by tenyearsafter 32 Replies latest jw friends
It doesn't matter at all, I think we should believe what we want and concentrate on ourselves and worry less about other people's beliefs. I'm agnostic but feel no desire to change anyone's mind about their belief system- it's not my place to do so.
Everyone should pursue real peace and acceptance, enough have suffered at the hands of religion.
I am VERY glad for the debates here and elsewhere, setting me straight. As a dub, I was scientifically undereducated and full of misconceptions. I am extremely grateful to those who taught me the truth.
As an atheist, I have no desire to be an evangelist. When I reflect on those who helped me, I sometimes reply to threads on the topic with politely stated facts, but I don't have an emotional need to.
If people want to cling to previous beliefs, it's their choice and their loss, not mine.
Imagine God speaking to you with an important message. Don't you think you would think that matters?
Imagine the person who believes just as much in God, gave the best of his life to Him but finds out its all a big fraud. Don't you think that person would think it matters just as much?
You can see the passion in the extremes here. I get just as passionate when reading and responding as the next person. But they need to remember to put it aside afterward. They need to calm down. Occasionally, when I have sat with some ex-JW's, we have chatted briefly about some ongoing exchange on JWN, but mostly we don't. We have positive exchanges.
Even the potentially volatile mix of personalities and beliefs at Flipper's Lake Tahoe Fests put their differences aside and enjoyed each others' company. But on the internet, such passionate disagreements happen and are appropriate many times.
I am afraid that now, even in a face to face situation, I will not let someone get away with spouting nonsense. The same here on the Net.
It matters because the opinions of the ignorant and those who have not thought things through are indeed harmful. It is the same kind of ignorance and lack of clear thinking that has lead to Racism and Homophobia etc etc
It is vital that wrong ideas are challenged, we may not convince our protagonist, but often others hearing our words will see the point of view that has the most merit.
Many have taken on board Hitchen's and Dawkin's view that religion is toxic but they don't have the intellect of these men to argue logically so they resort to insults. Some have said on this forum that Hitchens was very scathing in his attacks on religion and after reading two of his books I would agree. He didn't just throw insults though, his arguments show an in depth knowledge of history and international politics that few on these atheist v believers threads seem able to discuss.
his arguments show an in depth knowledge of history and international politics
It doesn't take a great deal of intellect or knowledge of history to see the damage inflicted on society by the toxicity exuded by religion.
IMO Cantleave that is not how Hitchens would have tackled my statement. You are just saying the toxicity of religion is obvious. If it was obvious then religious people would leave their churches.
i don't think it matters. I think most on this forum have at least some education and have heard about Christ and i think atheists seem happy to live their lives without God.
(some education is me)
There is a way in between. I am no Atheist... but I am no Theist either... I see myself as a Deist which means that I do think there is an intelligent power that started everything but after that let it be (it is just one of many views a Deist has... it is actually a lot broader then that). I have respect for both views and I hate the fact that people are battling each other for it (if you may call it a battle). At the end it all comes to "respect" and both atheist and religionist should express respect imho.
