A question for "freethinkers"

[moof]

More than a little depressed here, again after meeting someone on the net that seemed to be connecting up on many levels that are important to moof it comes up that religion is very important to this person.

Where do any of the DU freethinkers post that has the first tier of fools screened out like DU here and also goes another step to screen out these insufferable sad souls that have yet to see the truth and accept reality as it is here and now. Not a site where athiests argue endlessly about dieties, a plave where the ethos is such that talk of ghosts never comes up let alone thought of by anyone there.

Is there no one on the Planet that so totally rejects this ghost/diety business that it never comes up in regular conversation.

cripes what moof would not give to rid the world of this curse of religion.

truely is there anyone else that loves movies, music, freedom, truth, reality, life, art, star trek, star wars, cast away, casablanca, good conversation, PBS, science, jimmy buffett, and watching a sunset from the beach with a Pina colada a huge salad a cheesbuger and a rootbeer ?

A horse a horse the kingdom for a horse to come and kick moof to death and be done with this cruel hoax called life.

[King Of Paperboys]

1. Religion is a great comfort to many.

And I don't necessarily mean in the "opiate of the masses" sense.

I'm sorry you've had this experience. Many people adhere to a faith, yet are not dogmatic nor doctrinaire. If you're looking for an atheist, or even an agnostic, you eliminate most of the population. Which is valid.

I wish you well in your search for what makes you happy.

[Book Lover]

2. moof, honey, come inside

and sit down. Have a cookie, I just made them. Lemonade? Here you go.

Now listen to Aunt Kate. The person you are looking for is also looking for you. Maybe online is not the best place to look. Unfortunately, we don't really have meeting halls or anything like that, so you'll have to do it the old-fashioned way. Do you have freethinking friends that can start introducing you to freethinking females?

on edit: I googled and found this place

http://www.agreaterdate.com/Categories/Atheist-Dating.htm

Try it!

[MissMillie]

3. And don't forget

that believing in a diety doesn't have to have any connection with religion at all.

Why is this a deal-breaker for you?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. Those people tend to be labeled godless by the evangelizers

And the label, sadly, tends to stick. Take me, for example. I don't rule out as stupid the speculation that the cause of this Universe's existence may bear some resemblance to a thinking mind. If you care about the meaning of words you wouldn't call me an atheist. Agnostic may be more correct.

But if you don't believe in the total truth of SOME sacred book, for many you're a materialistic ammoral latte-drinking moral relativist.

[MissMillie]

6. Well, take heart

there are lots of us who don't feel that way... and some of us don't even care for latte!

Finding someone to love and love you back is tough, for sure. I'm still looking too. I just hope the long line of "Mr. Wrongs" hasn't damaged my heart so much that I'll never let anyone in again.

I'm sure your special someone is out there.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

10. I found my other half in '97. She's a believer but of the tolerant variety

:loveya:

[MissMillie]

12. my bad

I thought you were the original poster. Mea culpa

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

42. Oooooo how I wish I could have read that one! (nt)

[Mr. McD]

5. Try secularity.com

Join our community of ethical godless people.
Religion-free homepages, events, dating & fun!


http://www.secularity.com/index.php?vtrk=gg-Atheist-NWFloridaImg1

[Catfight]

7. ick-root beer and a pina colada at the same time?LOL

Don't worry, you'll find your little cheeseburger in paradise somewhere on this planet.

PS: I'm really tired of religion all day long, it really makes me feel sorry for people who are seduced by it. Especially men, I don't get why they need to have some big father figure to submit to? Women I can understand since our upbringing sort of is subservient, but men are taught to be independent and boss. So when they are totally seduced into this god thing, it miffs me.

[Nlighten1]

8. I feel your pain.

But you are looking for a needle in a haystack here in America. You may just want to look beyond the fact that this person wants/believes/needs religion and love them for the things you agree on.

You will find your life to be much happier when you let go and be free.

[BigMcLargehuge]

9. Faith in the other I can deal with... but Jimmy Buffet...

is a definite deal breaker. Can't stand the music, don't know the man, don't want to.

We all have our litmus test, don't we?

Good luck with your quest good sir knight.

[troublemaker]

11. I heard that

I would feel dishonest or condescending if I tried to have friends who believe in the unreal. There's no hope of agreeing to disagree when at heart you disagree on everything. I have trouble accepting the full consciousness of believers and the idea of trying to be really intimate with a believer seems absurd.

The fact that you can grow to like a person without knowing they're 'that way' ought to make us feel better about prospects for good relations with irrationalists but I find it even more alienating. It's an Invasion of the Body Snatchers thing... I feel almost betrayed. "If you believe in this junk why don't you act like it? Shouldn't you be gibbering at passerby in the park or something"

I particularly like people that think I will spend eternity in a state of torment but don't see that as an impediment to being friends or lovers.

