Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

He doesn’t discuss god but rather the lack therof. You don’t need that explained to you, do you?

Why would you devote your life’s work to something you don’t believe exists? Seems like a waste of time.

Well maybe you DO need it explained to you? Nahh, you are just a troll.

Oh and it has been pointed out to you a few times now Dawkins' life's work is evolutionary biology.

Dawkins is 80 years old and he wrote 8 books relating to science before writing The God Delusion in 2006.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

He doesn’t discuss god but rather the lack therof. You don’t need that explained to you, do you?

Why would you devote your life’s work to something you don’t believe exists? Seems like a waste of time.

Well maybe you DO need it explained to you? Nahh, you are just a troll.

Oh and it has been pointed out to you a few times now Dawkins' life's work is evolutionary biology.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

He doesn’t discuss god but rather the lack therof. You don’t need that explained to you, do you?

Why would you devote your life’s work to something you don’t believe exists? Seems like a waste of time.

Anonymous wrote:

He doesn’t discuss god but rather the lack therof. You don’t need that explained to you, do you?

Anonymous wrote:

Actually , Dawkins is a scientist, so he doesn't just talk about god.

But since he's been talking about god, the number of religious people in the US has decreased

God is picky.

Have faith, then he might bless you. It's not the other way around. At least not Christianity. Can't wait for a miracle or messenger angel, then have faith.

Anonymous wrote:We are in a forum discussing religion. That’s the topic. Really, people who are not religious, I have no problem with. It’s not my mission in life to debate you and persuade you to believe what I believe, or convince you any religion is “right” and that you or anyone else must believe in God, gods, goddesses, or any religion or value system. But the forum we are in is for discussions of religion

Again this is so ironic. Why is discussion of religion limited to blind worship of it? Your position is dishonest.

Anonymous wrote:and there are people who spend each day attacking religious people as “mentally ill,” and devote their comments to disavowing all religion and all faiths, and demanding proof for all things connected to a chosen religion and faith. It’s not your business how or why people believe what they do.

Are you saying those things can't be discussed in a religion forum?

Anonymous wrote:it’s not my business how people live their lives and it’s just rude to generalize that people who don’t think as I do are wrong and crazy. I am respectful of people’s choices.

But you are NOT respectful of people's choices of what they believe, and this post is absolute proof of it.

What you object to is being offended when people say things like "magic sky king" because you believe your god is real so that must be referring to yours. Same with speaking in tongues. It's very, very ironic.

"I don't believe in a god" is a position on religion. This is a religion forum. Any post that does not violate the TOS should be allowed. You don't like them? DON'T READ THEM. And surely don't respond to them. Then you won't be offended.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I enjoy these threads and this forum, but it seems like almost every thread gets bogged down by people who don’t believe in any religion. That’s completely fine; tons and tons of people don’t believe in God, gods, goddesses, religion, etc. I have zero problem with people who aren’t religious.

This is what you say in paragraph one, but then everything that follows exactly contradicts it.

Anonymous wrote:
What sucks is they seem to be on a mission here to “prove” that all religions are false, people who practice religion (ie, the speaking in tongues thread) are mentally ill; and continually point out and comment they could never believe in such a cruel god that does various things that the god of Christianity does.

They are just stating what they believe WRT religion. The same right that you have here. No difference.

Anonymous wrote:Got it. Duly noted. You are an atheist and don’t like Christianity or any religion for that matter. You want proof of everything to believe in it. Double check mark. We all know your non-beliefs very well.

And we know yours just as well. In fact, I suspect probably better.

Anonymous wrote:Now: God doesn’t reveal himself because Christianity relies on faith; believing in the absence of proof. Asking continually for proof of everything is in direct opposition to the core beliefs of Christianity. So although you may be of the opinion that proof is the gold standard of belief, that is not what Christianity is defined by. Anybody can believe something that is proven; but believing in something that there is no proof for, is the very definition of faith. So if you need proof God exists, you don’t have faith. Which isn’t a bad thing, you just aren’t a Christian.

And this brings us back to the same unanswerable (by you) question? What couldn't you believe on faith?

