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Not Religious but do Religious things

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124

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    #92
    Pj!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,783 ✭✭✭Pj!


    seamus wrote: »
    Does that not basically prove that everyone's "God" must be wrong?
    No. Maybe everyone is right.
    If the ability to believe is a gift, then surely the concept of God would be the same no matter where in the world is was conjured up?
    Why?


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    #93
    irishconvert
    Registered Users Posts: 1,866 ✭✭✭irishconvert


    seamus wrote: »
    That's because the very definition of "belief" requires the person to aware of the concept in which belief is professed.

    If you were never made aware of the concept (of your current god), you would likely never believe.

    I don't think you are right. Some people actually contemplate this world, where they come from, what their purpose is. They may come to the conclusion that there was a creator of this world and everyone in it.


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    #94
    irishconvert
    Registered Users Posts: 1,866 ✭✭✭irishconvert


    Canis Lupus wrote: »

    For someone from the 'outside' The existence of a god sending himself to be born as a virgin birth, to make sick people well, walk on water, etc, die on a cross, arise 3 days later and then ascend into heaven along with stuff like transubstantiation and so on and so forth (along with the same type of rubbish all religions spout) should be absolutely ridiculous but unfortunately children are brainwashed from an early age in Ireland and elsewhere to consider the above as reality or at the very least a possibility...

    Yes but why do peole use the above to argue there is no creator or all religions are rubbish? It's like only ever being exposed to country & western music and coming to the conclusion that all music is crap without listening to the Beatles!


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    #95
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users Posts: 23,981 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    Canis Lupus wrote: »
    If only that wasn't true but the real problem is what follows birth.

    For someone from the 'outside' The existence of a god sending himself to be born as a virgin birth, to make sick people well, walk on water, etc, die on a cross, arise 3 days later and then ascend into heaven along with stuff like transubstantiation and so on and so forth (along with the same type of rubbish all religions spout) should be absolutely ridiculous but unfortunately children are brainwashed from an early age in Ireland and elsewhere to consider the above as reality or at the very least a possibility...

    Whilst many nowadays eventually don't accept these fairytales what it does is 'normalise' a ridiculous proposition. If only all mention of gods/religion etc could be banned till people reached 18. I'd be willing to bet organised religions would mostly vanish overnight and be relegated to crazy communes out in the desert.

    That's the general Boards opinion, which I don't think applies elsewhere.


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    #96
    Genghiz Cohen
    Registered Users Posts: 7,182 ✭✭✭Genghiz Cohen


    irishconvert wrote: »
    Nobody is born disbeliving in God either.

    Lol


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    #97
    seamus
    Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    Pj! wrote: »
    No. Maybe everyone is right.
    How can everyone be right? Their beliefs differ in ways that are completely incompatible.
    irishconvert wrote: »
    I don't think you are right. Some people actually contemplate this world, where they come from, what their purpose is. They may come to the conclusion that there was a creator of this world and everyone in it.
    They may. But even if they do, the specifics of that creation won't match the specifics that anyone else believes.

    If you're going to go down the line that all believers in god ultimately believe in the same god, then you need to water down the definition of what "god" is so much that it's utterly meaningless and turns all religious texts into pointless jokes.


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    #98
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,235 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    irishconvert wrote: »
    Yes but why do peole use the above to argue there is no creator or all religions are rubbish? It's like only ever being exposed to country & western music and coming to the conclusion that all music is crap without listening to the Beatles!
    The Beatles are crap too.


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    #99
    irishconvert
    Registered Users Posts: 1,866 ✭✭✭irishconvert


    endacl wrote: »
    The Beatles are crap too.

    Blasphemy!


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    #100
    Canis Lupus
    Registered Users Posts: 9,893 ✭✭✭Canis Lupus


    irishconvert wrote: »
    Yes but why do peole use the above to argue there is no creator or all religions are rubbish? It's like only ever being exposed to country & western music and coming to the conclusion that all music is crap without listening to the Beatles!

    Hey, some c&w is passable! But ultimately music is a tangible thing. It's not a good comparison.
    ejmaztec wrote: »
    That's the general Boards opinion, which I don't think applies elsewhere.

    Atheism is on the rise and I would consider boards to be a good representation of Irish youth. I have no stats to back it up but I think (and as you imply yourself) it would be fair to say atheists/non religious heavily outweigh the religious here.


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    #101
    irishconvert
    Registered Users Posts: 1,866 ✭✭✭irishconvert


    Canis Lupus wrote: »

    Atheism is on the rise and I would consider boards to be a good representation of Irish youth. I have no stats to back it up but I think (and as you imply yourself) it would be fair to say atheists/non religious heavily outweigh the religious here.

    Boards posters are armchair athiests. But when mammy cracks the whip and demands they go to Christmas day mass, or get their kids baptised, they mostly crumble!


