Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ and in case you've forgotten he also said;

"Regarding point 2, the thread was not hijacked by atheists. A poster who appears to be Christian ended her post by saying, "I am assuming Christian God but if not, maybe similar ideas can still apply." This provoked a response by a poster who wrote, "I assume there is one god with different ways of worshipping him." That poster is obviously not an atheist since an atheist would not assume that there in one God. Rather this appears to be a religious poster. At any rate, this post led to the thread being hijacked into a discussion about God."


Ok? Maybe there is plenty of blame to go around but it's complete nonsense and false that the tread was derailed by atheists who claimed religion was a myth or fake. It never happened.

The moderator said you atheists inserted yourselves in a thread where your input wasn't valuable. Are you arguing with him?

"Generally, my view of the Religion forum is that it suffers far too much from the example I frequently use of posters who ask for information about cats getting responses about dogs. If the topic that a thread is discussing assumes the existence of a God, posters who don't have such a belief likely have very little, if any, valuable input. As such, they should stay out."

A) he didn't say "you atheists inserted yourselves in a thread where your input wasn't valuable." He said "If ... then. Jeez, can you read? B) No I'm not going to argue with him. This thread here was specifically open to all, and you're still complaining.

Don’t you find it ironic that you are so far off topic complaining people are off topic?

Start your own off-topic topic thread.

+100. The atheists here who want to go on insulting people of faith by calling their God a "myth" really can't defend it. So they're gish galloping about older threads where they also got shot down but don't want to accept that, either.

No you are off topic too! And all gods are myths.

I think "myths" is a nice way to put it . I've heard some commentators call some of the stories in the NT "fairy tales." Now to me that would be insulting. Either way, these stories didn't really happen. That's not to dis the message of Jesus in the NT, just some of the impossible stories that you find there.

"Myths" can also be pejorative, we've been over this earlier in the thread. "Fairy tales" is also insulting.

Nobody cares about your atheism and whether or not you think these stories are "impossible" although plenty would disagree with you. What's relevant is how you behave with people who do believe these things.

I behave nicely to them, unless we get into a conversation and I have to tell them their ideas about "salvation" and all that are nonsense as far as I'm concerned. But realistically, that doesn't come up very often in real life.

Do you enter random DCUM threads about religion to tell the people of faith there that God is a myth? No?

Do you bring up your atheism in random conversations like my BIL? No? (IMO talking about your faith with nonbelievers is equally offensive.)

Then we're good.

Do you enter random DCUM threads about religion to tell the people that God is real?

Then you shouldn’t complain when people who believe differently than you do the same. Exactly the same.

[Anonymous]

Is saying “God is a myth” different than “god is mythical”? I would think the first is offensive, the second not so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is saying “God is a myth” different than “god is mythical”? I would think the first is offensive, the second not so much.

Is this a joke?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a bunch of people who go to church. But they never say they believe in God. They only say they're "spiritual." I guess that's the new acceptable terminology.

What that is in my opinion are people who enjoy the ritual and the cultural legacy, and like to believe there is something greater, and an after life, but our smart enough to not believe in myths as fact. And before anybody goes ballistic, I’m talking about all myths not just the one the person reading this happens to believe in.

Zeus is a myth!

Your opinion is wrong, I know "spiritual" people too. They're just afraid to tell you they believe because they know you'll go ham on them in the rudest possible way.

Great. You’re free to think what you think and I am free to think what I think, and we’re both free to state those opinions here and then open forum.

At least that’s the way it should be. But that’s not the way you want it I bet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ and in case you've forgotten he also said;

"Regarding point 2, the thread was not hijacked by atheists. A poster who appears to be Christian ended her post by saying, "I am assuming Christian God but if not, maybe similar ideas can still apply." This provoked a response by a poster who wrote, "I assume there is one god with different ways of worshipping him." That poster is obviously not an atheist since an atheist would not assume that there in one God. Rather this appears to be a religious poster. At any rate, this post led to the thread being hijacked into a discussion about God."


