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2008-10-22
, 17:39
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Posts: 151 |
Thanked: 11 times |
Joined on May 2007
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#52
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I prefer the term irreligious, since athiest in the U.S. have begun to proselytize as bad as any Mormon or Jehovah's Witness I've ever met.
Wtf, guys? Seriously... "Be careful when you fight the monsters, lest you become one."
Wtf, guys? Seriously... "Be careful when you fight the monsters, lest you become one."
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2008-10-22
, 17:40
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Posts: 5,478 |
Thanked: 5,222 times |
Joined on Jan 2006
@ St. Petersburg, FL
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#53
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Originally Posted by TA-t3
Not nearly as much as you've been led to believe. As always (this pretty much applies to all those truisms you've heard about the US), the US is a big place, and generalizations about it like the one above aren't particularly useful for understanding it.
But I've also understood that the question of "Atheism" vs. "Religion" is something hugely different in the US compared to, e.g, northern Europe. Being an atheist in the US is apparently a big deal, something that people care about. Around here it's instead like, say, owning a grey-blue jacket. It's not something you think about very much, it's certainly not something you go preaching about, but if someone asks you will know what to answer.
Sure, there are some parts of the US where your religious views (or anti-religious) are disproportionately important to people, but these places are generally not medium or large-sized cities and aren't really as common as some people seem to believe.
The odd thing about people calling atheism a "belief system" is that, for me, religion does not play any sort of meaningful role in my life. Other than occasionally being harassed by one of the crazier fundamentalist types or finding little Jesus pamphlets stuffed in among the metaphysical books at my old job, I just don't give a damn about religion or god. It's not really so much that I actively disbelieve, as that I actively just don't give a damn.
Religion is not important to me, and god is not important to me. TA-t3's analogy about stamp collecting is quite apt here.
__________________
Ryan Abel
Ryan Abel
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2008-10-22
, 17:48
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Posts: 3,428 |
Thanked: 2,856 times |
Joined on Jul 2008
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#54
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Originally Posted by GeneralAntilles
I'll throw an exception in there. Salt Lake City... or really the entire state of Utah. I grew up as a mormon but have since disowned it.. and through school when kids would find out I'm not mormon they'd look at me as some kind of plague.
Sure, there are some parts of the US where your religious views (or anti-religious) are disproportionately important to people, but these places are generally not medium or large-sized cities and aren't really as common as some people seem to believe.
Growing up I find that a bunch of my "mormon" friends, or so I thought, would be friends for a short time trying to get me to "go" to church.. when they realized this wasn't going to happen - they simply stopped calling.
That isn't to say anything negative about Mormon's as a whole.. it's just that this state is so heavily filled with them that being anything but can really teach a guy to be severely pissed about all things religious. ( I spent a number of my teen years angrily arguing with everyone I could just to get a rise out of them and push their belief's. I've calmed down a bit since the Navy and realized it wasn't the "standard" ).
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2008-10-22
, 17:58
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Posts: 4,783 |
Thanked: 1,253 times |
Joined on Aug 2007
@ norway
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#55
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hmm, now im reminded of a youtube video or similar where two scientists answer questions from callers, and get a guy on the phone that wants to talk about creation.
this goes one quite calmly for maybe 10 mins, with things going back and forth but the scientists having the better arguments.
then the guy goes noticeably silent, suddenly yelling all kinds of profanity at them before hanging up...
this goes one quite calmly for maybe 10 mins, with things going back and forth but the scientists having the better arguments.
then the guy goes noticeably silent, suddenly yelling all kinds of profanity at them before hanging up...
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2008-10-22
, 18:22
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Posts: n/a |
Thanked: 0 times |
Joined on
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#56
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Originally Posted by GeneralAntilles
I surely agree when it comes to individual people.
Not nearly as much as you've been led to believe. As always (this pretty much applies to all those truisms you've heard about the US), the US is a big place, and generalizations about it like the one above aren't particularly useful for understanding it.
