Religion

Sekhmets Daughter

(7,515 posts)

31. I grew up with

Wed Jan 23, 2013, 11:16 AM

Jan 2013

"have a blessed day" and I'll be 65 next month...how were you lucky enough to escape it for so long? When I was a kid you couldn't ask a simple question like "Can we go to the beach this weekend?" without getting a "God willing" response. Drove me nuts.

Like you, I am a non-believer but I don't have any problem with the people who still hold their assorted superstitions. While I appreciate that several people here objected to the religious aspects of yesterday's ceremonies, I also appreciate the fact that most Americans still identify with some religion or another. While I strongly resist any attempt to codify religion into our daily lives, I don't break a sweat over politicians playing to that tendency...because that's all it is and it began with George Washington. Someday, in a future I doubt I'll live long enough to see, no president, or candidate, will have to pretend to hold a religious conviction not truly experienced. But given the long history of religion, including the pagan worship of rocks, the sun etc., I doubt anyone alive today will see an end to religion, no matter how devoutly that outcome may be desired.

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The Atheists Conundrum [View all] Fumesucker Jan 2013 OP

Don't think about it; I don't. elleng Jan 2013 #1

That was my first thought of a Reply. What on Earth does any of it matter, next to how we treat one patrice Jan 2013 #9

RIGHT, next to how we treat one another and EARTH! elleng Jan 2013 #13

It's one of those things that once you become aware of it you can never quite completely ignore Fumesucker Jan 2013 #14

I understand atheism & its critique of religion & I agree with it to the extent of the limits inhere patrice Jan 2013 #19

if you had real faith, you wouldn't Skittles Jan 2013 #11

I believe "what" cares tama Jan 2013 #23

Not losers!!! Do you know that Zen Buddhism doesn't have a God? nt patrice Jan 2013 #2

Losers in the sense that if you are a thoughtful person it's hard not to be alienated Fumesucker Jan 2013 #7

k, I don't know which threads specifically you are referring to. The one's I saw usually began with patrice Jan 2013 #17

Nadine, cali and Will Pitt all found it necessary to pen OPs to dump on the atheists Fumesucker Jan 2013 #18

I'm sorry they were un-necessarily disrespectful. We're all like that, including me. & I'm not sure patrice Jan 2013 #20

+ Infinity cleanhippie Jan 2013 #29

I grew up with Sekhmets Daughter Jan 2013 #31

Those OP's were in response to many other OP's that dumped all over theists. cbayer Jan 2013 #33

"dumped all over theists" Goblinmonger Jan 2013 #34

I feel less and less welcome on DU these days for a number of reasons Fumesucker Jan 2013 #38

It's not the mention of theism not be fact based, because it clearly is not fact based. cbayer Jan 2013 #42

But is it OK to call some theists "a bunch of dumbasses", as you have? trotsky Jan 2013 #68

pointing out religious privilege = dumping all over theists? Phillip McCleod Jan 2013 #83

I don't object to pointing thing out or even complaining about the amount of cbayer Jan 2013 #89

maybe i do have a dog in this fight but Phillip McCleod Jan 2013 #94

yesterday's crowd was really big on the 9 commandments lol nt msongs Jan 2013 #3

I consider myself an early adopter. Naturally there will be bugs. n/t dimbear Jan 2013 #4

I've always considered that it might be part of the Third Man phenomenon Warpy Jan 2013 #5

Some populations are far more reliably atheist than others though Fumesucker Jan 2013 #6

Exactly. Warpy Jan 2013 #8

sorry, wrong thread Skittles Jan 2013 #10

I think most to all of us, even skeptics, view some imaginary things as real. ZombieHorde Jan 2013 #12

Well it becomes clear that some of us worship authority anyway Fumesucker Jan 2013 #15

sure some imaginary things are real Phillip McCleod Jan 2013 #84

As a fellow Atheist, there is a third option, and it's not quite the dilemma you think it is... Moonwalk Jan 2013 #16

Real faith, I'm told ... GeorgeGist Jan 2013 #21

You don't need theism tama Jan 2013 #22

Many people believe their children are exceptional . . . MrModerate Jan 2013 #24

It is not that they believe, it is WHAT they believe Demo_Chris Jan 2013 #25

Good question tama Jan 2013 #28

yes our technology has progressed faster than our ethical development Phillip McCleod Jan 2013 #85

It sucks more to be surrounded by assholes. rug Jan 2013 #26

Well, perhaps you should stop supporting them, making it easier for them to get away with it. mr blur Jan 2013 #79

I don't. You'll usually see me arguing with them here. rug Jan 2013 #90

there is a third way called don't let it bother you CBGLuthier Jan 2013 #27

Amongst all this banter, thank God for corneliamcgillicutty Jan 2013 #30

Is it your contention then that everyone should be bothered or not bothered by the same things? Fumesucker Jan 2013 #36

