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Xeno-x - devil worship, depending on what brand it is, may be a perfect
example of a God Hater but not necessarily so.
I say this because there are those who worship other entities that are quite often all branded as one negative conglomerate by those who believe in God. Some Satan worshippers for example, have merely elevated one mythical entity above another. Hatred of God doesn't even enter into the picture, at least from their perspective. It sounds as if the young man you describe was more demonstrating youthful rebellion than anything else and there can be an element of this type of resistence in those who are disenfranchised by religious constructs. But I don't feel that it is an extremely all powerful influence.
In my case, I realized at an early age that those attempting to brainwash me were nuts. Where I am sure I went through a similar youthful rebellion stage as the young man you describe but realizing that I was being fed a load of hooey also served to make me keep looking for answers. (most times as far away from the nutcases as possible) . . . if an individual is truly honest about what they believe and maturity has taken its course, professing belief in something simply because it is the opposite of what was forced on an individual is a non factor.
posted by
gomedome
on January 4, 2007 at 11:14 AM
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.Dave. - those being controlled by Santa would be his elves but they now
have a union: The "VCTU" or the Vertically Challenged Toymakers Union.
But seriously, if a person professes non belief, it is rather amazing how many names they will be called. I had no idea that I was so multi-faceted and meant so many things to so many people.
posted by
gomedome
on January 4, 2007 at 11:00 AM
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anyone who becomes a god-hater
does so because of believers who have made their graven image of a god that does not live up to the promises the believers ascribe to him.
then that person still believes in god, but hates the god he/she believes in.
and if believers hadn't concocted such a god in the first place, then there would be no such god for anybody to hate.
were people to "get real", there would be fewer god-haters.
i know of a young man who became a devil-worshipper because of his dad (who has a strong, conservative Christian bent) and certain really anti-christian actions on his dad's part.
the young man then believes in a fable that was put forth by Christians who disseminate fables.
and then one wonders why people either hate god or don't believe in god.
of course you can't believe in the image of the Christian God.
posted by
Xeno-x
on January 4, 2007 at 9:21 AM
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Gomedome, what about those who are being controlled by Santa?
Seriously, good post, well-argued.
As a non-believer, I'm almost bound to agree, I suppose, though I often find myself being more Christian than some Christians I encounter. I think that makes me a humanist, believing that Christ was a good man, though not the son of God, but I've never really looked deeply enough into that either.
Your basic tenet is surely incontravertible: to be a god-hater, you have to have once been a believer.
posted by
_dave_says_ack_
on January 4, 2007 at 7:52 AM
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