Had an intersting discussion on religion at work today.

[Rick]

What are your thoughts on the subject?

[RedWingFan]

I think my sig. pretty much sums it up.

[Don]

I'm sort of agnostic. I believe that something had to create the universe, but I don't believe in the bible or talking snakes or angels and all that.

[Rick]

I argued today that if you're not sure whether you believe or not, why is it that when you go to church, you feel so much better after having gone?

[etcetera]

Can't just ignore Darwin's stuff.

[Don]

I argued today that if you're not sure whether you believe or not, why is it that when you go to church, you feel so much better after having gone?

Maybe because you're in an environment pretty much devoid of hatred and negativity for a few hours, I don't know.

[mikemarrs]

my father is baptist and goes to church just about every sunday.he was a hellraiser in his day but now preaches shit about doing right and it gets on my nerves and hey i deserve my hell raising days too,lol.anyway ever since i was a teenager started having these doubts so i'm on the fence.found out recently after all these years my mother shares views similar to mine.i do believe in a way but then there are doubts too.i want to believe in god but then i wonder about certain things.what about all the suffering,hunger,wars,diseases,etc. just different things makes me have my doubts but guess i'm sort of agnostic but not totally so i guess i'm undecided.

[S2M]

The wise man suspends judgment.......

[DSHinMICH]

I SO loved that movie Stock! DAMN!

[Since 78]

I'm a Christian and I think what Stockton states above are pretty good words to live by.

[S2M]

I'm a Christian and I think what Stockton states above are pretty good words to live by.

Eh...I'm a sceptical stoic....what can I say.....

[Enigma869]

I argued today that if you're not sure whether you believe or not, why is it that when you go to church, you feel so much better after having gone?

I've never once felt better after going to church. I hate weddings and funerals suck even more


John from Bosotn

[S2M]

I argued today that if you're not sure whether you believe or not, why is it that when you go to church, you feel so much better after having gone?

I've never once felt better after going to church. I hate weddings and funerals suck even more


John from Bosotn

Have you ever seen Four Weddings and a Funeral?

[Rick]

I argued today that if you're not sure whether you believe or not, why is it that when you go to church, you feel so much better after having gone?

I've never once felt better after going to church. I hate weddings and funerals suck even more


John from Bosotn

Prolly not a big Jerry Falwell fan then?

[RedWingFan]

I argued today that if you're not sure whether you believe or not, why is it that when you go to church, you feel so much better after having gone?

I've never once felt better after going to church. I hate weddings and funerals suck even more


John from Bosotn

That's because your a "Godless beast" ....remember?

[Enigma869]

That's because your a "Godless beast" ....remember?

Guilty as charged, dude! I loathe organized religion, as much as I loathe politicians. Too many wars and fights are started because of religion. Most devoutly religious people I have encountered in my life are a bit too self-righteous for my taste. I never missed a Sunday in church growing up, and I think that it just soured me on the whole process. Living in the south for a year of my life just clinched it for me that religion should remain a personal issue, and not be stuffed down people's throats! I definitely do better in a part of the country that religion isn't an industry!


John from Boston

[conversationpc]

Most devoutly religious people I have encountered in my life are a bit too self-righteous for my taste.

If they really are self-righteous then they aren't really truly religious, are they? If you don't practice what you preach, that ain't religion...Well, at least religion as Jesus described it. Others certainly do take it too far.

Living in the south for a year of my life just clinched it for me that religion should remain a personal issue, and not be stuffed down people's throats!

What do you consider to be stuffed down your throat, though? Jesus himself commanded his followers to go throughout the world and preach the Gospel to ALL. Is it the people who follow this command in general that you have a problem with or just those who are the in-your-face kind?

[Enigma869]

What do you consider to be stuffed down your throat, though?

Let's see...Seeing a church (which in the south could be run down, old auto body shops) every 3 feet. Walking into the DMV and seeing religious plates all over the wall. Driving down the highway, and seeing religious references on the marquees of fast-food restaurants. Having 67 people ask me within 10 minutes of relocating my family to NC "What congregation do you belong to". I could go on, but I won't bore you with the details.

Jesus himself commanded his followers to go throughout the world and preach the Gospel to ALL.

Yeah...I've heard this argument before, and it simply doesn't fly with me. Not everyone in the world (or even in our country) believes in "Jesus", and not everyone prays to the same God. As I said, I believe religion should be a personal issue for people, and should remain completely out of poltiics and government. It simply has ZERO business being infused into those arenas! The last time I checked, the government is supposed to represent all people, not just those who claim to be "Christian"!

Is it the people who follow this command in general that you have a problem with or just those who are the in-your-face kind?

Definitely the in-your-face kind! I have never had an issue with people choosing to practice their chosen religion. I simply don't need to be preached to. As I said, I went to church every Sunday, and actually had a very religious grandmother, who I was extremely close to. At the end of the day, people can believe what they believe, or not believe at all. I just have never been comfortable with people who try moving religion into areas that it doesn't belong in!


John from Boston

[conversationpc]

What do you consider to be stuffed down your throat, though?

Let's see...Seeing a church (which in the south could be run down, old auto body shops) every 3 feet. Walking into the DMV and seeing religious plates all over the wall. Driving down the highway, and seeing religious references on the marquees of fast-food restaurants. Having 67 people within 10 minutes of relocating my family to NC "What congregation do you belong to". I could go on, but I won't bore you with the details.

I could say the same thing about sex being "shoved down my throat" but if I don't like it, I just ignore it.

Yeah...I've heard this argument before, and it simply doesn't fly with me. Not everyone in the world (or even in our country) believe in "Jesus", and not everyone prays to the same God. As I said, I believe religion should be a personal issue for people and should remain completely out of poltiics and government, because it simply has no business being infused into those arenas! The last time I checked, the government is supposed to represent all people, not just those who claim to be "Christian"!

