"I would be a complete dud as a Christian. I like my sins a little too much. For example my weakness for married women. Having admitted one of my failings, let me say this: Based on what I have read in this thread I would MUCH prefer the company of Christians to that of atheists. I wish the true belivers well. Thanks for letting me have my opinion" Atheist?? ...I think his submission sounds more like one of a wanna be christian.
Please show me where I suggested any such thing. That just sounds to me like an excuse for the christian's demand to .... Do As I Say and Not As I Do. That may be your belief, but you have provided no substantial or reasonable evidence to me that any of it is actually the case. Then I must disabuse you of your knowledge. I have never suggested an individual's personal choice does or should govern moral behaviour. I wouldn't bet anything you are not prepared to lose on that assumption. Setting moral standard has been the elemental job of society since time immemorial. That the authors of the new testament wanted to jump on, and take over the reigns, of the pagan worshipping bandwagon, comes as no revelation to me. As The Old testament was increasingly seen by the churches to be unpopular in its violent retribution and threatening thugishness, and as Pagan worship was on the whole more peaceful and in tune with nature, it's no surprise religious merchants needed an update. Church leaders and apologists have been adjusting it to fit in with the more morally defined respectable society ever since. Thank you. So in one sentence I am "an intelligent, moral person with integrity", and by the next I am hard hearted?? What is this... the carrot and stick method to christianity !! Because I don't go along with the religious viewpoint does not mean I, or other non - 'religious followers', are 'hard hearted'. I can assure you I have met many devoutly religious people with 'hearts' made of titanium. You cannot guarantee that, but in any event that is not my intent when posting. Well that didn't last long did it !! Now I have no morality and integrity. You express a very fickle assessment of me. Is that what a christian does? Believe one thing one second and the opposite the next?? I think you have lost grip of this. I do not persecute I question, query, cajole, antagonize and occasionally insult where I think it is deserved. Incessant persecution is simply not my style. And as yet, the religious prerogative as professed is very sadly wanting to the point where it is untenable. There are some hard questions that you have not answered or even addressed. You and other religionists like you, seem to prefer to float about in a thin bubble of presupposition and self serving, self satisfaction. I feel I have a duty to prick at it !
the nice thing about opinions is they dont have to be based on facts - id love to see facts backing this one up.
________________________________________ Absolutely! How can you profess a higher moral understanding outside of Christianity and then show absolutely no tolerance or objectivity for differing views. Attacking each and every thread and poster with a Christian view for so long a time starts to define the attacker instead of the victim.
God idiots don't understand eloquence as they are utterly banal. When I poetically insult them, when my hatred is passionate or subtle, they are even less capable of responding. You give them more credit than they deserve. They are lowly beings, animals, predictable and coarse. Do you think they care if you or I write eloquently. They don't understand art. They're the banal. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote from Rearden Metal: Seriously, why do my fellow atheists here have to be so rude all the time? You never heard Ayn Rand or Carl Sagan blurt out "God idiots are just fucking idiots"... they were far more eloquent in explaining our position. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your intolerance to anyone with a view not in support of the christian dogma is evident throughout your posts. This suggest to me that you are constantly affronted by anything which interrogates the christian, or religious faith in general. Your obvious one sided bias is blatantly clear in the remarks you make. I have just made a response to inandlong. Did you even bother to read it?? If you did, kindly show me where there is a lack on my behalf of tolerance or objectivity for his views. Where do you dredge up such ridiculous nonsense from?? Don't you see exaggeration on your part? I attack!! every thread, every poster with a christian view??? Your slanted mentality presumably restricts reference to ART , who by your farcical evaluation, attacks every poster with a non religious view. Raising question and exemplifying the obviously absurd protestations of religious apologists is not victimizing them. It's simply nothing less than deserved. Do you have a default switch .... christians and religion must equal good, anything else must equal bad ?? If so, then perhaps it's time to short circuit yourself a little and respond to the issue, instead of trying to constantly hide behind hurt pride, along with allegations of victimization or attack on your too precious cherished beliefs. I'm no threat to anyone(almost)...consider me an irksome niggle, shaking rationality a little as it lies dormant from the soporific effects of religious conditioning. Yours it seems, requires a good kicking, it's like trying to waken the dead. Resurrection interest you?
_____________________________________________ I don't know what any of this has to do with the point that inandlong and I made about your attacks in this thread, being classless and in poor taste. Go back and read the thread from the beginning and observe the progression. The Original poster asked what, seemed to me a civil and decent question, for communications with like minded traders. I certainly see no harm in that or reason for the all out attack that followed. Dalittleguy observed this phenomenon and admitted that he had a problem but he also recognized your problem which is obvious to many others. You, are understandably, repulsed by his problem and he is by yours as well. As least he admits that he has a problem and so far you have refused to look at your own problem which keeps manifesting itself in this way. I don't respond much to ART because I am not sure if he is from this planet. He is absolutely the most prolific arguer on many threads and that is his choice. Responding to him is like trying to nail jello to the wall. As far a my being a Christian apologist goes, there are very few Christians out there that are more critical of what is going on in the church today than I am. Read "Wild at Heart" and you will see what I mean. I don't comment too much here because I sit on Christian accountability and disciplinary boards and I can't, in good conscience, talk about what I know. I have been asked to sit on those boards for many years because of my tough but, hopefully, fair stand and decisions. I have had to vote on and act on some of the toughest and heart wrenching situations out there and am hated by some for those necessary decisions. You can attack me all you want and it has been done before by more Christians than non but when I see something out of line I will respond and it doesn't matter which side is out of line. I do tend to give the non-believer the benefit of the doubt because there is no reason he should know better but the Christian has no such excuse.
Why argue about God and religion? Today, tomorrow, someday when we all pass we will each find out what the truth is...I have my beliefs and other people have theirs, but in the end we shall all know the truth.