 | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
| |
| Author |
Message |
Nesaie
B.V. Info-a-holic
Joined: Aug 04, 2005
Posts: 10412
|
 Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 12:54 pm Post subject: From a conversation with an Atheist |
 |
|
| |
Today I had lunch with a co-worker who is an atheist. He said something to me I found interesting.
Him: Do you know what really scares me about these Christers?
Me: What?
Him: These people actually need a book to tell them to love their neighbor.
G'head, argue amongst yourselves.  |
|
_________________
Soma: All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects.
Have you had your Soma today? |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
| Author |
Message |
Item7
B.V. Lurker
Joined: Dec 06, 2007
Posts: 361
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 2:25 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| |
Hi,
First, Lol. But seriously, everyone knows whats good and whats bad. Loving your neighbor is good. Even "Christers" {Lol, funny word} know it in their hearts. The bible just reinforces that idea, much like all the great books inspire people and "jive" with what a person knows is true in their heart.
The truth is the truth, whether it comes from an old book, a good song, or a homeless person on the street.
Item7 |
|
_________________
A true teacher is always a threat. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Author |
Message |
Nesaie
B.V. Info-a-holic
Joined: Aug 04, 2005
Posts: 10412
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 3:21 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| |
It struck me because so often I've seen the argument that Atheists can't have morality without the bible.
Yet, when the Law tells the victim of a rapist that she must marry him, I have to question. |
|
_________________
Soma: All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects.
Have you had your Soma today? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Author |
Message |
Item7
B.V. Lurker
Joined: Dec 06, 2007
Posts: 361
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:12 am Post subject: |
|
|
| |
Hi Nesaie,
I think its terrible to believe only certian people has the exclusive rights to the truth, or morality.
Morals come from a persons personal beliefs and that involves the whole life and experiences of an individual. Not just the religion they choose to follow, but everything from upbringing, to personal experiences which have shaped their character, to their changeing ideas and even the mood one happens to be in.
I know quite a few people who do not activity participate in religion but have good sound morals. I bet everyone does.
Item7
P.S I still think Christers is a funny word, Lol |
|
_________________
A true teacher is always a threat. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Author |
Message |
greeney2
B.V. Info-a-holic
Joined: Sep 28, 2001
Posts: 9864
Location: USA
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 6:39 am Post subject: |
|
|
| |
One Atheist at lunch makes a comment to you that every Christian "needs" a book to tell them "love they neighbor", and now you think thats the only way they would? How is that loving his own neighbor that might be a Christian on your Atheists part? He questions the Christian beleif, while not showing love for his neighbor
Why would an Atheist care what the Bible would say about anything? Maybe the Atheist "needs" to find fault in trivial things to justify his lack of belief in God, and why find fault in something that is a good thing?
That statement shows the Atheist doesn't respect his Christian neighbor at all, to respect the neighbors beliefs and bible teachings, much less would profess love for him for that reason. The Atheist is no different from the gays who demand respect for their lifestyle and the disrespect for the lifestyles they demand it from.
Can't you see the forest thru the trees Nasaie, how hypocritical the Atheists statement was? |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Author |
Message |
micki
B.V. Lurker
Joined: Aug 21, 2007
Posts: 212
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 7:10 am Post subject: |
|
|
| |
huh??? 
What's hypocritical are the Christians (and other religious people) who should know as a universal truth to treat others like they want to be treated, and have a book or prophets to tell them (just in case they can't figure it out on their own) and STILL judge others and condemn them for not agreeing. Now THAT is hypocritical! |
|
_________________
And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music. (Angela Monet) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Author |
Message |
Nesaie
B.V. Info-a-holic
Joined: Aug 04, 2005
Posts: 10412
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 7:57 am Post subject: |
|
|
| |
Item7, I've said it before, a Hindu once defined his idea of God, what ever you believe...that is God. I'm repeating it because I like it.
I believe truth is like the moon. It ebbs and flows, waxes and wanes...yet we can only see one side. We'll never see the "dark side of the moon".
