What Do The Faithful Have That The Rest Of Us Don’T?

[naomi24]

With no explanation, Goodlife is constantly telling the ‘poor’ atheists here that they have nothing – and today Khandro said exactly the same. I'm curious. Just what is it that these chaps think they have that the rest of us lack?

[gness]

It's fine if it simply fulfills the need in some, Shoota....but what they inflict on others in the name of their faith is appalling...x

[shoota]

I hold no brief for religion of any sort G, but you can't tar them all with the same brush.

[gness]

Oh but I do, Shoota......sad I know, but experience has probably left me wary and not very tolerant....except perhaps towards Quakers.

[paddywak]

I had a similar up bring gness. First communion, confirmation,Sunday School and altar boy the lot. I upset my mum when I told her that the day I started work was the day I stopped church and apart from hatchings,matchings and dispatchings and the odd bit of sight seeing I've not been in a church for fifty year.

[gness]

Amazing what we could suffer in the name of this loving God, Paddy. I had a friend who had his life destroyed through being abused by a priest. Of course it was my friend's fault....the much feared priest could do no wrong.

[wolf63]

guess and daddy - my mother was Catholic but my dad wasn't. They married in 1962. The nuns tried to interfere. I have not got much time for the Catholic church - as an institution they seem to have done more harm than good.

[shoota]

But you cannot tar the abused with the same brush as the abuser G, tht was my point.

[paddywak]

You're right wolfie there's an awful lot of evil things been done in the name of religion.

[gness]

I don't follow that, Shoota....?

[shoota]

I said 'but you can't tar them all with the same brush.'

U said 'Oh but I do,' 'I had a friend who had his life destroyed through being abused by a priest.'

I said 'But you cannot tar the abused with the same brush as the abuser'....

[pixie373]

There have been a lot of evil things done in the name of religion- but i still blame the individuals who do it, no matter what excuse they use.

[gness]

I don't though....he left the Catholic Church as soon as he left home.

I come from a family of priests, nuns, the following faithful and one bishop. I like some, I love some....the bishop's an eejit....but I still don't like that they are contributing to the existence of a destructive religion.....and they may be my family but I tar them with my brush.

[shoota]

Would you if the abused person had retained their faith?

[gness]

Yes of course I would. I would still feel heartbroken for what he went through and for what happened afterwards.
But by continuing in the Catholic faith....the church that has tried to...and in part succeeded to cover up shocking deeds.... he would, in my eyes, be condoning their evil.

I am very black and white, Shoota.....and I hate...hate injustice.

[Cannedgranny]

I know one thing that we don't have and that is an obsession about atheism.

[jomifl]

Canned granny, you may think from the posts on here that atheists are obsessed with religion but you would be wrong. This forum is mostly the only place where atheists get to consider the issue and for probably only a few minutes per day. If the posts from proselytising religionists on AB is anything to go by they spend far more time obsessing about non-believers, even if only to book their supposed passage to paradise.

[modeller]

naomi //what is it that these chaps think they have that the rest of us lack? //
The ability to see/ believe in something that defies logic and human morality. Our values are not God's. We believe it is wrong to kill innocents ( children,infants, babies ) but God can/did this evil and somehow for a theist , that's all right. It's more than all right , it is justified.

God's Evil good , man's evil bad. That's what we lack Naomi we can not accept or excuse God's evil. They can!

As Goodlife says, the truth is in the bible. Simple really.

[pixie373]

That's exactly right, jomifl. I have never described myself as an atheist in my life, until i came on here and things are discussed. Religion doesn't come into my life otherwise -I'm just interested in why people think as they do.
I also think you're right, cannedgranny, believers don't seem to seriously consider any point of view other than the one they already hold.

[naomi24]

Pixie, //I have never described myself as an atheist in my life, until i came on here ….//

Nor me.

//I also think you're right, cannedgranny, believers don't seem to seriously consider any point of view other than the one they already hold.//

It would have been helpful to get an answer to the actual question from cannedgranny, but as you say ….

[Zacs-Master]

Big buildings where they can all get together?