An open apology to the 84% of devout Catholics

Born to Die

Chuck Stone wrote: »

I don't believe in god(s) but I think there might be stuff happening in other dimensions we cant detect. I'm open to the idea of there being an afterlife because I think it's a nice idea and I can't get to grips with ceasing to exist but I know it's wishful thinking - perhaps even egotistical.

I salute a single magpie when I see one just because. I have to turn over the channel before the whistley ending bit of the Eastenders tune or I'll die in my sleep.


You tell me? :pac:

That is the religion known as OCD Supersticiousist.

Pace2008

Chuck Stone wrote: »

I don't believe in god(s) but I think there might be stuff happening in other dimensions we cant detect. I'm open to the idea of there being an afterlife because I think it's a nice idea and I can't get to grips with ceasing to exist but I know it's wishful thinking - perhaps even egotistical.

I salute a single magpie when I see one just because. I have to turn over the channel before the whistley ending bit of the Eastenders tune or I'll die in my sleep.


You tell me? :pac:

Yeah, you're definitely an atheist. You're conflating atheism with some of the worldviews you see some new atheists propagate - materialism, empiricism, anti-theism etc.

If you don't believe in any gods then you're an atheist.

Anyone

Why do some people, irregardless of religon(or no religon) feel the need to mock other peoples beliefs?

Logical Fallacy

Anyone wrote: »

Why do some people, irregardless of religon(or no religon) feel the need to mock other peoples beliefs?

Well, people mock others about pretty much everything. What they work as, where they live, where they are from, the music they like etc etc.

Specifically choosing NOT to mock someone over their religious beliefs would just be discriminating.

shizz

Logical Fallacy wrote: »

Well, people mock others about pretty much everything. What they work as, where they live, where they are from, the music they like etc etc.

Specifically choosing NOT to mock someone over their religious beliefs would just be discriminating.

Nice name haha

Irish Wolf

So much ridiculous pigeon holing itt.

krudler

Anyone wrote: »

Why do some people, irregardless of religon(or no religon) feel the need to mock other peoples beliefs?

because a lot of those beliefs are silly.

Micky Dolenz

krudler wrote: »

because a lot of those beliefs are silly.

What are you, 12?

marty1985

Chuck Stone wrote: »

Can I not just be a person who doesn't believe in gods?


Please..


Good post btw. Sorts out some things for me.

Cheers Chuck.

Yep, you pretty much can be whatever you want to be, and identify with whichever religious denomination you want. People label themselves as they wish, which is why I wouldn't object to someone who wants to call themselves a Freethinking Humanist Agnostic Atheist Bright. Because who cares?

Some atheists care because they really see themselves as being locked in a war of sorts - and no middle ground is acceptable. You're either with them or against them in a false dichotomy kind of way. That's why they abhor agnostics, and push the you're-an-atheist-whether-you-like-it-or-not mantra. (Or you're-not-a-Catholic-if-you-don't-go-to-mass.) And also, in our relativist day and age, minority groups can push and even displace majority groups quite easily, by taking offence easily and becoming a PC brigade. That cross better just be a fashion item, etc.

Atlantis50

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Educated by the knowledge contained in the census I would like to apologise for forcing my atheist beliefs on you these past few years.
I confess to thinking that those who were religious as enlightened as a 12 year old believing in Santa but the sheer weight of your lobby has destroyed my argument.
Had I known I represented such a miniscule minority I would have never questioned your church, I'm sorry.

This week the pews will heave with the mass of 3.6 million people professing their faith.
Standing room only as the cars stand triple parked outside.
I ask only as one thing of you true disciples of God . . . . . forgive me.

Yawn.

The thread in the atheist forum on this topic wasn't good enough for you?

You must have a little going on in your life if you spend time getting worked up by census statistics.

Dimithy

marty1985 wrote: »

You can always be an agnostic.

Never!!

I'd hate to be associated with those damn militant agnostics...

marty1985

Dimithy wrote: »

Never!!

I'd hate to be associated with those damn militant agnostics...