Ok? Maybe there is plenty of blame to go around but it's complete nonsense and false that the tread was derailed by atheists who claimed religion was a myth or fake. It never happened.

The moderator said you atheists inserted yourselves in a thread where your input wasn't valuable. Are you arguing with him?

"Generally, my view of the Religion forum is that it suffers far too much from the example I frequently use of posters who ask for information about cats getting responses about dogs. If the topic that a thread is discussing assumes the existence of a God, posters who don't have such a belief likely have very little, if any, valuable input. As such, they should stay out."

A) he didn't say "you atheists inserted yourselves in a thread where your input wasn't valuable." He said "If ... then. Jeez, can you read? B) No I'm not going to argue with him. This thread here was specifically open to all, and you're still complaining.

Don’t you find it ironic that you are so far off topic complaining people are off topic?

Start your own off-topic topic thread.

+100. The atheists here who want to go on insulting people of faith by calling their God a "myth" really can't defend it. So they're gish galloping about older threads where they also got shot down but don't want to accept that, either.

No you are off topic too! And all gods are myths.

I think "myths" is a nice way to put it . I've heard some commentators call some of the stories in the NT "fairy tales." Now to me that would be insulting. Either way, these stories didn't really happen. That's not to dis the message of Jesus in the NT, just some of the impossible stories that you find there.

"Myths" can also be pejorative, we've been over this earlier in the thread. "Fairy tales" is also insulting.

Nobody cares about your atheism and whether or not you think these stories are "impossible" although plenty would disagree with you. What's relevant is how you behave with people who do believe these things.

I behave nicely to them, unless we get into a conversation and I have to tell them their ideas about "salvation" and all that are nonsense as far as I'm concerned. But realistically, that doesn't come up very often in real life.

Do you enter random DCUM threads about religion to tell the people of faith there that God is a myth? No?

Do you bring up your atheism in random conversations like my BIL? No? (IMO talking about your faith with nonbelievers is equally offensive.)

Then we're good.

Do you enter random DCUM threads about religion to tell the people that God is real?

Then you shouldn’t complain when people who believe differently than you do the same. Exactly the same.

What the what? The correct analogy would be, do I enter threads on atheism to tell the atheists there that God is real. And no, I don't.

DCUM's other believers don't either, as the "Thank God (sic) I'm an Atheist" gives daily proof.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Religion is based on faith. I can completely respect that. But as Richard Dawkins so astutely said, you don't need faith if you have evidence. Or to put it the other way, if you have any evidence to support your beliefs why would you need "faith."?

This isn't a thread to discuss Richard Dawkins or your atheism. [b]It's a thread about your behavior.

Who are you talking to? What behavior? Be specific please so I know what you are talking about.

Are you a troll? OP asked "Is it 'insulting' to refer to god (sic) as 'mythical'?" That's about behavior.

What's that got to do with me? That question arose on the other thread, and the OP followed up here when someone said to start a new thread. I get it that many people are in fact offended -- but reasonable minds can differ as to whether they should be.

"Should be" was not the question. Many people have offered reasons why they would or wouldn't be offended by someone using the word "myth" to describe their religion or their god (lower case here, because I'm not just referring to the OT/NT God, but any god). These reasons were based on tone and context, respect and good faith, and more. Just because you think people "shouldn't be" offended, or the reasons offered for why people are offended aren't good enough in your estimation doesn't mean people haven't answered the question.

+1. Calling religion a "myth" is offensive to some people. So why do it unless you're deliberately trying to be offensive?

Is evangelizing someone on the street offensive? asking them if they've been saved? Telling people that Jesus Christ is their savior? Asking them where they go to church, with an assumption that they go to church? I think so

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a bunch of people who go to church. But they never say they believe in God. They only say they're "spiritual." I guess that's the new acceptable terminology.