But what really scares me is the amount of phrases like "gods own country", "god wants us to..." and so on that are used in a supposedly non-religious context, mostly politics. Especially the republican speeches and press releases are filled with these. Over here someone who claims he is chosen by god and knows what "his" will is, might be considered a dangerous fanatic. In the US such agitators get voted for by a huge percentage and not only despite they say things like that, but because they do.
That really scares me!
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2008-10-22
, 18:34
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Posts: 4,783 |
Thanked: 1,253 times |
Joined on Aug 2007
@ norway
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#57
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as a outsider i have gotten the impression that the so-called "bible belt" has a lot to say about the outcome of presidential elections.
and it seems the while most of europe have a continual struggle to get religion out of government, usa have one to keep religion out.
btw, i also heard that the least wanted us president would be one who was a declared atheist. even a radical muslim would be more accepted...
and it seems the while most of europe have a continual struggle to get religion out of government, usa have one to keep religion out.
btw, i also heard that the least wanted us president would be one who was a declared atheist. even a radical muslim would be more accepted...
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2008-10-22
, 22:03
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Posts: 3,404 |
Thanked: 4,474 times |
Joined on Oct 2005
@ Germany
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#58
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Considering the fact that the founding fathers of the United States where mostly atheists or deists and did their best to keep religion out of the government, it's really sad to see how it ended today. IIRC, the motto "in god we trust" became the official motto in 1956.
"this would be the best of all possible worlds, if there was no religion in it." -- Thomas Jefferson
"this would be the best of all possible worlds, if there was no religion in it." -- Thomas Jefferson
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2008-10-22
, 22:11
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Posts: 3,220 |
Thanked: 326 times |
Joined on Oct 2005
@ "Almost there!" (Monte Christo, Count of)
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#59
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Originally Posted by penguinbait
Christian extremists are trying to bring back the Dark Ages.
Perhaps I should not be stirring this pot, but why should "Anti-Islam" be a religion?
Christians, Jews and Muslims all worship the same God. The God of Abraham. If it were to be added, souldn't it be "Anti-Judaism-Christian-Islam" or "Anti-Abrahamic"
I think what actually would fit better is "Anti-extremism" which would not single out entire religions. I personally think Christian extremism is just as if not more dangerous than Islamic extremism.
Can't we all just get along?
Muslim extremists are trying to get into the twenty first century.
Christian extremists are frowned upon by mainstream Christians.
Muslim extremists are culled by mainstream muslims.
The problem with "getting along" is that it doesn't work very well if one side is convinced that "getting along" equals to you sticking your *rse in the air five times a day, lest you get knifed like a swine.
The only good muslim is an ex-muslim.
__________________
Watch out Nokia, Pandora's box has opened (sorta)...
I do love explaining cryptic sigs, but for the impatient: http://www.openpandora.org/
Watch out Nokia, Pandora's box has opened (sorta)...
I do love explaining cryptic sigs, but for the impatient: http://www.openpandora.org/
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2008-10-22
, 22:31
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Posts: 62 |
Thanked: 35 times |
Joined on Mar 2008
@ Fort Gratiot, Michigan
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#60
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When I say this, I am dead serious: I'm a Pastafarian.
Yes, I worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster and was converted from Atheism.
I have a couple problems at my high school, though. I told a friend about the Gospel, and he began cursing at me, claiming that there's no proof that he exists and you can't believe in something that's invisible.
As another Pastafarian friend put it, "You're fighting an uphill battle. Some people just don't see the irony in the situation."
I lol'd.
Yes, I worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster and was converted from Atheism.
I have a couple problems at my high school, though. I told a friend about the Gospel, and he began cursing at me, claiming that there's no proof that he exists and you can't believe in something that's invisible.
As another Pastafarian friend put it, "You're fighting an uphill battle. Some people just don't see the irony in the situation."
I lol'd.
So how can one be christian without religious, again?