I don't know and you don't either!!!

xsiborg

why hasnt this thread been moved to one of the religion forums already?

oh thats right, it'd quickly get shut down in there and we wouldnt have the same old AH circle jerking dogging it out between the atheists and those who really couldnt give a fiddlers what atheists have to say!

religion is a personal belief, or lack thereof, now if i could get the OP to apologise instead for starting yet another stupid 'im better than 84% of you because i dont believe in religion' wars thread in AH, that'd be just great!

keep it to yourself next time OP, because believe it or not, i have a sneaking suspicion that 84% of boards members couldnt give a crap for your passive aggressive apologist atheist nonsense!

it wont matter to you what religion i am, just that i am sick of seeing 84% of AH filled with these nonsense type threads, which is why for a long time i stopped posting in here.

i got sick of posters at each others throats and the constant bítching and moaning and faux intellectualism coupled with the crap threads that AH has become!

/rant

krudler

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

What are you, 12?

no you're right, the idea that an omnipotent superbeing who created an entire universe would get so riled up that someone would wear a garment made from two different types of thread that he'd damn them for eternity isnt silly at all.

Chuck Stone

xsiborg wrote: »

religion is a personal belief,

If only it were.

Micky Dolenz

krudler wrote: »

no you're right, the idea that an omnipotent superbeing who created an entire universe would get so riled up that someone would wear a garment made from two different types of thread that he'd damn them for eternity isnt silly at all.

heh, The post is an example of what people referred to earlier in the thread. classic. :P

UrbanSea

Think religion should be kept out of After Hours. Think this whole thread was pointless and the OP just wanted to be deliberately condescending. So what you don't believe in a God, you think that those of us who do are silly, it doesn't make you better in anyway.

krudler

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

heh, The post is an example of what people referred to earlier in the thread. classic. :P

hey you inferred some religious beliefs arent silly, I answered showing how they are,my point stands.

Chuck Stone

Simple solution.

Not allowed to declare a religion on a census form until you are an adult.

Any good?

AngryBollix

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Educated by the knowledge contained in the census I would like to apologise for forcing my atheist beliefs on you these past few years.
I confess to thinking that those who were religious as enlightened as a 12 year old believing in Santa but the sheer weight of your lobby has destroyed my argument.
Had I known I represented such a miniscule minority I would have never questioned your church, I'm sorry.

This week the pews will heave with the mass of 3.6 million people professing their faith.
Standing room only as the cars stand triple parked outside.
I ask only as one thing of you true disciples of God . . . . . forgive me.

Its ok, but only on the condition that we get to treat irish speakers with the same level of sarcasm, contempt, condescension and unnecessary provocation

AngryBollix

Chuck Stone wrote: »

Simple solution.

Not allowed to declare a religion on a census form until you are an adult.

Any good?

And can only declare a language that you can speak

xsiborg

Chuck Stone wrote: »

xsiborg wrote: »

religion is a personal belief,

If only it were.

have to agree with you chuck, i should've said "one's faith" or "what one chooses to believe" maybe? is a personal belief.

im not a wordsmith by any means but i hope people got the idea- After Hours is not the place for this crap, that's why we have a religion forum, and sub-forums even, where you can apologise all you want to "84% of catholics", and be told rather quickly to gtfo!

Micky Dolenz

krudler wrote: »

hey you inferred some religious beliefs arent silly, I answered showing how they are,my point stands.

It's a weak baiting point.

I put down no religion on the census form as I practice no religion. I would not be so ignorant or arrogant to tell a group of people their beliefs were silly. I'm sure many of my beliefs and lifestyles are silly to some.

Live and let live, the only way to fly.The mature way to live ones life.

UrbanSea

krudler wrote: »

hey you inferred some religious beliefs arent silly, I answered showing how they are,my point stands.

It may be silly in your opinion, but that's what it is, an opinion, nobody can give you a definitive answer.

Religion can and has changed many people's lives for the better, and I'm not naive enough to say that it hasn't changed people's for the worse, though that is mostly due to people representing Catholic Institutions, not the religion nor its beliefs.

Religion is a belief. Do you think that fate, destiny, love are silly? Other aspects of life people believe in, yet as murky as religion, though plenty of people believe in them.

