Atheist parents!

There are two things in the world that I can't stand. There are the people who mess up the there/their/they're words, And then there's the religious nutbars. Lordsword, I'm talking to you.

I really don't care if you subscribe to some book for your life. That's your choice. Just don't tell me that my choice is wrong, because we are all people, too. I hang out with religious people and we have quite the community. I see all this stuff, and being an atheist I shrug and go celebrate Christmas and Easter and I hang at church with my friends. Why? Because I respect the life choices that they have made, just like I support gay and lesbian types. You might say I'm less atheist than apathetic.

I could go around and tear down every sign of Jesus and God that I see. I could run into a church and yell, "You idiots are wasting your lives!" But I don't. I have respect for the people who are out there, and I understand my friends are happier with God in their lives.

What I have seen in this thread is a person who is the true reversal of what I know a Christian as: someone who doesn't love everybody. Why can't you accept the fact that other people find the world more acceptable without a big happy man in the sky?

You ask why we don't treat you the way we want to be treated. Well, now I ask you the same thing, and accept the fact perhaps your lens is a little tinted at the moment, and that there is nothing psychologically wrong with atheist people. I think perhaps in your case, it's the other way around.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by RainMan

Unless I am missing something, I am pretty sure Divest was being sarcastic...

I think quality people are quality people, regardless of spiritual beliefs.

1) Read the entire post much? That's kind of the point of my entire post.

2) Read the section where I referenced the fact that I was talking to Lordsword?

3) He's banned. 'Bout time.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by RainMan

1) If your entire post was clear to begin with, why did you feel the need to go back and edit the information in after I had replied? It wasn't clear but now it is. I am not getting on your case, I am just double-checking as I wasn't quite so sure.

2) Yes but you shouldn't have referenced Divests post as the focal point if you were purely referring to LordSword without mentioning you agreed with Divests post. It was confusing. I am just saying.

I agree with pretty much everything you said.

I changed it because, while I was irritated, I realized that if it happened once, it will happen again. I'll probably just take his quote out entirely.

Not banned? That's a shame. Still, this conversation's probably the most interesting this happening on this board, so I might as well stick around.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by neus

Dear pissweak individuals of this thread,

There is no middle road.

You sound like you'd be a kickass teacher or boss, but as a parent, life must be hell.

There is no middle road? What? Religion is not a political preference or even choosing between the black and white evil definitions that much of America might believe in. Religion is a perspective on the world and how they interact with it. Some people want a view on life where they need a supernatural explaination for the things out of their control, or the things they don't understand. Sure, that's fine.

I'm an athiest. I believe that Jesus existed, and I think that he had good stuff to teach. I'm actually pretty pumped that there are millions of people that try to be like Jesus, because he was a good man who had good things to say; his lessons are worth hearing and living by. But do I think he is the son of God? No. That doesn't mean that I have to swear off everything in the Bible.

There is a middle road here. It's the athiests like this that swear off religion completely that annoy the crap out of me as well, because they've become no better than the religion that they left earlier. I have come to terms with the fact that I live in a Christian country, and that I am a minority. I attend church with my family and I celebrate Christmas, because it makes them happy and mkaes the community stronger.

I can see you as people who rip down Christmas trees because, oh fuck, there's religion in my secular life. Oh, no. Get over yourself and realize that other people exist as well, and each has their own perspective.

I pity your kids.

How ya doing, buddy?

First off, the raising kids debate I find is a little...pointless. If you've raised a child to be a smart person who, when asked, can identify their religion and why they believe it, then you've done well. If the child fits in with Christian mindsets, good for him. If not, good for him too.

As for what I personally think of religion for a religious perspective (as FallDragon and Traveller pointed out in very reasonable posts) I find religion to be a way for many people to fill in the gaps. There's a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense, and for some people, it really is essential to their state of mind to think that karma is the hand of a big smiling man in the sky pushing the good forward.

FallDragon, I don't swear off religion, but most of it I do. It's enough for me to say, "No God," and never even waste my brain cells thinking about it. I'm not opposed to it, it's just there. But what it represents is the more important focus, because personally for me, I've seen some of the greatest acts of kindness done through religion. If that person handed me my fallen wallet because he thought it would get him into Heaven, it's not me to think if that's right or not.

Is the world better off? Maybe. Do I care? Not really. Only when I see people slamming either side do I actually step in (A.K.A. this thread). Otherwise, it's just a part of life.

P.S. Arainach: Big words scare me.

I was speaking idiomatically.