Good point, Spider! It was just an 'impression', not an opinion.

Messagetrade wrote:
"Abra, Yes, you are right that it is another matter altogether. But just
because there may be many justifiable interpretations of a teaching does
not make all interpretations equal, or all justified."

I totally agree with you on that. But I still think is wrong for Spider
to tell other people that his is ‘correcting’ their understanding.

In truth I really don’t care what Spider posts. But I felt obliged to
support Voilezur’s observations because I feel that there is merit to
his view.

I mean, in the long haul it’s just not in Spider’s favor to be telling
people he is correcting their understanding. So Voilezur is actually
trying to help Spider by pointing out a bad feature of his method of
presentation. Spider will probably drive more people away with that
approach than he invites. That’s fine with me, the more people he
drives away from Christianity the happier I’ll be. (ha ha)

>> But I still think is wrong for Spider
to tell other people that his is ‘correcting’ their understanding.

Okay. I won't defend someone else's word choice. I am glad that Spider
gave us greater context for the teaching, making us all better equipped
for any personal interpreting we may choose to do.

One can be an atheist and still be a Secular Humanist. The
contradictions always seem to occur when one group tries to define
another in the context of _their_ belief system, many times against a
backdrop of xenophobia.

-Kerry O.

OMG!!! Abra....I am shocked at that statement from you. I could have
fallen off my chair.
Why on earth would you find any happiness from the demise of people
towards a religion? That does not sound like you. At least not to me.
Why would you even care?? You have stated how you feel, and we all
acknowledge that. I would never say something like that to you, or about
your beliefs. I still cannot believe that you said that.
Kat

Kat wrote:
"Why on earth would you find any happiness from the demise of people
towards a religion?"

Your shock only stems from your misunderstanding of what I mean. I am
against the ‘religion’ not the people who practice it. It’s clear that
you misunderstand me by your reference to the ‘demise of people’ did I
say anything about the ‘demise of people’?

No.

Spider will probably drive more people away with that
approach than he invites. That’s fine with me, the more people he
drives away from Christianity the happier I’ll be. (ha ha)
==============================================================
I was refring to their religion, not the demise of a people. Why would
it make you happy for us, anyone to not have that to live by?
(Christanity, religion, or whatever one calls their belief.)It just
didn't sound like anything I would expect of you. Thats all.

Kat

Kat,

It’s the big picture I don’t like. Not many of the small well-meaning
churches or people. I just believe that overall on a large scale
Christianity has, and still does, spread bigotry, hatred and
intolerance.

If everyone taught Christianity as love and tolerance like Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. did, then I wouldn’t have nearly the problem with it as
I do. In fact, I wouldn’t have any problem with it a all then. I
still wouldn’t believe in it myself because I simply believe it’s the
wrong picture of god. Nothing can compare to the god I know. My god
simply isn’t an egotistical god which the God of the Christians is by
his own admission in the bible and by commandment.

In any case, I see Christianity doing more damage than good in the BIG
PICTURE. So that’s where I’m coming from. I’m sure there are a lot of
logical little churches that to preach love and tolerance. But
overall, on a large scale it breeds bigotry, hatred, and intolerance.

I think Spider’s a good example on this forum. He is totally intolerant
of any views other than his precise interpretation of things. If he
ever does become a preacher that’s what he’ll preach. Not love and
acceptance, but rules, regulations, and complete intolerance for anyone
who disagrees with them. That’s the attitude that Christianity often
causes and that’s the attitude I’d like to see eradicated from humanity.

There is an irony here. The one thing I won’t tolerate is intolerance.
Roy (RainbowSlider) loves that one. (ha ha)

It almost sounds hypocritical on my part. But when I see the religion
doing damage to humanity it makes me want to see it eradicated in the
same way that I would like to see cancer or AIDS eradiated. It's not
even a religious ideal to me, it's more of a humanitarian concern.

We must become the change we want to effect in the world.

Is athiesm a religion?


Thiesm:
belief in the existence of a god or gods; specifically : belief in the
existence of one God viewed as the creative source of the human race and
the world who transcends yet is immanent in the world

Mono·the·ism:
the doctrine or belief that there is but one God

Athiesm:
Try looking this one up. Actually, if I recall correctly, at this
late hour. In the original language, I think Greek, Thiesm was the
"thing", the belief in the existence...etc. When the Greeks preceeded
the work with the equivalent of our letter A - it meant something
similar to our sign of a cigarette with a diagonal line through it. It
was simple -
believer / non believer.

So if you want to discuss symantics, you have a lot of history to delve
into. If you want to talk interprtation of one language to another,
it's simple. believer in God OR A non-believer.

A believe in God is just that a belief - a religion identifies that
belief as moving beyond the individual into the world of social, which
as we all know, requires ritual, dogma, rules and the like.

Therefore - a believe in God implies 'personal ownership'. Therefore it
is not a religion at all. Athiesm is also a personal as there is no
"religious" affiliations or belief in God, or any basic set of rules or
dogma, therefore it is not a religion.

TA DA !

so much for stirring 'that' soup!! lol

Liberals have no place in the world. There is a right way to do things,
and a wrong way to do things. Religion itself is about how a man/woman
reaches out to God. So how can not believing in a God be a religion?
Plus, with help from more terms, there are distinct differences from a
true Religion (Whatever accounts for one) vs a Cult (By which was just
some crap slapped together).

Red, I have noticed the respect that you give those that spell God with
a big "G". Also to those that spell it with a little "g". I have tried
to do the same. I know sometimes it is hard to do so for me, because I
sure have to be paying attention when talking to certain people.
Anyway, just wanted to show my appreciation.

Kat

Thanks Kat, I needed a flower today.