Religion

[zeeroid]

Raised as a non-practising pseudo-Muslim. Then I sort of fully acknowledged my lack of faith upon entering university several years ago. Now I'm an atheist.

I don't have much to add to this 'debate' because I welcome everyone to worship whichever deities they choose. But as some have said, the only lesson I consider important to impart upon people of faith is to never put blind faith and pre-held beliefs above evidence and reason. When a scientific concept that opposes your beliefs does not make sense to you, I believe it to be your intellectual responsibility to, rather than deny the evidence because it is hard to grasp, make a conscientious effort to understand it.

In my view, religion only becomes a hindrance when it prevents people from seeking out truths by empirically studying the material world, by having them instead flee to the comfort of ancient texts. Comfort is fine, but it should never be built upon a foundation of provable falsehoods. That's why YECs really get my goat; they're in complete denial of reality.

[MasterofMonster]

I'm an Atheist. ^^

I respect all Religions, and don't judge people cuz' of it. As long as they respect what i belive in, and doesn't try to force me into beliving things they do~

[Devil_Rising]

That's my problem with hardline religious folks AND hardline atheists, is an arrogant and condescending penchant for not only pushing their views, but looking down on people who have have different beliefs than them.

For example, I know atheists who literally get really snotty when it comes to anyone talking about having any sort of spiritual belief, as in they might as well just come out and say "what are you a f***in idiot?" And yes, I've ran into religious nuts who are just as bad. Which is why both extremes really bother me, to be honest.

[MasterofMonster]

That's my problem with hardline religious folks AND hardline atheists, is an arrogant and condescending penchant for not only pushing their views, but looking down on people who have have different beliefs than them.

For example, I know atheists who literally get really snotty when it comes to anyone talking about having any sort of spiritual belief, as in they might as well just come out and say "what are you a f***in idiot?" And yes, I've ran into religious nuts who are just as bad. Which is why both extremes really bother me, to be honest.

I agree with you. I may be atheist, but sometimes atheists are just plain idiots in that way. Religious people too, of course. People needs to lears to just Mind there own business. -.-

[amir_zwara]

I am a Homo sapiens sapiens.
Probable descendant of Homo Sapiens Idaltu, more than likely descendant of Homo rhodesiensis.

Fairy tales are for kids.

You sure are open minded.

By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out.
~Richard Dawkins.

[Radiant]

I'm a Strong Atheist in that I not only don't believe in a God, but I also assert that there isn't one (or at least it is VERY improbable).

I was raised as a Christian, but I never felt it. Even before I had been introduced to the concept of God actually not existing and the arguments for that, I was never a strong Christian. I went to church, but it was going through the motions. Just doing what my parents wanted me to do, but in reality I just wanted to be at home playing video games. lol.

Going back to Christianity would be me denying what I see as the truth. So, I don't see it happening.

[Rsmith7]

I'am a Christian. I'am a Strong believer of the Big guy and his Son. I strongly refuse to bow down to doubt like a lot of people. I don't hardly have faith in our own species because we screw up so many times it's even funny. The reason I read and listen to the Lord's word because I seek truth, and not what this man or that man say, other words, man's traditions that's pretty much make his word void. When I cames to the Lord's word, I take it seriously cause I don't want to be mislead, especially in this very period of time when alot of things is coming to past as we speak.

As for changing, well I can try to spread the truth to the people who been mislead by these so called "false prophets" who Christ him self warns us that would come in this very day and age in Mark:13, many years ago when he walked the Earth. If you don't know, those so called "false prophets" are people who claim to be Christians but don't act like one and instead of preaching the Lord's word, they preach crap that they pull out of their collective butts and mislead alot of people. They tend to be bible-thumping over religious nutjobs who try to shove the Lord's...for their case, THEIR OWN WORDS, down people folks and try to say they're going to the fiery pits of hell if they don't do what THEY say and claim the Lord commands you to do these things but in reality, didn't. They claim that the Lord sent them but didn't. They tend to lie, cheat, and rip off innocent people who honestly seek the Lord. They're one of the very thing that Christ him self hates, a self-righteous hypocrite. The thing is, these guys are every where. It's hard to find the truth in God's Word because of these phonies keep adding their own crap in it and making it void. They're also the reason why it's hard to find it genuine honest to God Christian who unlike these fakes, actually DID their research on both God's word and the world. Their research makes it alot more easier for people to understand the Lord's word then the crap what the fakes teaches.