We are in a forum discussing religion. That’s the topic. Really, people who are not religious, I have no problem with. It’s not my mission in life to debate you and persuade you to believe what I believe, or convince you any religion is “right” and that you or anyone else must believe in God, gods, goddesses, or any religion or value system. But the forum we are in is for discussions of religion, and there are people who spend each day attacking religious people as “mentally ill,” and devote their comments to disavowing all religion and all faiths, and demanding proof for all things connected to a chosen religion and faith. It’s not your business how or why people believe what they do. Each person arrives at their choice of faith or choice of non-faith by way of a deeply personal journey. For example, I would not start a thread stating that people who choose not to attend church are “mentally ill.” Besides being factually incorrect, it’s not my business how people live their lives and it’s just rude to generalize that people who don’t think as I do are wrong and crazy. I am respectful of people’s choices.

Regarding religious people being called "Mentally Ill" on this forum -- It may have happened, but I haven't noticed it recently. And at any rate, it's an opinion that could also be expressed about someone's belief in a different religion or in no religion.

Also, regarding the topic of this forum -- it is "religion", not "for those who believe in God" or "Christianity is true" and even if it were, there could be different opinions expressed, just as happens on the many other forums here.

I think that because Christianity is the predominate religion in the US (though waning), that Christians often don't realize how much privilege they've had to direct conversations about "religion" to mean "belief in Jesus as savior." Religion is much more than that - in real life and here on this forum.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I enjoy these threads and this forum, but it seems like almost every thread gets bogged down by people who don’t believe in any religion. That’s completely fine; tons and tons of people don’t believe in God, gods, goddesses, religion, etc. I have zero problem with people who aren’t religious.

This is what you say in paragraph one, but then everything that follows exactly contradicts it.

Anonymous wrote:
What sucks is they seem to be on a mission here to “prove” that all religions are false, people who practice religion (ie, the speaking in tongues thread) are mentally ill; and continually point out and comment they could never believe in such a cruel god that does various things that the god of Christianity does.

They are just stating what they believe WRT religion. The same right that you have here. No difference.

Anonymous wrote:Got it. Duly noted. You are an atheist and don’t like Christianity or any religion for that matter. You want proof of everything to believe in it. Double check mark. We all know your non-beliefs very well.

And we know yours just as well. In fact, I suspect probably better.

Anonymous wrote:Now: God doesn’t reveal himself because Christianity relies on faith; believing in the absence of proof. Asking continually for proof of everything is in direct opposition to the core beliefs of Christianity. So although you may be of the opinion that proof is the gold standard of belief, that is not what Christianity is defined by. Anybody can believe something that is proven; but believing in something that there is no proof for, is the very definition of faith. So if you need proof God exists, you don’t have faith. Which isn’t a bad thing, you just aren’t a Christian.

And this brings us back to the same unanswerable (by you) question? What couldn't you believe on faith?

We are in a forum discussing religion. That’s the topic. Really, people who are not religious, I have no problem with. It’s not my mission in life to debate you and persuade you to believe what I believe, or convince you any religion is “right” and that you or anyone else must believe in God, gods, goddesses, or any religion or value system. But the forum we are in is for discussions of religion, and there are people who spend each day attacking religious people as “mentally ill,” and devote their comments to disavowing all religion and all faiths, and demanding proof for all things connected to a chosen religion and faith. It’s not your business how or why people believe what they do. Each person arrives at their choice of faith or choice of non-faith by way of a deeply personal journey. For example, I would not start a thread stating that people who choose not to attend church are “mentally ill.” Besides being factually incorrect, it’s not my business how people live their lives and it’s just rude to generalize that people who don’t think as I do are wrong and crazy. I am respectful of people’s choices.

Anonymous wrote:I enjoy these threads and this forum, but it seems like almost every thread gets bogged down by people who don’t believe in any religion. That’s completely fine; tons and tons of people don’t believe in God, gods, goddesses, religion, etc. I have zero problem with people who aren’t religious.

This is what you say in paragraph one, but then everything that follows exactly contradicts it.

Anonymous wrote:
What sucks is they seem to be on a mission here to “prove” that all religions are false, people who practice religion (ie, the speaking in tongues thread) are mentally ill; and continually point out and comment they could never believe in such a cruel god that does various things that the god of Christianity does.

