You are not better because you lack religion!

originally posted by: MrsNonSpecific
a reply to: undo

I had the same thing but in the opposite direction. Most of my friends became more deeply involved in their christian faith, and i haven't really heard from them.

Their faith might have been a factor, as everything I said, unintentionally, might have got them the wrong way, and our lives moved in opposite directions, as it can naturally do anyway.

I did think they were judging me a little bit though, especially about my views on sex and relationships.

it was not a case of either/or for me, it was the same problem from both sides. in other words, both religious and non-religious people started to treat me badly. it was exceedingly emotionally and mentally abusive. if you watch the video series i've provided in the thread, you'll understand that it created a highly stressful environment for me, leading me to develop r strategy behaviors which were in direct conflict with K strategy teachings otherwise present in new testament scripture (such as monogamy and loyalty). i mean, almost the moment you become a christian, depending on whether you did so because you really wanted to develop your spiritual muscle, vs. whether you just saw it as a social convenience, your life becomes a freakin maze of cognitive dissonance.

originally posted by: undo
i mean, almost the moment you become a christian, depending on whether you did so because you really wanted to develop your spiritual muscle, vs. whether you just saw it as a social convenience, your life becomes a freakin maze of cognitive dissonance.

Well, if you choose to believe in unverifiable things that should be expected.
I've received plenty of abuse over the years from people of faith because I think such beliefs are ridiculous, so what.

The best one is when people actually expect me to 'respect their beliefs' when belief in itself does not merit any particular respect.
I'll respect your right to hold a belief, as you must respect my right to ridicule it if I wish.

a reply to: grainofsand

in both cases, people are assuming they understand your destiny, your thoughts, your experiences, randomly generated or otherwise. my experience has been that nobody but you knows or will ever know, the answer to any of those questions. as a result, both sides are in error because they assume to know what is unknowable. since experience can be both falsified and proven, and oftentimes is retrospectively shared, without direct personal observation (and given that you personally are willing to believe your own experience if it disagrees with preconceived notions) it'll never be proven. for example, you know what you ate yesterday, but you can't prove it to anyone else, as it wasn't their personal experience. that's the whole problem in a nutshell.

what you do when you criticize people for religion or the lack thereof, is create a highly stressful environment, designed to lead the person to make changes. this typically is called ostracization, and it's designed to either create a r selected individual or a K selected individual. it's a freakin mess.

a reply to: undo

Nope, I just don't believe in unverifiable sky-gods.
I don't assert that they do not exist just that there is a complete lack of verifiable evidence to support such claims so I do not believe, and all religions are equally lacking any evidence, from Abrahamic to Zoroastrianism and everything in between.

My position requires no faith, and I am open to become a believer if there were ever some evidence to support such faith based claims.
There is not though, so I find it amusing and quite illogical.

The victim Christian card is lame in the Western world though, just mostly butt-hurt people who whine that people such as myself don't show the respect that they imagine their particular belief deserves.
Belief and faith does not merit any particular respect any more or less than my lack of faith does.

This rant brought to you by feelings.
Only yours are special.

So many people that don't have a religion or belief in God spend a lot of time worrying about those that do. I feel sorry for those of you that are religious in today's climate of persecution and oppression.

originally posted by: Metallicus
I feel sorry for those of you that are religious in today's climate of persecution and oppression.

I think you mean lack of kowtowing as opposed to actual persecution. ROFLMAO

a reply to: grainofsand

Nope, I just don't believe in unverifiable sky-gods.

How do you know that is what religious people believe in? It makes a better narrative for you to frame it that way, but it doesn't make you any more right than religious people.

EVERYONE has the right to their own spiritual beliefs even if they are none.

originally posted by: Lysergic

originally posted by: Metallicus
I feel sorry for those of you that are religious in today's climate of persecution and oppression.

I think you mean lack of kowtowing as opposed to actual persecution. ROFLMAO

No, I meant what I said. Please don't be rude.

originally posted by: Metallicus
So many people that don't have a religion or belief in God spend a lot of time worrying about those that do. I feel sorry for those of you that are religious in today's climate of persecution and oppression.

Behave with the persecution and oppression line, maybe in bacward nations but in the Western world? Really?

I've commented here because I found the topic amusing, no 'worrying' about those with faith on my part, just personal entertainment because I think the whining is so ridiculous.

originally posted by: grainofsand
a reply to: undo

Nope, I just don't believe in unverifiable sky-gods.
I don't assert that they do not exist just that there is a complete lack of verifiable evidence to support such claims so I do not believe, and all religions are equally lacking any evidence, from Abrahamic to Zoroastrianism and everything in between.