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    #102
    Gotham
    Registered Users Posts: 406 ✭✭Gotham


    irishconvert wrote: »
    It's like only ever being exposed to country & western music and coming to the conclusion that all music is crap without listening to the Beatles!

    That's a bad analogy. Country music doesn't tell you that other types of music cant exist. And if it did, you could pop into the shop and see for yourself.

    As Stephen Fry said (and I paraphrase):
    If all religions and science were to disappear, they would both be "rediscovered" in future generations. The difference being that science will not change.


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    #103
    Pj!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,783 ✭✭✭Pj!


    Gotham wrote: »
    As Stephen Fry said (and I paraphrase):
    If all religions and science were to disappear, they would both be "rediscovered" in future generations. The difference being that science will not change.
    Nice quote


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    #104
    jaykay74
    Registered Users Posts: 6,561 ✭✭✭jaykay74


    irishconvert wrote: »
    Boards posters are armchair athiests. But when mammy cracks the whip and demands they go to Christmas day mass, or get their kids baptised, they mostly crumble!

    Do you think you are describing people who are :

    1/ Atheists online. Catholics in real life.
    or
    2/ Atheists who do a few empty gestures once in a while to keep the peace.

    Personally I am more of a 2. Why ? I'm too lazy to take an interest to fight for my atheism. I'm not that bothered. Keep the peace, don't believe, move on. Thats the extent of my religion and/or atheism.

    All long as the religious don't impact me and they generally don't in Sweden then thats fine.


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    #105
    irishconvert
    Registered Users Posts: 1,866 ✭✭✭irishconvert


    jaykay74 wrote: »
    Do you think you are describing people who are :

    1/ Atheists online. Catholics in real life.
    or
    2/ Atheists who do a few empty gestures once in a while to keep the peace.

    Personally I am more of a 2. Why ? I'm too lazy to take an interest to fight for my atheism. I'm not that bothered. Keep the peace, don't believe, move on.

    A bit of both really. But why would someone get their kids baptised to keep the peace? People of Ireland, grow up and grow some balls!


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    #106
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,235 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    irishconvert wrote: »
    Blasphemy!
    Ah blasphemy.... the only victimless crime! :D


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    #107
    jaykay74
    Registered Users Posts: 6,561 ✭✭✭jaykay74


    irishconvert wrote: »
    A bit of both really. But why would someone get their kids baptised to keep the peace? People of Ireland, grow up and grow some balls!

    I'n not religious, my wife isn't. My kids can decide for themselves. I don't mind a bit of window dressing for the oldies. case closed.

    You can keep your religious conflicts, thanks.


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    #108
    philologos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    Doc wrote: »
    Do you think it’s bad to take part in a religious ritual if you don’t really believe in it?

    Do religious people feel that it is disrespectful?

    Do any atheist out there do the same thing?

    TLDR Version: I’m not religious but do religious stuff sometimes out of sense of tradition is that ok?
    Christians should welcome people irrespective of belief into churches. Personally I regard Christmas as a good opportunity to explain to friends and colleagues about my trust in Jesus as Lord and will probably be inviting people to carol services closer to the time.

    I hope to get into discussion about it in the coming weeks and over Christmas. The incarnation of Jesus is so important in the Christian faith, it can't really be overstated :)

    So yes. Of course I'd be fine with it. It's not about ritual but the birth of a Saviour.


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    #109
    irishconvert
    Registered Users Posts: 1,866 ✭✭✭irishconvert


    jaykay74 wrote: »
    I'n not religious, my wife isn't. My kids can decide for themselves. I don't mind a bit of window dressing for the oldies. case closed.

    You can keep your religious conflicts, thanks.

    It's up to you if you want to make a dishonest pledge to to raise your kids as Catholics, no skin off my nose.


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    #110
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users Posts: 23,981 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    Canis Lupus wrote: »
    Hey, some c&w is passable! But ultimately music is a tangible thing. It's not a good comparison.



    Atheism is on the rise and I would consider boards to be a good representation of Irish youth. I have no stats to back it up but I think (and as you imply yourself) it would be fair to say atheists/non religious heavily outweigh the religious here.

    And it would seem that every one of the atheists here insists on telling everybody else that they are atheists at every available opportunity. To me it's the same as being surrounded by a bunch of bible-punchers.

    I'm not at all religious and couldn't give a toss what people believe or don't believe in. I did start a feedback thread on the regular appearance of religion threads in AH and was told (by an atheist :pac:) that I was over-reacting, something that I disagree with or I wouldn't have started the thread.

    I expect a lot of people in Ireland to have a deep hatred of religion, given the history here, but I don't share that hatred as I wasn't brought up here.


