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Goodbye Jesus

Enlightened Atheist He Said.


Eleandrus

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My Brother in law DJ had a falling out at the church years ago and just stop believing in the invisible man. Last night i asked him about it and he brought up something kinda funny. He said he was a Enlightened Atheist. Huh... He said that he still believes that other religion need to Exist because some people with out there fall guy upstairs to lean on they would go bat shit crazy if somebody broke down the lie to them. I laughed but in a way agreed with him. Xians invest a lot of there brain power devoted to a unseen loving father figure and to suddenly lose that they might just go postal or extremely depressed. Not saying that all deconverts are like this, but if a fundy suddenly got it there whole world would just go to shit. Thoughts!

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Goodbye Jesus

I totally have family members that would FALL APART if they found out it was all a myth.

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I began thinking along those same lines after a couple family losses, a pet and a relative. Religion is a crutch to lean on and some of them would fall without it. Keep it out of my schools and my government, and I can tolerate the rest when necessary.

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I don't know, this is a tough one for me. I know first hand that many people DO get comfort and even peace from their magical beliefs. Still, the major religious institutions have caused horrendous damage to many societies. Sometimes it's easier to accept the comfortable lie, but it seems so empty and wrong somehow regardless of any perceived benefit. Many people build their entire life around an incorrect or dangerous belief such as Skinhead philosophy or Scientology or alien abduction or snake handling. Should we discourage those beliefs and lifestyles or just let them go so they avoid any discomfort from finding out they have been misinformed and misled?

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We'll never mature as a species as long as we think like children.

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We'll never mature as a species as long as we think like children.

Ain't that the truth. Also, even though many reasons can be given for letting them live in delusion, the simple fact is that they're part of a vast organization that is parasitic in nature. I'm not implying any kind of conspiracy, just a multi billion dollar business that will do anything to survive. So the members are simply pawns being pushed around by the various religious leaders.
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But if the option is going bat shit crazy, I'd rather Seymore show up on my porch with a pamphlet once in a while. The nuts are still identifiable.

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But if the option is going bat shit crazy, I'd rather Seymore show up on my porch with a pamphlet once in a while. The nuts are still identifiable.

 

That's why deconversion, growing up, making changes, doesn't happen all at once. It's a process. I see humanity in the process of deconverting, growing up, and making changes.

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But if the option is going bat shit crazy, I'd rather Seymore show up on my porch with a pamphlet once in a while. The nuts are still identifiable.

 

That's why deconversion, growing up, making changes, doesn't happen all at once. It's a process. I see humanity in the process of deconverting, growing up, and making changes.

While that's a nice, rational outlook, it doesn't apply to this country in any way, shape, or form. If anything, they're actually getting stronger in certain parts of America. They've infiltrated the military and places like the Air Force Academy to such a level that it's almost impossible for anyone to express anything other than what they push down peoples' throats. I'm currently reading 'The God Virus; and it's frightening to say the least regarding how fundamentalism is no different than a spreading virus and must be treated as such.
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The xians I see on a daily basis are of the COIN (christian only in name) variety, the type who claim it but on a day-to-day basis don't get involved. If it were suddenly "proved" in some way that god did not indeed exist, the average Joe that uses the "Aunt Bertha's in heaven now" to console himself now has nothing but "Aunt Bertha's in a hole." I think a lot of them would snap.

There is a line somewhere between personal hope and the shove-religion-down-your- throat type, fanatics. Keeping religion out of government is still paramount, but allowing hope that a lost loved one is somehow better off now isn't so bad, eh?

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The xians I see on a daily basis are of the COIN (christian only in name) variety, the type who claim it but on a day-to-day basis don't get involved. If it were suddenly "proved" in some way that god did not indeed exist, the average Joe that uses the "Aunt Bertha's in heaven now" to console himself now has nothing but "Aunt Bertha's in a hole." I think a lot of them would snap.

There is a line somewhere between personal hope and the shove-religion-down-your- throat type, fanatics. Keeping religion out of government is still paramount, but allowing hope that a lost loved one is somehow better off now isn't so bad, eh?

 

I get what you are saying. However Chrisitanity does as much harm as good. For every one comforted that their aunt is in heaven there is somebody who has to put up with being told that their Aunt Bertha is burning in hell because she didn't join the "right" cult before she died. In high school I saw somebody get devistated by this when their loved one commited suicide. At the time we had been told by our pastor that there is no forgiveness from suicide. So all the factors that bring comfort at the death were working in reverse to increase the pain. I was lucky in that every loved one I lost when I was a Christian was also a Christian. But I remember asking. If the answer had been no then I don't know how I would have taken it.

 

It's kind of like how Christianity tears families apart yet still takes credit for family values.

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I'm not in favor of evangelism, but I don't understand the idea that some people need their belief; especially if their belief is fundamental xianity. How is it healthy to believe you are unworthy, that your every thought will be judged and that most people you know will fail the test and be tortured by an unfathomable torture for the rest of eternity? This is like saying some people need Hitler to still be alive and the promises of the 3rd Reich to be in tact or they'll lose it. Not only that, but the same people who are at risk of the ovens if they show the SS even a hint of disloyalty.

 

If they don't take their belief at face value, then it just means that they are very good at justifying and compartmentalizing and cherry picking what they wish to believe, so I doubt you'll have much of an impact on their mental health either way.

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I'm thinking more of the ones who think a glance upward and a mumbled "'scuse me, lord" will get 'em out of a goddammit. The 12 pack Saturday night and church on holidays. I've found that many who claim christianity are casual users.

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I think it takes a special type, or a number of special types, to really commit to it and honestly be better off for it. Some would believe on their own that they're worthless, but want there to be a silver lining. Others need to feel that there's order and discipline in the world. Sometimes it just fits.

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But if the option is going bat shit crazy, I'd rather Seymore show up on my porch with a pamphlet once in a while. The nuts are still identifiable.

 

That's why deconversion, growing up, making changes, doesn't happen all at once. It's a process. I see humanity in the process of deconverting, growing up, and making changes.

While that's a nice, rational outlook, it doesn't apply to this country in any way, shape, or form. If anything, they're actually getting stronger in certain parts of America. They've infiltrated the military and places like the Air Force Academy to such a level that it's almost impossible for anyone to express anything other than what they push down peoples' throats. I'm currently reading 'The God Virus; and it's frightening to say the least regarding how fundamentalism is no different than a spreading virus and must be treated as such.

 

I agree, Raoul. We are very behind. "They" have been infiltrating the military, our government, our public places and even our homes for far too long. PLUS they are noisy and they "sound" powerful. For too long we have seen those "COIN" Christians as not being part of the problem BUT the entire fundy movement has been FUNDED on the backs of these mildly religious people. They've helped to feed into the "myth" that there must be a gawd because SO many people can't be wrong.

 

That's one reason I don't object to the "loud" atheists when they do things like put up obnoxious billboards. I wouldn't do it and I'm glad they're not doing it in my neighborhood, but honestly, it's the loud ones that get the attention and it IS time to get attention. Call me an optimist but even though the "nice" and "rational" aren't nearly as loud, we are working. And...we have the interwebs on our side.

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