Faith & Respect

I was born into a Christian family. I prayed to God for years. I argued with people that didn't believe what I believed. I got angry with them. I refused to see all of the holes in the bible. Later on in life I opened my eyes. I became aware of the hypocrisy of those around me that believed in Christianity. I became aware of the true nature of human beings. I no longer saw people as the special creation of God. I saw people as liars that desperately wanted to be special.

My atheism was born out of anger. I felt betrayed and lied to. I felt upset that people were giving and receiving false hope. Any person claiming to know the truth made me angry because I knew that no one knew the truth. I felt jealous of their delusions. Anytime that I wanted to be a "believer" again, I felt like I was being a weak and pathetic liar. My anger, jealousy and pride fueled my desire to fight religious people and their beliefs.

I'm done with the resentment. I don't care if I'm wrong or right anymore. I only care about the comfort, happiness and confidence that faith, or lack thereof, gives people. People's beliefs should be respected. I currently believe that there might be more to this life than meets the eye. I could be wrong. I think more people should admit when they might be wrong.

I like religious freedom but I don't like how some people use religion as a tool to use, abuse and control people.

I have learned to accept and respect the flaws of humanity. We are all in this together. I think we are all confused and frustrated with this mysterious existence.

This may be the only life we get. Let's respect each other. Let's stop fighting about who is wrong or right and try to make life easier for each other while we're here.

Thanks for sharing your heart filled beliefs. I wouldn't call myself a atheist, but I am for sure strongly against most religious views. I use to attend church with my family. And a few times over my life I have stuck my foot back into the doors, only to realize they like to slam them and stomp on ones feet. I do not know if I can shower a rain of hate against believers, for it is their right to do so. My anger goes against those who harm others in the church, and are protected. I live my life now to keep myself, my beautiful family, and others I meet in this chaos of life happy. If I can make people smile each day, it is a day worth living. I am spiritual to a point, but that is VERY open. Anything given to, created, or modified by man is destined to get twisted and watered down. A fact we all must live with. Again, thanks for your post.

reply to post by ShnogTrip
ShnogTrip,

I wonder if you are still fighting the Christian. I'm not into fighting anyone and the trouble in Christianity is the hucksters that get into it for an easy life that poor decieved folks fork in money and keeps them in luxury in their miserable existence. True Christianity is almost completely destroyed. I had to get out of organized churches led of the wrong leader. I can't find any that do and so I am a home churcher. The True church is invisible as home churches are not recognized of the world but God does. Jesus and the Deciples were home churchers, that is what was going on in the book of Acts.

But surely there is an emptyness in your heart that needs to be satisfied and you must not ignore it, because I am sure His Spirit urges you this life isn't all there has to be. I know as I had fallen out once and had no peace, I had to come back as life had no point. Find some true ones that are home churching and life should be better unless the home church is off track. Search the scriptures to make sure what is being taught of them is Truth.

I tell you now, I know God Loves you.

Truthiron.

Spoken from the heart my friend. Thank you for sharing your wise perspective.

With Love,

Your Brother

It is my moral obligation to tolerate your beliefs as long as they don't interfere with mine.
It is not my obligation to offer you respect for your beliefs.

Religion is a sickness, a disease, a cancer.

Religious folk are a container of thus.

A cancer container that must cease.

Mindless fools on their track of Armageddon present a danger to all.

The cancer must be terminated, this danger eliminated...

reply to post by DarkRedSoda


Religion is a sickness, a disease, a cancer.

Religious folk are a container of thus.

A cancer container that must cease.





Actually it's posts like this that need to cease...you've generalized in the worst possible way - focusing only on what you deem to be righteous.





Religion is not the cancer, the cancer is those in power that utilize religion to create policy connected to a nefarious agenda...


You should learn to differentiate between the two...

reply to post by ShnogTrip

I think more people should admit when they might be wrong.

We all might be wrong. Absolute certainty and absolute knowledge are impossible. We think we have a fairly good grasp on the Universe and world around us but really we've only discovered the tip of the ice berg.

Atheism born of anger or resentment for Christianity is never good. No matter what our beliefs or lack thereof those beliefs shouldn't be based on anger or bitterness. I do think, however, that we can disagree and debate over our beliefs as long as we don't cross the line into hatred and blind closed-mindedness. It is a fine line to walk and its one that we have trouble with as a species we are prone to violence over some of the dumbest things imaginable. So let's agree to disagree.

I think respect is a little more important than faith, Although both mutually are important. Just not so much in the religious ways,IMO.

I wouldn't say that I'm an athiest because that "IMO" implies an absolute. I will say that I do NOT believe, follow, or agree with any religion that I am aware exists today. I do respect other individual's belief's as long as they do not interfere with my wellbeing and they are respectful themselves. Most of us are in search for an answer to what all this is, or a purpose to life.. though I feel none of us can say for sure that we know that answer or purpose, this is why I can't agree with religion as it also implies an absolute.

Originally posted by facelift
reply to post by DarkRedSoda

 

Religion is a sickness, a disease, a cancer.

Religious folk are a container of thus.

A cancer container that must cease.

Actually it's posts like this that need to cease...you've generalized in the worst possible way - focusing only on what you deem to be righteous.

Religion is not the cancer, the cancer is those in power that utilize religion to create policy connected to a nefarious agenda...


You should learn to differentiate between the two...

SILENCE THY PHEASANT! Thy speak out, unknowing of thy action's consequence.

Your Religion is indeed a cancer; one that my bloodlines have long ago created.

No longer, do we will, that these tools upon the commoners continue.

Your Masters created thou tool, thou Master taketh away.

Pheasants have sense not of this truth

Religion for the fools

It really is a fight for your mind.....Without even addressing your indifference to Christianity, I can see the system using its poison on you, its not too late to turn back.

I have been a member of
every single religion I ever met.
Including the cult of the 'Body Odor'


"We've been eatin out our brains..."

Reminds me of the great deception in the Old Testament.
Jacob tells the cook in prison with him that he will die. Why?
Because he had a dream where he was eating bread out of his own hat.

I would ROFL if it wasn't so sad. The secret to immortality trolled into the dust.



David Grouchy

reply to post by DarkRedSoda

SILENCE THY PHEASANT! Thy speak out, unknowing of thy action's consequence.

Your Religion is indeed a cancer; one that my bloodlines have long ago created.

No longer, do we will, that these tools upon the commoners continue.

Your Masters created thou tool, thou Master taketh away.

Pheasants have sense not of this truth

Religion for the fools.

Were you trying to impress us with all those archaic pronouns? What a mess you made of that. You didn't get a single one right. And what have you got against European game birds, anyway?

Why don't you run along now and get that high-school diploma? It may not yet be too late.

I never really understood the respect that religions get, why? Any other time someone is acting stupid, everyone has no problem pointing it out. I'd be a laughing stock if at seventeen years old I believed in Santa Claus, regardless of how much comfort it provided me. I have a problem any time someone decides to resort to ignorance in order to find comfort.

A favourite quote of mine:

" I may disagree strongly with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."