They are just stating what they believe WRT religion. The same right that you have here. No difference.

Anonymous wrote:Got it. Duly noted. You are an atheist and don’t like Christianity or any religion for that matter. You want proof of everything to believe in it. Double check mark. We all know your non-beliefs very well.

And we know yours just as well. In fact, I suspect probably better.

Anonymous wrote:Now: God doesn’t reveal himself because Christianity relies on faith; believing in the absence of proof. Asking continually for proof of everything is in direct opposition to the core beliefs of Christianity. So although you may be of the opinion that proof is the gold standard of belief, that is not what Christianity is defined by. Anybody can believe something that is proven; but believing in something that there is no proof for, is the very definition of faith. So if you need proof God exists, you don’t have faith. Which isn’t a bad thing, you just aren’t a Christian.

And this brings us back to the same unanswerable (by you) question? What couldn't you believe on faith?

I enjoy these threads and this forum, but it seems like almost every thread gets bogged down by people who don’t believe in any religion. That’s completely fine; tons and tons of people don’t believe in God, gods, goddesses, religion, etc. I have zero problem with people who aren’t religious.

What sucks is they seem to be on a mission here to “prove” that all religions are false, people who practice religion (ie, the speaking in tongues thread) are mentally ill; and continually point out and comment they could never believe in such a cruel god that does various things that the god of Christianity does.

Got it. Duly noted. You are an atheist and don’t like Christianity or any religion for that matter. You want proof of everything to believe in it. Double check mark. We all know your non-beliefs very well.

Now: God doesn’t reveal himself because Christianity relies on faith; believing in the absence of proof. Asking continually for proof of everything is in direct opposition to the core beliefs of Christianity. So although you may be of the opinion that proof is the gold standard of belief, that is not what Christianity is defined by. Anybody can believe something that is proven; but believing in something that there is no proof for, is the very definition of faith. So if you need proof God exists, you don’t have faith. Which isn’t a bad thing, you just aren’t a Christian.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should try Buddhism, Jainism, or Sikhism if you are looking for a religions sans magic in the Sky single person. They are more athiestic religions

Sikhism is not atheistic in any way. Belief in God is at it's core.

They are more atheistic religions - more is the operative word

What the hell does "More Atheistic" religions mean? Please elaborate.

If you mean, they have a belief that there may be a God and there may not be a God, that is not Sikhism. At All. More, less, whatever. It simply is not.

Most Sikhs here believe in a very theistic form, similar to how Christianity is theistic. It was not this way in the beginning, when Guru Nanak Ji was alive it was still very much connected to Hinduism. Many in India, still practice it this way. Many Sikhs are very observant of Maa Durga, my family included.

For most Sikhs in the West, it is more theistic. One god as WaheGuru.

Jainism and Buddhism are conflated with atheism, but that is only if you are comparing to Christian theology of a creator god that is the judge of all. There are gods in both and they can be meaningful, but you don't have to worship a God to attain Moksha. Similar to Hinduism, one does not attain Moksha by worship. All 3 of these believe "God" is within every person so every person has the ability to reach Moksha. None need an external God, but they all have gods.

You can't view Eastern religions through a Western religion lens. They are not the same. Apples and Oranges. In the for those from an Abrahamic religion background, there is Theism and Athesim.

There is no "more atheistic". That's just how code for how people in the West like to co-opt parts of eastern religions into their lifestyle and say the are "spiritual" without having to admit they are indeed following a religion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should try Buddhism, Jainism, or Sikhism if you are looking for a religions sans magic in the Sky single person. They are more athiestic religions

Sikhism is not atheistic in any way. Belief in God is at it's core.

They are more atheistic religions - more is the operative word

Atheism is lack of belief in a god. It's like "pregnant". You can't be more or less of it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Belief in God is based on faith, not a voicemail in the sky.

Then a lot of people should stop saying their Holy Books are from GOD.

People don’t need to live or interpret their faith according to your rules.

The irony. It burns.

No, salty, it’s not irony.

Yeah not to you, I know. Otherwise you wouldn't have typed such an inherently ironic statement.