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    #111
    Ghost Buster
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 5,172 ✭✭✭Ghost Buster


    ejmaztec wrote: »
    We've had mention of the "kiddie-fiddling", but I'm surprised that there's been no mention of the "sky fairy" or the "flying spaghetti monster. People must be slipping.

    Nope but there is one of those posts you are so fond of......


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    #112
    TwoShedsJackson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,438 ✭✭✭TwoShedsJackson


    philologos wrote: »
    Personally I regard Christmas as a good opportunity to explain to friends and colleagues about my trust in Jesus as Lord...

    I'm sure your friends and colleagues will just love that. For 99% of people now, Christmas is a time of rampant commercialism, conspicuous consumption, and family arguments. Don't depress them further by starting to bang on about Jesus.


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    #113
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users Posts: 23,981 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    Ghost Buster wrote: »
    Nope but there is one of those posts you are so fond of......

    Which post would that be?:confused:


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    #114
    Ghost Buster
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 5,172 ✭✭✭Ghost Buster


    ejmaztec wrote: »
    Which post would that be?:confused:

    The most common type:
    Oh look another religion thread,
    Smug atheists
    In before 'kiddy fiddlers'
    etc etc
    Much more common than actual instances of the threads and posts they refer to.


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    #115
    Kev.OC
    Registered Users Posts: 825 ✭✭✭Kev.OC


    gobnaitolunacy wrote: »
    Don't bother doing most religious things now, maybe go to mass at Xmas, just to keep the ma on side.

    I'd be the same as this. I'm not that terribly fond of organised religion, but I'll pay a visit to the church on Christmas Eve to keep the mother happy.

    Apart from that, just the usual really. Weddings, funerals, christenings etc., to be polite and respect the beliefs of others.

    Will I get married in a church? Not a clue. Will I get any future children baptised? Honestly, I'd prefer not to. I'd be much more happy to raise a child with some knowledge of a few of the religions that are out there and let them make an informed decision as to which one (if any) they want to join.

    Do I care that people do religious things purely out of tradition? Not in the slightest. Believe, don't believe, practice, don't practice, do whatever makes you happy, just don't lecture me about it.


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    #116
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users Posts: 23,981 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    Ghost Buster wrote: »
    The most common type:
    Oh look another religion thread,
    Smug atheists
    In before 'kiddy fiddlers'
    etc etc
    Much more common than actual instances of the threads and posts they refer to.

    don't forget "angry atheists".


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    #117
    Genghiz Cohen
    Registered Users Posts: 7,182 ✭✭✭Genghiz Cohen


    ejmaztec wrote: »
    don't forget "angry atheists".

    That generalisation pisses me off so much!!!
    :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:


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    #118
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users Posts: 23,981 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    Genghiz Cohen wrote: »
    That generalisation pisses me off so much!!!
    :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:


    There's always :mad: management.


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    #119
    lazygal
    Registered Users Posts: 12,644 ✭✭✭✭lazygal


    philologos wrote: »
    Christians should welcome people irrespective of belief into churches. Personally I regard Christmas as a good opportunity to explain to friends and colleagues about my trust in Jesus as Lord and will probably be inviting people to carol services closer to the time.

    I hope to get into discussion about it in the coming weeks and over Christmas. The incarnation of Jesus is so important in the Christian faith, it can't really be overstated :)

    So yes. Of course I'd be fine with it. It's not about ritual but the birth of a Saviour.

    Have you ever successfully witnessed to friends/family/passersby? Or do people just start to drift away or suddenly have to leave when you start to explain your trust in Jesus as Lord and the incarnation of Jesus?


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    #120
    9959
    Registered Users Posts: 1,785 ✭✭✭9959


    lazygal wrote: »
    Have you ever successfully witnessed to friends/family/passersby? Or do people just start to drift away or suddenly have to leave when you start to explain your trust in Jesus as Lord and the incarnation of Jesus?

    Not getting at you 'lazygal', but as an atheist I would much prefer Philo's take no prisoners, onward Christian soldiers, 'clarity of vision' shtick, however bonkers,

    to

    the mealy-mouthed, I think I believe but then again, not organised religion like, it's just, well you know something spiritual eh, you have to believe in something don't you?......well don't you? I mean, there must be something out there....like maybe eh, not god but you know....

    Philo,
    keep fighting the fight, however much I disagree with you, you're never rude or abusive.
    Your proselytizing can be very wearisome and perhaps you feel duty-bound to be constantly 'on message', but hey, it takes all sorts.
    If there were no 'true believers' like yourself, on threads such as this, it would all become very boring, very quickly.
    Even though you're not trying to be funny, I think some of your stuff is hilarious.
    Yours in mirth,
    9959


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    #121
    woodoo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,219 ✭✭✭woodoo


    The church offers a good ceremony at important times in peoples lives, births, deaths, marriages etc. I think that is the only reason so many people stay.


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