Why do non thiests enter a Religious Forum ???

[Green Gaia]

The thread title and the OP seem to assume two things: Religion is not the type of thing the non-religious should have any interest in, and all religions are theistic.

If that is true, that shows a striking lack of understanding of what non-theism is and of what it means to be religious. Not to mention an astounding ignorance of religions such as Buddhism...

 

[McBell]

If that is true, that shows a striking lack of understanding of what non-theism is and of what it means to be religious. Not to mention an astounding ignorance of religions such as Buddhism...

At least he is consistent....

 

[Alceste]

I have turned my cheek often enough and have attempted to tolerate and subject myself to the the likes of those who continually want to just bash the integrity and faith of Christians who speak out, regarding controversial issues.
Many also choose not to understand or accept our postions and that's fine, but rather want continue to defame and insult and often blaspheme the things of God.

Soooo... where are you in all this? Are you the blasphemed "thing of God"?

Take a moment to browse the religious, political, or general debate forums, paying special attention to the number of people you see with "Christian" listed under "religion". You may learn there is a veritable busload of Christians on RF who holding forth on every controversial issue under the sun, and none of them are treated like you. Even Reverend Rick, who disagrees with just about everybody on just about everything, is treated with more kindness and good nature by the heathens and blasphemers than you.

You are not a member of an "us" in here. You are just you. Whatever fire-and-brimstone, hellfire preaching congregation you worship with is not here with you. If people dismiss your ideas in here, it's YOU they're disagreeing with, not your God or church or savior. If they do it in a nasty way it's YOUR BEHAVIOR they are reacting to, not the behavior of your god or church or savior.

It embarasses me to see you redirect all the abuse that is clearly directed at YOU because of YOUR BEHAVIOR toward your Lord and Savior. What did He do to be held accountable for other people's inevitable hostile reaction to YOUR bad manners?

 

[roli]

Roli, do you think theists should exclude non-theists from religious discussion?

Absolutely not!

Do you think non-theism and religiousness are mutually exclusive terms?

I believe non theists can be extremely religious.

 

[roli]

Take a moment to browse the religious, political, or general debate forums, paying special attention to the number of people you see with "Christian" listed under "religion". You may learn there is a veritable busload of Christians on RF who holding forth on every controversial issue under the sun, and none of them are treated like you. Even Reverend Rick, who disagrees with just about everybody on just about everything, is treated with more kindness and good nature by the heathens and blasphemers than you.

There are alot of conservative,....maybe even "liberal Christians" here,even some ,go figure, who are here by title only and do not espouse to the doctrines of Jesus or God of the bible.
Maybe you need to take a census/vote on who is Christian, that is according to the biblical standard, and start a thread giving them (the Christians) a chance to be honest about that question, rather then be self choosen spokesman.

You are not a member of an "us" in here. You are just you.

That's certainly a matter of interpretation.

Whatever fire-and-brimstone, hellfire preaching congregation you worship with is not here with you.

I'm guilty of following the method that Jesus set in motion, which by the way is the full gospel,sin law righteousness,holiness,judgement,repentance,hell.

Jesus speaking here,
Luk 12:5And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do,But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

If people dismiss your ideas in here, it's YOU they're disagreeing with, not your God or church or savior.

My ideas may be dismissed at their discretion, but my friend, it's the gospel skeptics and non theists ultimately,deny, reject,dismiss,.
it's always the the messenger who feels the brunt of it.

Jhn 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Jesus speaking here again, saying,if you ran with the world,agreed and believed with the world and looked like the world and did what the wolrd does, they would love you and accept you,and in the end,call you there own.
But we(are not of this world) and the wolrd knows it.

If they do it in a nasty way it's YOUR BEHAVIOR they are reacting to, not the behavior of your god or church or savior.

I'll have to work on that then,as I am always trying to improve,but in the mean time, they (the world)did it to Jesus and have been doing it to Christians all through the ages,where have you been.
Do you honestly think the cause of the persecution of Christians has been their behavior all these centuries and not the message conveyed by them.
..that's a "strawman", if I ever saw one.
They must have had some serious behavioral problems that warranted such treatment that had them burned alive at the stake,crucified, dismembered, beheaded, killed in other savgae ways, and to this day around the world,it's no isolated incident as you allude to nor has it ended.
It's in the message, not the messenger.
There are even some who are:
Jhn 16:2They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
Good thing,I could'nt handle the weight and responsibility of that
Neroists, if that be a term, are alive and well on planet earth today, are you of the clan.

