Ah, again that's pretty freakin' cool and I hope the best for you and your gods. - - Auto Merge - - I grew up with the idea of serving a mission put into my head. I am not part of that faith anymore fortunately for me. Now the people who believe in missionary work and faiths surrounding it do not see this as an intrusion in any way shape or form. They believe that young men are sent by wherever god wants them to go and they carry out what they believe is his work. They honestly think that it is their gods will to go out in the world and teach people about their faith.
Father Cullpepper, who used to preach at my mom's church, called evangelism "The E Word" because it was his feeling that if someone wants to hear what you have to say, they wil come to you. If they don't, you shouldn't force them to hear it. I agree with that.
Just out of curiosity, what part of Georgia are you from? I imagine there are non-christians in Atlanta at the very least. I live in a VERY rural part of North Carolina and there are a few non-christians around here, including me, but they generally don't advertise themselves. Just because you don't know about them, that doesn't mean they aren't there, they just might not want to be bothered. Nothing wrong with that.
I just want to say that I've grown up around people who were Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and non-religious folk. However, if you haven't grown up in such a mixed bag of a religious population, I strongly suggest you travel more. It was really eye-opening for me, and I already knew those people existed. Travel outside your country; go to another continent. It's the best thing you can do, really.
To start I am a Christian. I do not trust anyone who tries to insult other religious views or shows any form of intolerance (I have seen several with that same view here already.) Lately, I have been getting in fights with lots of atheists, is it because they are atheists? No, its because they act as though they have used science to achieve a new form of enlightenment. In these fights I have come to realize a few things. 1. Everyone has a religious view and type of religion. You may deny it all you want but that is like me running around saying I don't breath because its over-rated, in both cases the only way for that to be true is if I was already dead. 2. Every religion (except for the religion of nothing which is that the world is here for no reason, we have no reason to be here, and we die) have the exact same views (this is pointed at you atheists out there mainly.) We all have a leader of role model whether it be the christian god, the buddah(who is not a god just to clarify) or hell even Zeus, even the atheists have "science." 3. Every religion has a creation story, from the big bang to the 7 days of creation, we all have our story. 4. We all practice aspects of our views. Christians have the ten commandments and the "fishers of men" statement, atheists are trying to convince everyone religion is wrong(some might not but the majority do) and I'm sorry other religions I honestly don't know what you do, except for you Islamic bombers (that is a joke, please take it as one.) In the end, I see us as all equals, we are all humans trying to make sense of life and our only real argument is what we are supposed to call everything.
You say all people are religious, and while that works sometimes, it is so only because all people have some sort of world view. Because of the many definitions of "religious" and what it means in different situations, that isn't always true. We need to clarify: all people have world views, but not all world views are spiritual in nature. As for respecting all religions, would you respect a religion whose mandate was to sacrifice one thousand unwilling humans a day? Not all religions should be respected.
For instance, I don't have a religion, and claiming that I do but just don't want to admit it is naive and arrogant of you. People don't work that way - not all of us need a religion.
Everyone DOES have a religious view, having no religion is having a religious view. Everything is also religious in some way, all of you seem to overlook the fact that religion DOES NOT MEAN spiritual. There is an actual reason I made those points in my post. Saying "we don't need a religion" is basically saying we don't think. Religion is a thought process and is much more of a passive thing then you might think. The only real argument to "I don't have a religion" is someone who is brain dead and then I'm not sure whats going on up there. A religion only needs a few things, a theory on 1. WHY we're here 2. HOW we got here and 3. WHERE we go when its done.
