miata

I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.

--George Carlin

The AntiChris

You may be right, but a "preference" to believe the teachings of any particular religion has the potential for catastrophic ramifications - something which I doubt could seriously be ascribed to a preference for any particular foodstuff.

It seems naive in the extreme (and, I'd have thought, patronising to theists) to liken theistic belief to a preference for a particular foodstuff.

Chris

Starboy

As I have said before I do not see anything intrinsically wrong with religion, only supernatural religion. Hope, charity, love, honesty, service, respect are great human qualities that we should all rejoice in. Self deception should not be on the list.

Because we still need heroes, we still need positive archetypes, it is just that stories with pigs with red eyes possessed by demons are not exactly of this age, but stories of death stars and star ships cruising through the universe are. The metaphors of existence are different between the Bronze Age and the Fourth Age of Sand.

Because both Judaism and the Rev. Spong still hold out god as being the creator of man instead of the other way around.

Starboy

dado

can't speak for Spong, but your statement about Judaism is incorrect. in a nutshell, there is no dogma on the subject, Jewish beliefs are all over the map re: who created who.

Starboy

Who cares if a few jews understand that god is a creation of man, unless the vast majority think this way the tiny minority is insignificant as far as the tradition is concerned.

Starboy

dado

the majority DO think this way. but hey - don't let actual facts get in the way of your faith-based outlook.

Starboy

No problem. Change my mind. Show me where I find the information indicating that the vast majority of religious jews think that man created god.

Starboy

Kassiana

AntiCris:
So theism isn't about about beliefs,
--Correction. Read what you quoted. MY theism isn't about my beliefs being true outside of my head. I was talking for me, not "theism."

it's about preferences!
--Mine is, yes.

Preferences for what?
--Living as a Pagan and believing in Pagan Gods.

Biff:
<Biff, you don't really seem to be talking to me. You're speaking as if I support people forcing their theistic biases onto others. I don't. If you could sort out who you're really talking to, that'd be great. Currently, however, I can't respond to what you say because it seems, at best, barely related to my own positions and statements. I hope your intended audience can respond to you, though. If you'd like to talk to me, I'd love to hear you address my own positions. Thanks!>

brighid:
Freedom means accepting those who believe differently, even the gullible and allowing even the delusional their delusions (as long as it harms none other than the individual.)
--Exactly. I've often asked atheists to show me how my personal religious beliefs do me or the world in general any tangible harm. No one, so far, has shown me how they do. I'm a religious liberal. I don't believe in forcing my beliefs on anyone. I believe in separation of church and state and advocate for further separation in practice. I will teach my children all differing religious beliefs as well as explaining agnosticism and atheism. If I ever take them to a church, it will be UU in nature. I work to preserve the environment. I don't know if there's an afterlife or not, and I don't really mind if there isn't one, because I think this life's important to live. So how is this harmful?

The AntiChris

I think you're confusing theism with daydreaming.

Chris

Biff the unclean

Perhaps there's a reading comprehension problem here. I didn't claim any one was forcing theistic biases on anyone else. Certainly not you.
You are just the victim of a religous scam, the fall guy. You are the guy who bought the Brooklyn Bridge not the one who sold it.