Atheism is a GS requirement

[ChadCoxRox]

I don't believe that everyone here is an athiest, nor do I believe that most gays are athiests (although maybe I am wrong?). I think many turn their back to organized religion as it has basically closed and locked the door to our people, saying that homosexuality is disordered and wrong etc. As such I think formerly religious people tend to become spiritual, believing in God and leaving it at that. Others do take it further and question how a God could exist where so much hate is allowed and promoted in his name. You don't have to agree with this, but I think its understandable why a person might do this.

Tolerance is tough, but if you truly are religious you need tolerance of thought as well. Atheists should not be attacking you, but you need to accept that not everyone will agree with your belief system.

There are quite a few atheistic people on GS and everyone I've encountered has been awesome, kind and appreciated.

[East]

There was a particularly nasty thread here about Muslims and it pissed me off because one of my favorite people who was ever on this site (Jay) left because of it. I tried to talk him out of it but he was disgusted. I was disgusted too. Andy removed the thread and most of those people left

The bottom line...people are individuals and if you don't treat them as individuals you are part of the problem...

If someone tries to force their religion down my throat or preaches hate and uses God as an excuse I find them appalling and I will say so ...and I think everyone should say something because they are dangerous people...but people who believe in anything that are respectful should be treated with respect whether they are Catholic or Athiest.

[Virge]

Here's a cut and paste of a comment I made just now on the thread about the purpose of homosexuality. Someone injected religion into what had been a completely rational discussion of science. Here's a discussion of religion and I'll make the same stand here as I did in that discussion of science.
"Originally Posted by Cuddly
Curiously, as soon as you bring up god(s) in a scientific debate, everything falls flat on its face... I wonder why....
(then i said)
[SIZE="2"]I was going to let that pass by.. but since you've scratched that scab I might as well go for blood.

I'm pretty religious in my own way and like to think god and I are on the same team and on a first name basis. But I know there's nothing in science that has anything to do with god and nothing about god that has anything to do with science. In fact people who use god to try to explain matters in science are no different than a really remote tribe somewhere around Borneo back in the 1940s who saw their first airplanes flying overhead during the 2nd world war and created an entire religion based on air planes.

There was a really smart dude named Immanuel Kant back in the Age of Reason who was real concerned about the friction between religion and sciences that were just breaking free from church domination. He did what all parents do when two kids can't play together. He sent religion and science to their separate rooms (so to speak) to play by themselves with their own toys and told them not to bother each other.

Science got all toys that could be sensed and experienced and could have their existence explained through reason. They're called phenomena, plural or phenomenon, singular.

Religion got all the toys that could not be sensed or experienced BUT could be reasoned to exist. They're called noumena or noumenon. No one talks much about them anymore. Anyway... guess who kept screwing up Kant's idea and leaving their "room" to play with some else's toys all the time???? Do you need two guesses?

My big issue with religion is real simple. They need to get their asses back in their own room and play with their own toys and stop fighting with science and trying to take their toys. That covers human sexuality, the origins of life, government, law, and just about everything else that can be sensed and experienced in this world.

So right here and now let's stop the discussion of religion on a thread about a scientific issue and stop setting up a conflict between two fucking brats (science and religion) who only get along when they are kept in their own rooms.

Thanks.

if someone wants to start a thread on religion I'll be glad to comment on it and
beat the crap out of the first person who wants to let science in to play with toys that don't belong to science.[/SIZE]"

[Virge]

If someone tries to force their religion down my throat or preaches hate and uses God as an excuse I find them appalling and I will say so ...and I think everyone should say something because they are dangerous people...but people who believe in anything that are respectful should be treated with respect whether they are Catholic or Athiest.

Eastobator, the last thing I'm ever going to do is push my religion in anyone's face and I like being able to say that.

Guess why?

From the time I get up until I finally put my head down to rest, I live mine and put it out there in the wide open for everyone to to laugh at, learn from and maybe... just once in a a while... steal from or plagiarize and make something I say or do a part of their life. You see the real me as I am 24/7. I have more in common with atheists than christians but ... I go out of my way not to make testimonials about my religion or push it on anyone.

Basically, metaphorically speaking, the way I see it, god's busy and needs help getting shit done. he leaves a boat load of crap half finished everyday. Hardly a day goes by when I don't find something he's messed up. I don't ask why or how. I just start trying to straighten out whatever he's messed up. Usually I have no idea where to start but... by some strange coincidence where ever I start always seems to be the right place.... and whatever tools I need to get the job done always seem to be laying around right when I need them.

