Religion Discussion Thread

[Murkwood]

Yes I do.

oh good.

if you want to get your family off your back about religion you have to let them know that it could be much much worse. start a campaign of suggesting that you are experimenting with drugs/getting into petty crime/dating a bad girl or boy/you might be gay/you might have created an unintended pregnancy/you are considering Satanism--whatever few things are your family's worst nightmares. then when you are just ....unsure...about religion their friends will re-inforce how lucky they are that its just teenaged thoughtfulness about theology and not something that will end you up on death row.

sometimes parents need a bit of perspective on what "bad" really is.

....

you don't have to DO any of those things, just make them think that they may be happening while you are outside their control.

Or, you know, shut up and make your parents happy.

[Serretes]

RETCONNED

[Ashmoria]

oh good.

if you want to get your family off your back about religion you have to let them know that it could be much much worse. start a campaign of suggesting that you are experimenting with drugs/getting into petty crime/dating a bad girl or boy/you might be gay/you might have created an unintended pregnancy/you are considering Satanism--whatever few things are your family's worst nightmares. then when you are just ....unsure...about religion their friends will re-inforce how lucky they are that its just teenaged thoughtfulness about theology and not something that will end you up on death row.

sometimes parents need a bit of perspective on what "bad" really is.

....

you don't have to DO any of those things, just make them think that they may be happening while you are outside their control.

Or, you know, shut up and make your parents happy.

nah. enough is never enough when you have parents who already guilt you over your potential atheism that you haven't even decided yet.

[Ashmoria]

Or, you know, shut up and make your parents happy.

I’ve though about it. I’m just going to keep quite a little longer. Their bound to found out eventually, I’m not going to rush it. I’ve left some signs, I wear an arm ring, sometime I wear a silver ash leaf around my neck.....
I don’t make my parents happy, I’m too stubborn and don’t do well enough in school for them to be happy with me.

many generations of children have plagued their parents with independent thought. its good practice for standing up for yourself the rest of your life.

[Othelos]

oh good.

if you want to get your family off your back about religion you have to let them know that it could be much much worse. start a campaign of suggesting that you are experimenting with drugs/getting into petty crime/dating a bad girl or boy/you might be gay/you might have created an unintended pregnancy/you are considering Satanism--whatever few things are your family's worst nightmares. then when you are just ....unsure...about religion their friends will re-inforce how lucky they are that its just teenaged thoughtfulness about theology and not something that will end you up on death row.

sometimes parents need a bit of perspective on what "bad" really is.

....

you don't have to DO any of those things, just make them think that they may be happening while you are outside their control.

Or, you know, shut up and make your parents happy.

eh. the sooner you let them know you're an independent person, the better. they'll learn to accept it.

[Serretes]

RETCONNED

[Othelos]

It isn’t atheism, it is paganism. And it’s not potential, it is.
No need to start a war in an entirely Catholic family and extended family.

just ease them into it. stop going to church, for starters.

[Murkwood]

It isn’t atheism, it is paganism. And it’s not potential, it is.
No need to start a war in an entirely Catholic family and extended family.

just ease them into it. stop going to church, for starters.

I have a better idea. Go to Church, but listen to the moral teachings. Even if you are a pagan, the Bible is chock full of great stories and advice.

[Serretes]

RETCONNED

[Othelos]

just ease them into it. stop going to church, for starters.

I have a better idea. Go to Church, but listen to the moral teachings. Even if you are a pagan, the Bible is chock full of great stories and advice.

chances are that if his family is made up of devout catholics, he's been going his whole life already.

[Serretes]

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[Othelos]

many generations of children have plagued their parents with independent thought. its good practice for standing up for yourself the rest of your life.

eh. the sooner you let them know you're an independent person, the better. they'll learn to accept it.

I don’t want my grandparents harmed by my personal choices, they’re old and don’t need the stress I would cause to weigh on their old minds.

You can come out whenever you're ready.

[Ashmoria]

many generations of children have plagued their parents with independent thought. its good practice for standing up for yourself the rest of your life.

eh. the sooner you let them know you're an independent person, the better. they'll learn to accept it.

I don’t want my grandparents harmed by my personal choices, they’re old and don’t need the stress I would cause to weigh on their old minds.

how old are they?

