Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Truant
I'll bite. I resent the fact that I am required to accept that an adult who believes such fantastic stories is rational in every other aspect of life. I mean be empathetic for a moment. I didn't come up with this point but some snarky atheist actor once said there are something like 2000 gods and religions. We are pretty much the same except I don't believe in just one more of those than you do.
I know you probably can't separate yourself from your faith, but what if, just what the **** if there was no more to the Bible than there is to say, game of thrones? They are really not that far off. Don't you think it would be difficult to be cool with it if you were being forced to deal with people thinking that white walkers were actually going to come for us one day? And you have to be respectful of that?
I have to accept that people who make the very most important decisions affecting me and my family are praying to a god I don't believe in for guidance? And all the ways it is hypocritical day to day. Come on! We have a rich man, who sits on a a literal golden throne, who has demonstrated every one of the 7 sins being backed by the majority of Christians? The religion is demonstrably conflicted in nearly every way it is practiced even if it were true. I know some really good people who practice a version of it that is pretty pure in terms of how they live their lives to serve others, but I know way more that don't by order of magnitude. I have to endure people claiming they are praying for a dog on Facebook who supposedly wrote a sign in sharpie that they beat cancer and "probably won't even get one like!" People actually writing back to that dog in the comments saying they will pray for them to stay healthy. Dude. That's not how prayer works, even I know that, plus most of them are lying and are not going to actually pray for that dog, plus god gave the dog cancer if you believe that he is omnipotent, plus why not pray for something other than a dog if it matters, plus....
Why are you not bothered? You should be more bothered than I am.
Yes, there are a ton of Christian hypocrites. I would venture to say that we are all hypocrites to an extent simply because we are all sinners yet a large number of us look down our noses on other sinners.
And you're right, believing in a lot of the stories in the Bible seems irrational from a naturalist/humanistic point of view. The problem is (and you won't like this response) is that some people are spiritually blind. They have chosen not to believe in anything they can't see, touch, hear, or replicate. But there are phenomena that simply don't meet that criteria but still very much exist. Things such as being in love. Yes, science explains HOW it works via neurotransmitters, pheromones, and perceived compatibility but it doesn't explain WHY it happens. And that's the fundamental difference between science and religion. They aren't at odds with one another, they are simply asking different questions. Religion attempts to find the meaning behind the science and behind why things are the way they are as evidenced by scientific discovery. Science is rational in the discovery of how things work but does not and can not answer why things are the way they are. Those who aren't asking the question "why" become closed off and exclusively interested in the observable and measurable "how." Because they aren't asking the right question, they perceive the answer to be irrational and illogical.
Nobody is forcing you to believe what they believe or act how they act. It seems difficult for you to accept that we are all different but all the same in that we are all human. The respect sought is to accept that we are humans and have different opinions and that's ok. That doesn't mean we're stupid, hate filled, closed minded, or irrational. It means we are different and on our life journey, we chose a different path. As a fellow human, you should be able to respect that and respect our differences.
Now, you mentioned important decisions being made for you and I can only assume you mean politically. I can see how someone who is leading based on teachings of a God you don't believe in can be troublesome. But I would ask that you consider each political issue separately and realize the best solution for you and your family still might be reached by a politician who used prayer or faith as a means to reach that solution. Why would the way they formulated legislation matter if the end result is what you support? I do agree that politics and religion have become too intertwined in this country. Years ago, I was pretty heavily involved in politics and frequently debated people. I found that I started to hate those not in line with my political affiliations and made the choice to completely abstain from politics so I can focus on showing the love and kindness we are supposed to express. I've found that it has completely changed my interactions and relationships with others for the better. It's a shame that this country has become so divided politically that people are dehumanizing and degrading those who don't agree with them.
It's important to realize that the vast majority of Christians in this country don't actually practice their faith. When you meet someone who is ambivalent about politics or religion and ask them what they believe, you'll often get shoulder shrugs followed by "Christian, I guess." It's sort of the default answer for a lot of the people wrapped up in watching the Kardashians and other nonsense. These people should definitely not be the measuring stick of what being a Christian is about. Likewise, the crazy people who preach hate are not representing what being a Christian is all about. Yes, acknowledging sin as sin is important but telling people they're going to hell is not the Christian way of trying to help people out of sin through love. We're supposed to show that we care and love others and THAT'S why we are concerned about their salvation. Instead, a large number of supposed Christians insult and degrade in an attempt to make themselves feel superior to others. It's easy to see how that approach is hypocritical, insulting, and annoying.