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Make2short -- as long as you are having fun

That's what we pay our Blogit memberships for.

posted by gomedome on April 14, 2005 at 10:30 AM | link to this | reply

Thank you for replying to my comment.

I must admit that i've been having fun making those snide remarks. This is something I rarely do with nonbelievers. I, too find fundamentalism scary. Not for the reasons that you give, of course, but because it is a reaction rather than a thoughtful analysis of scripture, tradition and experience. I also don't like the wedding between conservatism and Christianity because I think that we can all make up our own minds about politics and do not have to vote as a block. In addition, I think that abortion and homosexuality are not the most important distinctives.

I also put one of your blogs as my favorites. So I like the way you write.

So I will refrain from commenting on your anti-religious commentary. I'll even refrain from a last snide remark. (I'm biting my tongue.)

posted by Make2short on April 14, 2005 at 9:05 AM | link to this | reply

Make2short -- your analogies fall a bit short of hitting the mark

Science and the other fields of study that you allude to have commnonality in that they are all ultimately seeking proof or concrete evidence. All theories, hypothesis and conjecture in these fields are constructed with this singular goal in mind. This is not only not so with religion, proof of the existence of God is impossible and will likely always remain so. You may be absolutely correct when you say "But there either is a God or is not, both cannot be true." This in itself encapsulates the justification for the validity of my perspective.

The rest of your comment runs very close to trying to define the blogging experience for me. Suggesting what I should be writing and in what category simply is no one's decision but my own. Nor is this just the "religion" category. You are relatively new to commenting on my blogs but if you had of been around longer you would have seen that spirituality issues are dealt with quite often.

I really like your carpenter ant analogy however, except you have it backwards. I feel like the homeowner under siege by countless pre-programmed mindless drones. Each and every last one of them instilled with the notion that non-belief in the traditional definition of a supreme being must be devoid of spiritual growth.

This part is funny "We have confused the constitution's support of freedom of religion with the validity of an argument." uh yeah..hello. This is funny for 2 reasons. First this statement suggests that freedom of religion is only okay if you agree with the majority, divergent opinions need not voice themselves. Secondly: You have progressed from your initial acidic comments into making suggestions on how I should conduct myself, all of this without knowing that the US constitution is merely a document of a foreign government to me.

The part I really like is the closing line: "It makes me wonder if you doubt your own stance against religion, so you have to constantly argue against it." You seem incapable of leaving any comment without a parting jab but I will address this one. There currently is a groundswell of popular support for a fundamentalist revival pertaining to traditional Christian values. It is a commonly held misconception that this is the path to correcting modern day societal ills, ignoring completely the fact that we are now just beginning to escape historical religious influence. In other words modern day religion is the cause of a number of our problems, not the solution. This movement also includes dogma that purports a belief in an underworld, practices exclusion of a large segment of the populace and proliferates the constrictive shackles it has always placed on scientific discovery. Then to top it all off there is a well documented doomsday scenario that some knuckleheads right here on Blogit think will somehow be a glorious thing. This line of thought is just plain scary when one considers how many people like to look for the fullfillment of biblical prophecies.

Far from doubting my own stance on religion I wish I could do more to quell this insanity than write a puny little blog that is only read by 20-30 people a day.

posted by gomedome on April 14, 2005 at 7:40 AM | link to this | reply

All opinions may be equally valid.

But there either is a God or is not, both cannot be true. Scientists are extremely intolerant of those who do not follow the standard science. The same is true of almost every other field of study, but for some reason it seems that in the area of religion all ideas are equally valid. This cannot be true. We have confused the constitution's support of freedom of religion with the validity of an argument. The problem with religion is that it touches the core of our being. So whether we are right or wrong, we will argue that we have the right to express our opinion in every circle.

What I can't help feeling with you are the others who do not believe in religion but write a blog in the religion and spirituality category is that you do not acknowledge the validity of the very category you are writing about. But if a religious person argues that you have no place writing in this category, you accuse that person of being intolerant. Is a home owner intolerant if he kills carpenter ants to protect his home from being destroyed? I don't agree with the method that some bloggers argue against you, but I sometimes wonder why you find it necessary to write in this particular subject area against religion.

It makes me wonder if you doubt your own stance against religion, so you have to constantly argue against it.

posted by Make2short on April 14, 2005 at 12:46 AM | link to this | reply

well

you're the wise one. some people on here are obsessed with getting the upper hand, no matter what it costs.

posted by avant-garde on April 13, 2005 at 12:53 PM | link to this | reply

avant-garde -- I can't/ won't go there but will re-emphasize something I

said earlier. Sometimes it is prudent to take time to cool off and gather one's thoughts. If you can imagine I have had a few clashes with people in this category. 20 months later I'm still here without having received any warnings from the site administrators because I recognize the signs of impending escalation. In myself as well as in others.

posted by gomedome on April 13, 2005 at 12:51 PM | link to this | reply

hmmm.

could you by chance be talking about odysseus?

posted by avant-garde on April 13, 2005 at 12:34 PM | link to this | reply

gome

I understand

posted by calmcantey75 on April 13, 2005 at 10:38 AM | link to this | reply

cantey_1975 -- did you have to try it twice just to be sure?

Just kidding. Bloggers just can't resist this sort of thing. But aside from a click trick there is a point to this. I found my discussion with someone degenerating rapidly. A cooling off period was in order lest the remarks lead to more insults or worse.

posted by gomedome on April 13, 2005 at 10:31 AM | link to this | reply

are here is another click for your cleverness.

posted by calmcantey75 on April 13, 2005 at 10:18 AM | link to this | reply

good.