exchemist
Veteran Member
I can understand very well your point of view. It is not very dissimilar to my own.
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Got a question on my mind about atheists and christians
- Thread starter Frank Goad
- Start date
wellwisher
Well-Known Member
Christianity became the official religion of Rome in the 4th century. The prestige and status as the official religion of Rome, was given as a reward to the Christian soldiers who fought for Rome. They were the best soldiers of the empire, highly skilled and unafraid of death. Rome hoped this religion would rub off on the rest of the empire, to assure Rome's survival.
This merger changed both Christianity and Rome, with the combined State-Church becoming a hybrid of both; render onto Caesar what was Caesar's and render onto God what was God's. The New Roman Catholic Church became a paradox of opposites; turn the other cheek, and then kick butt and conquer. Faith was now supported by secular technology and science. Blessed are the poor while accumulating vast wealth. Christianity and Atheism even existed together, with godless decisions often made in high places. This altered the original Christianity for the needs of the secular empire. Rome declined in terms of the original empire but remained alive as the hybrid.
This hybrid lasted for about 1000 years, until about the 14th century and the Age of Exploration. This is when the Western nations, under the central Roman Catholic Church, began to expand and explore the world at large for trade and territory. This began a process, similar to a cell cycle where the mother cell was preparing so she could split into two daughter cells.
The result was first a division in the Catholic Church, followed by cultural divisions along the lines of pre merger Christianity and pre merger Rome. The Age of enlightenment appears. The old Roman installed monarchies began to fall. The Nazis took the Roman side of the split to the extreme. The battle between atheism and religion is a continuing part of this splitting process. One can even see the cell division process in politics; the atheist heathen Left; Roman Globalism, and the more passive Christian right.
I personally like to maintain the merger of the two daughter cells within myself, even if they are opposites. This is the symbolism of suspension on the cross hanging between two thieves. One thief can understand, while the other thief cannot. It is faith that allows this odd state of suspension to sustain.
I was brought up as a Catholic, who after being confirmed at age 13, followed a science education and dabbled in other Christian sects and world religions including Pagan rituals. This caused me to became more agnostic, while the science education slanted me toward atheism. After graduation from college, I became a development person and as private development project, I performed unconscious mind experiments on myself to explore the collective unconscious firmware. It turned out that success in this research required both reason; sword, and faith; shield, since reason alone was not enough to deal with some of the scary 3-D and 4-D firmware affects that had no precedent in the literature. The sword and shield taught me how to stay in the middle, which now allows the best of both worlds. The suspension gives creative energy.
This merger changed both Christianity and Rome, with the combined State-Church becoming a hybrid of both; render onto Caesar what was Caesar's and render onto God what was God's. The New Roman Catholic Church became a paradox of opposites; turn the other cheek, and then kick butt and conquer. Faith was now supported by secular technology and science. Blessed are the poor while accumulating vast wealth. Christianity and Atheism even existed together, with godless decisions often made in high places. This altered the original Christianity for the needs of the secular empire. Rome declined in terms of the original empire but remained alive as the hybrid.
This hybrid lasted for about 1000 years, until about the 14th century and the Age of Exploration. This is when the Western nations, under the central Roman Catholic Church, began to expand and explore the world at large for trade and territory. This began a process, similar to a cell cycle where the mother cell was preparing so she could split into two daughter cells.
The result was first a division in the Catholic Church, followed by cultural divisions along the lines of pre merger Christianity and pre merger Rome. The Age of enlightenment appears. The old Roman installed monarchies began to fall. The Nazis took the Roman side of the split to the extreme. The battle between atheism and religion is a continuing part of this splitting process. One can even see the cell division process in politics; the atheist heathen Left; Roman Globalism, and the more passive Christian right.
I personally like to maintain the merger of the two daughter cells within myself, even if they are opposites. This is the symbolism of suspension on the cross hanging between two thieves. One thief can understand, while the other thief cannot. It is faith that allows this odd state of suspension to sustain.