[StClone]

13. Though I am irreligious

I see religion as a code for a civil society.

There are many contradictions in religion but things like the Ten Commandments are effective simple guides for life though not set in stone (pardon the pun).

The problem I see is where you will place this new person's religion in your life: tolerance? involvement?

The latter is preferable but without belief in the other's deity there is an inherent fallacy but one that can not be overcome by patience, acceptance and love.

It is worth a try with an open mind.

[moof]

14. A little logic people

It's no mystery why anyone would read any thread but why after reading one that laments the intrusion of religion into this planet's every nook and crevice would people trespass into a dicussion about not talking about religion and then

type out a reply and include religion ?

Also anyone that feels the need to respond at all to that question should look up the definition of rhetorical first.

[LibertyorDeath]

16. Right here

"truely is there anyone else that loves movies, music, freedom, truth, reality, life, art, star trek, star wars, cast away, casablanca, good conversation, PBS, science, jimmy buffett, and watching a sunset from the beach with a Pina colada a huge salad a cheesbuger and a rootbeer"

but I don't play for the other team & I'm already taken.

Hang in you never know what tomorrow brings.

[moof]

17. LOL, regardless of any evidence to the contrary

moof has not and will not ever knowingly reveal the age, location, gender or species to anyone on the net.

Anyone is free to refer to moof in whatever manner they wish.

moof is only looking for like minded minds to yak/type at with on the net.

[moof]

19. What a deal, your user name is exactly the type of topic

that would be interesting to have a discussion about , but not where the skyjockeys will join in with their myths about death.

[Ready4Change]

18. If I may offer an opinion.

Your insistence on a world devoid of religion is hypocrital. Basically, by taking such a stance, you have declared non-religion to be your "religious" belief system. Like any other zealot, someone else having a different opinion seems to be intolerable to you.

I know that sounds harsh, but there's no real difference between your stance and, for example, that of a born again christian who demands that everyone should accept christ. Both stances are intolerant of opposing points of view.

If religion is really meaningless to you, then it should have little weight compared to all the good matching points with this other person. But, if you hold non-religion so dear, better say goodbye to this other person right now.

All my .02

[moof]

20. This will be the only moof reply to this type of bologna

There is no need for any system of any type of belief.

People do not need belief unless reality is too much for them.

People would be better served if they were not allowed to take something they believe to be true to the point of saying it is true.
Kind of defeats the idea of belief doesn't it.

So don't try to use anyone's preprejudiced ideas about belief systems, what ever anyone might think they are, it does not matter because they do not exist other than ideas based on speculation.

This is not to deny that some people get a benefit from religion,
some people get a benifit from sugar pills if they belive it is a new wonder drug, that does not change the fact that the result was due to the belief in something that was false.

This is to inform everyone that there will no more to add to this baseless debate from moof so don't whine when/if additional replys on the belief aspect are not responded to. To continue a dialogue on this aspect people will first say what it would take to convince them there is no such things as ghosts.

"Anyone is free to believe anything they want unfortunately many do "

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

23. There's a big difference between intolerance and personal preference

and in fact, your response to Moof was more righteous than either. I am not intolerant of people belonging to the Republican party but some issues go to the core of who we are which is why I wouldn't want to marry or date a republican.

[Ready4Change]

24. I agree with the difference.

From Moofs post I get the impression Moof feels his/her non-belief (in any form) is based on pure rationality. However, the only difference between Moof and zealously devout religious folk is the conclusion being drawn from a LACK of evidence. Void of evidence one cannot validly conclude that there is or isn't, for example, such a thing as Buddha and enhanced enlightenment.

But Moofs mind is made up, so any reason for discussing that has been declared moot. Pity. Allthough I'm also "off the market" it still sounds as though there were some common conversation points between us.

[troublemaker]

25. Don't tell people who to like or why to like them

There must be *some* part of us that's not a free-fire zone for busy-bodies.

[Ready4Change]

32. Good advice, but should it continue to total isolation?

I've plenty of friends with viewpoints on subjects I don't agree with. My life would be far less fullfilling if I excluded those friends from it.

I've two other choices. I could exclude them from my life (and be alone.) Or I could demand they change to meet my requirements (and be dissapointed.) Which route I choose is my personal choice.

And busybodies should keep out. But, if I complain about the results of my choice, it shouldn't surprise me if they offer up potential solutions.

[truthspeaker]

30. Bullshit. Moof isn't being intolerant. He's looking for compatibility.

[Ready4Change]

33. Moof has unrealistic standards.

From Moofs opening post: Is there no one on the Planet that so totally rejects this ghost/diety business that it never comes up in regular conversation.