I guess everyone is tired of me ranting about labels. LOL. it's a bigger issue than you imagine and I'm the first one in line to laugh about it. But honest guys... I believe in noumena, things that cannot be sensed or experienced but can be reasoned to exist. I don't label them, I just accept them without explanation. There's not a scientist or doctor yet that has told me why I'm still in relatively perfect health when I should have been dead over two years ago. Don't put a label on it. it doesn't need one. it's not going to make it more understandable labeled or not.

But if you want to spend a few weeks trying to analyze and label don't bother me to help. I've got a full plate cleaning up messes some semi incompetent unlabeled pseudo nonexistent being keeps leaving around waiting for someone to do for him.

is that fair enough?

[SIZE="2"]Everyone will follow a clown because they think he's on his way to the circus.

---- Voltaire

[/SIZE]

[matty7]

GS has always been a place where you can have any beliefs and it has always been respected (disagreed with in discussion yes) but the person has always been respected if they show the same courtesy, this thread is showing me this may not be the case anymore, ive been on GS a very long time (this is my second spell) religion has always been contentious subject but I hope we don't go down the route of making people leave because of it

[ETOTE]

I'm going to pick my nose now.

[Virge]

I'm going to pick my nose now.

You're my favorite nose picking bonobo.

[Virge]

GS has always been a place where you can have any beliefs and it has always been respected (disagreed with in discussion yes) but the person has always been respected if they show the same courtesy, this thread is showing me this may not be the case anymore, ive been on GS a very long time (this is my second spell) religion has always been contentious subject but I hope we don't go down the route of making people leave because of it

Not taking any issue with what you said Matty, I backed up to the OP and want to quote it here with some emphasis....and things from other thread by Gilhooly

[SIZE="2"]My name is John Marren. I was born and lived with pagan beliefs. There are members of GS who maintain a policy of ridiculing gays who believe in God. I wrote private emails to one young member who quit GS after being humiliated in posts by atheists. I declare Jake as the CEO of GS and Beaux is the COO. I will look for a better site to blog on. Vladimir Putin is a proud atheist. I was a God believing US Marine. Good bye and good luck. Jake is a Shao Lin priest. His real name is Grasshopper.

My best friend, Tom Bolenbaugh, died 12/8/97. I have seen him a few times since he died.... He said the alternative to heaven was NOTHING. If we are atheists or show no consideration for others, we go to NOWHERE. ...NOTHING can change..... I can pass a polygraph on everything I write. I could levitate as a child. I loved to jump into the body of a condor in the Andes...... I live my life in accordance to the rules set down by a prophet called Mrs. Gallagher. She died in 1963. I regularly enjoy the company of the dead...... When I met Tom on 6/21/68, I offered him a thousand dollar bill or my friendship. Tom grinned and set fire to the bill. ........
[/SIZE]

Now my comment? Read the fine print in my signature line below.

This has nothing to do with religion. It has everything with the words below.

[Jake]

I don't believe that everyone here is an athiest, nor do I believe that most gays are athiests (although maybe I am wrong?). I think many turn their back to organized religion as it has basically closed and locked the door to our people, saying that homosexuality is disordered and wrong etc. As such I think formerly religious people tend to become spiritual, believing in God and leaving it at that. Others do take it further and question how a God could exist where so much hate is allowed and promoted in his name. You don't have to agree with this, but I think its understandable why a person might do this.

Tolerance is tough, but if you truly are religious you need tolerance of thought as well. Atheists should not be attacking you, but you need to accept that not everyone will agree with your belief system.

Nobody attacked anyone... And YES ATHEISTS do exist, but here I have met many religious people - my disbelief in God does not remove my respect for the individual, however, there will be certain limit that for me will make me decide whether I want to befriend a religious person or not, when they are moderate and accept that human beings have achieved a lot by themselves and that their beliefs in God is substantially balanced between science and religion, I have no problem with them at all. I have many Muslim friends and we speak of everything. I may have spent many years studying the bible and other religious books and denominations, and it took me even more years to let go of God, being atheist (unlike being gay) is a choice and I do not regret my choice, not even one bit. Since I did, the 2 hours I used to waste in church has been transferred to spend quality time with my family, while the parking lots are free because everyone else is in church lol.

[Beaux]

damn, he didn't mention me in the OP, feel so unloved!
I want to be a celebrity too!

Yea, I feel SO special.... :-P

P.S. I am not an Atheist lol