Anonymous wrote:PP here again. Atheists, unlike followers of a particular religion, are not a collective group. We lack dogma. We lack cohesion. We share only a single belief, which is that there is no god or gods.

Anonymous wrote:Fine, 10:30. But lack of centralization is not a blanket excuse for nasty and hypocritical atheist behavior.

RantingAtheist wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You so called atheists with your Christian practices are so funny. You have 325 (326 this year!) other days in the year to give up something to show sacrifice, yadda, yadda, blah, blah. BUT, you decide to do it during Lent.....but you're not a Christian and not partaking in a Christian custom. Yeah.............sure.

This. A hundred times, this.

A few months ago you people were whining that the atheists were going to destroy Christmas. Now someone mentions that they honor a Christian tradition and you pick on them for that, too. So no matter what they do with Christian traditions, it's wrong.

You are your own worst enemy.

actually, it looks like this poster is just giving back to you guys what some of you, not all of you, give to christians. Shoe is on the other foot now.

But I am a Christian. You don't convert anyone by slapping them for showing the slightest curiosity in our traditions. Here are people who don't have any connection to God, but they have some interest in our exercise of self-examination and discipline. That's a step. Whether it is a step toward God or a step toward tolerance and acceptance, who knows. But it is an opportunity for someone to appreciate our values.

So what do you go and do? Piss on them for doing it. Then, when I point out how you ranters just did the same thing at Christmas, you decide I am the enemy. Nope. When I said "you", I mean you judgmental Christians who are not living your faith. What would your priest or minister say of the things you have written in the name of our religion? You would be ashamed if they knew it was you. Christians are supposed to lead by example. When someone approaches us about our traditions, we should be showing them what they mean to us. And almost every religion has a tradition of atonement. It is something that can bind us together. Don't ruin it by making a mockery of the time of forgiveness and renewal.

Don't kid yourself. These atheists aren't celebrating Christmas/Easter, observing Lent, etc to search for a connection to God. They make no bones about saying that they don't see God in these things, but instead do them for cultural reasons. It would be fantastic if people were to draw closer to God, but that is just not the case.

Not to judge, but you sound like the least "Christian" poster on thread. Like a Janist who goes around kicking dogs.

Quelle ironie.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here again. Atheists, unlike followers of a particular religion, are not a collective group. We lack dogma. We lack cohesion. We share only a single belief, which is that there is no god or gods.

Surprise, not all Christians follow the Pope. There is a very wide range of Christian beliefs. So why are you blaming all "you Christians" for the actions of a few, and how is this different from atheists?

But you knew this of course. Hypocrite - again.

Anonymous wrote:I'm not 10:30. But I'm with her. I don't think calling out atheists on their awful behavior is unchristian. What is unchristian is how the "smug Christian" pretends this is about atheism per se, instead of about atheists' behavior. Don't twist the debate. Then read Luke - you're supposed to talk with other people about their bad behavior, but judging - atheists or your fellow Christians- is flat-out wrong.

Glad the Smug Christian's nasty, un-Christian attacks on other Christians provided some amusement for the Ranting Atheist, though.

RantingAtheist wrote:

Quick Smug Christian! Register the "SmugChristian" DCUM alias while it's still available! We need a team of psychologists to untangle PP, though. never seen anyone so quick to anger, so quick to cast stones, and so quick to go on the defensive: "I'm not judging! I'm just calling out bad behavior! You're judging!"

It's like a simmering gumbo of pathology.

RantingAtheist wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But I am a Christian. You don't convert anyone by slapping them for showing the slightest curiosity in our traditions. Here are people who don't have any connection to God, but they have some interest in our exercise of self-examination and discipline. That's a step. Whether it is a step toward God or a step toward tolerance and acceptance, who knows. But it is an opportunity for someone to appreciate our values.

So what do you go and do? Piss on them for doing it. Then, when I point out how you ranters just did the same thing at Christmas, you decide I am the enemy. Nope. When I said "you", I mean you judgmental Christians who are not living your faith. What would your priest or minister say of the things you have written in the name of our religion? You would be ashamed if they knew it was you. Christians are supposed to lead by example. When someone approaches us about our traditions, we should be showing them what they mean to us. And almost every religion has a tradition of atonement. It is something that can bind us together. Don't ruin it by making a mockery of the time of forgiveness and renewal.

I think if all Christians were as decent as you seem to be, there might be fewer atheists.

Anonymous wrote:Well, in the first place, Lent is *Catholic*, not Protestant. But Protestants have been appropriating lenten traditions for a while now. So we've already travelled down the road of cultural appropriation.

Still, even though I'm an atheist ex-catholic, something about non-Catholics (not just atheists) doing Lenten traditions (Ash Wednesday, giving something up) does grate on me. I guess it's because I grew up in a minority Catholic area, so I don't feel that comfortable with people appropriating my culture as they see fit, just because it seems cool or whatever. I also grew up in a pretty intensely religious home, and it took quite a while and a lot of thought to arrive at my atheism. Because of this, I think I take ALL religious practices very seriously and would never just wholesale adopt one because it seemed pleasing for whatever reason. I've met other atheists who feel the same way: perhaps counter-intuitively, because we've thought a lot about religious believes and how important and meaningful they are, we actually have a lot of respect for religious traditions and take them more seriously than casual believers might.

Anonymous wrote:Did any of you actually read OP's post? They are upset that all other days of the year, the bf mocks being a Christian but then wants to partake in something that is a Christian 40 day long tradition. Nobody is saying atheist cant participate in Christian holidays, but it's off putting when that atheist mocks the very thing they are wanting to participate in.

Anonymous wrote:I am neither a Christian nor an Atheist, but i see nothing wrong with appropriating other religions' teaching and practices. Lent is a good example - a time for self-reflection and discipline. Is it really offensive if I choose to observe bits and pieces of your religion? I was raised in a religion that views all religion as equal, and I was encouraged to learn from and appreciate other religions. This possessiveness over traditions (when many of those traditions themselves are derived from other religions!) astounds me.

And why the @#$ do you care if someone gives up things for lent. Isn't your faith between you and God? Do you think God is going to be angry if non-Christians observe lent? It's like a petulant child getting angry when her little sister wants to watch Sesame Street with her. The petulant child is in no way affected by her little sister peeking at the screen, but throws a fit anyway.