What is about you and your faith that causes you to want/need to impose your personal beliefs on others? I just don't get it. Why is it Christians are so concerned about what I do with my life? I'm an agnostic and a liberal and have never had a need/want to try and get others to live their lives the way I do mine.
If you see someone about to piss on an electric fence Is it imposing to tell them not too ?? With religion . . . it is the same way . . the view is you trying to help someone that is ignorant of the ramifications to their immortal souls. . . Rocket River
I think it's an innate part of human nature to want to get people to see things 'your way', and I think it's unfair to single out the Christians on this. I know MANY, MANY liberals who are what I like to call "extremist secularists" that want to impose secularism on everyone (see France), which is usually reflected in their disrespectful tone/language directed at religious people, calling them everything from "brainwashed" to "dangerous" to "fundamentalists" or "extremists". I think secularists are as much a culprit in this general atmosphere of intolerance of the 'other' side as religious folks are, it's not very honest to single one group or the other out.
Using that logic, why don't you see non-Christians out in front of churches telling people not to go in? You don't, because non-Christians believe it's non of their business.
I know that my intollerance of Christians has everything to do with them trying to control how I live my life.
I didn't call you intolerant, did I? That wasn't my point. My point was that there are people on both sides (religious people vs. non-religious people) who would love nothing less than to impose their own beliefs on others.
The Gospel compels Christians the share the message with others, for the unbelievers' own good and because it is a direct commandment. In the New Testament, evangelism is as much a part of the Gospel message as moral purity. If you are talking about politics, that is another thing entirely. Some Christians are a part of the Religious Right, which may be who you are referring to. As you know, other Christians are politically liberal and some of us (like me) fit neither category at all. Just understand this: Not all Christians are members of the Religious Right and many do not support people like James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, etc. The most famous pastor in America right now, Rick Warren, and many other evangelical leaders, specifically distance themselves from the Religious Right. My question to you: Which way are you coming from? If it's about the politics of the RR, I'll let them step in and explain themselves. If you are asking a theological question, did I answer you?
I think this is kind of unfair towards Christians. With as many Christians that you see trying to impose their beliefs on others, I think you find the same number of agnostics/atheists dismissing Christians as narrow minded, simple/uneducated, and intolerant. I think in the end, you find that everyone is judgemental of everyone else in an unfair way.
It's a legitimate question. Atheists don't 'impose' their beliefs on others. They ignore the Christians. Christians, on the other hand, try to impose their beliefs on others. In their view, they are trying to save your soul. If you think about it, it's a brilliantly-made religion to convert the masses. They provide emotional support, answers to your questions about life, free lunch, a place to meet friends, and charity all rolled up in one. The bible is very ambigious so how the heck can you argue against it? Who here can really read the bible in its original language? Their conversion is based on saving your soul, so how can you get mad at them? They try to be nice, friendly, and perform good works around town so you'll like them. And it's all faith-based so you can't reason with them. I guess religion has 'evolved'.
Oh, I agree with you that atheists/agnostics dont "impose" their beliefs per se, but I personally think it's all too common that ANY person of faith is completely written off as ignorant and narrow minded. There are individual circumstances when Christians have done exactly what I just described (see: the hijacking of Election 2004; gay folks marrying > any other threat to the nation) but I think it's unfair to lump them all in one category.
The worst thing about religion is how it brainwashes all these hotties into believing they should wait until marriage
Really? Atheist may not come to you and do it but they do impose their will anything from No Prayer in School to Scream that Intelligent Design should not be taught They fight everyday to keep any inkling of a religious thought out of the public areas As many have stated here . . . They are dismissive, arrogant and very much think the religious folx are nuts and are none too shy about letting them know that . . . I use to be an atheist and . . .they can be a nasty, harsh, condesending, unforgiving lot Look at TV Look at threads here Atheist are not as 'In your Face' about it but they are making just as many movements to push along their agenda of non-Religiousness Rocket River
If I may ask, I might have missed your explanation at an earlier date, is there any specific reason as to why you have always written in verse form?
This is not the evil atheists' doing blame Thomas Jefferson and the rest of the Constitutional Convention for they created a totally SECULAR government here, one to avoid all the trappings of the theocracys they saw around the world, it was a great expirement.
habit. . . more than anything when 1st I became acquanted with internet writing. . . . I wrote on a computer that only had a 40 character line range . . .and became accustom to hitting return at the end of everyline or completed thought In the new would of longer line ranges and sentences looping around to the next line. . . . it is a unnecessary habit at this point .. . it has become somewhat of a calling card of my post. . . and I have seen little to no reason to really change it. I write the same way mostly in Email as well [unless it is business orient then I have to make the conscious effort to 'write correctly'] but this place is very much a source of relaxation and entertainment. . .not uber serious. . so I kind of just let it go . .and enjoy it Rocket River Rocket River
That is the will of the Constitution as it has been interpreted. Atheists are protecting their right not to have their children indoctrinated into Christianity through use of government institutions. There are Christians that flip out when schools teach sex education but atheists can't be concerned with Christians trying to impose their religion on their children at school? Wow!
The point is. . . every HUMAN tends to impose his will on others like Sex Ed in School vs. not It is NOT something that JUST CHRISTIANS do . . Rocket River EVERY ONE DOES