What that is in my opinion are people who enjoy the ritual and the cultural legacy, and like to believe there is something greater, and an after life, but our smart enough to not believe in myths as fact. And before anybody goes ballistic, I’m talking about all myths not just the one the person reading this happens to believe in.

Zeus is a myth!

Your opinion is wrong, I know "spiritual" people too. They're just afraid to tell you they believe because they know you'll go ham on them in the rudest possible way.

Great. You’re free to think what you think and I am free to think what I think, and we’re both free to state those opinions here and then open forum.

At least that’s the way it should be. But that’s not the way you want it I bet.

You're not free to be deliberately offensive, what a nasty notion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is saying “God is a myth” different than “god is mythical”? I would think the first is offensive, the second not so much.

Is this a joke?

Not a joke at all. I think they have different meanings. Something can be “mythical”, but still “true”, no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Religion is based on faith. I can completely respect that. But as Richard Dawkins so astutely said, you don't need faith if you have evidence. Or to put it the other way, if you have any evidence to support your beliefs why would you need "faith."?

This isn't a thread to discuss Richard Dawkins or your atheism. [b]It's a thread about your behavior.

Who are you talking to? What behavior? Be specific please so I know what you are talking about.

Are you a troll? OP asked "Is it 'insulting' to refer to god (sic) as 'mythical'?" That's about behavior.

What's that got to do with me? That question arose on the other thread, and the OP followed up here when someone said to start a new thread. I get it that many people are in fact offended -- but reasonable minds can differ as to whether they should be.

"Should be" was not the question. Many people have offered reasons why they would or wouldn't be offended by someone using the word "myth" to describe their religion or their god (lower case here, because I'm not just referring to the OT/NT God, but any god). These reasons were based on tone and context, respect and good faith, and more. Just because you think people "shouldn't be" offended, or the reasons offered for why people are offended aren't good enough in your estimation doesn't mean people haven't answered the question.

+1. Calling religion a "myth" is offensive to some people. So why do it unless you're deliberately trying to be offensive?

Is evangelizing someone on the street offensive? asking them if they've been saved? Telling people that Jesus Christ is their savior? Asking them where they go to church, with an assumption that they go to church? I think so

Yes, I think it's offensive too, and I'm a believer. I certainly don't do any of these things.

Which is why I think DCUM's atheists shouldn't be confronting people on religious threads with "God is a myth!" either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ and in case you've forgotten he also said;

"Regarding point 2, the thread was not hijacked by atheists. A poster who appears to be Christian ended her post by saying, "I am assuming Christian God but if not, maybe similar ideas can still apply." This provoked a response by a poster who wrote, "I assume there is one god with different ways of worshipping him." That poster is obviously not an atheist since an atheist would not assume that there in one God. Rather this appears to be a religious poster. At any rate, this post led to the thread being hijacked into a discussion about God."


Ok? Maybe there is plenty of blame to go around but it's complete nonsense and false that the tread was derailed by atheists who claimed religion was a myth or fake. It never happened.

The moderator said you atheists inserted yourselves in a thread where your input wasn't valuable. Are you arguing with him?

"Generally, my view of the Religion forum is that it suffers far too much from the example I frequently use of posters who ask for information about cats getting responses about dogs. If the topic that a thread is discussing assumes the existence of a God, posters who don't have such a belief likely have very little, if any, valuable input. As such, they should stay out."

A) he didn't say "you atheists inserted yourselves in a thread where your input wasn't valuable." He said "If ... then. Jeez, can you read? B) No I'm not going to argue with him. This thread here was specifically open to all, and you're still complaining.

Don’t you find it ironic that you are so far off topic complaining people are off topic?

Start your own off-topic topic thread.

+100. The atheists here who want to go on insulting people of faith by calling their God a "myth" really can't defend it. So they're gish galloping about older threads where they also got shot down but don't want to accept that, either.

No you are off topic too! And all gods are myths.