I also believe that every child is pure at birth. It is this society that turns something beautiful into something unnatural. We call it "progress", "cultural", "reality", etc...I call it unnatural.
Oh...and I just remembered a Taoist story you may like. Let me find it.
Never mind...I'll try to tell it as I remember it. Forgive me if I'm not a good story teller. 
Once upon a time, there was a very wise man. His counseling was comparable to none. All the people of the village would knock at his door at all hours of night. Yet, he would always invite them in and listen. They would always feel better when they left. They also always left with new insight into life.
One day, a scribe decided that his words were so important that he had to write everything he said down. He followed the man around as the wise man counseled.
Eventually, that lead to a book.
Then, the wise man had so many people to counsel that most people couldn't get in to see him. So, they had the book instead. Eventually, he had followers with a book. They lived their lives exactly as the book said. His followers only followed what was in the book. All laws, rules, etc. were defined by the book.
One day as the wise man, with all his followers behind, was walking across a slippery bridge, he fell in the water. Help...help...he screamed. I CAN'T SWIM! His followers lived their lives by the book, with all the laws about life. They quickly ran to the book to find out what to do in this situation.
Meanwhile, the wise man drowned.
(I'll see if I can find a better retelling of that story, but you get the gist. Christer was his word, not mine.  ) |
|
_________________
Soma: All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects.
Have you had your Soma today? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Author |
Message |
Nesaie
B.V. Info-a-holic
Joined: Aug 04, 2005
Posts: 10412
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 8:13 am Post subject: |
|
|
| |
| greeney2 wrote: |
| One Atheist at lunch makes a comment to you that every Christian "needs" a book to tell them "love they neighbor", and now you think thats the only way they would? |
I think what? Go back to your broken crystal ball when you try to read my thoughts.
What I knew by posting this was that it would draw discussion. That is all.
| greeney2 wrote: |
How is that loving his own neighbor that might be a Christian on your Atheists part? He questions the Christian beleif, while not showing love for his neighbor |
How is that not showing love? He didn't hurt anyone. It was a discussion between him and me. Nobody hurt, no war, no famine by him stating that idea. Do you know what he does in his spare time? I don't.
| greeney2 wrote: |
Why would an Atheist care what the Bible would say about anything? |
Easy, because many Atheists were raised with the bible. Then they read it...the whole thing...That is why they're Atheists.
| greeney2 wrote: |
Maybe the Atheist "needs" to find fault in trivial things to justify his lack of belief in God, and why find fault in something that is a good thing? |
Or maybe, you don't know the personal struggles that an Atheist may go through in their life?
What exactly is good about the Torah? Leviticus? Exodus? And, Numbers is really boring. Sorry, I know how to get rid of mildew and it ain't the way described in the Torah.
| greeney2 wrote: |
That statement shows the Atheist doesn't respect his Christian neighbor at all, to respect the neighbors beliefs and bible teachings, much less would profess love for him for that reason. The Atheist is no different from the gays who demand respect for their lifestyle and the disrespect for the lifestyles they demand it from.
Can't you see the forest thru the trees Nasaie, how hypocritical the Atheists statement was? |
I knew you'd be one of the ones around here to get all emotional like that.
BTW, he didn't say Christian. He said christers. There is a bit-o-difference. |
|
_________________
Soma: All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects.
Have you had your Soma today? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Author |
Message |
Nesaie
B.V. Info-a-holic
Joined: Aug 04, 2005
Posts: 10412
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 8:19 am Post subject: |
|
|
| |
| micki wrote: |
huh???
What's hypocritical are the Christians (and other religious people) who should know as a universal truth to treat others like they want to be treated, and have a book or prophets to tell them (just in case they can't figure it out on their own) and STILL judge others and condemn them for not agreeing. Now THAT is hypocritical! |
I know where you're coming from micki. I also know my own experiences. In my personal life I really have met people who live their beliefs. I respect them immensely. Currently I work with a guy who is Mormon. He doesn't preach. But, if I was interested in his belief, he'd be more than happy to share. We all know his belief and watch him practice it. He has six kids and the patience of a saint. The only beer he drinks is root beer, but he doesn't condemn others for drinking real beer, like Guinness.
