A brief theological question.......

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

What got me as I watched my parents reach the end of their lives, was that church (organized religion) meant less and less to them. But, their love of family and their belief in an afterlife grew tremendously.

Wishfull thinking? I don't know. But I do hope to see them again.

Dave

What I am looking forward to is the whole gang of former pets waiting at the Rainbow Bridgee.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by merrylander

What I am looking forward to is the whole gang of former pets waiting at the Rainbow Bridgee.

Oh, yeah. The animals too, for sure. And there's a former girlfriend I would love to see again. Cancer took her at 39. Rest in Peace, Tabitha.

Dave

[merrylander]

I can't help feeling that my parents and my oldest brother were looking out for me when Florence an I met.

[Deczor]

Raised a Catholic. Irish Catholic.
Now an athiest verging on anti-theist.

Originally Posted by Kamakiri

Now that we've got a good amount of postings, the follow-up question to this, is....do you believe that your faith, past, present, or lack thereof, has created any of your political views, and if so how? And how is it different from others?

Spending my early years entrenched in catholic ritual seemed very normal at the time. I actually wanted to be a priest at one point.

When I became a teen and started questioning things the level of anger and resentment I got from people, especially my mum, was incredible. Never were any answers provided to any basic questions such as "how are Protestants different from us?", just a quick remark about how horrible they are or some such.

As I learned more about the world and people, the less religion seemed to make any sense. I didn't believe in god long before I know what Athiest really meant.

Now I think organised religion is dangerous. Very dangerous. The religious always have a tint on their view of the world and actions, or a hidden agenda. They can't, in my experience, see things as they really are and act correctly. It's always an "us and them" type view of the world. This has kind of turned much of global politics into a scorpion pit of agendas and stand-offishness. I think religion divides people even more than race or language does.

At least you know where you stand with athiests. They don't automatically hate you, try to bomb your plane/building/abortion clinic or refuse to negotiate equally. All the really bad stuff I have ever seen has been perpatrated by the religious. Bit of a no-brainer which camp to pitch your tent in really.

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by Deczor

Now I think organised religion is dangerous.

Organized religion, political parties, same thing and I agree.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by merrylander

What I am looking forward to is the whole gang of former pets waiting at the Rainbow Bridgee.

I certainly hope ol' Tippy is waiting for me whenever I arrive in the next world. I'm gonna sic 'em on all of those bastards that I don't want to see.

After all, attacking a bunch of assholes would be HIS vision of heaven.

Chas

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by Charles

I certainly hope ol' Tippy is waiting for me whenever I arrive in the next world. I'm gonna sic 'em on all of those bastards that I don't want to see.

After all, attacking a bunch of assholes would be HIS vision of heaven.

Chas

Tippy would see Shock and turn into a weak-kneed love-sick puppy. Then again, he might see lunch.

Regards,

D-Ray

[leah]

Agnostic..hmmm I support the social programs of your church They clearly come the closest to "the message" GOD? well, any good Jesuit will talk for and against. GREAT FUN

[JonL]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Did a one year stint in Hebrew school. I slipped past the guards in the third grade and never looked back.

Sorta my experience too. I'm Jewish by heritage, my parents raised us with some of the Jewish cultural traditions but they were basically atheists. They tried to send me to Hebrew school more for the cultural education than the religious, but I wanted none of it and actually left and walked a couple of miles home one day. I must've been about 11.

I'm now an unabashed atheist, even an anti-theist as someone else posted. (Never heard that phrase before.) I believe that religion and the belief in a supreme being is superstition and mythology. I've gone into it more detail in another thread, and I should probably leave it at that because it is very difficult for me to express my views without offending people, perhaps very deeply, and that is not my desire.

"Despite" my lack of belief, I attempt to live by the golden rule and attempt to live my life in a way that has a positive impact on the world. I'm surely not entirely successful, but I imagine I do a little better than average. As a non-believer, it is difficult for me to understand why many people feel that religion has to be at the root of morality. I do not myself see a connection.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by JonL

I'm now an unabashed atheist, even an anti-theist as someone else posted. (Never heard that phrase before.) I believe that religion and the belief in a supreme being is superstition and mythology. I've gone into it more detail in another thread, and I should probably leave it at that because it is very difficult for me to express my views without offending people, perhaps very deeply, and that is not my desire.

"Despite" my lack of belief, I attempt to live by the golden rule and attempt to live my life in a way that has a positive impact on the world. I'm surely not entirely successful, but I imagine I do a little better than average. As a non-believer, it is difficult for me to understand why many people feel that religion has to be at the root of morality. I do not myself see a connection.

I usually use the less provocative description "agnostic" (i.e., don't know, don't care and pretty damn certain I'll never find out). I think I'm probably taking the easier way out than you did in your description (in an effort not to offend). But in truth, you've described my views quite closely (the only difference was that my initial indoctrination attempts were Catholic, not Jewish).