I was brought up as a Catholic, who after being confirmed at age 13, followed a science education and dabbled in other Christian sects and world religions including Pagan rituals. This caused me to became more agnostic, while the science education slanted me toward atheism. After graduation from college, I became a development person and as private development project, I performed unconscious mind experiments on myself to explore the collective unconscious firmware. It turned out that success in this research required both reason; sword, and faith; shield, since reason alone was not enough to deal with some of the scary 3-D and 4-D firmware affects that had no precedent in the literature. The sword and shield taught me how to stay in the middle, which now allows the best of both worlds. The suspension gives creative energy.
I didn't expect two people to try to poke holes in a throwaway joke, but regardless...
We were talking about the case of one Christian member in a family of atheists. What would be rude is for that Christian to expect everyine to wait for them before eating.
If I have to get up from the table to use the bathroom, I don't say "all right - nobidy touch their food until I get back!" The same principle applies.
In any case, the point I was trying to make that has been lost is that even if the atheist family doesn't join in with the religious rituals, odds are that they won't stop tgeir Christian kin from following their own conscience. Being a Christian surrounded by atheists is usually going to be easier than being an atheist surrounded by Christians.
stvdv
Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
I did not know it was a joke. But, I did not poke holes in your reply by the way.
Hence my reply a)Mother better practice unconditional Love, meaning accepting the kid without condition (not to eat before others finish praying)
Dell
Asteroid insurance?
I'm an Athiest and my wife devout Baptist. My wife children attended church faithfully. I became an athiest years after my marriage. The first year was very very difficult with the wife. For her, I still am still willing to attend Church with her but not every service. I will get in religious conversations (not debates) with friends and family about doctrine and history still. The hardest part I know for them is they passionately believe I need to get saved. They believe I am confused and faithless to the the word of God etc.. The wife refuses to listen to my reasons why I stopped believing the bible although she ask questions "How could you ever be an atheist and deny Gods love and salvation?"
So I dont try to explain to them they are wrong unless they ask. My wife's pastor instructed my wife not to debate with me because "I will confuse her with science and reason that seems to be true but not in the bible and contradicts teachings in the bible."
I figure in the end it doesn't matter!!! if they are happy and love what they are doing than at least they have spent their one life in some form of happiness and contentment.
This is why the acceptance of the science is slow... religion gets engrained in minds of people at a young age and change is hard.
There's nothing unloving about eating when dinner is served. Regardless, my point was that the risk to a Christian child in a family of atheists is basically zero, while the risk to an atheist child in a family of Christians can include psychological abuse, physical abuse, and being thrown out onto the street.
stvdv
Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
I could not agree more
I agree. Not even needed to be Atheist to get this abuse. If you choose to be Humanist or non-Christian (Hindu or Buddhist) it's mabye even worse
stvdv
Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
Quite a challenging situation you are in. I hope your wife figures out the same eventually (that in the end it doesn't matter).
If you love each other, you'll find a way to get along. Unless you believe that you have an absolute truth and your belief system has a monopoly on it, there is no reason why families should be ripped apart by political or religious differences. If you're willing to admit you aren't always right and can get things wrong or could be wrong, you can agree to disagree. Whether you are an Atheist or a Christian, ultimately our ideas are only a small part of who we are. If you can keep that in perspective and can find an understanding with each other, you might be ok.
NewGuyOnTheBlock
Cult Survivor/Fundamentalist Pentecostal Apostate
I am in that situation, but thankfully, I am an adult. I simply comply with "before meal" prayers and avoid the topic. Living in a society that is largely Christian, we do a lot of that "avoiding the topic" stuff
Addressed elsewhere, but I reiterate that everyone has the right to their beliefs. As a minor, you have no control over your life, so as a minor, life is easier for you if you comply, keep your mouth shut, and bide your time until you're old enough that your life is your own.
It was a joke.