tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507242165120640932.post5368333113500725571..comments2023-05-05T14:09:49.745+01:00Comments on From Oedipus to Samuel L. Jackson's Wallet: Losing my religionTheTelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10726790253029374308noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507242165120640932.post-50782624084066233252008-05-21T09:07:00.000+01:002008-05-21T09:07:00.000+01:00Interesting points one and all! It never ceases to...Interesting points one and all! It never ceases to amaze me how much conversation is generated by a little talk of Christianity! <BR/>I think that as long as Christianity vs Atheism (probably more accurately and irritatingly the Church vs Atheism) remains a relatively abstract debate on blogging forums and wherever else there is no solution. As Elizabeth-Anne said, "Never the twain shall meet." It takes something terribly convincing for anyone to change they're adopted point of view (as Telf was saying). And for me, the time when Christianity really shows itself for what it is is when it stops being the product of a now obsolete culture, stops being nice buildings and faceless charity donations, and becomes a real, viral, active expression of Gods love on earth - that's what Christians are called to be, and when they get that right, there are plenty of atheists agnostics and even nominal Christians who catch that bug and get involved. It's how Christianity began, and strangely everything only really got off track when a certain Roman Emperor institutionalised the whole thing and decided every single subject was a Christian. In an instant the powerful viral spread of the new Christian way of life was watered down for centuries into doctrines and rules.joebloggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16185774130114293182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507242165120640932.post-11916703164816860472008-05-20T21:29:00.000+01:002008-05-20T21:29:00.000+01:00@Hannah: "I wouldn't say that made you a rubbish a...@Hannah: "I wouldn't say that made you a rubbish atheist" - well no, nor would I, he was clearly talking bollocks. I'm an awesome atheist :D<BR/><BR/>And I enjoyed the Selfish Gene, and must have read around (or inadvertently absorbed) all the anti-religious ranting.TheTelfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10726790253029374308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507242165120640932.post-36543480562379519302008-05-20T19:35:00.000+01:002008-05-20T19:35:00.000+01:00@G: (hey hon :)) I know the uncertainty can be an ...@G: (hey hon :)) I know the uncertainty can be an important part of faith, I wasn't really trying to come to any firm conclusion. Just happen to know that several of the people who write on this blog are Christians and don't really know much about me, so thought I'd set at my stall, as it were, with regard to religion.<BR/><BR/>@Andy: urm, what confused you? Can I clear anything up? If I'm using English properly the idea is that is shouldn't be confusing. Wibble.<BR/><BR/>I know we'll see who's right eventually on the is-there-isn't-there front... I just don't know how I'll feel whatever the answer is. At least if Dawkins is right, my soul will no longer be a conscious entity that will have to observe the satisfaction etched on his smug face.<BR/><BR/>@Elizabeth-Anne: (hey to you too! :)) Do you feel offended by his assertion that you're refusing to combat your "issues"? What's your response to him? I feel like I'll never decide one way or another. Essentially, I'm stuck in agnosticism, but I don't mind...<BR/><BR/>@Patrick: I wouldn't say that made you a rubbish atheist. As for Dawkins, I even found when I started reading The Selfish Gene that his attitude to religion annoyed me. In some footnote, he was explaining why he was championing a particular theory as to how intelligent life evolved and said it was just one of many, but the evidence seemed the best for it. He said, don't bother giving me a religious argument, I've dismissed it countless times elsewhere. And although the balance of probabilities was in his favour, he admitted he didn't know if what he was saying was true. But he said we should accept it as such. Which to me, seemed hypocritical. And I gave up reading The God Delusion because it got rather repetitive and I got tired of translating it into more understandable English as I read.Hanspanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01077944659760174733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507242165120640932.post-2636659912109480172008-05-20T11:35:00.000+01:002008-05-20T11:35:00.000+01:00I remember one of my school friends once asked me ...I remember one of my school friends once asked me whether I'd believe in God if Jesus appeared in front of me and told me it was true. I said it would depend on the situation, but I guess so, if it was convincing enough. He then said that this meant I wasn't a real atheist.<BR/><BR/>Since apparently being a real atheist means being so sure that you deliberately will never allow anything to convince you. Yeah, that's a totally reasonable position to hold...