Why so many Atheist VS. Christian discussions here?

mindmelda

I notice a lot of the discussions seem to be Atheist Vs Christian here. Or is that just my perception?

But, do the other people who are neither just not care to debate as much or are there just fewer or them, or both?

I dunno, I'm just asking here.

Does leaving Jehovah's Witnesses tend to throw you into the Christian or Atheist debate more or feeling you have to choose one or the other side of it?

I chose neither and have my own weird and unique collective of beliefs. I've been influenced by Atheists , but I'm not even really a decent Agnostic, I can't live without belief in the metaphysical and the spiritual, regardless of how irrational it seems to some. I also believe I've experienced it, regardless of it being explained away by brain glitches and altered mental states (which I acknowledge exist, of course) and such to me by others.

I go to churches of all sorts, now. I talk to rabbis, priests, ministers, pastors, shamans, Wiccans, Druids, Buddhists, astrologers; everyone who is a spiritual guide or teacher of some sort and I like parts of all of what I hear but nothing appeals as a whole.

I really have my "own religion". It's what I'm left with after leaving JWs, an ecumenical hodgepodge of a little bit of everything.

But I'm so curious as to how some of you get so definite on one side or the other? Is it some sort of big spiritual epiphany or revelation that I haven't experienced that makes a person choose to belong to a certain church?

Is it a big burst of rationality and and a desire to be completely logical that causes atheists to be so certain and I just lack the desire or ability to be that rational?

I wonder about these things.

Any comments appreciated.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

As JWs we were so trained to have "the truth" fit neatly into a 192 page book along with some color pictures (or the old 2 color pictures in the old publications), then we ignore everything that doesn't agree with what's in that book, and we run around preaching to others in an effort to convince and recruit others with our little book of "truth".

There's something about that mentality of having all the answers that when we realize those answers are wrong, it leaves a huge void that needs to be filled. So we fill that void with other flavors of Christianity, atheism, or something else... like KFC and beer maybe. But I digress... it's all about searching for conclusive answers, and then shoving those answers down everyone else's throats.

mindmelda

Hm, you mean I'm somewhat different in that I need nothing pre-conceived or packaged for me to fill that void?

I did feel it was a void for a while, which is why I examined all these things, but now I'm content to to be me, accept knowledge and everything as it comes and look at life as a journey of discovery. Well, I'm trying to very hard, anyway.

Even being a Witness for 36 years was part of that. I don't regret it anymore, it's simply part of the script of my life, and even interesting if I detach from it somewhat.

It's not a common experience, it makes me unique, in good ways, since I know what I don't want and who I don't want to be like.

People ask me all the time what it was like to be a JW for all those years and I gladly tell them my experiences, although I don't tell them what to do. I don't think any of them will be accepting a Bible Study from a Witness, although they are free to do so if they like, of course. LOL

An friend of mine has a funny t-shirt, which is rather naughty but apt, "Religion is like my cock...don't go around forcing it down people's throats."

I love that.

villabolo

Atheism versus Christianity:

Nothing versus unreality.

Villabolo

sabastious

Billy speaks the truth.

-Sab

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

MM: "Religion is like my cock...don't go around forcing it down people's throats."

I WANT THAT T-SHIRT!

MrFreeze

I don't get why people argue atheism vs. christianity. More than likely you won't ever change someones mind. Can't we just live and let live?

mindmelda

Yeah, I'm kind of uncomfortable with the over simplicity and "either/or" discussions of Atheism vs. Christianity/Religion that sometimes go on at length here too, villabolo.

It's as if there are no other choices, you have to choose one side or the other, and since that's just another kind of black and white thinking to me, I get flashbacks to JW thinking of "It's either us or the world, Jehovah or Satan, no fence sitting."

Personally, I love the fence. The fence is really comfy. I can see both sides of things from that fence, which is just where I want to be, thanks.

I'll ask, my friend might have gotten that TShirt from a site on the net, but he's a graphic designer. I think he made it himself. He's a gay atheist, and hey, if I were gay, I'd be one too. Conventional religion, for the most part treats gay people like shit. LOL

mindmelda

I love live and let live.

I think there's some need to prove and convert on both sides.

The problem with that is that the very kind of person who is that decisive about what they believe or doesn't believe is the least likely to convert, and when they do, they're just as inflexible in their thinking the other way!

chase

divide and conquer.

Why so many Atheist VS. Christian discussions here?

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