I called them Secularist Bigots on mine.

It used to make me really angry when Jesusstayscrunchy crawled out of his hole to poke at people just to make himself feel superior. Now, I just laugh it off and delete his posts. Anyone that would find his attitude admirable is probably worse, anyway.

Sadly, he writes decent stuff otherwise. You can tell some people have "issues" when they are reasonable and tolerant one minute, and the next they turn into a ranting turd. No different than racists and anti-Semites I have known. They are fine till you key their neurosis...

Belligerent secularists are the same as rabid anti-Anythings. They can't open their mouths without showing how hateful and irrational they are. If they dealt with people in a tolerant way they might be dangerous, their arguments might seem more reasonable.

As it is, they just broadcast how intolerant and hateful they are. People just yawn and change the channel.

I would suggest to try not to play Myrrander's game. Your article was to discuss the anti-christian aspect of many, his first response was to as for proof. Maybe he is too ignorant to respond to the topic at hand but then who knows... Most of what he writes I view as a point whore trying to get hits.

Just my 2 cents.

Not all athethist take this stance that you do. I take equal offense at you trying to ram god down my throat no matter what name you call him. Yes, I find that living in the US, christianity is what is spoon-fed to you the most, but it is not the only thing. It is by far the oppiate of choice in the US, so it takes the most heat from "non-believers."

Who's ramming God down your throat? Who's insisting that Christianity isn't the only thing in which people believe? What makes your beliefs less of an opiate than ours?

Our forefather's did not put the word GOD on our money, in the pledge of alliegance, or in most of the places you find it now for a good reason. They did not want to insult those of a different faith/or lack thereof. It was the stupidity of the 50's and the fight of "godless communism" that put it there. If our money said in Allah we trust, I would be just as offended by it, as I am with God there, and that is actually, the most generic term you can have there.

Actually, they did place God on the dollar bill with the phrase "Annuit coeptis," or "He (God) has favored our undertakings," and the inclusion of the all-seeing eye, which is a symbol of the Renaissance times that symbolizes God.

I do understand you point, that you feel christianity takes the brunt of it, here, but that is because the majority of Americans are christian. But I don't have people knocking on my door trying to sell me copies of the Torrah, or of the Koran. (Quaran?) I don't come knocking on your door trying to sell you The Origins of Man do I? If you don't want to take the brunt of it, then don't be the brunt of the problem by trying to force your views on people like me.

I have girl scouts coming to my door trying to sell me cookies, as well as a variety of other salespersons, but that doesn't mean that I should start bagging on all girl scouts as oppressive girls who are violating my privacy. Besides, so what if Christians are the majority? That doesn't justify an anti-Christian attitude anymore than me being around mostly atheists on the Internet justifies an anti-atheist attitude.

Even Thomas got to run his hands over Jesus, eh?

Ah.... Myrrander one day every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God... yep- even yours! The problem is your proof will not come until you are prostrate befor Him. We can either do it today by free choice or in that day according to His Word. The later will not be the best option.

Nice post Gideon. This is what a Christian thread on a Religious Blog site should look like.

Insightful
preacherman

We can either do it today by free choice or in that day according to His Word.

So God gave us free will only to take it away?

IG

So God gave us free will only to take it away?

No, that is the white man.  Hence the term Indian Giver.

I am not a Christian. In any shape way or form. I'm not anti-christian either. In the past I have had the distinctive pleasure in partaking in Friendly debates about religion. They can be constructive but what I've found most people dislike about Christianity is not the faith itself but the presence of the Church in that faith. The fact that the Church controls the faith, rather than the scripture itself. One such example was a woman who almost denounced her christian faith when the Church decided after a good 2 thousand years - St Christopher was actually not to be considered a saint. This shook her. One of the questions she asked in one debate we were having is how could the Church pick and choose who was and wasnt a saint - Why put so much emphasis on saints when their sanctity can be taken away in a flash during an anual regime.
I obviously didnt know what to say, neither did anyone else - except for the few that went in to a conversation about how the Church works and what rules they apply to their faith. I must admit i didnt buy it and it was far from comforting to this woman. But yes i generally feel it isnt the faith that many people dislike, its the authority behind it that keeps on reshaping it.
To myrandr I say :
It really is hard to prove or disprove anything that occured 2 thousand years ago. The only things left are religious scripts. Instead of asking other Christians to prove anything for you - Go out on your own and read every material related to the faith in question. Read with logic first, and by all means question what you read. If you think it falls in to a logical pattern that you can believe in - your heart will kick in. The result will be faith. which you can build on with knowledge. Dont take anyone elses word for it - they are already believers.