I was raised Methodist, but even at an early age, I had alot of issues with religion and the ethics behind it- my main issue being Christianity because that's what I was raised around. My Mother and Grandmother are both well educated and supported education and questioning beliefs. My Mother is well educated in anthropology and world religions, so I was exposed to many different beliefs. My Mother used to read stories from many ancient beliefs for bedtime stories, the bible included. But just like the mythology I was read as a kid, I didn’t put much credence in the bible as a source of morality. I was very chronically ill as a child and he visited me often and we were good friends. He was a wonderful man who grew up on the Congo. He used to tell me stories from his home and he was very mystical and liberal with his beliefs. He was one of the few people who was completely accepting of my dyed hair and piercings. He used to tell me he could see spirits all around me and guiding me. When I got older, I told him I didn’t believe in god anymore but I’d been pretending to believe so people wouldn’t be angry with me. He told me that being an atheist and a good person was better than being a liar. We still maintained our friendship and I went to services so I could spend time with him. My belief in gods probably extends about as far as believing that gods are aliens beings and not deities. We would seem like gods with our technology to our ancient ancestors. I was going to get a Ph.D in Theology, but I got so tired of having to argue all the time I decided to take a less stressful route and focus on Astronomy instead. I still enjoy reading lots of mythology and I consider my study of religions to fall into that category. I especially have a fascination with mythical creatures- like angels (but not the little sissy variety you see in the robes. I talking the proper type you read about that are like winged ninjas). <--Winged ninja I don’t care what people believe in, even if it is ridiculous. But I do care if it takes peoples freedom away and their ability to make decision and be themselves (or even discover themselves in some cases). I’m more like Fluttershy, don’t bother me, just leave me alone in my cottage with my animals and I won’t bother you and tell you off. I was bullied badly in High School for being an atheist, so I tend to get prickly when people start pushing religion on me or others but I certainly won't force my beliefs on you. - - Auto Merge - - THAT is awesome! - - Auto Merge - - I totally dig that and if anyone tells you that's stupid, just say. Since I got so much trouble for having Atheist on my hospital forms and getting scoffed at and even people attempting to convert me right then and there. I now have it written on my forms that I'm a Whovian. Most people around here don't know what that means, so they give up on converting me and now when they see the religion of Whovian listed on my forms at the clinic, I either get a chuckle, or the religious folks ignore me. Same thing happens when I get preachers and missionaries dropping by my house or stopping me in the street (which is often here) and I just tell them 'No, I'm Whovian' and they leave me be.
No. You don't get to decide whether I have a religion or not. Calling me braindead does not give you the right to do so either. It may be hard to understand for a person who follows a religion itself to understand, but some of us don't fit into your lifestyle. I don't have any theories on two of those points anyway, not that your definition of religion is correct. Please, don't assert your worldviews onto me so rudely.
I agree with you. I'm an Agnostic. I'm in between atheism and christianity. I don't impose on people. I believe god created the universe. That's all.
Atheism is not an "Ism": When people talk about "isms," they are referring to some "distinctive doctrine, theory, system, or practice" like liberalism, communism, conservatism, or pacifism. Atheism has the suffix "ism," so it belongs in this group, right? Wrong: the suffix "ism" also means a "state, condition, attribute, or quality" like pauperism, astigmatism, heroism, anachronism, or metabolism. Is astigmatism a theory? Is metabolism a doctrine? Is anachronism a practice? Not every word that ends in "ism" is a system of beliefs or an "ism" in the way people usually mean it. Failure to realize this can be behind other errors here. Atheism is Not a Religion: Many Christians seem to believe that atheism is a religion, but no one with an accurate understanding of both concepts would make such a mistake. Atheism lacks every one of the characteristics of religion. At most, atheism doesn’t explicitly exclude most of them, but the same can be said for almost anything. Thus, it’s not possible to call atheism a religion. It can be part of a religion, but it can’t be a religion by itself. They are completely different categories: atheism is the absence of one particular belief while religion is a complex web of traditions and beliefs. Atheism is Not a Religion... Atheism is Not a Philosophy: A person's philosophy is their "system of principles for guidance in practical affairs." Like ideology, a philosophy comprises of two key elements: it must be a group of beliefs and it must provide guidance. Atheism is not a philosophy for the same reason that it is not an ideology: it's not even a single belief, much less a system of interconnected beliefs, and by itself atheism does not guide anyone anywhere. The same would be true if we defined atheism narrowly as denial of the existence of gods: that single belief is not a system of principles. As with ideology, atheism can be part of a philosophy. Atheism is Not a Belief System: A belief system is a "faith based on a series of beliefs but not formalized into a religion; also, a fixed coherent set of beliefs prevalent in a community or society." This is simpler than an ideology or philosophy because it's just a group of beliefs; they don't have to be interconnected and they don't have to provide guidance. This still doesn't describe atheism; even if we narrowed atheism to denying the existence of gods, that's still just one belief and a single belief is not a set of beliefs. Theism is also a single belief that is not a belief system. Both theism and atheism are part of belief systems, though. Atheism