Islam: Our Partners in Peace...

[ForeverAutumn]

I have a question for those here who are religious. And I ask this seriously, with an attempt to understand, there is no intent of maliciousness or facetiousness.

I'm watching the CNN coverage of the tornado in Missouri. They are talking to a man whose home was flattened. He and his family were in the basement and he said that they were down there praying. Totally understandable to me. They showed a photo of his destroyed home on the news and the newscaster said, "we're looking at a picture of your home now and there is nothing left. How is it that your family survived and you all got out of your home safely?" He responded that "it was by the grace of God. We were praying the entire time and our prayers were answered".

I get all of that. My question is, how do you then explain those who died? Why were his prayers answered but other's weren't? If it's God's will, why was this family favoured while others perished? This is a part of religious belief that I have never understood, although I've tried.

I'm not criticizing. I'm not questioning or belittling his belief. I'm just curious how people who believe that they are alive because their prayers were answered justify the deaths of others.

[Feanor]

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I'm not criticizing. I'm not questioning or belittling his belief. I'm just curious how people who believe that they are alive because their prayers were answered justify the deaths of others.

No, go ahead and belittle religious belief. While not questioning people's faith might be polite, it doesn't help them in the long run, and sustains superstition. Not questioning things is much of what's wrong with the world.

Good question FA.

I always go by this, God answers all your prayers. The answer is usually NO.
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The belief that prayers are answered is the effect of confirmation bias. Religion is just another, delusional coping mechanism: get over it.

[ForeverAutumn]

No, go ahead and belittle religious belief. While not questioning people's faith might be polite, it doesn't help them in the long run, and sustains superstition. Not questioning things is much of what's wrong with the world.

Feanor, you and I may both be atheists but, unlike you, I don't enjoy insulting people who are religious. Everyone has a right to believe what they want. Although I don't agree that there is a God, who am I to judge those who do?

[Feanor]

Feanor, you and I may both be atheists but, unlike you, I don't enjoy insulting people who are religious. Everyone has a right to believe what they want. Although I don't agree that there is a God, who am I to judge those who do?

Were I to believed in pedophilia would it be OK to practice or preach it? If I believe that "belief" is wrong and harmful, should I not say so?

Granted, I have been an excessively candid person all my life -- it took me a long time to figure out this isn't an entirely good thing. It hasn't done me much good or endeared me to people, but I'm too old now to reform very much or even want to.

[markw]

Were I to believed in pedophilia would it be OK to practice or preach it? If I believe that "belief" is wrong and harmful, should I not say so?

Granted, I have been an excessively candid person all my life -- it took me a long time to figure out this isn't an entirely good thing. It hasn't done me much good or endeared me to people, but I'm too old now to reform very much or even want to.

Comparing pedophelia to religion is low, even for you.

It's a perfect example of why this site has gone from a thriving community a few years ago to a small, incestious few that get their jollies attacking religion.

[Hyfi]

It's a perfect example of why this site has gone from a thriving community a few years ago to a small, incestious few that get their jollies attacking religion.

Thats bull! This place died the first week after they upgraded to Vb and that was years ago.

Also, this out of the way Steel Cage forum was created for these types of off topic conversations.

And what about the jollies that the believers get telling the rest how wrong they are for having no religion or the wrong religion? That part is ok, right?

[markw]

Thats bull! This place died the first week after they upgraded to Vb and that was years ago.

Also, this out of the way Steel Cage forum was created for these types of off topic conversations.

And what about the jollies that the believers get telling the rest how wrong they are for having no religion or the wrong religion? That part is ok, right?

So, who is proselytising here? All I ever see is athiests glad-handing each other.

[Hyfi]

Feanor, you and I may both be atheists but, unlike you, I don't enjoy insulting people who are religious. Everyone has a right to believe what they want. Although I don't agree that there is a God, who am I to judge those who do?

Although insulting others may not be the best thing, Feanor has as much right to tell someone they are crazy or wrong for believing something as much as those who believe tell everyone else we are wrong for not believing. It is insulting both ways and I take just as much offense when I am told that there is only one true religion and if I don't believe it I am going to Hell.

If the believers can tell all non believers we are wrong for not believing, than why can't we tell those who believe that they are wrong for believing? Works both ways. Until all religions, specially Christianity, concede that all religions are different pathways to the same god, and that their way is not the best and only way, this will be an endless debate. There is no right or wrong, but only what gets one through the day. That being said, nobodies beliefs should be forced upon others in any way.

[ForeverAutumn]

If the believers can tell all non believers we are wrong for not believing, than why can't we tell those who believe that they are wrong for believing? Works both ways.

I agree. But that's not what Feanor was suggesting. He was suggesting that I belittle someone for their beliefs, which is something that I would never do. I can disagree with someone without feeling the need to put them down. Is it being polite as he suggests? No, I think it's being tolerant. It's the realization that there are many different beliefs out there and although I don't see eye-to-eye with Mr. Peabody (for example) on this topic, he has no less right to his beliefs than I have to mine. That's the beauty of being human and having the ability to think for ourselves and form our own opinions.

As for my original post about the tornado, I wanted it to be clear to those who I was asking the question of that I was not trying to put them down and start an argument but, honestly, wanted to know what they thought. As I've said before, in spite of my atheism I find the religious train of thought interesting and I try to understand it, even if I don't subscribe to it.

[ForeverAutumn]

No, go ahead and belittle religious belief. While not questioning people's faith might be polite, it doesn't help them in the long run, and sustains superstition. Not questioning things is much of what's wrong with the world.

See my response to Hyfi. I will not put someone down over religion. And I am questioning things. My tornado related post was a question. So, I'm really not sure what you're going on about or why you responded to me at all since you weren't doing so to answer my question.