My position requires no faith, and I am open to become a believer if there were ever some evidence to support such faith based claims.
There is not though, so I find it amusing and quite illogical.

The victim Christian card is lame in the Western world though, just mostly butt-hurt people who whine that people such as myself don't show the respect that they imagine their particular belief deserves.
Belief and faith does not merit any particular respect any more or less than my lack of faith does.

well my personal view is that you are personally responsible to yourself, spiritually speaking. that you are, shall we say, quantumly-entangled with your higher self, which exists interdimensonally and without time limitations, and it is this phenomena which leads people to have spiritual experiences that are so personally fine-tuned that they attribute it to "other", when it's actually just the other "you". i mean who knows better than you, what you've experienced? nobody.

a reply to: Klassified

I'm not entirely sure how or to what degree a religion can be held separate from its following. If you look at the Bible itself, you'll often find things that would shock the Christians who never bothered to read it. From what I've read of the Bible, I'd say it doesn't demand everyone profess faith in Christ lest they burn in Hell for all eternity. It's true some sects read it differently than I do. In some cases I'd say they're ignoring the Bible almost entirely and creating a false form of Christianity. So if the book doesn't clearly and unambiguously demand arrogance from its followers, should you criticize the religion itself, or the followers who practice arrogance in the name of their religion?

Furthermore, if I were to say Mexico is a sorry country and the world would be a better place without it, do you think I would offend any Mexicans? Does that come off as bigoted? Could I say I'm not criticizing the people, only the country? I'm sure countries and religions can be criticized with integrity; but when done sloppily it conveys the arrogance, entitlement, and elitism that you accuse the religious of. I agree with the OP that such criticism is common and growing.

a reply to: Metallicus

If a lack of kowtowing is rude, then so I be.

originally posted by: Metallicus
a reply to: grainofsand

Nope, I just don't believe in unverifiable sky-gods.

How do you know that is what religious people believe in? It makes a better narrative for you to frame it that way, but it doesn't make you any more right than religious people.

EVERYONE has the right to their own spiritual beliefs even if they are none.

I've already stated that I support anyones right to a belief, so you are preaching to the wrong man.
I am just ridiculing any position which is solely faith based.
Faith does not merit any respect from me or anyone else.

originally posted by: Lysergic
a reply to: Metallicus

If a lack of kowtowing is rude, then so I be.

Telling me what I meant to say is rude. Please don't be obtuse.

Just cause you don't believe in God doesn't mean he doesn't believe in you.

That's the great thing about religion IMO.

Or at least my version of it. The one i prefer to subscribe to.

Religion is something to live up to. Not be ruled by.

originally posted by: Metallicus
So many people that don't have a religion or belief in God spend a lot of time worrying about those that do. I feel sorry for those of you that are religious in today's climate of persecution and oppression.

So many people that have a religion or belief in God spend a lot of time worrying about those that don't. I feel sorry for those of you that are non-religious in today's climate of persecution and oppression.

Works both ways, M.

a reply to: grainofsand

faith in yourself and your eternal value is the real question, in my estimation. for example, the last book in the bible proclaims that hell is the grave. so if you choose not believe that you have an eternal body with eternal value, you simply die and cease to exist - you condemn yourself to the nothing. no one else but you, can do that. you are the final arbiter on whether you will continue or not continue as a book of collected life experiences. if you choose not to continue your story, your higher eternal self will still continue without your life experiences in its library, as it were, since it's the eternal part of you, whereas the temporary sojourner known as you at this moment (whatever your name may be), will just erase itself from existence.

if your "software" (physical storage device known as brain), infects itself with a virus and self-destructs, it doesn't stop the eternal part of you from existing. just removes the decades of your life story from the book shelf.

a reply to: undo

What, are you trying to convert me or something now? lol
I'm making no attempt to change your blind faith in unverifiable concepts, I'm just sharing my thoughts that I think it is ridiculous.

I don't believe in souls either due again to the complete lack of evidence.
For all anyone actually knows I'll just end up as worm food when I die, that's cool with me, I'll be dead and there is no evidence that it will cause me any further problems.

You have faith, no more, no less.
My position requires no faith at all, but you don't see me whining that nobody respects my lack of faith.

a reply to: Metallicus

appy polly loggies