Atheist's belief system - Atheism vs Christianity

Message from discussion Atheist's belief system

More options Aug 17 2008, 4:46 am

From: LL <llp...@aol.com>

Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2008 10:46:46 -0700 (PDT)

Local: Sun, Aug 17 2008 4:46 am

Subject: Re: Atheist's belief system

  Reply to author
  |
  Forward
  | Print
  | View thread
  | Show original
  | Report this message
  | Find messages by this author
  

On Aug 16, 9:03 am, "Keith MacNevins" <kmacnev...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I think we would agree on many more things than otherwise. I sensed many
> so-called Christians were not genuine because many absolutely seemed to be
> Christians just one day of the week (at most) dressing up, attending church
> and having Sunday dinner beginning with a prayer of thanks. After that they
> were indistinguishable from secular people in the community that they lived
> and worked with. They did not talk about their faith, or the Great Questions
> such as life after death. It was only the unmanly men who talked about Jesus
> and only the straight-laced school-marm type of old women who spent most of
> their time in church-related activities. I think it is completely
> ridiculous. Remember the movie, "The Ten Commandments?" I think the man of
> God as depicted by Charleton Heston was a good example of what a masculine,
> unashamed man should be like. The wimpy leaders of the Roman Catholic Church
> have made men feel feminine about witnessing their faith. It is contrary to
> all sensibility. I believe traditions and holiday observances are good for
> people who need that to nourish their faith. I do not need it. My faith is
> not dependent upon crutches, constant (vain) ritual and dressing up in
> Sunday clothes. That is what the Bible refers to as the milk, it is what the
> immature follower of Christ need. I seek the meat of the matter. I seek
> truth even if it means discarding vain ritual, vain traditions of men,
> observances of days and times. And I am completely proud of the fact that I
> love God and that God, truth and righteousness are the focus of my life.

LL: But all too many of these un-Christian Christians will point to
the babble the minute something comes up about homosexuality and
abortion. Nothing like even more hypocracy to wash down the communion
wafer and wine.

> On 8/16/08, Commentatrix <commentat...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> > > Growing up and going to a Methodist church I sensed that most of the
> > > congregation I was a part of did not believe in Jesus, God, or life after
> > > death.

> > I wonder how you "sensed" all that?

> > I would be very surprised if the majority had no belief in God
> > (however defined) at all. I would not be surprised that people were
> > less firm about, for example, what life after death actually entailed.

> > It is interesting that the mainstream Anglican tradition (to which I
> > belong) has long had a kind of approach which says that "here is what
> > the church holds to be true" but then generally lets lay practitioners
> > a fair degree of freedom in their actual private beliefs : a typically
> > English compromise between the Protestant view that religion is a
> > matter of personal conscience and the Catholic view about the central
> > importance of tradition.

> > > A person is not a Christian simply because they refer to themselves
> > > as, or because they go to church, or follow mere religious traditions and
> > > observances.

> > Obviously. The "mere" word is a putdown though. (A bit like calling
> > religion "mere" myth etc. as many are want to do.)

> > There is a lot to be said for traditions and observances - especially
> > when people know what it is they are doing and why and as part of an
> > historical spiritual community. But even when they don't they can
> > sometimes be useful anyway. For example, their are many atheists who
> > self-consciously style themselves as cultural jews and follow many of
> > the traditions of that faith like observing the Sabbath and Pesach so
> > on because they see value in those traditions.

> > C

> --
> Ambassador From Hell- Hide quoted text -

> - Show quoted text -

Reply to author Forward