AngryBollix

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Educated by the knowledge contained in the census I would like to apologise for forcing my atheist beliefs on you these past few years.
I confess to thinking that those who were religious as enlightened as a 12 year old believing in Santa but the sheer weight of your lobby has destroyed my argument.
Had I known I represented such a miniscule minority I would have never questioned your church, I'm sorry.

This week the pews will heave with the mass of 3.6 million people professing their faith.
Standing room only as the cars stand triple parked outside.
I ask only as one thing of you true disciples of God . . . . . forgive me.

Yet you continue to force your atheist beliefs on people

Irish Wolf

Chuck Stone wrote: »

Simple solution.

Not allowed to declare a religion on a census form until you are an adult.

Any good?

Flawless.

cabbage kid

There's a lot of hate around here for atheists and I don't think it's justified. It's just generalising a group of people who have one tiny thing in common. Just think about how small this thing is that connects this group of people together and many of you are using it to attack these people.

Anyway, I believe the OP's point was that 84% of the population is not actually Catholic. I don't think anyone really disagrees with that (disclaimer: someone out there might :P) but instead of taking up the OP's point, a lot of people decided to just attack the way the point was made and then attack all atheists in general.

I would really like to know how many atheists have pushed there lack of belief on any religious people here. I have never witnessed anything like that, and I am an atheist and hang around with atheists and religious people.

There seems to be a persecution complex developing among religious people in Ireland. I was watching the Frontline when they were talking about secularism and religion and all that and Catholics were saying they felt shouted down! 84% are being shouted down by a tiny minority? Yeah, ok then. It's a similar story on here except it might be more justified, the internet seems to breed high horses for every occasion and there are plenty of atheists making use of them.

To all the people deriding religion and people's beliefs, I can see where you're coming from, but you need to try and see where everyone else is coming from too. When you have meaningful discussions with bright and intelligent people who put a lot of thought into their religious position then you will have a far greater respect for why people believe. That's why I ask people questions about their faith. If they get immediately defensive then I just back off. That person is clearly afraid to be challenged on their beliefs because they prefer to just not think about it. When somebody engages with you, then you can have a real conversation and actually learn something.

AngryBollix

cabbage kid wrote: »

There's a lot of hate around here for atheists and I don't think it's justified. It's just generalising a group of people who have one tiny thing in common. Just think about how small this thing is that connects this group of people together and many of you are using it to attack these people.

Anyway, I believe the OP's point was that 84% of the population is not actually Catholic. I don't think anyone really disagrees with that (disclaimer: someone out there might :P) but instead of taking up the OP's point, a lot of people decided to just attack the way the point was made and then attack all atheists in general.

I would really like to know how many atheists have pushed there lack of belief on any religious people here. I have never witnessed anything like that, and I am an atheist and hang around with atheists and religious people.

There seems to be a persecution complex developing among religious people in Ireland. I was watching the Frontline when they were talking about secularism and religion and all that and Catholics were saying they felt shouted down! 84% are being shouted down by a tiny minority? Yeah, ok then. It's a similar story on here except it might be more justified, the internet seems to breed high horses for every occasion and there are plenty of atheists making use of them.

To all the people deriding religion and people's beliefs, I can see where you're coming from, but you need to try and see where everyone else is coming from too. When you have meaningful discussions with bright and intelligent people who put a lot of thought into their religious position then you will have a far greater respect for why people believe. That's why I ask people questions about their faith. If they get immediately defensive then I just back off. That person is clearly afraid to be challenged on their beliefs because they prefer to just not think about it. When somebody engages with you, then you can have a real conversation and actually learn something.

Its not the sentiment. Its how its expressed a lot of the time. The original post being a good example

cabbage kid

AngryBollix wrote: »

Its not the sentiment. Its how its expressed a lot of the time. The original post being a good example

I totally agree that it's all in how it's said, but people use Richard Dawkins and a few pretentious idiots on the internet to attack a whole group of people who really have very little in common.

mcmoustache

If people were mocking what Tom Cruise believes, it wouldn't be a problem. We'd all laugh and high-five because his beliefs are nonsense.

But when it's a religion with more followers but with equally ridiculous beliefs, then it's not cool. It's being smug.