelicalism and American right-wing politics, because the same pathetic closed-minds that told me I was going to Hell, just for enjoying some things their brain-dead religion couldn't understand or accept, are the same pathetic closed-minds that are in control of the entire United States now.

I'll sooner die on my feet with the hippies, the homos, the feminists, and the Latino "invaders" that I'll ever make peace with the evangelicals, the fundies, or any of the right-wing creeps & hypocrites that make up today's modern "conservatism". Understand this and then you'll understand me entirely. This, for me, IS total war to it's bitterest end, no matter what happens to me or anyone else. With certain things, IMO that represent the absolute worst of the human heart & mind, there can never be any peace or accomodation. I hated them back then, I hate them now, and I'm going to hate them forever. Hell, I WANT to hate them forever just to let them know that some people will never surrender to them, ever.

This is my war. It will never end as long as I'm alive.

Well, I was born under the late late ‘40’s, and my wife says I never grew up but other than that your post does deserve a

[N_Fiddledog]

Thanos Thanos:

N_Fiddledog N_Fiddledog:

I'm not sure I know what you're talking about but I'm going to guess. And believe it or not I agree with you.

I grew up in the 1980's. And even in dull old irrelevant Calgary I was told that I was going to Hell for playing Dungeons & Dragons and listening to heavy metal bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. I've never forgiven the evangelical cruds who spoke to me like that, and I never will. And this still, today, forms the center of my antipathy and utter loathing for American evangelicalism and American right-wing politics, because the same pathetic closed-minds that told me I was going to Hell, just for enjoying some things their brain-dead religion couldn't understand or accept, are the same pathetic closed-minds that are in control of the entire United States now.

I'll sooner die on my feet with the hippies, the homos, the feminists, and the Latino "invaders" that I'll ever make peace with the evangelicals, the fundies, or any of the right-wing creeps & hypocrites that make up today's modern "conservatism". Understand this and then you'll understand me entirely. This, for me, IS total war to it's bitterest end, no matter what happens to me or anyone else. With certain things, IMO that represent the absolute worst of the human heart & mind, there can never be any peace or accomodation. I hated them back then, I hate them now, and I'm going to hate them forever. Hell, I WANT to hate them forever just to let them know that some people will never surrender to them, ever.

This is my war. It will never end as long as I'm alive.

Guess I'll never understand then. I never got around to playing Dungeons and Dragons.

Too busy banging hippy chicks.

[herbie]

$1:

If you're going to pirate my terms do it right. It's Prog->Comm.

OMG I blasphemed!
Kill me now! Cut off my head with a butter knife it says so in the sacred scriptures...

[Freakinoldguy]

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

N_Fiddledog N_Fiddledog:

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

I don’t see where she called it lies. I don’t think she’s hostile to religion she just believes it’s allegory and not literal.

So you do care then. You care about her opinion. You just don't care about anybody whose opinion might disagree with yours.

Well that's nothing new Beave. I'm not sure why you keep feeling the need to drop in and remind us though.

As to her hostility to the church. Yeah, I guess she's prepared to tolerate it as long as it's prepared to change for her into something that's not actually a church. Good for her, I guess. Not so good for those of us who had a church once.

I kind of want my money back.

No I don’t care what happens to her or the church. . My comments above are just pointing out a fact. She’s not anti-religion she’s in fact devoutly religious. But just happens to believe that the stories are allegory and not meant to be taken literally

Then wouldn't that make her an agnostic rather than an aetheist?

[Tricks]

If the majority of the members of the congregation are cool with it, then what's the big deal? If they all wanted her out as their spiritual leader, then that's one thing, but if the majority support it, then that's case closed as far as I'm concerned.

[Tricks]

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

Then wouldn't that make her an agnostic rather than an aetheist?

Agnostic is an "I don't know".

Atheist is a complete lack of belief in God.

Neither one of them have to do with interpretation of the Bible.

[herbie]

That's what gets me: she defined herself as an atheist for not believing in the classical definition.