I think "myths" is a nice way to put it . I've heard some commentators call some of the stories in the NT "fairy tales." Now to me that would be insulting. Either way, these stories didn't really happen. That's not to dis the message of Jesus in the NT, just some of the impossible stories that you find there.

"Myths" can also be pejorative, we've been over this earlier in the thread. "Fairy tales" is also insulting.

Nobody cares about your atheism and whether or not you think these stories are "impossible" although plenty would disagree with you. What's relevant is how you behave with people who do believe these things.

I behave nicely to them, unless we get into a conversation and I have to tell them their ideas about "salvation" and all that are nonsense as far as I'm concerned. But realistically, that doesn't come up very often in real life.

Do you enter random DCUM threads about religion to tell the people of faith there that God is a myth? No?

Do you bring up your atheism in random conversations like my BIL? No? (IMO talking about your faith with nonbelievers is equally offensive.)

Then we're good.

No, but I do read the "Recent Topics" thread and join in conversations that look interesting. Sports, politics. religion. I think most religion is 100% man-made, and is not handed to us through divine revelation, whatever that is. There's just too many religions so if God was going to hand us some divine revelation why would God tell Buddhists, and Zoroastrians, and Muslims and Christians, all different things? Does that make any sense?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is saying “God is a myth” different than “god is mythical”? I would think the first is offensive, the second not so much.

Is this a joke?

Not a joke at all. I think they have different meanings. Something can be “mythical”, but still “true”, no?

"Myth" is a noun and "mythical" is an adjective.

Again we enter the realm of some words having multiple meanings. If you say God is mythical, you might be referring in admiration to his "mythical powers" by which you mean his "great powers." But we all know you don't mean that.

But many others would be very right in thinking that what you actually mean is that God is a myth.

Again, don't be deliberately offensive. Context, tone, and good faith matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ and in case you've forgotten he also said;

"Regarding point 2, the thread was not hijacked by atheists. A poster who appears to be Christian ended her post by saying, "I am assuming Christian God but if not, maybe similar ideas can still apply." This provoked a response by a poster who wrote, "I assume there is one god with different ways of worshipping him." That poster is obviously not an atheist since an atheist would not assume that there in one God. Rather this appears to be a religious poster. At any rate, this post led to the thread being hijacked into a discussion about God."


Ok? Maybe there is plenty of blame to go around but it's complete nonsense and false that the tread was derailed by atheists who claimed religion was a myth or fake. It never happened.

The moderator said you atheists inserted yourselves in a thread where your input wasn't valuable. Are you arguing with him?

"Generally, my view of the Religion forum is that it suffers far too much from the example I frequently use of posters who ask for information about cats getting responses about dogs. If the topic that a thread is discussing assumes the existence of a God, posters who don't have such a belief likely have very little, if any, valuable input. As such, they should stay out."

A) he didn't say "you atheists inserted yourselves in a thread where your input wasn't valuable." He said "If ... then. Jeez, can you read? B) No I'm not going to argue with him. This thread here was specifically open to all, and you're still complaining.

Don’t you find it ironic that you are so far off topic complaining people are off topic?

Start your own off-topic topic thread.

+100. The atheists here who want to go on insulting people of faith by calling their God a "myth" really can't defend it. So they're gish galloping about older threads where they also got shot down but don't want to accept that, either.

No you are off topic too! And all gods are myths.

I think "myths" is a nice way to put it . I've heard some commentators call some of the stories in the NT "fairy tales." Now to me that would be insulting. Either way, these stories didn't really happen. That's not to dis the message of Jesus in the NT, just some of the impossible stories that you find there.

"Myths" can also be pejorative, we've been over this earlier in the thread. "Fairy tales" is also insulting.

Nobody cares about your atheism and whether or not you think these stories are "impossible" although plenty would disagree with you. What's relevant is how you behave with people who do believe these things.

