Some atheist ideology promotes clear thinking and liberation of individuals rights to empower themselves with confidence about taking a stand for what they may have always felt. It is the over concentration of religious ideology everywhere you go that tends to pressure some individuals into following adult/parental pressure. I tell you truly today that my father never once tried to influence my belief in Gods existence even though he never attended a church. That left my mother empowered to insist I regularly attended whilst she rarely ever did because and just because it made her proud to think her son stood on the altar and was an example of some sort. It is so true that I only ever got up as often as I did, alone and without anyone, to run to church to be on the altar just to keep up this duty to please and obey a mother when really my heart only ever wanted to please my father who never discussed it with me. In this respect, this alternative needs a voice so that children of tomorrow have more choices in harmonizing their adult activities with their personal childhood beliefs and NOT with the beliefs of influential others. It is a coming out of the individuals spirituality that needs liberating and not a whole scale ideology based upon a selection of choices that all insist on a belief in things illogical and unprovable, foisted on a child who doesn't know any different. In this respect the fact that the talk seemed like another organization looking for converts is a good thing! I say this as someone who believes in a creator even though my soul has learned to reject the idea that collections of ancient writings are the master key to Him. I veer more towards a humanitarian perspective but am not sure if that is a good/god thing long term because as we all know - power corrupts and any large following will attract individuals with a political agenda who try to control things. Que sera. May humanitarianism prevail.
Apostate Presence Rattles World Conference on Religion
by SickofLies 34 Replies latest jw experiences
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purplesofa
Trygon
Are you really 16?
purps
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Trygon
As I said before, it doesn't matter what the situation, the same fact remains. People have a right to belief what they want. If my Mum or Dad or a relative or a friend for that matter turned to a different religion or atheism and tried to force me into their believes my response would simply be "F**k off, I believe what I want to believe and what I think is right". It just doesn’t matter what people think of others, the issue is respect. If you want to force people to believe what you want them to believe then all you end up being is a complete asshole. And yes, Purps, I think you will find that I truly am 16.
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Superfine Apostate
yes, people have the right to believe whatever nonsense they want.
but it's also a given fact, that agents of religions run around trying to convert the unprepared. and because of this, because religions are so vocal, atheists HAVE to give a reply. this is no crusade, this is active defense. -
Trygon
Do not be so biased. Every religious person(s) does not go running around preaching to everyone and all your doing is adding to it. Heck I once actually got a dude preaching atheism knocking on my door just last month. I treated him the same way as I treat anyone who goes to my door to tell me what to believe. I had my dog scare him off. But even now I do not base my entire opinion on atheists off that one guy.
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purplesofa
And yes, Purps, I think you will find that I truly am 16.
Welcome to the Board, Trygon, I like your input
purps
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Trygon
Why thank you ma'am. Nice to be acknowledged.
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SickofLies
Unfortunately you sound like the local JW braging about how many new recruits were baptized at the assembly! I think your friend nailed it as to your motive. Sorry to dampen your wick. Carmel
You are not going to dampen my day don't worry, if I were not able to respond to such views I would not have been asked to speak at the world conference on religions. I believe the view above is one that had been shared by many people on this site and I would like to refer everyone to my topic 'Opinion on Atheists' that I posted last night.
Are we trying to recruit people? YES, but there are some BIG differences between how we go about things and the way religions do. Some people after they leave the witnesses feel that they are now free to examine any religion or any idea that is out there as I did and many others like me do, in many cases this has led us to accept that their is no god, for many different reason I wont go into as this is not the point I'm trying to get across. Some people have gotten such a sense of mistrust that they feel anyone putting for an idea is to be viewed with mistrust and is dangerous.
First let me say as Humanists we agree with you! We are not claiming to have 'the truth' and are not trying to tell people how to live their lives. What we are trying to advocate for is actually skeptisim and reason it self. The values we are trying to promote are tolerance and understanding for all religions and a universal code of ethics that is separate from religion so people of all different religions can live together peacefully in a secular system.
If I were to 'convert' someone to my way of thinking they need not abandon their religion of youth, but they will have to think differently on how they treat others in public if their religion promotes intolerance. They would not automatically accept ideas put forward by their church. If one day their religious leader told them they needed to drink cool aid or put on a suicide vest they would not accept that tenant as a necessary matter of faith but would rely on their ability to use critical thinking and reason to question the logic behind what is being said.
I advocate these views with no shame or regret, and I hope I can get as many people as possible to start demanding reason and evidence instead of relying on faith to make decisions.
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Trygon
All I see here is another elder.
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Anti-Christ
I wish I was there, maybe next time. I agree that belief should never be forced on any, but speaking about our belief is not forcing it on someone. Forcing a belief is telling the other person that if they don't accept what you are telling them they will suffer some nasty consequence. I don't see how atheism can do that. Controlling information is also a form of forcing because the other person does not have a choice to hear a second opinion