And to quote Preacherman : "Ah.... Myrrander one day every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God... yep- even yours! The problem is your proof will not come until you are prostrate befor Him. We can either do it today by free choice or in that day according to His Word. The later will not be the best option."

That kind of repent ye lest you face the brimstones of hell attitude is exactly what drives away many people from your faith - try moderation and guidance, if they dont work, let the christ whom you believe in do his work. Food for thought.

Thanks for reading.

"Ah.... Myrrander one day every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God... yep- even yours! The problem is your proof will not come until you are prostrate befor Him. We can either do it today by free choice or in that day according to His Word. The later will not be the best option."


Gee, that sounds like a threat! A little bit of "nice place you got here, too bad if something were to happen to it" talk is sure to sway the unbeliever to your side.

Can't you guys see that?

I don't have a problem with the nonexistant Christ. Just a lot of christ pushers. And no proof was offered. Even Thomas got to run his hands over Jesus, eh?

Actually he never did. Yes, he had the opportunity, but never took the action.

IG

"I don't have a problem with the nonexistant Christ. Just a lot of christ pushers. "

I don't have a problem with bitter Atheists. Just a lot of bitter Atheism pushers.

Gee, that sounds like a threat! A little bit of "nice place you got here, too bad if something were to happen to it" talk is sure to sway the unbeliever to your side.

Pull your hair over your head,  your ignorance is showing in that empty space.

I know I didn't write the end all to beat all, where's the cream filling?

Uh, ok, let me respond.

I agree.

Sorry, it was a good response.

I agree with Helix here.

I'm an agnostic. Have been for years. But i don't push my beliefs on anyone. Every time I turn around (i live in Utah, so maybe i'm an exception here) somebody is trying to push christianity down my throat. I usually just smile and tell them i respect their right to believe what they want to, so please respect me in the same manner. and most of the time they respect my wishes. And sometimes it turns into an arguement.

But i find a lot of Atheists are a bit hypocritical when they push their own agendas on the obvious majority. The word "god" (G-D for my hebrew friends) is not pushing beliefs on anybody in my opinion. God is different things to different people. Most of them have no problem saying his name when they are upset. as in "Goddamnit, why do they say god in the pledge? It's violates my rights! where's my lawyer?"

I don't like the thought of ANY group inflicting their will on a bunch of kids, but the pledge doesn't do that. If somebody doesn't want their kids saying it, they need to parent them and tell them to do what the Jehovahs Witnesses do.

Stand and say nothing.

Very interesting Giedon, the point you made that all people believe in something, even if that something happens to be nothing. I never quite looked at it that way and I am sure it is going to affect my responses to people who disagree with me.
I never really realilzed that an Athiest actually does have faith. Just of a different kind. Faith that there is not, or may not, be a God.
Thanks for your post.

Gideon I hope you don’t mind just one more post, but I feel it is necessary. This will be the last on this thread. Thanks for posting

Helix the II, Corsair & KM
It is one of the drawbacks of the Internet. Unless you know the individual that makes a comment, personally, there is a lot of opportunity for misinterpretation. For example my comment earlier about “every knee and every tongue” could be construed as unloving and uncaring. If you knew me, really knew me, you would have to agree that is the furthest thing from my intentions.

The quote comes the Word of God Philippians2:5-11. The apostle Paul make a statement concerning the not only to the legitimacy of Christ Life but to the testimony of His purpose…. He was equal with God yet died for the sin of humanity. I am sure there were bloggers in that day that said Paul you should not have said that. You sure wont win anyone over to the Christian faith. Can you hear them?

I don’t think that Paul’s concern was that truth be supplanted with political correctness. You see we live in a day when Truth is tempered for the sake of possibly offending the hearers. The disciples of our Lord’s day had the same concerns about political correctness- Matt.15: 1-12 “Then came his disciples, and said unto Him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?”

The purpose of the quote from Philippians was not intended to offend or win. It was simply a document of Truth… according to the Word of God. And for the sake of all who blog across this thread, it is in hope that they will not find themselves as Thomas- unbelieving.

Even Thomas got to run his hands over Jesus, eh?

My prayer for all, yes even Myrrander, is that they trust the Christ of the Bible. But I realize that not all that hear the gospel will believe. But at least they have heard.

God Bless
preacherman