Problem is tama Jan 2013 #80

Yes, there's certainly been a lot of words Fumesucker Jan 2013 #81

I like this cartoon tama Jan 2013 #82

Wow, really? You see those as your only options? cbayer Jan 2013 #32

Why the need to tell me how to feel about things and how to act? Fumesucker Jan 2013 #35

Because this is really divisive and counter-productive. cbayer Jan 2013 #37

I'm not trying to wage a war, that's where you are entirely missing my point. Fumesucker Jan 2013 #40

You are generally a very positive poster, so I truly do not understand where you are coming cbayer Jan 2013 #41

There's some big chunks of American culture that I do not buy at all, that leave me feeling Fumesucker Jan 2013 #43

The pile on against both theists and atheists is about equal on this site, imo. cbayer Jan 2013 #44

In the very first place you mistook my purpose in the OP Fumesucker Jan 2013 #56

I understand why you might feel left out. You are being left out cbayer Jan 2013 #57

Every single word or metaphor I can think of to use to describe my feelings is offensive to theists Fumesucker Jan 2013 #58

I'm sorry for what you have to endure IRL. cbayer Jan 2013 #59

Yeah, boat people is one thing, yacht people is entirely another Fumesucker Jan 2013 #60

I knew about the origin of posh, but this video is hilarious. cbayer Jan 2013 #62

LOL I lost count when... Kalidurga Jan 2013 #76

Because people that believe crazy things are likely crazy? cleanhippie Jan 2013 #39

Nah, mostly they are uninterested and non-introspective, i.e. dull. Warren Stupidity Jan 2013 #99

I never feel like a loser amuse bouche Jan 2013 #45

Try this on and tell me how it feels. cbayer Jan 2013 #46

So you are a parrot? amuse bouche Jan 2013 #47

Sure, I'll take a cracker! cbayer Jan 2013 #48

I objected to the troll accusations amuse bouche Jan 2013 #49

You were called a troll by a fellow atheist who often shares your point of view in cbayer Jan 2013 #53

When atheists start having a worldview that exists outside of reality, you will have a point. cleanhippie Jan 2013 #50

Atheists tama Jan 2013 #52

I wasn't. I said when they DO start having one thy isn't based in reality. cleanhippie Jan 2013 #54

OK nt tama Jan 2013 #55

It doesn't bother me that people believe in different things than I do. People believe in all sorts robinlynne Jan 2013 #51

Have you ever considered that both are right at the same time? NoOneMan Jan 2013 #61

Insane? Did you learn the meaning of that in psychiatry school? cbayer Jan 2013 #63

Insane doesn't imply one cannot function NoOneMan Jan 2013 #64

So, even by your definition, do you think all religious people are insane? cbayer Jan 2013 #65

Most everyone these days suffers from various forms of psychosis NoOneMan Jan 2013 #66

That's just a completely inaccurate statement. cbayer Jan 2013 #67

No, its really not NoOneMan Jan 2013 #69

Well that's not a psychosis. That's a personality, which may or may not represent a disorder. cbayer Jan 2013 #70

Personality doesn't refer to mental processes that affect the perception of reality NoOneMan Jan 2013 #71

Personality pretty much is exclusively the mental processes that affect cbayer Jan 2013 #72

"it is more appropriate to use plain English" NoOneMan Jan 2013 #73

Ok, doc. Good luck with that. cbayer Jan 2013 #75

The problem tama Jan 2013 #87

I think that the answers you seek are held in fields other than psychiatry or even psychology. cbayer Jan 2013 #88

Well tama Jan 2013 #91

These are areas in which my interest has been marginal, at best. cbayer Jan 2013 #92

Gospel of Neuroplasticity tama Jan 2013 #93

Well it's not unique tama Jan 2013 #86

Well you can't make the equivalent statement about a non-belief. Warren Stupidity Jan 2013 #100

Sure I can. I could call all atheists psychotic, delusional, stupid, etc. cbayer Jan 2013 #101

And that would be accurate too! Because it's atheists that believe dead people come back to life... cleanhippie Jan 2013 #102

you could do that, but it would not be equivalent. Warren Stupidity Jan 2013 #103

Not believing something that the majority of people around you believe cbayer Jan 2013 #104

So a republican who doesn't believe that Obama is a Kenyan Muslim is delusional? Warren Stupidity Jan 2013 #105

No, in my opinion he is not delusional. cbayer Jan 2013 #106

"For one thing, it has to be patently untrue" Warren Stupidity Jan 2013 #107

There is a clinical definition of delusional cbayer Jan 2013 #108

Why be alienated. Festivito Jan 2013 #74

I always think about how the first religion must have come about. You could say invented, brewens Jan 2013 #77

There is much more to religion tama Jan 2013 #78

I'm an atheist from an atheist family, uriel1972 Jan 2013 #95

:) Phillip McCleod Jan 2013 #96

<3 tama Jan 2013 #97

I hear you and I hope I have heard him more clearly in the course of this thread. cbayer Jan 2013 #98