I have some thoughts that prevent me from going to sleep. It happens that before I go to sleep, I make a little visit to reddit. Scouring through lols along with various challenging philosophies and other random brain food, I always come across Atheism vs. Religion debate. There is rarely any lack there of and I don’t know why I check them. Maybe to see if people started to play nice yet. Each and every time the answer is the same “Nope, still arguing over who’s toy is bigger”.
We have those that consider themselves victims of the church, who just simply cannot just go past an bad experience and enjoy their lives. I know some people probably did something bad that were devouter church members, but you know what? Many people hurt each other across all beliefs, ethnicity and class.
Let me present two typical debates.
“They brainwash people with their beliefs, we have to brainwash others with our beliefs”
In that statement I feel that the person does not realize or have faith enough in their fellow humans to come to their own conclusion. We all rebel eventually against the status quo, we question not only our belief system but also our reasons for living. Many who grow up being religious turn to something else. It happens. Family and friends might turn their backs to those who do not believe anymore, that in my honest opinion is terribly wrong, but you know what? What can I do? Whack them with a stick? If they want to expel a family member because of what they are or how they thing, that it’s their issue.
This entire Vs’ battle is so black and white. Evidently there is no room for a grey scale. I’d like to think there is. Another interesting quote I see rather a lot!
“Those jerks go around the world converting people! We have to do the same and save them from themselves”
This is a perfect example of what I would like to call “hypocritical statement”.
Yes, many religious people do intend to convert people, but instead of being offended, how about say “I am sorry, but I am simply happy where I am. Thanks for caring about me enough for trying.” Both sides are always nagging about being offended! “Oh, he prays for me, I am so offended!” “he wants me to focus on removing god from my life! I am so offended!”
Btw if you are going to “Save” people, then the best way isn’t to go “Ha Ha! You’re retarded! Now believe what I believe!” You do this with debating calmly with respect. People tend to not listen to jerks. I wouldn’t even consider a persons opinion if they pointed at me calling me an idiot. Jerks might be right but who’d want to associate with jerks? You present an idea with respect, just like you’d like to be treated. Just because someone thinks differently it doesn’t mean that they are closed to alternative suggestions.
“Would you like to know what I believe?” “No” “Alrighty then”
“Would you like to know what I believe?” “Ok” “Alrighty then”
One simple question can make a difference.
Instead of this! “You are an idiot who do not know sh”t! Now here I will tell you how to live your life and if you don’t then you are a retard that rapes dolpins HAHAHA…bloody idiot”
How about we play nicely?
I say they are both children in a sandbox fighting about who is going to destroy the sandcastle first. It all reminds me about what a kangaroo once said “If I cant see it, feel it or touch it, It doesn’t exists!”. Interestingly enough I was watching a study about choice, how choice effects us. How we struggle with the choices we make every day. People today are simply to busy to think for themselves. When we are young, we tend to be more creative. We can imagine the impossible and make it seem probable, it makes sense to us. The older we get, the less creative we are, because we are educated. We are supposed to be smarter, better, but not necessarily more creative.
There are many examples of science what was once considered magic. That at that time did not have a logic explanation. That caused fear of the un-known. I believe that in creativity and imagination are just the next step in making discoveries. Each day we create an instrument to measure something that wasn’t there before. It didn’t exist. All of a sudden, it does. How about all those people mocked and laughed at, who suffered great ridicule and called delusional because of this? If someone tells me something is impossible, I tell them that I do not like that word. It might be a while before it is possible, but we’ve learned that nothing is impossible. With some human ingenuity and creativity, we can accomplish anything. Maybe if we are lucky, mutual respect and decency!
In a perfect world, we’d have mutual respect for each others believes. I am sick of people calling each other stupid because of the choices we make in life. Studies show that we are scared of making these hard choices because of what other people will think or say!
Both atheists and religious people face the same struggle. I cannot go and visit certain websites without being put in a group of people who “forcefully convert non believers” and being called stupid is certainly not a rarity. Evidently just because I believe in god, I shouldn’t be interested in science and the progress of humanity. I love science! I want to see us travel among the stars, exploring new life, finding new worlds. I am a great fan of Carl Saga! I guess that everyone wants to be a victim, find a group and through that, commence the same type of harassment they themselves have been “victims” of. I am usually not this verbal about my believes, if you scour my blog you will see this is my first reference to anything of the sort. At this time I just wanted to make an exception to let the world know how I felt about all this. I have church going friends who know I do not attend church, I haven’t been harassed or looked down upon. Yes I’ve known atheist who were not accepted by their families, it’s their families loss in my opinion. I like variations in humans. Various ideas, concepts, strange, irregular makes life worth exploring. Without new ideas and strange thoughts to challenge us, we wouldn’t really get anywhere would we?
“I believe what you believe”
“Oh great, carry on then!”
“I AM FULLY BLOODY MAD!”
“Yay! Life got a little bit more interesting!”
I believe in God. I believe that my relationship with him is private and I made my choice after being exposed to all alternatives. This is the path I’ve chosen and it works for me, why can’t others not accept that? I accept their choices. I definitively do not call them stupid for it. My husband is an atheist and we’ve discussed all types of religions, believes etc. Never once did he refer to me as delusional, stupid or anything of that matter. Neither did I ever try to convert him. He has every right to believe what he believes, as do I.
If two people with different belief system can love each other, laugh together and eventually grow old and die together, why can’t everyone else do this? This is not science, nor religion. This is common decency! I am not responsible for what certain people do within a church, or any religious agenda maintained by another group. I have my own faith and follow my own path. Thinking for myself and what I would like to achieve in my lifespan. Just like I am sure that a lot of atheist are not responsible for what certain people do in the name of atheism.
Also, the way I was brought up was that even if a bully does something bad, you do not do the same thing back to the bully. Because if you do, you are the same as the bully. I am not better then you and you are not better then me. I will love you no matter what you believe. (not physically though)
Maybe one day you’ll learn to love me, both sides of me.
(A full fledged, delusional, mentally retarded christian)
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