<BR/><BR/>And yes, Dawkins acts like a cock quite a lot of the time, but he's a good scientific writer, and at least in his earlier books (I can't speak for The God Delusion, having not read it) focuses more on the scientific aspects of his arguments than the 'telling-people-they're-idiots' aspects.TheTelfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10726790253029374308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507242165120640932.post-35815459047422857302008-05-20T00:40:00.000+01:002008-05-20T00:40:00.000+01:00That should have been 'by being an agnostic;.That should have been 'by being an agnostic;.queeniefoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04554061253811724264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507242165120640932.post-45482843162946719572008-05-20T00:39:00.000+01:002008-05-20T00:39:00.000+01:00I have a confirmed athiest friend who is always tr...I have a confirmed athiest friend who is always trying to point out how stupid I am by not being an agnostic. The thing is, he cannot accept that his way of looking at the world is not mine. I say 'I don't need things to be scientifically provable to believe them, and logically, if there were a higher power, would he/she/it not be something beyond what we are capable of proving?' and he says 'everything must be scientifically provable.' Never the twain shall meet, and he continues to think I am a nice person with a deep ser mental problem that I refuse to address.queeniefoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04554061253811724264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507242165120640932.post-55566527735493979022008-05-19T21:51:00.000+01:002008-05-19T21:51:00.000+01:00I maked sum spelding mustaykzI maked sum spelding mustaykzUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17081411660511251908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507242165120640932.post-16420657313513449122008-05-19T21:47:00.000+01:002008-05-19T21:47:00.000+01:00S'funny, I often wonder whether or not my faith is...S'funny, I often wonder whether or not my faith is mine or my parents, that if they had raised me as an atheist would I be an atheist, yet it hasn't stopped me being a Christian and believing in God and all that loveliness and if I ever get to a point where I'm asking "do I really believe in God", I always come up with the answer "yes!" even if I don't quite know why I do.<BR/><BR/>Anyway that's just my musing.<BR/><BR/>I can't say I've read any of Dicky Dorkins' books, but his general persona of arrogant atheist who is clever than that Christian lot of idiots has hardly made me like him, or even spell his name correctly. Without sounding too much like a puffed up Christian I shall say the following. Firstly If you've devoted your whole life to trying to disprove something like Christianity maybe you're just in denial (lame Christian logic I know) also We'll see who's right eventually and I'm not worried.<BR/><BR/>I really enjoyed reading this, despite it confusing me a little (probably mostly to do with the well formed sentences and advanced use of the English language).<BR/><BR/>Oh and I too find that services tend to wash over me at times, I much prefer a good discussion with another Christian at 1am in a car outside my house or in a quite pub where I KNOW God's there, listening and smiling.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17081411660511251908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507242165120640932.post-3318482186992591032008-05-19T21:41:00.000+01:002008-05-19T21:41:00.000+01:00Hey babe that’s why it’s called faith! Being broug...Hey babe that’s why it’s called faith! Being brought up by an ex Catholic turned C of E “splitter” and a confirmed Atheist (who dose more for the local church than those who go to it) living “in sin” with a man who thinks organised religion is evil not sure what I really believe apart from maybe do no harm! I have friends among most of the major regions as well as some of the more obscure ones and we don’t seem to be at war but through out history & even now there seems to be a lot of unrest because of the misunderstandings of religion even people within they’re own religion don’t always know all the answers the various religious texted are very open to interpretation and therefore misinterpretation which is were all the divisions have come from! So it’s perfectly normal to question it all, it’s nice to have all the answers & be comfortable in the knowledge that you’re right but are they really? They can’t prove God exists but they equally can’t prove God doesn’t, I see God not as a he or she but as a light a warmth more of feeling and a colour than a person but that’s just it everyone sees God differently if they see at all. Anyhoo nice article telling people they’re stupid only wins with people who then want to go & tell other people they are stupid! Think the fable of the sun & the wind with the man & the coat! Seeya hugya *G*grungedandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13263866282662351546noreply@blogger.com