[vyper]

You don't keep a record of the fundies? I thought everyone did...

[Flipside]

I don't even remember the names of the people I have arguments with

[WeatherOp]

I don't even remember the names of the people I have arguments with

*cough*oldfart*cough* 

[Flipside]

Get orf my lawn!

[BloodEagle]

Get orf my lawn!

That's not your lawn, it's mine. You old coot! 

[Flipside]

Heh, actually, it's quite nice, everyone thinks I never hold a grudge, when the truth is, that I don't remember having an argument with them in the first place

[Aardwolf]

Get orf my lawn!

I was unable to come up with an adequate joke involving the GTC Orff.

[DeepSpace9er]

Actually yeah i used to be a religious believer. Until I realized how bogus it sounded, was, is. more happened in my life at that time, as well, but looking back I realized the only reason i believed any of it was because i was conditioned my whole life to believe it as 'reality.' Makes me pity all children in religious households being fed this ****.

[BlackDove]

Get orf my lawn!

I was unable to come up with an adequate joke involving the GTC Orff.

I thought that was a good one.

Right in line with;

WHEN I WAS TWELVE, I GOT RAPED BY A BEEEEEEAR
WOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAH, LIVIN ON A PRAYER!

JUST LAST MONTH, I RAPED MY AU-PAIR
WOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAH, LIVIN ON A PRAYER!

SHE TURNED AWAY, AND SAID IT'S NOT FAAAAAAIR
WOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAH, LIVIN ON A PRAYER!

CAN'T THINK OF A WORD, THAT RHYMES WITH PRAYER
WOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAH, LIVIN ON A PRAYER!

Te, na.

[Bobboau]

Actually yeah i used to be a religious believer. Until I realized how bogus it sounded, was, is. more happened in my life at that time, as well, but looking back I realized the only reason i believed any of it was because i was conditioned my whole life to believe it as 'reality.' Makes me pity all children in religious households being fed this ****.

about when did you come to this realization?

not asking for details, just curious about the timeline.

[DeepSpace9er]

Actually yeah i used to be a religious believer. Until I realized how bogus it sounded, was, is. more happened in my life at that time, as well, but looking back I realized the only reason i believed any of it was because i was conditioned my whole life to believe it as 'reality.' Makes me pity all children in religious households being fed this ****.

about when did you come to this realization?

not asking for details, just curious about the timeline.

About 10-12 months ago.

[colecampbell666]

Actually yeah i used to be a religious believer. Until I realized how bogus it sounded, was, is. more happened in my life at that time, as well, but looking back I realized the only reason i believed any of it was because i was conditioned my whole life to believe it as 'reality.' Makes me pity all children in religious households being fed this ****.

Yeah, I've got a friend like you, only he genuinely believes it. He isn't allowed to read Harry Potter because it's Pagan.

[TrashMan]

Actually yeah i used to be a religious believer. Until I realized how bogus it sounded, was, is. more happened in my life at that time, as well, but looking back I realized the only reason i believed any of it was because i was conditioned my whole life to believe it as 'reality.' Makes me pity all children in religious households being fed this ****.

Interesting isn't it.
You've "seen the light" and now lead a better life.
Strange how when people "see the light" for the other side they are whackjobs, while you are a "smart man who seen trough the lies".
brainwashing... It works both ways you know.

[Bobboau]

well, welcome to the fold, have you gotten your complementary atheist microwave yet? they useualy ship those out on the 9th month, but with the way the economy is I wouldn't be supprized if they start skimping on the perks.

[Flipside]

I always tend to find people improve when they decide to be good people because that is who they are rather than because a book tells them to be.

[Solatar]

I'm a Catholic and I've been brought up not really thinking or worrying about heaven and such.

Catholicism is as much about intentions as actions. Just the good actions aren't enough, and in fact it's severely frowned upon to just "be good because you're told to be good". You owe everything (your existance and free will) to God, so if you're just acting good you aren't getting any where. Going to heaven for just being good all the time would be like being rewarded for doing something you're supposed to do anyway.

I agree 100% with Flipside. Perhaps he wasn't referring to the religious realizing they should have other reasons for being good; but he's still right.

The Vatican isn't as out of touch with reality or the modern world as much as people think.

[Flipside]

Well, I'm pretty spiritual in nature, so I suppose I can't say that I'm an atheist as such, so it doesn't really matter to me what religion someone is as long as they are good people.

Kind of reminds me of something my Grandad used to say, which was 'The country of asshole has no borders'. In that case, he was referring to race, but I think the same fundamental mentality can be applied regardless, it's not about where you come from, it's about where you are going.

[Solatar]

My belief (the Catholic belief) is that "truth" is like a dartboard. It's not right or wrong, it's just the degree to which you are right. Because (in the Catholic view) God is the absolute truth, any search for truth becomes a search for God.

It might seem to be arrogant to think that I'm in the center of the "dart board", but if I didn't I'd just be wasting my time. If someone else thinks they're correct in another view, I'm not opposed to it. I look forward to (if I end up in heaven) hanging out with Buddhists, Muslims, and Jews.

[TrashMan]

I always tend to find people improve when they decide to be good people because that is who they are rather than because a book tells them to be.

I like to think it's just the right thing to do.

[Mars]

I like to think there's an objective moral standard, because otherwise everything is "good"

On the other hand, I can't believe in a god / God, it's just to hard to convince myself a being that can't be proven either way exists. It's like trying to convince myself elves exist.