Atheists are weeds?

[Crooked_Lamb]

Sanguvixen

Lyoko_Alchemist

Sernidipity and Sang (To lazy to spell out both your names sweatdrop sorry!!)

Seren: That what I thought too, the NT always preaches tolerance and stuff like that...though stoning gays does come up... sweatdrop So it akways amazes me how weedlike christians are. Siphoning life from other people who they feel doesn't follow their own belifs. I hate I'm surrounded by such intolerance...Oz sounds pretty good about now...(Joking)


Sang: When I first realised I was Atheist, someone told me Atheism is a religion, but a religion to fit who you are and your belifs...as long as you don't believe in a higher power. I thought that was interesting but true, every Atheist I have met believes diffrent things, Atheists are sort of like snowflakes...(Happy thought I guess?)

But I agree like with all things there has to be the people that stand up saying your wrong, what I say is the only truth. Interesting atheists/ agnostics, always complain how religious people do that...when some do it themselves?

Hmm....Atheism encompasses one thing and one thing only, and that is what separates it from religion which encompasses many things. So, I don't know what the person you speak of was thinking, when he or she called Atheism a religion, which is something it is not.

It only makes sense though, that people, including atheists will all have different things they believe, because after all we are all human, and it is human to be different, and to have different ideas and opinions. Humans always have differences.

I think it would be more accurate to say that all people, not just atheists are like Snowflakes....each snowflake is different, which in a way makes each snowflake the same. People, regardless of what they hold to when it comes to religion and gods are like that.

You clarified my statement thanks.

But yeah...I never exactly agreed with the friend who said that...but it was an interesting veiw. And with the statement you said...

People and Atheists having diffrent belfs...i always find it interesting how that same thing is preached in kindergarden, so you don't treat the kid with three fingers like a freak. (True story btw) Oddly it works on little kids because unlike older humans, kids are honest...(In kindergarden at least.) The kids showed interest but it wasn't untill 3rd grade that he was made fun of.

Why can't people just remember lessons like that...I guess there wouldn't be religious/ non religious intolerance...but that wouldn't fun would it?

It definatly would be easier to just remember those lessons but... it's situations with intolerance that cause growth...mabye if something big happens a non religious intolerance law or something will get passed...unlikely but mabye...

But without intolerance, people wouldn't think about religion or (insert other mass topic here) and things wouldn't change because it would be an awkward version of pleasentville. You just nod and smile...but when something happens to stirr things up. (Reese Witherspoon and Tolby Mcguire) people begin to think and change...huh....does that make sence or am I blathering?  

[[Perfect Calamity]]

That's a horrible thing for your grandparents to do. When people like your pastor/minister or whoever do things like that it makes me pretty mad, which is a hard thing to do. I'm lucky enough to be forced into a church where the preacher is somewhat open minded. Hopefully you won't have to do anything like that again.  

[Sanguvixen]

Lyoko_Alchemist

Sanguvixen

Lyoko_Alchemist

Sernidipity and Sang (To lazy to spell out both your names sweatdrop sorry!!)

Seren: That what I thought too, the NT always preaches tolerance and stuff like that...though stoning gays does come up... sweatdrop So it akways amazes me how weedlike christians are. Siphoning life from other people who they feel doesn't follow their own belifs. I hate I'm surrounded by such intolerance...Oz sounds pretty good about now...(Joking)


Sang: When I first realised I was Atheist, someone told me Atheism is a religion, but a religion to fit who you are and your belifs...as long as you don't believe in a higher power. I thought that was interesting but true, every Atheist I have met believes diffrent things, Atheists are sort of like snowflakes...(Happy thought I guess?)

But I agree like with all things there has to be the people that stand up saying your wrong, what I say is the only truth. Interesting atheists/ agnostics, always complain how religious people do that...when some do it themselves?

Hmm....Atheism encompasses one thing and one thing only, and that is what separates it from religion which encompasses many things. So, I don't know what the person you speak of was thinking, when he or she called Atheism a religion, which is something it is not.

It only makes sense though, that people, including atheists will all have different things they believe, because after all we are all human, and it is human to be different, and to have different ideas and opinions. Humans always have differences.

I think it would be more accurate to say that all people, not just atheists are like Snowflakes....each snowflake is different, which in a way makes each snowflake the same. People, regardless of what they hold to when it comes to religion and gods are like that.

You clarified my statement thanks.

But yeah...I never exactly agreed with the friend who said that...but it was an interesting veiw. And with the statement you said...

People and Atheists having diffrent belfs...i always find it interesting how that same thing is preached in kindergarden, so you don't treat the kid with three fingers like a freak. (True story btw) Oddly it works on little kids because unlike older humans, kids are honest...(In kindergarden at least.) The kids showed interest but it wasn't untill 3rd grade that he was made fun of.

Why can't people just remember lessons like that...I guess there wouldn't be religious/ non religious intolerance...but that wouldn't fun would it?

It definatly would be easier to just remember those lessons but... it's situations with intolerance that cause growth...mabye if something big happens a non religious intolerance law or something will get passed...unlikely but mabye...

But without intolerance, people wouldn't think about religion or (insert other mass topic here) and things wouldn't change because it would be an awkward version of pleasentville. You just nod and smile...but when something happens to stirr things up. (Reese Witherspoon and Tolby Mcguire) people begin to think and change...huh....does that make sence or am I blathering?

Well, some people think that way because they mistake an atheist's use of science as being part of the idea of Atheism. So they think that Atheism is like a religion because of they way some atheists treat science.

People don't tend to remember those golden lessons from childhood because society has a way of telling you to leave almost everything in childhood behind. It tells you to grow up. It tells you to embrace what makes you the same as other the majority, and teaches you to forever be in conflict with the minority, those who are different.