I've known Jehovah's Witnesses who weren't hypocrites either. I'm just saying, there really are those who do practice what they preach. I respect them. They do exist. |
|
_________________
Soma: All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects.
Have you had your Soma today? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Author |
Message |
screamzero
B.V. Info Seeker
Joined: Feb 08, 2008
Posts: 2433
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 2:42 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| |
Outstanding relativity Naei-naei. Totally pure outstanding relativity. Nice to see your deep respect for the Taoist and Hindu's moral poignancies about life and its realities...note how I did not say the "C" word. Wasn't that good of me naei-naei?
Now...where did Jesus disagree with these cats? (mark this well: I am NOT using the term Christian) .....where did Jesus disagree with these cats? |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Author |
Message |
Personanongrata
B.V. Info Seeker
Joined: Dec 31, 2007
Posts: 2469
Location: NAU
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| |
_________________
__________________________________________
"The obstacle is the path." -- Zen Proverb.
"**ck it, we'll do it live." -- Bill O'Reilly.
"...................................." -- Harpo Marx. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Author |
Message |
Wing-Zero
B.V. Info Seeker
Joined: Oct 27, 2004
Posts: 596
Location: California
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| |
| You've really gotta lay off the lolcats. |
|
_________________
Nice Boys Don't Play Rock N' Roll |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Author |
Message |
Personanongrata
B.V. Info Seeker
Joined: Dec 31, 2007
Posts: 2469
Location: NAU
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:42 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| |
| Wing-Zero wrote: |
| You've really gotta lay off the lolcats. |
 |
|
_________________
__________________________________________
"The obstacle is the path." -- Zen Proverb.
"**ck it, we'll do it live." -- Bill O'Reilly.
"...................................." -- Harpo Marx. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Author |
Message |
Item7
B.V. Lurker
Joined: Dec 06, 2007
Posts: 361
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 12:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| |
Hi,
Thats a cool story, Nesaie. And it points out that we need to be in the moment and ready to go with what is right all the time. A person can read books all day, but until the ideas are taken into real life and applied, their worthless.
Books are tools. But practice is what makes something real. A good cook book is nice to have, but a real chef improvises on the basic recipe adding a dash of this and a pinch of that to make it their own creation.
Truth is not stagnet, it flows and changes, just like you said. I think truth can be built apon, and even though the basic truth is still there, it has changed because we learn more about the basic thing and knowledge changes facts.
Loving and accepting one another isn't something just said in the Christian bible, its been said by all the wise teachers of the ages, and is repeated by all the worlds major religions. I think its a basic human truth, that love is needed just to survive as a species.
I think we can learn a lot by watching kids. They accept and form friendships with each other and don't care what religion the other kid is. Differences are interesting to them. If someone is nice and fun to hang around with, they don't care what the kid does when they are at home. They live in the moment and know that if you want a friend, you should treat them like you want to be treated. They sure do break it down and make it simple.
Item7 |
|
_________________
A true teacher is always a threat. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Author |
Message |
Nesaie
B.V. Info-a-holic
Joined: Aug 04, 2005
Posts: 10412
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| |
I agree Item7. Children have more wisdom than adults. It is us and society who ruin them and make them "grow up". Babies are born pure. We teach them hatred, racism, greed, etc. Those, IMO, are not natural human traits.
The book story, for me, can be applied so many ways. Take the doctor or lawyer who is so "book learned" they've lost common sense. Take the religious literalist who cannot think independantly and need a book to tell them what to think and do. I think it is the artist and philosopher who can still survive without consulting a book. |
|
_________________
Soma: All the advantages of Christianity and alcohol; none of their defects.
Have you had your Soma today? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Goto page 1, 2 Next |
| Page 1 of 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | | |
| |
blocks-left.jpg
blocks-left.jpg
blocks-left.jpg
|  |
Online Stats: 