What does any of this have to do with what I said? I didn't say that Christians are to preach the Gospel to ALL and also FORCE them to believe. If you want to tell people about Christ, there's not a thing wrong with that. Not a thing. If people don't want to hear it, you kindly move on. End of story.

I simply don't need to be preached to. As I said, I went to church every Sunday, and actually had a very religious grandmother, who I was extremely close to. At the end of the day, people can believe what they believe, or not believe at all. I just have never been comfortable with people who try moving religion into areas that it doesn't belong in!

Like I said, there's nothing wrong with someone talking to you about religion. If you don't want to hear it, most people will move on about their business as long as you don't get all indignant and throw a fit about. For instance, I really don't like Jehovah's Witnesses knocking on my door. I don't get upset with them because it's just not worth it. I politely say no thanks and they are generally polite in return.

[mikemarrs]

That's because your a "Godless beast" ....remember?

Guilty as charged, dude! I loathe organized religion, as much as I loathe politicians. Too many wars and fights are started because of religion. Most devoutly religious people I have encountered in my life are a bit too self-righteous for my taste. I never missed a Sunday in church growing up, and I think that it just soured me on the whole process. Living in the south for a year of my life just clinched it for me that religion should remain a personal issue, and not be stuffed down people's throats! I definitely do better in a part of the country that religion isn't an industry!


John from Boston

same here honestly.i went to church pretty much every sunday growing up and couldn't wait to grow up so i could spend sunday the way i wanted to spend it which is to sleep.yep a lot of people you encounter here in church are too damn self righteous and also think they are better than someone else just based on them going to church regularly.they tried to tell my girlfriend its a sin because we've been together twelve years and we aren't married and literally run her off just based on her not being married and thats a crock of shit.the preacher came to my house in the middle of the day while i was sleeping to tell my girlfriend she was rejected as a member due to us living in sin and not being married.she goes to another church now and they are hounding her now about the same shit so go figure.....oh also did i mention that they said i was in danger of going to hell if i didn't hurry up ASAP and get up to the church and be saved?

[conversationpc]

John, I'm not trying to argue with you here. I'm genuinely trying to understand where you're coming from. I can certainly understand not wanting to be preached to. I don't like that either, both now and before I was a Christian.

[Enigma869]

I could say the same thing about sex being "shoved down my throat" but if I don't like it, I just ignore it. !

Well, for what it's worth, I don't recall advocating having sex "shoved down anyone's throat". If you seriously think just "ignoring" religion in the south is an option, I would suggest that you've never been to the south!

Like I said, there's nothing wrong with someone talking to you about religion.

If I don't want to listen to it, there is. We'll agree to disagree on this point. I don't stop random people on the street to tell them how I banged my wife last night, and I don't need people stopping me to tell me that they were "saved by Jesus" while watching re-reuns of "The Cosby Show".

If you don't want to hear it, most people will move on about their business as long as you don't get all indignant and throw a fit about.

I never throw a fit. I usually just tell them that I believe in Satan, and they move on pretty quickly. If they get really offended, I confess to them that I don't really believe in Satan, but that they should spend their time evangelizing to someone who actually gives a shit


John from Boston

[Rick]

I could say the same thing about sex being "shoved down my throat" but if I don't like it, I just ignore it. !

Well, for what it's worth, I don't recall advocating having sex "shoved down anyone's throat". If you seriously think just "ignoring" religion in the south is an option, I would suggest that you've never been to the south!

Like I said, there's nothing wrong with someone talking to you about religion.

If I don't want to listen to it, there is. We'll agree to disagree on this point. I don't stop random people on the street to tell them how I banged my wife last night, and I don't need people stopping me to tell me that they were "saved by Jesus" while watching re-reuns of "The Cosby Show".

If you don't want to hear it, most people will move on about their business as long as you don't get all indignant and throw a fit about.

I never throw a fit. I usually just tell them that I believe in Satan, and they move on pretty quickly. If they get really offended, I confess to them that I don't really believe in Satan, but that they should spend their time evangelizing to someone who actually gives a shit


John from Boston

You stop the shit about the South. I fly free. I'll come up there and clean your clock.

[conversationpc]

You stop the shit about the South. I fly free. I'll come up there and clean your clock.

I'd pay to see that.

[Enigma869]

I'd pay to see that.

So would I!


John from Boston

[Rick]

I'd pay to see that.

So would I!


John from Boston

I won't embarrass you too much.

[Sarah]

I argued today that if you're not sure whether you believe or not, why is it that when you go to church, you feel so much better after having gone?

I never feel that way. But I only go to church on Christmas.

[artist4perry]

John,
I truely am sorry people have made you feel the way you do. But to say we cannot have any outward expression of religion is to remove a principal of the first ammendment. Every day I have to listen to people talk nasty, and use dirty language and just ignore it. It seems these are the most intolerent of religious expression. I look at it this way, I will never shove my religion down anyones throat, but someone asking out of curiosity what you believe is not "shoving" anything. If they are christians they are concerned about you and that is why they ask. If you are not interested, just say so. They should leave you be after that. I do believe in God and Jesus, but I believe becoming a Christian is a choice of free will. You can choose a christian life or not. But it is also my right to not only serve the God of my choice, but to freely express it. To try and remove that right is to equate yourself to the tyrany of the oppressors that drove many to this country in the first place. I wish you well, and I hope you understand that some use religion, but are far from it's true principles. This does not make them Christians, just hypocrites. And please understand, even the best of Christians, have weak moments and fail to act as they should at times.

[scarygirl]

I believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to personal salvation.

[cyndy!]

I believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to personal salvation.

are you saying this is your only way, or are you applying this to everyone?