John Page

mojo: Personally, I don't have a problem with lieing to people who lie to save souls. If they are truly following their god's morality they're in for a big surprise!

Radcliffe Emerson

You got banned? From a Baptist board? I can't believe that! (sarcasm)
Let's hope the government doesn't put you on their "Axis of Evil" list too.
speaking of which, has anyone visited
<a href="http://www.whitehouse.org?" target="_blank">www.whitehouse.org?</a> If not, you should, it's hilarious!

excreationist

MOJO-JOJO:
Clint doesn't mind non-Christians posting in the non-Christian forums at all... you're meant to take the moderators seriously or suffer the consequences. I've even chatted by Clint by email - he is wants to encourage discussion with non-Christians. It is dishonest to lie about who you are though.

crackrabbit

Just to stick up for Clint a bit more, he seems to be a decent sort. I mainly lurk over there (although I've posted a few times) and I've read a lot of his posts. While he does have firm beliefs, he seems to be fair and relatively open-minded. One post of his motivated me to PM him to tell him I thought it was great. I can't find the original post, but it was basically an attack on the fundies there who were driving people away with their hardline, cruel interpretation of Xianity - people like JAMES2. Although I was forthcoming about my Atheism, his reply to me was gracious and very kind.

I can understand being upset about being banned, but to be honest, if he knew you (Mojo-Jojo) were lying about being Baptist I don't think he was wrong to ban you. From what I've seen, he's been very tolerant of Atheists posting in the free-for-all forums, unlike some of the other mods there (and a good percentage of the posters.) But you were posting in the Christian-only forums; if you got caught, you got caught.

Radcliffe Emerson

I attend Universalist/Unitarian services.
Atheism is actually an acceptable belief to UU's also, some atheists attend our services from time to time.

John Page

Interesting, from the definition of UU that I read I don't qualify, plus it looks mutually exclusive with atheism. Maybe that makes atheist UU members (as opposed to curious attendees) hypocrites. As a strict anytheism the creed of the <a href="http://www.reconciliationism.org/model_creed.htm" target="_blank">God of Entropy</a> has no such problems.

Cheers.

MOJO-JOJO

Allow me to set the record straight here, especially for the benefit of "tick" who doesn't know me or my story and has accused me falsely. Perhaps I'm not much for labels, so telling them that I am a Skeptical Baptist was not a lie at all, in fact that is what I am. Adding to that, I confess that I have taken an agnostic stance with respect to religion. That's more of a self-observation of where I am, not a label that I chose to express over there. But I DID tell them that I was seeking some answers and sharing my story, and therefore I was above board with them. Are you with me tick?!

Excreationist, I believe I have dialogued with you before about my walk during the past 5-7 years, it's much like yours.

The last time I checked, my family and I were still members of the same Baptist Church that we joined back in '96. My wife remains a devoted Christian, my children too, so they haven't banished us from the church for my heretical stance yet.

Now, granted, I got a little hot about ol' Clint sending me some nasty grams saying "only Baptists that are Christians can post here", "you will be banned w/o further notice", etc, etc. I thought he meant the entire Board, and I did NOT know that they had a special place for skeptics and atheists (other than hell of course ).

When I tried to talk with him in private messages, I got no response, and so I didn't appreciate his authoritarian tactics. But he is well liked there and I'm sure he is a nice person just doing his job, so I take back the nazi comment. He just happened to push my free speech and opinions button I guess.

So, in sum, there was NO lying on my part. I am still a member of a Baptist church (albeit not active), I still have lots of questions that I like to bounce of christians, I used to lead a Sunday School class, I still go to the church every now and then to re-visit with friends I made there, most of them know that I'm a skeptic with agnostic leanings, yet THEY are actually talking with me and not shutting me down like Clint did.

I DO feel that I am free of the supersticious notions of sin, heaven, hell and the various other doctrines they espouse, and yes, I am at a very skeptical, seeking point in my life right now, trying to obtain as much knowledge (pro AND con) about this topic (religion and christianity) as is humanly possible.

Any other concerns??

PS - Melly and ex-cre, thanks for not being as harsh and judgmental as certain others....must be your former "backgrounds"

[ March 08, 2002: Message edited by: MOJO-JOJO ]</p>

Radcliffe Emerson

I've heard of atheists who have attended UU services primarily because of kids. They wanted their kids to have some kind of morale base to grow from, but they didn't want any of the "established" religions that force people to accept their opinion.
UU's don't make anyone accept any one belief, they teach that all beliefs have validity. To me, we seem to come across as humanists who just aren't sure if there's a higher power or not.

John Page

Interesting. Maybe they should have "entropic" secular gatherings because as much as I'm an atheist the culture sucks. Most of us (athiests) seem to be very smart people who think they know better than anyone alse but god forbid (pun intended) they get together to put this knowledge to practical use.

Maybe then atheistic parents wouldn't have to take their kids to weak religions so they can get vaccinated against the god virus.

crackrabbit

Hee hee.

Mojo-Jojo, I sincerely apologize for my comments. I stupidly made assumptions about your religious status and thought you were posing as Baptist so you could post in those forums. Thanks for setting the record straight, and I'm sorry.

You may hit me if you like.