I don't think there is a need for a non religious tolerance law because that won't change anything. Eventually society will evolve enough to come to terms with the kinds of difference that was suppressed for centuries. It just takes time, and a lot of effort.

People will think about religion regardless of there being tolerance or intolerance in the world because there will always be questions people will want answered, and there will always be some things out there that are outside the current realm of technology and empirical data.  

[animaguy]

Lyoko_Alchemist

There was a sermon today that I was forced to attend...Guess why?
People without god in their lives have a sickness growing inside them and only god could save me. It hurt that they said I was a weed and something was wrong with me...I ended up crying in a backroom because my grandparents knew this was going to happen and they let it.

It was nasty...But nothings wrong with me if anything somethings wrong with them trying to change me!!! I hate stupid people...

I hate it when people try to convert others and also force them to do things that have to do with religion even though then know what you are. that just pisses me off (srry for the language but im having a moment)  

[animaguy]

people try to change that witch they dont understand.........  

[gallows humour]

There's an essential human goodness, and Christians like to pretend they have a monopoly on it. They like to pretend that goodness comes from "grace" of God and not from "good works" (following your conscious). This way they can go around saying hurtful things like that. Really, you can't blame them, they're afraid not to do these evil things. Why? Their evil God is watching them, and He'll torture them for all eternity if they don't. If you weigh it from their perspective: "make some people cry "Sinners in the hands of an angry God" style/ eternity of torment" it should be a little easier to pity and forgive them. I know, it's hard... but try to get some distance. Sometimes I still really can't stand it.

For them I'm the seed that has been cast upon stony ground (Matt 13:5). But I'm careful to show them that I'm a loving human too, and cause them a little dissonance.

This article was comforting to me, even though it's on a humor website, maybe it will be a comfort to you too.

Know that you're certainly not going through it alone.  

[gallows humour]

Serendipity Splendorific

I'm so sorry you had to listen to that awful sermon.... it sounds like your grandparents are really trying to get you "back on the right path". In my opinion, if those people really were following the New Testament they would have preached about love and understanding.

(I don't believe in Jesus or anything, but I'm pretty sure that was the ORIGINAL christian message, however warped and distorted it is now)

I want to encourage you to stay strong and try not to let it get to you. You have a community here who supports you and understands exactly what you're going through. We all must face ignorance and prejudice in our daily lives-- you just got a huge load of crap thrown at you all at xp

The comment birds is nice. I agree, atheism has been very freeing for me. We are not weeds. You can think of the haters as the real weeds of society, because they pop up EVERYWHERE spreading unwanted animosity to the world.... We are rarer more exotic flowers. Certainly more original.

I think Jesus probably existed. But whether he really did or not matters little because his meme very certainly exists. What was special and poignant about Jesus was he was well aware that the bible was shitty, and mean and therefore threw out most of the doctrine. People should be encouraged to, like Jesus, throw out evil doctrine which they know in their hearts to be wrong and follow their own conscious for the betterment of mankind.  

[gallows humour]

You know their weed metaphor is a really poignant example of the way they think. A weed is something that isn't wanted by someone overseeing the garden, someone who owns the garden. It begs the question of a God existing and overseeing his garden. It begs the question that the world (their garden) rightfully belongs to them, so that they can discern a weed from a crop.
This is probably related to the parable of the sower. I don't know if your upbringing was steeped in this, I suspect not, or you might have been expecting this nonsense.

Either way, this is the parable in short:
A farmer (God) has sown good wheat (Christians/the elect) in his fields (the world) but in the night an enemy (Satan) has sown tares (evil/non-elect people) amongst them. Someone asks the sower (God) "Why don't you pull out the tares now before they grow and choke out the good seed?" ("You know, since you're bloody omnipotent!") The sower says that he doesn't want to risk inadvertently pulling out the good wheat with the bad so he's going to let them grow to maturity (live their lives to the end uninterrupted) and then once the reapers (angels) harvest the crop (once the people die) the good wheat will be separated out and stored in barns (heaven) and the tares will be burned (in hell, obviously).

1) Gods a shitty/inattentive gardener. This is probably the worst plan ever.
2) This is just another excuse for God's non-existence/non-intervention.
3) It was particularly shitty of them to force this lecture upon you because one cannot transform from a tare into a stalk of wheat. You're either elect or you aren't. This is just a "hahahaha, you're going to hell and we're going to heaven" speech. It's really not something that can be used to convert people. It's meant, I believe, for those who intend themselves elect to foster togetherness by bolstering their fear of the outgroup.

I totally understand your crying. That was undeniably shitty of them.  

[Prince Rilian]

a sharp minor, your post gives me happy. It is good to hear you talk like that!  

[Missuhs Bunneh]

Well, every time starts to preach, or mentions worshipping god, it's really hard for me not to laugh. And it's because I think Christianity (I only say this religion for certain, because I don't know much about other religions) is a bit ridiculous, so it doesn't get to me when someone religious bashes me as an atheist.  

[i theta]

Think of the theory on "God of the Gaps" - ancient people did not know why the sun rose and set. Or how. So they invented a God that carried the sun through the sky (or whatever.) Whatever they couldn't explain, they were scared of. So they invented a reason, a god, behind everything. Gods filled the gaps in their knowledge, making them feel safe. As some person said (can't remember who) said something along the lines of this - "We are like children clinging to toys we don't want to throw away. The toy that made you feel safe, The toy that protected you from bumps in the night. That toy is religion. It makes us feel safe. But we need to throw it away, or we will never grow up." or something like that. That's the gist of it anyway. (If someone could send me a profile comment with the famous dude who said that, it would be much appreciated.)