I behave nicely to them, unless we get into a conversation and I have to tell them their ideas about "salvation" and all that are nonsense as far as I'm concerned. But realistically, that doesn't come up very often in real life.

Do you enter random DCUM threads about religion to tell the people of faith there that God is a myth? No?

Do you bring up your atheism in random conversations like my BIL? No? (IMO talking about your faith with nonbelievers is equally offensive.)

Then we're good.

No, but I do read the "Recent Topics" thread and join in conversations that look interesting. Sports, politics. religion. I think most religion is 100% man-made, and is not handed to us through divine revelation, whatever that is. There's just too many religions so if God was going to hand us some divine revelation why would God tell Buddhists, and Zoroastrians, and Muslims and Christians, all different things? Does that make any sense?

Nobody cares what you think about divine revelation. Just be kind and respectful when you discuss this with other people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a bunch of people who go to church. But they never say they believe in God. They only say they're "spiritual." I guess that's the new acceptable terminology.

What that is in my opinion are people who enjoy the ritual and the cultural legacy, and like to believe there is something greater, and an after life, but our smart enough to not believe in myths as fact. And before anybody goes ballistic, I’m talking about all myths not just the one the person reading this happens to believe in.

Zeus is a myth!

Your opinion is wrong, I know "spiritual" people too. They're just afraid to tell you they believe because they know you'll go ham on them in the rudest possible way.

Great. You’re free to think what you think and I am free to think what I think, and we’re both free to state those opinions here and then open forum.

At least that’s the way it should be. But that’s not the way you want it I bet.

You're not free to be deliberately offensive, what a nasty notion.

I’m not free to think the opposite of what you think? The opposite of what you think is inherently offensive?

That’s such hypocrisy I don’t even know how to respond to it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a bunch of people who go to church. But they never say they believe in God. They only say they're "spiritual." I guess that's the new acceptable terminology.

What that is in my opinion are people who enjoy the ritual and the cultural legacy, and like to believe there is something greater, and an after life, but our smart enough to not believe in myths as fact. And before anybody goes ballistic, I’m talking about all myths not just the one the person reading this happens to believe in.

Zeus is a myth!

Your opinion is wrong, I know "spiritual" people too. They're just afraid to tell you they believe because they know you'll go ham on them in the rudest possible way.

Great. You’re free to think what you think and I am free to think what I think, and we’re both free to state those opinions here and then open forum.

At least that’s the way it should be. But that’s not the way you want it I bet.

You're not free to be deliberately offensive, what a nasty notion.

I’m not free to think the opposite of what you think? The opposite of what you think is inherently offensive?

That’s such hypocrisy I don’t even know how to respond to it

Are you trolling now? Multiple people have told you that you're free to think whatever the heck you want.

Your BEHAVIOR is the issue here. And the fact that you're trolling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a bunch of people who go to church. But they never say they believe in God. They only say they're "spiritual." I guess that's the new acceptable terminology.

What that is in my opinion are people who enjoy the ritual and the cultural legacy, and like to believe there is something greater, and an after life, but our smart enough to not believe in myths as fact. And before anybody goes ballistic, I’m talking about all myths not just the one the person reading this happens to believe in.

Zeus is a myth!

Your opinion is wrong, I know "spiritual" people too. They're just afraid to tell you they believe because they know you'll go ham on them in the rudest possible way.

Great. You’re free to think what you think and I am free to think what I think, and we’re both free to state those opinions here and then open forum.

At least that’s the way it should be. But that’s not the way you want it I bet.

You're not free to be deliberately offensive, what a nasty notion.

I’m not free to think the opposite of what you think? The opposite of what you think is inherently offensive?

That’s such hypocrisy I don’t even know how to respond to it

Are you trolling now? Multiple people have told you that you're free to think whatever the heck you want.

Your BEHAVIOR is the issue here. And the fact that you're trolling.

I am free to think what I want? Great. Thanks. I think all gods are myths.