TheHermit wrote:
>>SnowLeopard
>>
>>I have stayed relatively quiet while you preached, due to lack of time and
>>inclination, together with a firm belief that we should all be free to
>>choose our own vices. That your vice happenes to be a blind devotion to a
>>particularly nasty god did not really offend me until you began attempting
>>to propagate your favorite lies about it on this list. Before you continuing
>>doing so, please consider a few minor points. [....]
Sebastian Kinsey wrote:
>That was truly beautiful...
>i will have to print some copies.
>-well done
I disagree. Although that was a good effort and very informative, my opinions clash with his attitude. Like many Christians, he has good intentions but is too quick to denounce others. Yes Carl, you're right about the Bible being contradictory, and the rest of your factual evidence backing up your position. However, you're not allowing people to be humanin other words, to have irrational beliefs.
See, as I tried to point out a while ago, it doesn't matter what people believe. You could be a traditional fundamentalist, worship the Sacred Squid in the sky, or think that Jesus Was A Leprechaun and that is perfectly all right. What pleasure do you get out of trying to de-convert Christians? Is it the same pleasure that an evangelist gets out of preying upon a new believer? I have plenty of friends/family who believe in God or are Christian and we don't argue over it, because it really doesn't matterfriendship and love are far more important in life than bickering over the details. I don't get all haughty on them and delight in poking holes in the faith of my Xtian friends/relatives until they crumble to their knees on the shaky ground of theism. No- why bother? Sure, we are on a list in which we have to discuss something, but isn't it OK for someone to not be a self-professed rational atheist? Can a list member be very differentwrong even- and not insulted? You know, it IS possible to be religious and not act in an evil, malicious way. It's a peripheral quality, not central to being a human.
Ever heard "Do what you will, but harm none"? I know a few of you will catch that reference. Even though I think the slogan "Christians aren't perfect- just forgiven" is a load of bollocks, it doesn't matter if Snow Leopard believes that, and leads a happy life, comforted by thinking he/she is better than everyone else and "saved", as long as he/she doesn't push that nonsense on me. I can live without sin (like I do) and Snow Leopard can live a sinful and immoral life but "forgiven" for it, and we can do this side by side and in peace. Christ, every day I do something utterly stupid and irrational, but that doesn't make me a weak or foolish person in general. Cut us lowly (-3) levelers a damn break! I don't want silverback status, I prefer to be a "handsome ape with girlish eyes". But I digress.
This post isn't meant to cause enmity between us or provoke a reply. You may post a lengthy rebuttal, but that doesn't change the fact that we are all best respecting each others' way of life- whether we can prove them wrong or not. You agree with the First Amendment, right? Always remember that what you're spouting off is just another kind of sermon.
And everyone remember that there was a time when most people thought they could prove that being homosexual or a 'pervert' was "wrong". And Numero Uno thing to remember- don't be a rebel, EDIT.