It embarasses me to see you redirect all the abuse that is clearly directed at YOU because of YOUR BEHAVIOR toward your Lord and Savior.

You embarass yourself by your ignorance
Jesus himself takes that blame and says these words,my good freind.
Jhn 7:7The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
Jhn 15:19If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Mat 24:9Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake
Mat 10:22And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Mat 5:11Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

What did He do to be held accountable for other people's inevitable hostile reaction to YOUR bad manners

..let me tell you again:
Jhn 7:7The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

Now my manners are in question,you never cease to amaze me in your foreknowledge of me.:bow:

 

[Heneni]

I believe non theists can be extremely religious.

Well said.

 

[GiantHouseKey]

I'll have to work on that then,as I am always trying to improve,but in the mean time, they (the world)did it to Jesus and have been doing it to Christians all through the ages,where have you been.
Do you honestly think the cause of the persecution of Christians has been their behavior all these centuries and not the message conveyed by them.
..that's a "strawman", if I ever saw one.
They must have had some serious behavioral problems that warranted such treatment that had them burned alive at the stake,crucified, dismembered, beheaded, killed in other savgae ways, and to this day around the world,it's no isolated incident as you allude to nor has it ended.
It's in the message, not the messenger.

I don't think you've understood what Alceste has said. Christians throughout history have been (wrongly) persecuted for holding their beliefs. My views of christian persecution have nothing to do with my point, however. Christians in the 1st century AD were wrongly persecuted.

Lets say this way about something else, lets say race (Because that's another of my strong views). Let's say, for the sake of arguement, that i'm an african american. I just LOVE to disrespect people. But when somebody finally confronts me, I am offended. It is OF COURSE because of the colour of my skin. What else could it be? I mean, black people have been abused for years, and this is no different. It can't just be that i'm an *******, it's got to be due to my ethnic background.

Matthew 7:3

GhK.

 

[Heneni]

It's in the message, not the messenger.

Frubals.

Heneni

 

[Alceste]

well, you can't say I didn't try.

 

[Green Gaia]

I believe non theists can be extremely religious.

Then why question their interest in a religious forum?

 

[LuisDantas]

I believe non theists can be extremely religious.

And yet you wrote the OP.

Did you have a change of mind, or are you attempting to present our situation as somehow incongruous, "wrong"?

 

[LuisDantas]

Then why question their interest in a religious forum?

Sometimes it happens due to a (quite frankly, very misguided) feeling that it is one's duty to ashame the unfaithful back to the One True Belief (TM).

Other times it is sincere puzzlement in finding out that atheists can be religious, or even that arreligious people can be interested in exchanging words in a religious forum.

Myself, I find the whole matter funny. More so when there is so much supposedly-righteous indignation being tossed around. Believing in God simply does not mean much by itself, nor does disbelief in same.

That much is painfully obvious, even, when one simply realizes the facts. "I believe in the God of the Bible as the only true one" is a sentence that many people of wildly diverging moralities, goals and religious perspectives may sincerely speak, but it does not make their divergences and conflicts any less true or serious.

All that such a statement of faith may do by itself is create a figurative fence to divide those who hide behind such a statement from those who realize that they must give it some meaning themselves. And that is why we have Christians of so many varieties, from those who seem to think of God as some sort of Uber-Dobermann to those who realize that somehow God did not choose to create only Christians, so maybe non-Christians are just as legitimate people as anyone else...

 

[Beaudreaux]

A question related to the OP:

If we whale hunters are following such an immoral course of action, why are Greenpeace members continually interjecting into whale hunts that they don't believe in.
I mean, they think we are wrong to hunt whales, but it seems they are compelled with some internal obligation to defend their own beliefs, against a practice that to them is immoral, wrong headed...just out there.

What's up with that ?????

People who disagree with others often participate in the other group's activities to protest actions they believe are harmful or wrong.

 

[tumbleweed41]

A question related to the OP:



People who disagree with others often participate in the other group's activities to protest actions they believe are harmful or wrong.

