When Did You See the Light? II (danger:religion thread)

[Zipper]

I know I'll receive the wrath of our exalted one Rewahoo, but I'm curious as to when some of you found the light and realized religion to be a joke on humanity.

I was typical of most of you. In the 1950's Canada and the U.S. were equally religious. My mother and grandmothers sent my brother and I to church and Sunday School each week. My father and grandfathers stayed on the sidelines, and as I look back I realize they didn't believe but wanted to keep peace in the family.

By the early 50's after I could read and make sense of things I began to realize that this stuff was all a crock! When I was ~8 we had had enough and my father and grandfathers backed us up.

And I think that's the problem to this day. It won't go away in our lifetime. Parents brainwash their children and the cycle persists. Whether it's christian, muslim or whatever, the goal is to indoctrinate the young before they can think rationally.

I'm glad that Mrs. Zipper and I let our sons develop a normal life without subjecting them to all this nonsense. They are productive Canadians along with my grandchilden, unburdened by religious dogma. They have faith in themselves and not some god thought up by superstitious desert dwellers thousands of years ago.

A Canadian can run politically and not have religion become an issue but I'm certain that an Atheist would have no chance in American politics. Separation of church and state is becoming a little bent down there.

This is sure to bring out the nutjobs foaming at the mouth, but the point is there are many of us who "have seen the light" and think the world would be a much better place without the make-believe stuff from thousands of years ago.

(edited thread name to clarify nature of thread)

[MasterBlaster]

Zipper:

Since you are an infidel, I am sorry, but I will have to kill you now for your blasphemy.

[Rich_in_Tampa]

Thanks for hijacking the original topic and subject. It was a great thread -- I was really enjoying it while it lasted.

[Mwsinron]

I try and make it a point not to go out of my way to slam others on their personal beliefs.

[Lazarus]

I think it was when I was in Basic Training in the Air Force and heard a sermon telling us to be better Airmen from a Preacher who had been in the service less time than we had. Note that Basic was only 6 weeks long then.

Organized religon has a lot of hijackers trying to use it for their own reasons.

[spideyrdpd]

I was recently thinking about religion being the best marketed project ever.
I also was wondering how the scientiology guy decided to start a religion. Gee I am bored just finished writing a succesful fantasy book. Hmm maybe I will start a religion ?

[Scrooge]

Originally Posted by spideyrdpd

I was recently thinking about religion being the best marketed project ever.
I also was wondering how the scientiology guy decided to start a religion. Gee I am bored just finished writing a succesful fantasy book. Hmm maybe I will start a religion ?

Scientology started out as "Dianetics", a "modern science of mental health", that Hubbard, his editor John W. Campbell, Jr. and others came up with in 1949. In 1951-1952 the early Dianetics network collapsed amidst mutual recriminations and financial problems. At that point Hubbard took it to the next level and it became Scientology.

[Kronk]

Around age 12. My parents were members of the Gideons when I was growing up. Summer vacations often were Gideon international conventions. They changed careers in their late 40s and became ministers.

My sister is very religious as well. My grandparents were religious. All my parents' siblings are relgious.

So it took me longer than it should have to figure out that it is a load of bunk.

Over the years I've become less and less tolerant of religion. I can literally feel my stress level rise when I get near churches or religion comes up in discussion.

The whole premise of the thing is absolutely ludicrous. I have a hard time figuring out how otherwise intelligent people believe in this stuff. But then I was overly subjected to this stuff growing up so I have a knee jerk reaction against it.

[justin]

You are all going to hell.

