The former, not the latter. I freely acknowledge that many highly intelligent people find belief in the supernatural rational, but on a personal level I don't understand religious faith. It simply doesn't make any sense to me.
I would point out that most people do in fact reject virtually every religion on Earth...the exception being their own personal faith. I just reject one more than they do. :-)
Hmmm...
Let's assume for a moment you're a guy in the analogy below -- a parallel of sorts -- to what you just said...
Perhaps we need to take a survey of women on this one:
Survey Q #1 (for female FREEPERS to answer):
If a single guy said to you (when--or if-- you are still single):
"I would point out that most people do in fact reject virtually every woman on Earth...the exception being their own personal partner. I just reject one more woman than they do. ...
Would you therefore find it an "attractive" angle as to the way a guy just presented the institution of marriage, or a turn-off?
(Put another way) Survey Q #2: Is it a statement of "intrigue" for a single guy to frame the institution of marriage in full-scale negative [billing it as an attitude of either all-out or almost all-out rejection] -- IOW, does it make your innards all warm & cozy...or would it be better to state affection for a woman in a positive manner [like "You are the true treasure I'm chasing to be embracing..."]???
My point, Abin: You know, I'm sure a woman could find it romantic if you put the right spin on it...you know, something like, "My beloved, I've rejected every woman in the world just so I could hold you, the most enrapturing woman of wonder this world has ever seen." But notice there's a balance there...the negative has been offset by an attempt to highlight what is so magnetic about the woman.
By all means. Circulate air on the all-out negative about religions...there's plenty, indeed to air out...because all but one are man-made. But just as no woman would find a guy appealing if he was 100% negative about women, well, the same can be said of your statements.
Jesus Christ was rather extremely hard on the religious legalists of His day. Almost 100% negative. But He still one time complimented their outward righteousness, saying that unless others' righteousness exceeded that of the Pharisees, they would in no wise inherit God's Kingdom.
I try to remember that even on these threads that highlight the false religion of Mormonism:
I've repeatedly complimented Mormons for...
...their stance on Prop 8 and Prop 200 -- two different protect-marriage CA voter ballot initiatives...
...I've complimented their zeal...
...And I try to make a distinction between individual Mormons and the system of MormonISM
But thank you for your comment. It was also a nice reminder to me that I need to be more forthright in stating my love for my Lord, the One I'm chasin' to be embracin':
"Lord, You are the Magnetic One...Be Magnified! Lord, You are Glorious! Be glorified in my life!"
"Lord, Your Creation reveals Your Majesty! You are Unique! You are Holy! You are Raised Above us in Your Transcendence!"
"And Yet You became immanent to come and tent among us for a time; and You hold to Your Promise to remain Present with us even unto the end of the Age."
"Oh, Lord, You Present Yourself as a Bridegroom for the Church...which You have clothed in White Robes as You have justified her and sanctified her and made her Your very own."
"We praise You for Who You are, and for What You have done in living the perfect life, dying the perfect sacrificial death, and sending Your Holy Spirit to embody Your Church."
"We love You for Your compassion, Your mercy, Your Justice, Your Loving Kindness, Your grace, and Your condescension to us. May You accept our praise and service forever! In Jesus' Name I pray!"
My blessing upon you: Abin, if you haven't found the right woman or the right faith, May the Lord give you both to embrace..."Lord, replace Abin's outright rejection with the gift of faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ."
Thank you, Abin Sur for taking the time to reply.
You mention making "sense", by which I take you to mean in some sense, intelligibility and coherence. I would simply point out that agnosticism and atheism entail as much a claim of competent knowledge (albeit tacitly) as Christian theism. The former are just attempts to substitute what can be described as an oxymoronic finite omniscience of the creature in the place of the infinite omniscient abilities of the Creator. The difference is not that Christian theism is more probably true than other religions (including Mormon polytheism) or non-religious schemes, it is the only position that does not make non-sense of human experience because it is the precondition of thought itself. If atheism were actually followed to it's logical conclusion, knowledge logic, induction, and science would be impossible. It is self-vitiating as it provides no foundation for reason. There are no transcendent laws of thought in an atheist universe.
Thus when you reason, Abin Sur, you are enescapably evincing the handiwork of your Creator, though you do not acknowledge it or give thanks to Him. Colofornian is right - ""Lord, Your Creation reveals Your Majesty! You are Unique! You are Holy! You are Raised Above us in Your Transcendence!"
Cordially,