Sent from someone who claims to be writing a book with no specific agenda. I’l Answer it here.
Which of the following describes you best?A.) I am a religious person.B.) I am not a religious person.C.) I am somewhat religious.D.) I am a spiritual person but not a religious one. If you answered “A” or ?C,? please tell me something about your religious practice, if any. If “D,” tell me how you exercise your spiritual sensibility, if you do. My upbringing was A.) religious (what religion or denomination?) B.) not religiousC.) somewhat religious If you answered “A” or “C,” please explain a little bit about the religious aspects of your childhood. If you are religious:? How do you feel about nonreligious Americans?? What, if any, characteristics do you think nonreligious people share?If you are not religious:? How do you feel about openly religious Americans? ? What, if any, characteristics do you think religious people share? Do you have the sense that people who think like you do are not listened to or valued by mainstream society or by other powerful forces in American life? Can you tell me a little about that, if so?If religious: ? What can you tell me briefly about what you think God?s plans for people and for the universe are? What, if anything, are people supposed to be doing?If not religious:? Can you explain to me something about what you think humanity?s goals should be? What, if anything, are people supposed to be doing?
Comment from: darwinluvsu [Member]
I read that Ron L. Hubbard made that statement during an interview (but forget who the alleged interviewer was – wish I could find it again…).
Comment from: Krystalline Apostate [Member] ?
Sam Moskowitz, a chronicler of science fiction, has reported that he himself heard Hubbard make a similar statement, but there is no first-hand evidence”.”
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Milton Rothman, the founder of the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society also said he heard Hubbard say it, according to Rothman’s son. It was at the same New Jersey gathering that Moskowitz attended. I believe Hubbard was the guest speaker, giving a talk to the group.
There is an unofficial biography of Hubbard called BAREFACED MESSIAH in which there are numerous references to Hubbard saying it, but I don’t have a copy at hand at the moment.
B
Spanders-
? What, if any, characteristics do you think nonreligious people share?
They don’t believe in god.
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Thats why we love you!
OFF TOPIC
SCIENTOLOGY:
A loooong time ago I’d read a legend that L. Ron Hubbard had made a bet in a bar. That bet was (alleged) to be that he could start his own religion within a year & it would be a going concern (in operation) before the end of that year. He won that bet as the story goes. This article must have been read in the Sc-Fi literature (mags) some years ago when Hubbard was still alive.
Later I’d read that (perhaps?) the Scientologists had got very pissed about some annonymous re-posting site in Scandinavia that was re-posting messages in a way that made it impossible to tell who had written those messages. That site (I’d heard) was eventually shut down because it was being “cheaply” run mainly as a public service to preserve annonymity. They could not afford to fight the Scientologists in the courts.
Later I’d read that some (or one?) secretary or a VERY minor executive in the IRS was caught removing files from that agency. This employee was a Scientologist who was stealing the files which the IRS built on the Scientology members! NO doubt this imbezlement was “helpful” to their cases!
My thought for a time had been that Scientology could well be just a “scam” created to ‘beat’ paying any Fed. taxes.
Ok, guys, can we at least agree that it is a great – and most accurate – quote regardless of who said or whether it was said or totally made up? ~sigh~
Rob:
Pls refer to my reference to the “Sanford & Son” episode up above…BTW, hope those happy little (green, red, blue, purple or yellow pills) are working for you…
(j/k of course!)
“Faith, n. Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel”
Which of the following describes you best?
B.) I am not a religious person.
My upbringing was
C.) somewhat religious
If you answered “A” or “C,” please explain a little bit about the religious aspects of your childhood:
I attended a Methodist church until age 12 when I became a member. At that point my parents left it up to me to continue going or not, so I stopped going, simple as that. My family rarely talks about religion and politically we are very liberal. Currently no one in my family regularly attends church.
If you are not religious:
How do you feel about openly religious Americans?
I try to ignore them as best I can, but I try not to pity them either.
What, if any, characteristics do you think religious people share?
A hope that there’s more after our ‘lives’ are over.
Do you have the sense that people who think like you do are not listened to or valued by mainstream society or by other powerful forces in American life? Can you tell me a little about that, if so?
I feel that atheists in America are considered ridiculous and crazy and receive no respect from the religious, it’s disgusting that they don’t consider our beliefs at the same level as theirs.
If not religious:
Can you explain to me something about what you think humanity?s goals should be? What, if anything, are people supposed to be doing?
We should be doing everything to achieve peace and we must do our best to be good to others and be respectful of each other’s religions.
(1) B) I am not a religious person
(2) A) my upbringing was religious.
I was raised catholic. Eastern Rite Byzantine (Ukranian) Catholic, although I attended catholic schooling in the Roman Catholic Tradition from the 6th grade thru the 12th grade. In fact, my high school years were spent at a single-sex Augustinian-order high school in the Arch Diocese of Philadelphia.
(3) Though receptive, I am now openly hostile toward religious points of view. Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins are my heroes.
(4) Taking God out of the picture, while disturbing at first, can be a very liberating awakening. People are supposed to be doing whatever they want to do without harming other people. Survival and the pursuit of happiness/pleasure are the ends of human striving. We didn’t ask to be born, no, but we’re here so the only real question becomes: what do you want to do with your time here? It’s an opportunity. Your purpose is for you to define. Your biological purpose is to survive long enough to replicate. Beyond that, it’s up to you.
I prefer this analogy:
Atheism is no more a religion than “bald” is a hair color.
B
A – Southern Baptist
If you are religious:
How do you feel about openly religious Americans?
I suppose not much either way — that’s probably 90% of us.
What, if any, characteristics do you think religious people share?
There is a huge spectrum of religious belief, and of rationality and justification of said beliefs. I hesitate to paint with such a wide and sweeping brush.
Do you have the sense that people who think like you do are not listened to or valued by mainstream society or by other powerful forces in American life?
Yes
Can you tell me a little about that, if so?
Recent studies have proven what we all already knew — people despise and distrust atheists. They think we believe “in nothing”, simply because we reject their god(s). They will not vote for us, they will not give us public trust, and they will pounce on us politically with ad hominem attacks. Our arguments may be sound, airtight, and rational, but because we do not believe, we are rarely listened to.
Can you explain to me something about what you think humanity?s goals should be? What, if anything, are people supposed to be doing?
I would say we have a simple choice:
1) Work to improve our lives, and help each other
2) Work to stall progress, neglect each other’s fundamental needs, and compete (rather than cooperate) for resources
I hope that more people will choose (1), but religion is fundamentally inclined to push people towards (2) due to exclusivism.
my question is how did the “Virgin Mary” have jesus?
Is he really real?
or is he just a mad up thing?
THERE IS NO PROOF except a really old book *which the book is just a fiction book*
i’m a D: some what a religious person