Comments on: The path to my Atheism http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/ Advocate for Science, Reason and Atheism Sun, 01 Aug 2010 01:54:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Plonka http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4277 Plonka Sun, 27 Jan 2008 02:06:00 +0000 http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/#comment-4277 Donna: <i>If they continue to ask/nag/<br/>force you to do "whatever", then they are trying to CONTROL you</i><br/><br/>Well, if we take a little look at religion in general... You must pray, you must observe the sabboth, you must observe christmas and easter, you must attend church, you must tithe, you must listen to the priest, you <b>MUST</b> believe, etc, or you <b>cannot</b> be a part of that religion.<br/><br/>So it seems to me that the one thing any church or religion seeks to do, right from the very start, is to try to <b>control</b> both your thoughts and your actions.<br/><br/>Now if it's bad for a single person to try to control or manipulate me, how much worse is it when the method of control and manipulation is formalised, organised and institutionalised? Donna: If they continue to ask/nag/
force you to do “whatever”, then they are trying to CONTROL you

Well, if we take a little look at religion in general… You must pray, you must observe the sabboth, you must observe christmas and easter, you must attend church, you must tithe, you must listen to the priest, you MUST believe, etc, or you cannot be a part of that religion.

So it seems to me that the one thing any church or religion seeks to do, right from the very start, is to try to control both your thoughts and your actions.

Now if it’s bad for a single person to try to control or manipulate me, how much worse is it when the method of control and manipulation is formalised, organised and institutionalised?

]]> By: Plonka http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4276 Plonka Sun, 27 Jan 2008 01:22:00 +0000 http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/#comment-4276 When I was attending AOG (Assemblies of God), we were encouraged <b>not</b> to have non-christian friends and to stop associating with those we couldn't convert.<br/><br/>But churches of all descriptions are insular and separatist to a degree. Each could not maintain separate cannons, traditions, dogmas, etc otherwise. When I was attending AOG (Assemblies of God), we were encouraged not to have non-christian friends and to stop associating with those we couldn’t convert.

But churches of all descriptions are insular and separatist to a degree. Each could not maintain separate cannons, traditions, dogmas, etc otherwise.

]]> By: Donna http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4275 Donna Sun, 27 Jan 2008 01:13:00 +0000 http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/#comment-4275 Sean,<br/><br/>Well, here I'm going out on the old<br/>limb, again- that's the old fundamentalist @ their "best". If you don't go along with what THEY want, you're less holy, less "good", less everything than they are.<br/><br/>Oprah has a saying (and I don't agree "blindly" with EVERYTHING she<br/>says, either), but she said once if<br/>you tell someone "No.", that means<br/>NO. If they continue to ask/nag/<br/>force you to do "whatever", then they are trying to CONTROL you, and<br/>the more I think about it, I think she's correct. Using a friendship to force someone to do something that they have very clearly let you know you're not interested in is just "stupid". Why not just drop<br/>that aspect and keep the friendship? ("them" drop nagging YOU about it!)<br/><br/>Then Maya Angelou told Oprah once that the 1st time somebody shows you what they REALLY are, BELIEVE<br/>THEM. Sean,

Well, here I’m going out on the old
limb, again- that’s the old fundamentalist @ their “best”. If you don’t go along with what THEY want, you’re less holy, less “good”, less everything than they are.

Oprah has a saying (and I don’t agree “blindly” with EVERYTHING she
says, either), but she said once if
you tell someone “No.”, that means
NO. If they continue to ask/nag/
force you to do “whatever”, then they are trying to CONTROL you, and
the more I think about it, I think she’s correct. Using a friendship to force someone to do something that they have very clearly let you know you’re not interested in is just “stupid”. Why not just drop
that aspect and keep the friendship? (“them” drop nagging YOU about it!)

Then Maya Angelou told Oprah once that the 1st time somebody shows you what they REALLY are, BELIEVE
THEM.

]]> By: Sean the Blogonaut F.C.D. http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4274 Sean the Blogonaut F.C.D. Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:38:00 +0000 http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/#comment-4274 Donna,<br/><br/>My friends joined it, things became strained and then one of them tried to use our friendship to manipulate me into going. You know things like trying to get me to promise to attend an event and acting hurt if I didn't go. Donna,

My friends joined it, things became strained and then one of them tried to use our friendship to manipulate me into going. You know things like trying to get me to promise to attend an event and acting hurt if I didn’t go.

]]> By: Donna http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4273 Donna Sat, 26 Jan 2008 19:21:00 +0000 http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/#comment-4273 Sean-<br/><br/>When you say you lost 2 friends to the fruitcake Potter House cult, do you mean they joined it and things became "strained" or they joined it and died "mysteriously"? Sean-

When you say you lost 2 friends to the fruitcake Potter House cult, do you mean they joined it and things became “strained” or they joined it and died “mysteriously”?

]]> By: Donna http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4269 Donna Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:38:00 +0000 http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/#comment-4269 I would guess the nuns demeanor is not very conducive to getting along with today's younger generation? (The only other option that comes to mind is kids<br/>often form their opinions from what they hear @ home, and it hasn't seemed like she would hear<br/>from around home!) I would guess the nuns demeanor is not very conducive to getting along with today’s younger generation? (The only other option that comes to mind is kids
often form their opinions from what they hear @ home, and it hasn’t seemed like she would hear
from around home!)

]]> By: wineymomma.wordpress.com http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4268 wineymomma.wordpress.com Fri, 25 Jan 2008 04:11:00 +0000 http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/#comment-4268 Donna-<br/>funny story about nuns. My oldest monster goes to a public school that currently rents space from a group of nuns. They don't even wear habits and she is terrified of them. What do you think that says? Donna-
funny story about nuns. My oldest monster goes to a public school that currently rents space from a group of nuns. They don’t even wear habits and she is terrified of them. What do you think that says?

]]> By: Donna http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4267 Donna Fri, 25 Jan 2008 03:23:00 +0000 http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/#comment-4267 WM- <br/><br/>Pls go to comments under Sean's posting for 1/21- I posted to you there by accident- #36, I think- WM-

Pls go to comments under Sean’s posting for 1/21- I posted to you there by accident- #36, I think-

]]> By: wineymomma http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4265 wineymomma Fri, 25 Jan 2008 01:10:00 +0000 http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/#comment-4265 I'm not sure how a church can call itself evangelical and have it's membership drop friends that are non-believers. I’m not sure how a church can call itself evangelical and have it’s membership drop friends that are non-believers.

]]> By: wineymomma http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/comment-page-1/#comment-4264 wineymomma Fri, 25 Jan 2008 01:05:00 +0000 http://seantheblogonaut.com/2008/01/the-path-to-my-atheism-2/#comment-4264 Donna,<br/>I really think that our atheist friends have it right when they "connect the dots" among different religions. Historically you can connect different theologies together through the ideas. There is very little that is original to modern religions. It can all be traced back to some other time and place.<br/><br/>I have never understood the whole power thing. Animals, little kids, women. Every power tripper eventually corners someone or something tougher than they are!<br/><br/>So, yeah I think we are "ok" in God's eyes. Donna,
I really think that our atheist friends have it right when they “connect the dots” among different religions. Historically you can connect different theologies together through the ideas. There is very little that is original to modern religions. It can all be traced back to some other time and place.

I have never understood the whole power thing. Animals, little kids, women. Every power tripper eventually corners someone or something tougher than they are!

So, yeah I think we are “ok” in God’s eyes.

]]>