Mosques

[Ack]

But I do like pasta because my house is made of bricks.

[lisalover1]

But I do like pasta because my house is made of bricks.

Well, I guess the bricks would make it tastier.

[Jrecee]

But I do like pasta because my house is made of bricks.

Yo no bricks here cuz my pasta ain't noodly. Take it through a press and butter it up like the buns of my soul.

[Jrecee]

Also, the hilariosity of religious anylyzation:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index ... 803AALLPKd

[lisalover1]

Also, the hilariosity of religious anylyzation:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index ... 803AALLPKd

Personally, I've never heard any serious discussion ever go on at yahoo answers.

[Limewater]

It is not even close to the same thing. You can make that analogy about anythng if you wanted to.

I don't like dockers. I don't dislike the people who wear them it is just the dockers I dislike.

The point of the illustration was the reaction you get. Go tell someone that you don't dislike him because he wears dockers. Go to a different person who wears dockers and tell him (without prompting) that you don't like dockers. The reaction you get will probably not be exactly the same, but will likely be similar. Each person will either laugh at you for being kind of ridiculous, or think that you're a dick.

You will likely get a stronger reaction from someone who identifies himself strongly as someone who wears dockers.

But then that's kind of like saying to a black guy, "I don't hate you. I hate that you're black." Sure, that's different than hating the guy because he's black, but I'm not sure how much that difference is worth. I honestly don't see what hating anything buys you.

People that do not like dockers must be bigots.

To be clear, I DO see a distinction between the two "hate" statements I made above. I believe it is reasonable to make a distinction between the two, though they are pretty close to the same message. However, many people would not see a distinction. Your own reaction to my statement confirms this.

I do think that it is notable that you have suddenly substituted the softer "do not like" for "hate" as you used in your previous posts.


To again clarify, I do not personally feel that hating a religion is necessarily bigotry (even if it's the one I personally believe). However, I do see it as only a few gradients away from it. I would say the same thing about any religion, yes, including the Church of Satan and Scientology.

I do think it's worth pointing out, though, that the Church of Satan was established specifically to draw spite from Christians.

[Anapan]

I keep thinking this thread is about Mosquitoes. Living beside a creek, they're pretty bad in the summer. I use "Off!" lanterns. They work great.
I also carry a lighter and Binaca. Best mini-flame thrower I've found yet.
Been considering making this one tho.

[vash23n]

I am technically an atheist - just wanted to get that out of the way. I don't care about being an atheist, for me it means I am not interested in religion as well as not believing in it. The reason I am starting with this statement is to point out the reason I tell me I don't believe in a god or religion rather than tell them I am an atheist. In my experience, most atheists act no different that the wacko fundamentalist religious nuts out there. I hate sitting around a preachy Christian as much as I hate sitting around a preachy atheist. Both feel the need to somehow prove to me how right they are when I just don't care. I have bigger and better and more important things going on in my life. I don't need examples from the Bible (coming from both sides), lessons from history (coming from both sides), or miscellaneous present day observations (coming from both sides). To me, fundamentalist bs is the same no matter where it's coming from - atheists, Christians, Muslims, racists, homophobes, cultists, whatever.

I am more happy with the fact that I just put a hummingbird feeder up on my porch and a beautiful hummingbird has been buzzing around for the past two days getting his drink on. And before I get the "if it bothers you, just don't read it" argument, this was supposed to be a discussion on mosques, which are beautifully designed structures built by a people with an interesting culture and history. I have no issues with them. Jewish temples are beautiful, there are tons of beautiful churches. Architecturally, I think they are very nice to look at and learn about as are the religious texts that go along with them. As for what goes on inside, everyone deserves to be happy, if going inside a building with a group of like-minded individuals achieves this, fine. I have no more right to deny a person happiness for believing in something I don't than I do denying someone the right to love/be loved by a person of the same sex just because I am straight. Some people need support, some people need to believe in something/nothing.

[Jrecee]

I think your summary describes most atheists.

The reason atheists go beyond that sometimes, is because religious people go beyond worshipping in a church. If they were just doing something that brought happiness to themselves and those around them, it would be fine. But they, more than any atheists, feel the need to push their beliefs on everyone. I would think that if this didn't happen, most atheists would sit contently watching hummingbirds. Any pushing done by atheists is a response to christians who pushed first.

Religious groups pushed the word God into the pledge of allegiance in the 50s
Religious groups have tried (and are still trying) to get their unscientific beliefs taught in public schools
Religious groups will only support politicians with the same religious views which leads to things like limiting stem cell research.
Religious groups spread their disdain for contraceptives to uneducated people in aids ridden africa.
Religion has led people to murder, torture, and commit suicide under the belief that they'll be rewarded for it by a god who doesn't exist

There seems to be a double standard when it comes to Religious preaching and Atheist preaching. The thought being something like "If atheists start pushing their beliefs, they're no better than religious people". But if only religious can go around knocking on doors and holding up signs, how does atheism progress? It's only because people are "coming out of the atheist closet" (or something) that it's becoming more accepted. The religious will never keep religion to themselves, or locked away in churches. It will always effect those around them.

[Dylan]

Religious groups pushed the word God into the pledge of allegiance in the 50s
Religious groups have tried (and are still trying) to get their unscientific beliefs taught in public schools
Religious groups will only support politicians with the same religious views which leads to things like limiting stem cell research.
Religious groups spread their disdain for contraceptives to uneducated people in aids ridden africa.
Religion has led people to murder, torture, and commit suicide under the belief that they'll be rewarded for it by a god who doesn't exist

And conversely:

Atheist groups are trying to remove the word God from the pledge of allegiance, despite being a minority in the case
Atheist groups have their beliefs taught in schools, despite that they're as inconclusive as religious views are perceived to be
Atheists are far more likely to vote for people that share their beliefs as well
Atheists have likewise spread their disdain for the lack of a use of contraceptives
Atheists have murdered, tortured, and commited suicide as well, though their motives may be different

The real issue is just that all people in general do bad things. Whether you're religious or an atheist, it's all entirely on a person by person basis.