[Rsmith7]

That's my problem with hardline religious folks AND hardline atheists, is an arrogant and condescending penchant for not only pushing their views, but looking down on people who have have different beliefs than them.

For example, I know atheists who literally get really snotty when it comes to anyone talking about having any sort of spiritual belief, as in they might as well just come out and say "what are you a f***in idiot?" And yes, I've ran into religious nuts who are just as bad. Which is why both extremes really bother me, to be honest.

Wow, looks like we're not so different. As a Christian my self, but like you, I REALLY despise over-religious nut jobs and hardlind/militant atheists. The Religious nuts act all holier then thou over people and try to judge people. They claim they're the most holiest people out there and think they're too good for anyone cause everyone else is a rotten sinner... But in reality, they're one of the biggest sinners out there. These guys also tend to mislead alot of people with their crap they made up, that same crap they teach had gotten people killed at time, both physically, and spiritually, the spiritually part has to do with the "second death" aka death of the soul. And the hardlind/militant atheists are bad as the religious nut jobs. They display alot of arrogants and try to put down anyone who's a member of a religion, especially a Christians. They love to show off they're so call intellectualism to show how smart they are. Bah! Yet they claim they're so smart but at the same time they don't understand the very thing they hate as they think they do. The try to use anything...I mean ANYTHING to try to disprove God's existence. They're main tool of their argument against the Lord is science it self. The way they obsessively claim that there's no God and how they revere science so much, you can say they do got a god, two to be exact, science and vanity"emptiness/oblivion". I can say humanity too since they're also obsess with human might too. Hmm... from that, you can say they never heard or understand what's "Idol worship" is. But all and all, the two may have different Ideals, but at the in the end day, they're not so different from each others. both are a bunch self-righteous hypocrites.

[MasterofMonster]

^ I don't belive in god in the slightest, but i agree that Both Christians and Atheists are, mostly, just plain out morons.
A shame it's apparantly so hard for people to look away from other's belives. -.-

[bomblord]

I am an Apostolic Pentecostal Christian. I believe Christ died on the cross for my sins and am a follower of the teachings of Christ and The Apostles, a side note my denomination can be traced back to the church that the Apostles founded in Jerusalem around 35 A.D. it is not an offshoot of Catholicism which a lot of people believe most denominations are. If you want to ask me specifics shoot.

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

My biggest problem with certain religions, is their propensity to feel they have to sell themselves like a door to door product and convert people. No offense to anyone religious (I myself am spiritual, but not religious at all), I just feel that spirituality is a personal thing, and thus, you shouldn't push your beliefs on other people. Seeing how "conversion" has worked out for a lot of peoples in human history....sorry, but I'm against it.

As Christians, we are called to be messengers, not salespeople. We plant the seed, and God will do the rest.

[thresholdXCI]

The way I see it is this:

You can't prove things don't exist. So in every other instance in life, we don't. We operate on thinking of an idea and then attempting to prove it. It's just logical. It's basically why people have to be innocent until proven guilty and not the other way around; it flat out wouldn't work the other way around.

Religion seems to operate on the assumption that it is relevant until proven otherwise. Which is essentially in complete contradiction to the above. As far as I'm concerned it's actually completely irrelevant until somebody proves that there is a God and any belief to the contrary is irrational.

Saying that though, I'm rarely bothered by it. There are so many contradictions in the Bible (and as far as I can tell most other religious doctrine) that people are forced take their own interpretations of it anyway. And I'm convinced those interpretations are guided by each person's individual moral compass anyway. The same one atheists live by. So in other words, society probably wouldn't be as different without religion. I grew up in a Christian family, but outside of that I was surrounded by atheists and there was just the same amount of homophobia, racism and sexism that atheists like to complain religion brings about.

So as far as I'm concerned, at least in the society I grew up in, it's essentially harmless. And I know it brings immense comfort to many. It's always going to be a losing battle trying to take that away. And probably a pointless one.