"Never comes up in regular conversation." How many people can meet that standard? That isn't a complaint about Jehovahs Witnesses knocking on the door. That's objecting to someone wondering if Vikings would have objected to Thor as a character in super hero comic books.

I'm sorry Moof is unhappy. I'm sorry I missunderstood Moofs post as a request for help, when it was apparently a rant. And I'm sorry my advice has been lost in people rejections of my tone.

But I stand by my opinion that it is within Moofs power to find friendship and perhaps compatibility. Moof should realize that it is unrealistic to demand that others meet Moofs standards.

Nevertheless, this is a big world. There are doubtless people who meet that one standard metioned here. Moof may meet them. I hope, when that happens, that they and Moof can find happiness. It's not impossible.

[truthspeaker]

35. I have the same standards as moof, and I found someone

I have had at least two serious girlfriends who do not believe in the supernatural, and almost all of my close friends are nonbelievers. I think moof's standards are reasonable.

[Ready4Change]

36. Excellent

I hope Moof can have similar success in finding a compatible community. It's a big world.

[moof]

37. WOW, an abundance of Logic and Reason, do you feel

it is a result of the region you live in ? Like is there a specific outside influence drawing more rational minded people to your area.

Do you live at Los Alamos for example or silicon valley?

How did you meet these friends , ny chance , at work , ahile out relaxing somewhere ?

How many is many friends that think the same and do you socialize at a particular public place ?

DU is helping to keep what little sanity remains but what's left could use a few sprinkles of fresh REALity water to keep the brain cells from drying up competely.

Your ever so grateful for your reply moof

[truthspeaker]

38. It helps that I live in a big city, but mostly it's luck

I live in Minneapolis. If you're willing to relocate for this, I suggest Washington, Oregon, or Vermont.

[moof]

39. contemplating a move to somewhere but

till now the thinking was Vancouver B.C. or Australia although Belize is somewhat alluring.

What makes the entire states of vermont of Oregon like the twin cities
or do you haver all the religious people socked away in St. Paul. LOL

[truthspeaker]

40. actually it's just urban areas in Washington & Oregon

There's a graph somewhere online that shows percentage of non-believers by state. Ever post on Internet Infidels? That's where I got the figures on states with more nonbelievers. Vermont is something like 30%.

[NightTrain]

21. I know how you feel.

Thankfully, my last girlfriend was a Wiccan and had absolutely problem with my being an Atheist. And the DUer with whom I appear on the verge of becoming seriously involved is a liberal Christian whose attitude is, "To each his own." In fact, she asked me early on if her going to church bothered me! (It doesn't, by the way.)

[tom_paine]

22. Actually, I dated a gal like that. She was SO areligious

(even more so than me!)

that she was extremely uncomfortable with even attending my family's Passover Seder though she had met my entire family by that time and we were already kicking around the idea of living together followed by marriage.

Of course, she turned out to have other problems which made us incompatible and forced me to end the relationship because she essentially "knocked me out of love".

That's another story. The moral of this one is: Find a gal you can love, religious, areligious, it doesn't matter so long as you respect each other and each other's views.

You might find your areligious gal (which is VERY nice while it lasts), like me, and she might turn out to be a "dead end" for other reasons.

Just look. No harm ever came from trying...

[2cents]

26. Never give up, if all else fails...

pray to meet an atheist. :)

[Anarcho-Socialist]

27. It is best to find someone who is "spiritual" rather than "religious" n/t

[truthspeaker]

31. what the hell does "spiritual" mean?

I prefer a partner who is neither spiritual nor religious. (I'm lucky to have one now).

[Anarcho-Socialist]

41. someone who is open-minded about religion but not zealous n/t

EDIT: Unless atheism is your thing

[Bundbuster]

28. Check this out Moof

A great segment on this rally appeared on Free Speech TV last night:

http://godlessamericans.org/gamow.shtml

It brought up so many resentments I've had for years about the obscene incursions into our everyday lives brought on by force-fed comingling of church & state. Out of 2500 VERY dedicated free-thinkers in attendance, I think your future SO might have been there.

[truthspeaker]

29. It's tough; the odds are against it.

I just lucked into it this time; my gf is an atheist like me but there was no way to know that until we talked about it. Good luck.

[mia]

34. How about ActforLove.org ?

...the cause-oriented personals service that lets you "take action" while "getting action." By using ActForLove.org, you help support progressive, activist causes.


A plug for one of my favorite activist and his website.
I got to know John Hlinko through the online Draft Clark movement.

Try it...you never know!

[BonjourUSA]

43. The religious convictions are the worst chains for the mind and

that's a voluntary chaining : a kind of perversity