Now comes the march of those who absolutely cannot stand anyone who can’t be bullied into kow-towing to their Imaginary Friend. How dare the man have the dignity to ignore all those threats of Hell — the spiritual equivalent of “pass on this chain letter or you’ll have bad luck.” But some people just can’t be intimidated by the myths of any culture, and it really galls those who are.
Did you know that you just wrote that on FRee Republic?
“Now comes the march of those who absolutely cannot stand anyone who can’t be bullied into kow-towing to their Imaginary Friend. How dare the man have the dignity to ignore all those threats of Hell — the spiritual equivalent of “pass on this chain letter or you’ll have bad luck.” But some people just can’t be intimidated by the myths of any culture, and it really galls those who are.”
Excellent post. He represented what is best in Western society (Feedom of Speech and Thought). His was a formidable intellect. RIP
Don’t take the Mark.
some of the comments on here last night just disgusted me
my wife is an atheist...
Thank you for saying what many of us also feel.
The fervently religious are often their own worst enemies.
“Now comes the march of those who absolutely cannot stand anyone who can’t be bullied into kow-towing to their Imaginary Friend. How dare the man have the dignity to ignore all those threats of Hell — the spiritual equivalent of “pass on this chain letter or you’ll have bad luck.” But some people just can’t be intimidated by the myths of any culture, and it really galls those who are.”
Excellent post. Thank you.
You posted:
Now comes the march of those who absolutely cannot stand anyone who can’t be bullied into kow-towing to their Imaginary Friend. How dare the man have the dignity to ignore all those threats of Hell — the spiritual equivalent of “pass on this chain letter or you’ll have bad luck.” But some people just can’t be intimidated by the myths of any culture, and it really galls those who are.
***
I cannot let your post go unanswered(And I suspect there’ll be others as well.). I can agree with you that I hate to see some of the snarky comments submitted in posts by those who hold themselves out as Christians. That said, the statements of faith by Christians in their God (whom you denigrate by calling “Imaginery Friend”) only would seem to be bullying by those who have some doubt in their own lack of faith. There is no ongoing Inquisition today— no one is forced to believe, or to say that he believes, in God. A true atheist would never regard statements/claims about heaven and hell as “threats” unless he thought that there MAY be something to it. (I don’t personally like the use of “or else you’ll go to hell” evangelism, as there is so much more reward to gather from the positive elements of faith.)
Is Christianity a myth? You may claim so, as is your right; but I wonder why anyone else’s “myths” would prompt you or anyone else to have to affirmatively state your disagreement. I don’t believe in Norse mythology, but I seldom give it a thought, and until now, never post anything about it. That others might believe in it bothers me not at all (except for my hope that they will come to believe what you say is my “myth’).
I support and defend your right not to believe, while I wonder why it matters so much to you to say so. Perhaps the “threats” of hell you hear are simply truth, and to paraphrase Harry Truman, you just think it’s a threat of hell.
Are you saying that God is an imaginary friend?
“Now comes the march of those who absolutely cannot stand anyone who can’t be bullied into kow-towing to their Imaginary Friend. How dare the man have the dignity to ignore all those threats of Hell — the spiritual equivalent of “pass on this chain letter or you’ll have bad luck.” But some people just can’t be intimidated by the myths of any culture, and it really galls those who are.”
Beautifully said. Hear, hear!
I am an atheist. I don’t care about religion in any form, but enjoy Free Republic tremendously and support it financially each year.
I believe in treating people equally (all of us have inviolate human rights and economic freedoms) but I don’t base those sentiments on any kind of theology.
I am not interested in theology or afterlife discussions.
Others should be free to develop those faith-based models as they feel necessary or important.
Most of those who believe in a God tend to be supportive of self-responsible conduct and respect for equal rights. I appreciate that, whatever the origins of their beliefs.
Practical reciprocity, core human decency, or deity based.
It’s all good.
Human liberty, whatever the belief system from which it is argued or based, is the goal for a humane and just society.
Good for you, APL.
You know, I should be sad that perfect lady and those of you cheering her on don’t know Jesus, but I find that, perhaps because I am not mature enough in my faith yet to feel otherwise, I feel more pity for you because you’re the sort of miserable bungholes who would cheer on a meanspirited and bigoted post like that.
Before I go on, don’t assume I’m writing this way out of hurt feelings or a feeling of persecution. No, not even close. Not even on the same continent.
You see, you claim reason and you claim offense for harsh things said by believers on this forum, but I can’t help thinking of my two brothers and so many of my unchurched friends. Some of them are gay and one of them (my best man, in fact) is an atheist. Like you, they don’t have Jesus. Unlike you, they would never think of hating pople who think differently than them, especially those who express a hope that they will change their lives and spend eternity in a place too wonderful to describe.
In short, you have the stench of Bill Maher on you.
Chris Hitchens was a smart man and a brilliant writer, but he and so many secularists are bigoted morons when it comes to “reason” versus faith because they can see the difference between, say, Steven Hawking and Pol Pot but not the difference between Thomas Aquinas and Fred Phelps or C. S. Lewis and Osama bin Laden.
And yet they claim to be rational, claim to be rejecting a mere “Imaginary Friend,” claim to be too noble to kow-tow to “bullies.” They call that “reason.”
Sad. Just sad. It must suck to be that miserable.
You know, I should be sad that perfect lady and those of you cheering her on don’t know Jesus, but I find that, perhaps because I am not mature enough in my faith yet to feel otherwise, I feel more pity for you because you’re the sort of miserable bungholes who would cheer on a meanspirited and bigoted post like that.
Before I go on, don’t assume I’m writing this way out of hurt feelings or a feeling of persecution. No, not even close. Not even on the same continent.
You see, you claim reason and you claim offense for harsh things said by believers on this forum, but I can’t help thinking of my two brothers and so many of my unchurched friends. Some of them are gay and one of them (my best man, in fact) is an atheist. Like you, they don’t have Jesus. Unlike you, they would never think of hating pople who think differently than them, especially those who express a hope that they will change their lives and spend eternity in a place too wonderful to describe.
In short, you have the stench of Bill Maher on you.
Chris Hitchens was a smart man and a brilliant writer, but he and to many secularists are bigoted morons when it comes to “reason” versus faith because they can see the difference between, say, Steven Hawking and Pol Pot but not the difference between Thomas Aquinas and Fred Phelps or C. S. Lewis and Osama bin Laden. They’re no better than the sort of Christian who believes every atheist (or every sceintist, etc.) thinks like Peter Singer.
And yet they claim to be rational, claim to be rejecting a mere “Imaginary Friend,” claim to be too noble to kow-tow to “bullies.” They call that “reason” and say it’s the best the West has to offer.
Sad. Just sad. It must suck to be that miserable.
Excellent post. Nothing worse than the smug, sanctimonious bible-thumpers and their “everybody but us is going to hell” baloney.
Somehow, the baton gets dropped in translation.
Cheers!