[Murkwood]

I have a better idea. Go to Church, but listen to the moral teachings. Even if you are a pagan, the Bible is chock full of great stories and advice.

I’ve read the whole Bible. So I know.

just ease them into it. stop going to church, for starters.

Living in a very Catholic town, in a very Catholic family, and attending a very Catholic school does not make things such as that easy.

Reading and listening are two different things. Enjoy the liturgy for what it's worth.

[Serretes]

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[Othelos]

I have a better idea. Go to Church, but listen to the moral teachings. Even if you are a pagan, the Bible is chock full of great stories and advice.

I’ve read the whole Bible. So I know.

just ease them into it. stop going to church, for starters.

Living in a very Catholic town, in a very Catholic family, and attending a very Catholic school does not make things such as that easy.

If they can't accept you and support you, they aren't really interested in *you*, mostly just what they think.

And sometimes it takes time for them to realize that they do care more about you, than what they think you should believe.

[Ashmoria]

how old are they?

One grandmother is dead
One is 88.
One is 75, but in terrible health.
The last, the one I like best, is also 75.

Reading and listening are two different things. Enjoy the liturgy for what it's worth.

And as said by Othelos, I have gone to Church my entire life. I know Catholic doctrine better than many Catholics.

well that does qualify as old. how old are you?

[Serretes]

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[Othelos]

I guess, it is just difficult when there is potential for so many people to be hurt.

well yeah, but if you live your whole life trying to make others happy, you'll never be happy.

[Ashmoria]

well that does qualify as old. how old are you?

I’ll be 15 soon.

If they can't accept you and support you, they aren't really interested in *you*, mostly just what they think.

I guess, it is just difficult when there is potential for so many people to be hurt.

sometime when you have the chance to have a discussion with your favorite grandparent ask him/her about the 60s, hippies, the Vietnam war, Nixon, etc. it'll remind them how youthful rebellion usually turns out just fine.

[Serretes]

RETCONNED

[Tarsonis Survivors]

Unfortunately this follows the folly of taking something out of context.

1. Because something is created does not make it a part of the creator. I can build a statue in my own image, and It's not a part of me. The idea of art being a "piece of the creator" is not a literal idea, but figurative one which is a romanticization of art. So human is not divine. It does imply however, that each person is intrinsically valuble.

2. Even if man were part divine, man was corrupted during the fall and ceaased to be divine.

3. Jesus isn't considered divine simply because he loved people, he's considered divine because A. He is believed to be the literal Son of God, part of the Holy Trinity that is God. and B. he lived a corruption and sin free life.


This doesn't take away from your point though that loving is divine. This is true.


Also the Bible isn't 100% factually correct, it wasn't intended to be. Inerrency refers to religious intent not inerrancy of content.

I want to go to point three though. Wasn't it assumed that he is part of the Holy Trinity 300 years after his death?

Not quite, the doctrine was confirmed at the Council of Nicea but it existed as early as he did. The gospel of John was written in 1st century AD, but the story was told long before it was written down.

At Nicea competing heresies like Arianism were weeded out and removed from Church doctrine.

[Tarsonis Survivors]

Not even close. The law is the thin curtain that prevents all out holy war in this country. 1. we got sharia law constantly making a ruckus in the legal system, 2. evangelicals wanting to pitch all non evangelicals and gays into the sea, 3. atheists trying to scrub all public life of any semblance of religion, if there is religious tolerance it is only a thin veneer.

1. Sharia? Not even close.
2. Every country has a few nuts.
3. See above.

Compare the US to China (Fulan Gong) or Europe (Extreme antisemitism and islamophboia).

1. Sharia law has been considered a number of times. This doesn't seem like problem until you realize by nature of the legal system, if Sharia law is used 1 time, it becomes precedent.

[Tarsonis Survivors]

well yeah, but if you live your whole life trying to make others happy, you'll never be happy.

you’re right. I guess I’ll tell my only non-Catholic relative first and see what happens.

sometime when you have the chance to have a discussion with your favorite grandparent ask him/her about the 60s, hippies, the Vietnam war, Nixon, etc. it'll remind them how youthful rebellion usually turns out just fine.

good idea. I will eventually.

1. Pretending could be an issue. As the Bible says it's better to worship Baal than both Baal and YHWH.

2. Why Paganism?

[Serretes]

RETCONNED