[unclemick]

Yep

Already been there - Houston and Dallas pulling a 28 foot Prowler during rush hour - I survived and so can you.

heh heh heh heh

[Dog]

My parents were constantly fighting over money....it stressed me out and I think as a result developed a tendency to horde and a need for security. *My DH has a similar background and enjoys saving too. *We both believe in LBYM and using things until they wear out. *We can easily talk outselves out of buying stuff when tempted...we do enjoy our lifestyle and don't feel like we are missing out on anything. *We leverage our 401k plans and are lucky to have secured pensions. *Early retirement became a goal when I read the Millionaire Next Door and we started noticing some of our class of 76 classmates showing up in the obituary pages. *We are on pace for ER by 55 or earlier and our big worry is that we will end up subsidizing for the lack of planning and excessive lifestyles of others.

[Dawg54]

Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa

Thanks for hijacking the original topic and subject. It was a great thread -- I was really enjoying it while it lasted.*

I agree Rich. I wish we had a category for politics and religion. That way topics such as this could be moved there for discussion.(A category I would avoid) The way this topic is laid out, most anyone is sucked into reading it.*

[Scrooge]

Originally Posted by DOG52

I agree Rich. I wish we had a category for politics and religion. That way topics such as this could be moved there for discussion.

Well, our friendly moderators could always move it to the "Other topics" forum

[Arif]

Thanks for hijacking the original topic and subject. It was a great thread -- I was really enjoying it while it lasted.

Not quite what I expected when I clicked on this post. Should have been titled the "evil twin thread." I think I'll watch the fireworks from the sidelines.

[haha]

I believe that the people who post here currently are mostly too smart and too respectful of others' feelings to get very involved in a* thread like this.

Ha

[wabmester]

Originally Posted by HaHa

I believe that the people who post here currently are mostly too smart and too respectful of others' feelings to get very involved in a* thread like this.

Heh.

Let's see.* *My mom was religious, so I was exposed at an early age.* *I remember hearing bible stories and going to Sunday school when I was probably 5-7.

They scared the crap out of me.* *Who decided to give angels wings and supernatural powers?* *That scared me more than those flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz!

Anyway, I probably believed in the stuff as much as I did in Santa Claus et al.* *I lost my "faith" when I stopped believing in all supernatural things.* *Maybe Junior High School?

I honestly never understood why people believed in this stuff, and I figured I must be missing something.* *I remember in college, I was approached by some Jehovah's Witness (or something), and I thought "great, I'll listen to this guy and try to understand where he's coming from."* *Basically, I think I converted him to atheism with the argument that I could simulate some of the things he considered to be profoundly human with an artificial neural network.

Eventually, I understood that there was more to religions than the absurd mythology, and I appreciate some of the things religions can bring to the table, but I still haven't found any prepublished set of beliefs that appeals to me more than stuff I just make up as I go along.

I still think religion is worth studying, and you do get some cool rituals and songs if you join up with one of the groups.

[sgeeeee]

Originally Posted by wab

. . . and you do get some cool rituals and songs if you join up with one of the groups.

Yeah . . . that may be neat, but it would take a cool hat and secret decoder ring to get me to join. Why aren't there any religions that offer that?

By the way, Zipper, I don't mind your in-your-face approach to posting.

[wabmester]

Originally Posted by sgeeeee

but it would take a cool hat and secret decoder ring to get me to join.* Why aren't there any religions that offer that?

Eh, even the mainstream religions have that stuff.* And if you make it to Bishop or Rabbi, you get some cool outfits to boot.

I offered to form a new religion here a while back, but nobody would follow me.* *I wonder what it would take to really get a good religion rolling that had all the benefits and none of the bummers of current religions.

Maybe start with Secular Humanism, and add juggling, back flips, a really cool handshake, hymns by They Might Be Giants, and some Darwinian icons.

[brewer12345]

Originally Posted by sgeeeee

Yeah . . . that may be neat, but it would take a cool hat and secret decoder ring to get me to join.* Why aren't there any religions that offer that?* *

Oh , there are, but to get the special decoder ring, you have to become a Cardinal. Somehow I doubt you would want to deny yourself what those guys pass over just to get the ring and the funny hat...

[Martha]

Last time we had an extensive discussion of religion feelings were hurt and shortly after a good decent poster left.

My God, your God, or no God