From an agnostic

[Commodore Angryy]

Originally Posted by The servant

God wants free thinkers not church slaves!

So what's the good of churches then?

And if church-goers aren't slaves, what are they?

[Someday]

Welcome David,

My journey is similar to yours, however, not the same.

I became agnostic as a teen. I didn't have your objectivity towards Christianity in particular though. I considered it the least likely candidate for legitimacy.

I won't bore you with the details, but eventually I experienced a conversion to Christianity.

I still respect agnosticism, being a former member of that group. I especially respect honest inquiry and seeking, even though when it came to Christianity, I was far from that. I only sought to prove it wrong, and in my mind, I did. I believed there was something more to our existence than materialism, but I convinced myself that Christianity was definitely not it. I knew just enough of the Bible to make fun of it.

So don't sell Scientology, Mormonism or Islam short yet. The possibility exists that you could still end up one of these. Unlikely? Probably, but from my own experience, I would never have saw myself a Christian today.

Blessings

[Mycernius]

Originally Posted by Someday

So don't sell Scientology, Mormonism or Islam short yet. The possibility exists that you could still end up one of these. Unlikely? Probably, but from my own experience, I would never have saw myself a Christian today.

Blessings

No, don't sell $cientology to anyone. A poisonous, turgid, so called religion.
You could be a mormon, muslim, stay an agnostic or even believe in the second coming of the Great Prophet Zarquon, but plaese don't ever regard $cientology as a "faith" to practice, unless you want to have people take your money from you because you need auditing.

[JM]

Originally Posted by Mycernius

unless you want to have people take your money from you because you need auditing.

You could be talking about Christianity for a moment there too

[Mycernius]

Originally Posted by JM

You could be talking about Christianity for a moment there too

For some sects, you are true.
Normally if you have a problem and you are religious you go see your pastor, vicar, preacher, Iman etc, and they will give you advice, maybe tell you to look at a certain passage in scripture. Even if atheists have a problem you would talk to your friends about it, or parents. Either way it is to someone your feel that you can trust. Now AFAIK Christianity, Islam ,Judaism and the likes do not charge you for having a problem. You don't pay for confession, unless you feel you want to and give a collection towards your church. $cientology on the other hand would say you have a problem, it will cost you X amount of $s and you need to go on it. Hardly a supportive religion to its members.
One of the many reason why I particularly despise this so called faith.

[Commodore Angryy]

Pay Attention To Me!

[friendly hardline atheist]

Originally Posted by Commodore Angryy

Pay Attention To Me!

Huh? What's that? I don't follow.

[Commodore Angryy]

My reply at the top of this page. I'm annoyed that no fundie has attacked my statement yet.

[Mycernius]

Originally Posted by Commodore Angryy

My reply at the top of this page. I'm annoyed that no fundie has attacked my statement yet.

I don't think there are too many fundies here anymore, but I'll give you a general fundie statement if you wish:
"How dare you attack the name of our dear Lord Jesus (sorry LORD JESUS. sheesh must remember to captilize important words) and our SAVIOUR. GOD will reach down with his wrath and take your soul and cast it into the eternal depths of punishment of HELL (Bold to make it more scary)for daring to utter such blaspheme upon his good name. He is merciful and forgiving. Repent now sinner and live in the holy light of his lovingness (is that a word) and have eternal live in the garden of our LORD. If not will never know the joy of GOD and end up in a place of darkness and all alone, not knowing the joy and loving light that radiates from GOD and our SAVIOUR, LORD JESUS CHRIST. It is all in the Bible Matt 12:14-19, Ester 10:1-9, Revelations 45:12-83, Eccelatiasicussesiuss 17:15-68, 69,70,100-109 inclusive and 239-416 and most of the book, except the book of Quentin II 4:5-9, its just legal stuff.
REPENT, REPENT, REPENTor SATAN will take your SOUL"
Is that what you want, sorry not very good with these things, being an atheist and all.

[The servant]

Originally Posted by Mycernius

I don't think there are too many fundies here anymore, but I'll give you a general fundie statement if you wish:
"How dare you attack the name of our dear Lord Jesus (sorry LORD JESUS. sheesh must remember to captilize important words) and our SAVIOUR. GOD will reach down with his wrath and take your soul and cast it into the eternal depths of punishment of HELL (Bold to make it more scary)for daring to utter such blaspheme upon his good name. He is merciful and forgiving. Repent now sinner and live in the holy light of his lovingness (is that a word) and have eternal live in the garden of our LORD. If not will never know the joy of GOD and end up in a place of darkness and all alone, not knowing the joy and loving light that radiates from GOD and our SAVIOUR, LORD JESUS CHRIST. It is all in the Bible Matt 12:14-19, Ester 10:1-9, Revelations 45:12-83, Eccelatiasicussesiuss 17:15-68, 69,70,100-109 inclusive and 239-416 and most of the book, except the book of Quentin II 4:5-9, its just legal stuff.
REPENT, REPENT, REPENTor SATAN will take your SOUL"
Is that what you want, sorry not very good with these things, being an atheist and all.

This is a small section from the book I read. The lecture is called “The Conflict”
I see some on this board and in this thread, here in these few sentences.

The Conflict

Up till now there could be no question as yet of a sharp confrontation between two world views. Conflict is therefore an ill chosen term for what is actually happening between the intellectuals and serious seekers for the Truth.All that has so far taken place has consisted of one sided attacks by the intellectuals, which to any dispassionate observer must appear obviously unfounded and often absurd.

Scorn hostility and even persecution of the most serious kind await all those who seek to develop themselves higher in a purely spiritual sense, even when they try to maintain silent reserve. There are always some who try by ridicule or force to pull back and drag down such aspiring ones to the dull insensibility or hypocrisy of the masses.

Thus many were bound to become actual martyrs, because not only the masses but therewith also the earthly power has been on the side of the intellectuals. What these have to offer is clearly indicated in the word “intellect”, that is a narrowing of the range of the perceptive capacity to purely earthly matters, and thus to the minutest part of real existence.
It is easily understandable that this can produce nothing perfect, nothing good whatever for a humanity whose existence moves mainly through spheres which the intellectuals have closed to themselves.

Especially when one considers that just one brief earth-life should become a significant turning point for the whole existence, entailing as it does decisive interventions in those other spheres which are completely inconceivable to the intellectuals.

The responsibility of the intellectuals, who rightly considered have already fallen deeply , is thus enormously increased and as heavy pressure it will help to push them more and more swiftly towards the goal of their choice, so that they will have to partake of the fruits what they have persistently and presumptuously advocated. By intellectuals are to be understood those who have unconditionally submitted themselves to their own intellect. These people strange to say, have for thousands of years believed that they had an absolute right to impose their limited convictions by law and by force also upon those who wished to live according to another conviction. This utterly illogical presumption lies only in the intellectual’s narrow perceptive capacity, which is incapable of lifting itself higher.

This very limitation brings them a so called peak of comprehension, whereby such presumptions are bound to arise in the imagination, because they believe that they really are standing on the utmost height. This is actually true as far as they are concerned, since they have arrived at the boundary which they cannot cross…………………………..!