Comments on: If You Don’t Agree with That, Are You Still Religious?

By: SkunkApeMan

SkunkApeMan — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:31:44 +0000

The turning point for me was when I was around 10 years old and for the first time I realized all the misery and horror that exists in the world. I decided right then that if there is a God, he obviously doesn’t give a shit about any of us since there is all this pain and suffering that a truly omnipotent God could take away in an instant. So why worship him if he doesn’t give two shits about us?
When I got a little older I saw so much proof around me that there is no God that I even stopped believing in a dispassionate God who doesn’t care baout us and just accepted the fact that there is no God, period.

By: How much do you have to disagree with before giving up?

How much do you have to disagree with before giving up? — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:17:56 +0000

[...] Here’s the like to the blog post: Friendly Atheist Comic [...]

By: Claire

Claire — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:39:10 +0000

It’s an interesting question, and one I wish I would answer. But according to my parents I believed in Santa for longer than I believed in god. By the age of five I was already causing problems for the teachers at my (catholic) school. I’m inordinately proud of that.

By: Gary

Gary — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:00:50 +0000

Jeff writes:

Gary,
So far as what punishment you deserve, I wonder, if you’re being internally consistent with your inner witness. If so, perhaps to you it will not seem like punishment at all to be separated from God for eternity.

Separation-from-God anxiety is a peculiar psychological complaint associated primarily with God-besotted, cant-filled Christians.

By: jeff

jeff — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:59:51 +0000

Gary,
So far as what punishment you deserve, I wonder, if you’re being internally consistent with your inner witness. If so, perhaps to you it will not seem like punishment at all to be separated from God for eternity.

The one man, Jesus, who had the most intimate contact with the Father compared that loss and separation to living in the garbage dump (Gehenna) outside of Jerusalem and (figuratively I suppose, though I am not certain) burning, like the garbage that was burned there.

i.e. to someone who was used to close, intimate fellowship with the Father that separation would be unbearable but perhaps to someone ignorant of what that fellowship entails it may be less agonizing. I do think that, like all of us, you enjoy tangible benefits to living in a world that God created that may only become clear when you are utterly separated from His presence, influence and government.

I think it would behoove you not to find out.

By: jeff

jeff — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:53:58 +0000

Eamon,

Not trying to offend you, as I am not, as you put it “stupid enough to fall for creationist bullshit” either, at least not all of it, but do you, therefore, fall for all of the evolutionary bullshit?

By: Shane Hayes

Shane Hayes — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:04:42 +0000

The cartoon is not only funny but poses a legitimate question, one I often grapple with. I attend Mass regularly despite serious disagreement on matters like those raised in the cartoon. I see myself as Christian rather than specifically Catholic. I’m beginning to speak out for reform on my blog The Believing Agnostic. See my recent posting: “The ‘Third Rail’ of Catholic Policy Making” at this link: http://www.thebelievingagnostic.blogspot.com/. It has angered some of my Catholic friends, but no broken relationships yet. Shane Hayes

By: Gary

Gary — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:23:04 +0000

Jeff writes:

To be clear, you are most likely in the category of people which God will hold responsible for rejecting Christ, unless you confess Him and receive forgiveness.

And therefore I will receive the savage and eternal punishment I so richly deserve. Right, Jeff?

I “reject Christ” in two respects:

1. Unlike you, I think he’s dead. He has ceased to be. I cannot be forgiven by a dead person, and in any case I have done him no wrong for which I need to be forgiven.

2. I disagree with many of the teachings attributed to him in the Gospels.

By: this i don’t believe « Verschlusssache

this i don’t believe « Verschlusssache — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 08:27:44 +0000

[...] (via Friendly Atheis) [...]

By: Neon Genesis

Neon Genesis — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 01:19:10 +0000

“The KKK and Catholic Church are both organizations – not geographical areas. You can’t quit a geographical area and restart it elsewhere – it’ll stay put. But you can quite an organization and keep doing the things that you liked about the organization.”

But I’m referring to the south as in southern culture and likewise for many moderate Catholics, their church is as much a culture as it is a religion. You just can’t quit going to church as easily as you can flip off a light switch as you seem to think.

“However, this could change tomorrow – if nice, moderate Catholics used our modern communications to organize an actual effective protest”

Like this? http://ncronline.org/print/17592