As I see Evangelical and other faiths interject their beliefs into my private life, I will work diligently to reduce their influence.

 

[Dirty Penguin]

If we Christians are following such an absurd fairy tale, according to many on this forum,why are non theists continually interjecting into threads that they don't believe in.
I mean, they think we are irrational and delusional to entertain such notions,yet it seems they are compelled with some internal obligation to defend their own faith,or lack there of,gods and beliefs, against a faith that to them is superstitious,fictional and ...just out there.

What's up with that ?????

What do you want us to say...? FACTS are FACTS...

There's more to this particular forum than just your ideology. There are things here that have absolutely nothing to do with your religion.

The fact of the matter is...your way of life, for the most part, is respected and left alone when you open your debate in the designated area (Same Faith Religion).

It's only when you put your debate to the masses then you receive any and everyone. So what's the problem? Can't take a little criticism...?

 

[Dirty Penguin]

I agree.
Seems that God is pretty much saying:

"If anyone disagrees with me or does not believe in me it is because I have made them blind to the truth, but I still want them to believe in me even though I made it impossible for them to."
​

Which makes me wonder why someone who believes that these verses are the explanation would be so adamant on thwarting Gods will by attempting to convert those which God himself has made unable to see.
Do they think they are better than God, perhaps?
Is that not why Lucifer was cast out?
And the fact that Lucifer was cast out would seem to poke a huge hole in the "Once Saved, Always Saved" theory.

For me it pokes a hole in the hole thing about this "God" who created space and time not being able to truly control or know what his supposed creation will do. Why this "God" who supposedly created heaven and all its inhabitants has no control over them. Why a god would create us not seeing but still wants us to seek him even though he knows we won't......

I think that if there is a God then all that we do is what we're supposed to do and no one will be punished or rewarded. If God is in full control then how can you be going against him? For me, either there is no God or if there is them I'm already doing what he created me to do.....:beach:

 

[roli]

Then why question their interest in a religious forum?

Real simple answer to your question GG, "to see their specific answer" , not my presumption,... is that a fair answer?

 

[roli]

And yet you wrote the OP.

Did you have a change of mind, or are you attempting to present our situation as somehow incongruous, "wrong"?

So your saying, there is absolutely no other intention/reason on the part of the non theist,(you)but to enter the religious forum because they are religious.:run:
Ok,so your answer, is your religious and you entered the religious forum to talk religion... and you want freinds,thanks for your answer.

Can we just move past the circular reasoning and scrutinizing the question to death,
and answer the very simple question, ....but hey, maybe part of the answer to my question is in my previous statement,(circular reasoning and scrutinizing,criticizing)
.....now were getting somewhere:yes:
Creatures of habit, the rational mind just has to philosophize everything and loose sight of the simplistic.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

If we Christians are following such an absurd fairy tale, according to many on this forum,why are non theists continually interjecting into threads that they don't believe in.
I mean, they think we are irrational and delusional to entertain such notions,yet it seems they are compelled with some internal obligation to defend their own faith,or lack there of,gods and beliefs, against a faith that to them is superstitious,fictional and ...just out there.

What's up with that ?????

1) This is a religious education forum. Many are here to learn and discuss things about religion in general, or specific religions, for their own quest for knowledge.

2) Threads posted in the debate forums are up for debate (isn't that the point?) There are non-debate threads for every religion on the site, so if you do not want your ideas challenged or questioned, then post there.

3) Many people, when they see someone doing something "irrational and delusional" do feel an obligation to possibly help that person be more rational and clear-thinking. It is usually a fruitless endeavor, but some are more optimistic about the human condition than others.

 

[roli]

What do you want us to say...? FACTS are FACTS...

If you layed out your facts, let it go and move on ,or follow on, your choice.
You want to make this about me ..fine ,your prerogative, but it is getting old.

There's more to this particular forum than just your ideology. There are things here that have absolutely nothing to do with your religion.

I obviously comprehend that fact,but thanks for pointing it out.

The fact of the matter is...your way of life, for the most part, is respected and left alone when you open your debate in the designated area (Same Faith Religion).

It's only when you put your debate to the masses then you receive any and everyone. So what's the problem? Can't take a little criticism...?[

The problem is that you get stuck there and can't move past and eventually loose site of why your here,..well except to just scrutinize or so it appears.