Serious thread. I just cant help feel sorry for religious people who think if they dont act a certain way they are doomed in the "afterlife". A man in my area recently suffered a life altering injury and I've been following the facebook group on him hoping he makes a full recovery and these people are straight up delusional. They quote bible passages and talk about how the healing power of jesus is going to make a difference. I try to be apathetic but I just feel sorry for people who are so brainwashed or mentally ill to believe such ridiculous things. Any other agnostics/atheists feel the same way sometimes?

Actually the people I feel sorry for are the materialists who deny their own souls, who think their lives are a random, meaningless accident, without higher purpose and soon to be snuffed out forever. What a miserable way to go through life!

yawn

Jesus couldn't heal himself out of the proverbial wet paper bag.

What is a soul?

Why are you on a poker website when you are not materialistic?

Meh, as long as they aren't telling me what to do, I'm quite happy to live and let live. In many ways, I sometimes envy the comfort that religion provides to a lot of people--I have to rely on the comfort I derive from seeing my students succeed. Certainly, I can understand why religious people would feel sorry for me, but I'm really quite happy without religion.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of religious people who feel the need to tell me how to live my life who aren't cool with the live and let live arrangement. I do feel sorry for them, but not as much as I feel that they are incredibly arrogant and net contributors to the world's suffering.

If the healing doesn't pan out, he goes to heaven. So it's not like they'll be too disappointed as long as they think the guy was saved. I don't really get why they pray for healing when the other option is heaven. Based on what I've heard about heaven, that's the place to be and earth is for suckers.

I mostly feel sorry for those theists who deny science in favor of their religious delusion. They claim science is evil, doesn't work, and that it is wrong most of the time, unlike their 100% true and inerrant holy book. It drives me insane when they want to argue about the age of the universe or how old is earth or make funny statements like "maybe you came from a monkey but i was created by God" . And those who insist on their bible prophecies which truly are rubbish and even if you point it out to them they just keep on insisting that it is not.

I do feel a little sorry for the people who are still getting confused by thoughts like this.

Everybody feels condescending to all the poor saps who don't share their obviously superior and enlightened opinions. It has nothing to do with religion.

There are times when I feel jealous of them.

In a practical sense, where is that line the religious folk cross? As an example, suppose you started Tai Chi and began to notice benefits like increased energy, sleeping better, etc., wouldn't you tell people? I wouldn't take you doing so as crossing the line of live and let live. I suppose if every time we ran into each other all you ever talked about was Tai Chi and how I should get into it, I'd probably get annoyed and start avoiding you, but in a sense that would be more of your loss than mine.

I guess what I'm asking, is it more what the religious people are saying, or the way in which they're saying it, that you take as crossing the line? Is it not so much taken as, "hey, check this out… it's great," but, "I'm better than you," or "your worldview is incomplete, inadequate, etc…"

In YOUR opinion. Some may say they feel sorry that you need to believe in something bigger/better/a creator/an afterlife/a purpose/a plan, etc. in order to not feel miserable about YOUR life.

In some cases, both. Everything about, say, Operation Rescue rubs me the wrong way. I hate both what they're saying, and the way in which they are saying it. People talking up the benefits of their religion isn't that big of a deal to me, no more annoying than gym-tards who think their program is the most awesome. It's when people say, "YOU can't do this" (and "this" could be having an abortion, doing key medical research, loving whom I choose, treating women as equals, teaching facts as actual facts, or so on) that I draw the line and their superstition becomes harmful. If they have legitimate grievances against particular beliefs of mine, that's fine--I'm willing to entertain a discussion about that, but you don't just get a free card because you say "my religion says X, therefore everyone must do Y."

Yes but i don't care for them. I do respect their belief though.

I bet that 100% of the religious guys are not that religious!!

I bet you're wrong

I feel sorry for both religious people and atheists, like myself. Personally, I fervently wish I was religious and could believe in god and heaven and all of that, but I can't. That would be brilliant and easy. On the other hand I pity those who are convinced their religion is looking out for them. I think they deny themselves so much knowledge, enjoyment, and fulfillment by ignorantly clinging to what I believe to be so clearly an absurd set of beliefs

I feel sorry for them because they are forced to be close-minded.

I feel sorry for all of us. I'm sorry that, so far as I can tell, there are no gods at all. Poor humans, even though I hate our species most of the time for being the violent, irrational, dangerous creatures that we are, I still feel bad for us. We're so desperate for guidance from someone or something better than ourselves that we've been going around making up gods and believing in them since before recorded history. We don't go to each other for wisdom, we pretend there's someone else to go to instead! That's how much we distrust and dislike ourselves as a species. That's how much contempt we have for ourselves. Alas, that no one better than us really does exist to help us out and show us how to become better than what we are. Instead we're on our own, stuck here on this planet, alone with each other. I'd be discriminating if I only felt sorry for some of us!

Nope. I envy them.

Feeling sorry for some of them makes sense - fear of hell is a bitch.

But if you aren't at least a little bit jealous, then you "don't get it." Religious experience is one of the most intense states of happiness.

I was going to respond that I don't feel sorry for religious people but then I read this post and thought, "maybe I feel sorry for this one here."

To the OP- Not really. I used to watch Hassidim on the NYC subways. No matter what the weather they would wear their uncomfortable (looking clothing) and read scripture. I admired that, right or wrong, they felt they had the important answers.

There are many things about religious people that makes me envious; mostly their sense of community. My brother is strongly religious and I'm always impressed how their church members are there for each other in times of need. I admire much of the rituals (the holidays, some of their songs, etc.)

I no doubt have problems intellectually with much of what they say. And many, when talking about their faith, come across as challenged mentally in many departments. That being said, a person who is delusional is not necessarily aware or unhappy because of it.

I think that religion brings a lot of joy and comfort to individuals (regardless, I suspect, of what religion they have).

So I don't feel sorry for them generally speaking. (there are things about it that can be very, very sad... that being said, I think most feel happy about it.)

ADDED NOTE: We all agree that Santa isn't real. Children are out right delusion for believing he is real. When you see the complete joy and wonder kids have for Christmas, does anyone look at them and think, "I feel really sorry for these kids. They're living in a state of delusion?!?!" I don't pity the children either. I would love to feel the sense of wonder and magic that children have around Christmas before they become jaded.

The 'certain way' they live usually revolves around acts of love and compassion (Not everyone ldo). Many people using faith as their motive lead perfectly happy lives and create many meaningful relationships through their religion.

Feeling sorry for someone who is religious is one of the most backwards things I've ever read. Are trying to say your happier and live a more meaningful life than them? Your impacting more lives for the better by not being 'brainwashed'? Care to expand on why your sorry for them?

It's pretty harrowing going from a believer to a non believer like I did from 18-21 so in that way I envy them. The old ignorance is bliss adage.

However i truly feel sorry for children that are indoctrinated into religions and who are brainwashed or conditioned into believing by a false logic system

Great Post Kurto