is Not a Creed: A creed is a "system, doctrine, or formula of religious belief, as of a denomination" or "any system or codification of belief or of opinion." Atheism is not a creed in the first sense for the same reasons it's not an ideology or philosophy, with the additional factor that that it has nothing inherently to do with religious belief. There are no atheist "denominations" and even narrowly defined it is not a religious formula. Atheism might appear as part of someone's creed in the second sense because a person might codify their positions, including atheism. Otherwise, though, atheism has nothing to do with creeds. Atheism is Not a World View: A world view is a "a comprehensive conception or image of the universe and of humanity's relation to it." This comes a little bit closer to atheism than anything thus far. Although atheism by itself does not offer any guidance on how to conceive of the universe and humanity's relation to it, it does exclude certain options — namely, those centered around some god. Excluding certain types of world views as options does not, however, qualify as a world view itself; at most, it might be part of a world view. Atheism is certainly not comprehensive in anything it might have to say, not even if defined narrowly. That is not religion, that's the thought process and rough draft for a fanfic. This is the definition of religion used here. It describes religious systems but not non-religious systems. It encompasses the features common in belief systems generally acknowledged as religions without focusing on specific characteristics unique to just a few. Belief in something sacred (for example, gods or other supernatural beings). A distinction between sacred and profane objects. Ritual acts focused on sacred objects. A moral code believed to have a sacred or supernatural basis. Characteristically religious feelings (awe, sense of mystery, sense of guilt, adoration), which tend to be aroused in the presence of sacred objects and during the practice of ritual. Prayer and other forms of communication with the supernatural. A world view, or a general picture of the world as a whole and the place of the individual therein. This picture contains some specification of an over-all purpose or point of the world and an indication of how the individual fits into it. A more or less total organization of one’s life based on the world view. A social group bound together by the above. Some of these characteristics are more important than others, but none is so important that it alone can make a religion. If atheism lacked one or two of these characteristics, then it would be a religion. If lacked five or six, then it might qualify as metaphorically religious, in the sense of how people follow baseball religiously. The truth is that atheism lacks every one of these characteristics of religion. At most, atheism doesn't explicitly exclude most of them, but the same can be said for almost anything. Thus, it's not possible to call atheism a religion. It can be part of a religion, but it can't be a religion by itself. They are completely different categories: atheism is the absence of one particular belief while religion is a complex web of traditions and beliefs. They aren't even remotely comparable. You know nothing of religion and it really shows. I've always said I was Pastafarian. Have you been touched by his noodly appendage?
I agree with malak. I've tried to put together a church of metal where the congregation doesn't worship anything but believes in the message that metal can teach us which wouldn't have covered any of these things and if I had followed the standards that the IRS has set then I could have done it it's just a lot of work. As ridiculous as that sounds it can still be legitimate. As for the why we're here, religion doesn't need that message but usually provides it. As Asatruar in my readings I have yet to come across a reason as to why we've been placed here on earth but we have a goal that we can strive for as men if we so choose.
You make good points, but they are actually flawed, just because you refuse to accept you are apart of a religion does not make atheism any less of a religion. I have done plenty of study into this and have come to this conclusion. It is not your choice to breath, your body makes you in the same way that you will always be apart of religion. I refuse to debate this because it has been a known fact for many many years and the people that choose to debate it are just WANTING to be different then every other human. Basically, you were born into it and now you want to be an alien just because it is different. This is my problem with humanity, everyone HAS to be different. Everyone HAS to have a choice at ALL times. Everyone HAS to have control. This might come as a shocker to you guys but YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE. You are human, thus, you have a religion. Again, this is not up for debate with me, it is simply an ignorant argument made by those who wish to be different from everyone else. End of story. PS: If it is important for me to actually refute your argument, I'd have to just leave you both with this. You quite literally have 0 understanding of what any of those terms mean. For one you say you have nothing sacred, yet you swear by scientific study. That's 1 already shot down and that's all I needed to prove you wrong. For 2 you make an argument that are religion needs ritual acts. Considering atheists do scientific tests consistently that is considered ritual study. I could do this all day but I won't. You make the mistake of 1. Definition of a religion. and 2. Definition of what you said a religion had. Just because you say "this is not a ritual" doesn't make you right, it just makes an ignorant statement.
To be a part of a religion is a choice made through will. You seem to be making some terms up in an attempt to win an argument. Why don't you explain this to me a little better? How are we born into religion?
First off: Do not impose your opinion as fact. Nobody likes that. Second of all, if someone says that they are non-religious, respect that opinion and back away. Third of all: Birdie
It might not be a good idea to approach a thread like this with the attitude of "I'm right and there's no arguing with it." Just saying. :I
