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Lol I just realized the title of this thread probably makes you think at first glance its another condescending thread to atheists/agnostics by some religious person but I'm sure some of you have come to know me by now as being atheist by my regular posts:P
Anyhow I was wondering if it scared any of you on here that regularly read through the forums here specifically the religious ones on how fanatical some of the religious folk are on here? Maybe its relatively new to me because I never grew up with religion around me and my only exposure was to some other family members like going to a wedding in a Church or a communion but religion was never pushed on me.
There's quite a few religious posters on here who seem so blinded by their faith, its so easy to see why the Crusades happened, all the fighting in the current day Middle East, seeing how infamous religious fanatics like David Koresh and the Heavens gate group can occur.
I dunno...I'm just honestly freaked out a bit at times when I read some of these posts by religious people on here.
I'm sometimes annoyed by such people, but never scared by them. The Internet attracts fanatics of all kinds, both religious and secular. Fortunately, most theists are reasonable people.
I'm an atheist, but to tell you the truth, aggressive atheists sometimes scare me. The scary thing about some of them is that they seem determined to eliminate religion from society. While I have no problem with that idea in theory, in actuality it's a scary prospect.
When I consider the dominant trends in our society, it becomes very clear that what would most likely replace religion if it were to disappear would be something worse, not better.
The situation reminds me of one of Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry movies. I don't remember the name of the film, but it's the one in which the police chief and some of the officers start murdering criminals whom the courts have acquitted on technicalities. The chief tries to bring Harry over to his side, pointing out that Harry is himself very critical of the system. Harry tells him, "I hate the damn system, but until someone comes up with something better, I'll stick with it."
There are fanatics in every walk of life, including Atheists. I suppose I was too for awhile and then I found a balance. You have to because people that believe in some form of a god out number us......for now I also got lucky because my partner is also an Atheist, we met and fell in love online, and neither of us knew or even said anything about being Atheists. It wasn't as if we hide it from each other, I'm quite vocal about my beliefs. My partner's ex-boss once sent her something about those that don't believe die earlier then those that do
I then reminded her of the series reporter Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times wrote about a christian family with a 12 year old girl named Gloria with cancer. How they truly believed that god was going to save their child, and how sad that was. She ended up dying anyway, and then they were able to explain it away as god wanting their child with him. It doesn't scare me, but it sure saddens me. Religious people have no answers when presented with these facts of life.
What freaks me out is that these people aren't only on forums. They're in the news, in the schools, in our GOVERNMENT, trying to add people to their cults any way that they can. It disgusts me that they can't simply accept that all people have different beliefs and should be given the same choice to practice religion or not.
Thankfully most of the religious people I've personally encountered have not been of the bat$hit insane variety that let themselves be heard on the internet. I'd really like to think that the extremists are a minority.
After all, don't most religions practice respect and equality among men?
I'm sometimes annoyed by such people, but never scared by them. The Internet attracts fanatics of all kinds, both religious and secular. Fortunately, most theists are reasonable people.
I'm an atheist, but to tell you the truth, aggressive atheists sometimes scare me. The scary thing about some of them is that they seem determined to eliminate religion from society. While I have no problem with that idea in theory, in actuality it's a scary prospect.
When I consider the dominant trends in our society, it becomes very clear that what would most likely replace religion if it were to disappear would be something worse, not better.
The situation reminds me of one of Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry movies. I don't remember the name of the film, but it's the one in which the police chief and some of the officers start murdering criminals whom the courts have acquitted on technicalities. The chief tries to bring Harry over to his side, pointing out that Harry is himself very critical of the system. Harry tells him, "I hate the damn system, but until someone comes up with something better, I'll stick with it."
I think there is something better. But the only way it would work is for the people to want it - it can't be forced on them.
It would be a rational, logical and evidence - based worldview. Bigotry, war, selfishness - individual and collective - and superstition would be seen as anti - social and counter - productive.
Also, it is a sad fact that more evil and violence has been done, and continues to be done, in the name of God and religion than for any other reason.
I agree with both you and Mooseketeer. I am an American Christian but I know that the Christians' goal is to spread the Word - not to hammer it into your head. It is my job to let you know the truth as I believe it. If you accept it and want to know more, that is great, but I am not supposed to hate you if you reject it, and I do not. Some atheists seem to hate people like me - not saying you do - and this is not a problem for me.
Romans 14 speaks about letting every man be persuaded in his own mind how he will observe the day...
Also, I do prescibe to many of the tenents of science because many of them are obviously fact and, to me, go to show me the way of God's works. If you or anyone else does not see it that way, that is fine. I have no mis-givings toward you.
Charles
Last edited by cpsTN; 05-31-2010 at 09:25 AM..
Reason: grammer correction
I think there is something better. But the only way it would work is for the people to want it - it can't be forced on them.
It would be a rational, logical and evidence - based worldview. Bigotry, war, selfishness - individual and collective - and superstition would be seen as anti - social and counter - productive.
Based on the actions of the religious today, controlled like puppets by the extremists of their ilk, today I see the future of the planet is in jeopardy. Where are the majority of the moderate religious people. They are silent, yet when some fool runs for office as a "born again" believer, they flock to the polls to put the fool in control. This fool then starts 2 wars, bankrupts the country, takes big steps toward turning this country into a police state, and where are these moderate believers. I don't know, I haven't heard a peep out of them. Guess that is why they are so often described as the "flock" nothing but sheep.
Here is a hint to any moderate believer, the extremists you see as one of your fold, are even more of a danger to you than others, because you don't even recognize the fact they are a danger.
It definitely scares me!!! I know that my beliefs (or lack there of) are as impossible for them to fathom as their beliefs are to me - but they still scare the crap out of me! As cpsTN said - it's the goal of Christians to spread the word - not hammer it into our heads. As innocuous as that may seem - that also scares me. It kind of goes to the root of it all. Christians believe that theirs is the only way and that they need to spread the word to save all of us from going to hell! They don't understand that their beliefs have absolutely no sway over me - have nothing to do with my life or how I live my life. But it is impossible for them to understand. It's not just the religious fanatics that scare me (although I have severel of them in my family and it drives me crazy). I just wish that people could understand that our beliefs, our faith (or lack there of), are personal. They come from within. Please don't try to change me or save me!
Westboro Baptist Church. These people are despicable vile humans and the Law is on their side.
They are despicable and beyond vile, but they aren't scary as everyone recognizes they are just hateful ignorant bigots; impotent and powerless fools, and they will never have any influence on anything.
The fact that huge crowds flock to support the idiot from Wallisa, and even suggest she is qualified to be president and through that give her influence, now that is really scary.
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I also got lucky because my partner is also an Atheist, we met and fell in love online, and neither of us knew or even said anything about being Atheists. It wasn't as if we hide it from each other, I'm quite vocal about my beliefs. My partner's ex-boss once sent her something about those that don't believe die earlier then those that do 
