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Post by hondobrode on Sept 12, 2014 21:48:02 GMT -5
I love talking religion amongst high-minded respectful adults.
Grew up strict Catholic, attending every week and holy day, going to Catechism too, and eventually graduated from a Catholic college. When times were tough for the family, we prayed, all of us, on our knees around my parents' bed, the rosary.
It would be comforting, but not true, IMO, to continue to practice that faith as I reluctantly admitted to myself growing up that there are holes there I'm not comfortable with.
From Rob's previous post, I would fit the Agnostic Atheist definition, as would my wife, son, and a couple of my brothers. My ethics are very strong and not knowing what happens after we die somehow makes my time here feel more important and poignant.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Sept 12, 2014 21:49:13 GMT -5
Once in a while I've posted about the storefront businesses in my neighborhood-The Upper east Side of Manhattan. I've told you about the Costume Shop For Dogs store. I made mention of the photo studio where they place you're child in a playpen full of baby chicks for him/her to roll around in. Now for a reversal-disappearing businesses When I first moved into the area in the mid 1970s, there were 5 movie theaters within a 6 block radius of my house. I guess with the home video revolution, 2 closed down by the mid 1980's. The great recession could be blamed for the demise of the 3rd 4 years ago. Now I see another was boarded up this past week leaving just one in my immediate area. I've read this summer has been the worst for box office attendence so far this century. Any closing up lately in your neck of the woods?
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Post by Rob Allen on Sept 12, 2014 21:56:11 GMT -5
Theaters aren't closing here, but many of them now offer beer and pizza in addition to popcorn and Raisinets.
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Sept 12, 2014 22:00:22 GMT -5
Theaters aren't closing here, but many of them now offer beer and pizza in addition to popcorn and Raisinets. I know I've only been to one such theater once (it can be expensive) but at least I don't have to sneak my own liquor in! USA USA!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2014 22:03:01 GMT -5
A new, apparently huuuuuge-screen(s) one opened up over on the toney side of town, apparently not far from what used to be the higher-end multi-screener.
The one I used to go to occasionally, in the mall about 4 miles down the road from me, closed up a couple of years back.
I think that's the entire cinema popuation here, other than the single-screen art house.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2014 0:55:15 GMT -5
Theaters aren't closing here, but many of them now offer beer and pizza in addition to popcorn and Raisinets. Two theaters out here have wine and health food. Pretty good health food too, and not priced bad. We used to have a true IMAX out here too. But from what I understand they're no longer showing true IMAX and it's now just a theater with a really big screen. Too bad.
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Post by the4thpip on Sept 13, 2014 2:13:38 GMT -5
I am an atheist with a deep love for gospel music and renaissance paintings, go figure.
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Post by BigPapaJoe on Sept 13, 2014 3:18:40 GMT -5
Does anyone have any deeply religious families? Or know any folks that do? And what is considered a Christian by the way? Sometimes I go to my aunt's house and she and her husband are pretty involved with church activities, but at the same time I wouldn't say they are super deeply religious. My uncle still watches some NFL football on Sundays and I get the feeling he doesn't know the bible like the back of his hand, but at the same time how many do? I consider myself an agnostic. But I find that if I tell folks that, some are either shocked that "I don't believe in God" or are just confused by that designation and the one of atheist. My stance is that I don't know what to believe specifically, but I'm not opposed to the existence of something beyond conventional logic and understanding. My mind is open. I'd probably feel the same way if I was asked about ghosts or aliens from another planet.
I don't have a religion and I'm comfortable living my life in that regard. I will say though that it was kind of awkward on a couple of occasions when I've gone to my aunt's place and they're having a get-together with a lot of people from their church in attendance at their household. I remember one guy asked me if I liked hip-hop and kept talking my ear off trying to get me into "holy hip-hop". Another time we all held hands before we ate dinner and a part of me was just like "well...just do their little routine so you don't insult anyone's beliefs" so I just went with the flow. At the same time I couldn't say truthfully that I believed 100% in what I participated in. I'm not sure what I'm asking or getting at, but I guess the closest thing would be asking how one deals with folks that might in a very subtle way push their religious beliefs towards your way or treat you like an outcast if you don't abide by the status quo. Especially when those folks are people you may know.
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Post by the4thpip on Sept 13, 2014 3:42:13 GMT -5
I think everybody in my family stopped believing in a personified god around WW II. Maybe there's no atheists in fox holes, but among my grandparents and parents there also weren't any believers in a benevolent god left after the holocaust and Stalingrad. My mom is spiritual and will go to church every 5 or 6 months, but to her "god" is more like an energy connecting all things.
The fact that her very first priest in a Westphalian village kept describing sexual fantasies to her during confession (and then threatened her with eternal damnation over those) when she was in elementary school probably didn't help.
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Post by Icctrombone on Sept 13, 2014 5:23:25 GMT -5
I'm a Christian . I was born again in 1996. I believe that God became man in the form of Jesus in order to show us we didn't have to be slaves to sin. There have been many stories through the years about abuse by Priests and pastors, but they do not represent God. They only represent that man is hopelessly trapped by their evil desires unless they can come into a relationship that will free them from having to be slaves to those desires. It breaks my heart to hear all the horror stories about abuse by spiritual leaders.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2014 7:47:54 GMT -5
My dad goes to service every Sunday at a local Baptist church. I've gone with him a few times and some of my best friends are members. The predominant view among the congregation is that religion is a personal thing, and as such there is never any pressure to attend services or attempts to "show the way". They're also extremely left-leaning, which isn't real common for religious folks in these parts. They had guest preacher a few years back, who completely misread the room (in his defense it is a Baptist church in the South) and delivered a sermon that touched on "the sin of homosexuality". This is usually a fairly vocal group, but on that day you could've heard a mouse piss on cotton.
When I was a kid my mom used to make us go to church at Methodist church (she claims she never forced us to go, but I assure you a ten year old mars would not attend church unless he felt it mandatory). It may be because I was young and didn't want to be there, but it had a very different feel there. I thought everybody was ancient and judgmental.
I believe there is a God, but humans are at best flawed so I pick and choose what I feel makes sense. Don't murder? Agreed. Homosexuality is a sin? Rubbish.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2014 8:06:34 GMT -5
My mother was deeply religious, to the point of sending money she couldn't spare to Oral Roberts & crap like that. The amount of comfort & assurance it brought her was roughly the amount of comfort & assurance I derive from ... I dunno ... typing this sentence -- none whatsoever. Part of that, probably most of it, could be blamed on her mental illness; presumably nothing could've done the trick other than a really effective medication or combination of different medications, but it never happened.
The first cousin I'm closest to -- the only one I've ever been remotely close to, in fact -- is deeply religious. It seems to serve her well, so good for her. Then again, all sorts of things, like movies & books & music, etc., seem to serve me just as well. Whatever floats one's boat.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Sept 13, 2014 8:22:19 GMT -5
I was born Jewish, got really into the faith in preparation for my Bar Mitzvah, and took it VERY seriously until I was sitting at Passover sedar one night and realized I could not accept a God that not only slayed innocent first born, but also hardened Pharoah's heart when he was about to give in and do the right thing, in order to bring about that outcome. I was then done with Judaism and, by extension, any faith that stemmed from it and accepted those teachings.
I'm neither religious, atheistic, nor agnostic. I guess I just believe it's less important to know where we came from and where we're going (well, for the most part. Death does scare me), and more important to focus on how we live our lives and treat one another. I follow Christ far more deliberately and consistently than most Christians I know because I'm devoted to the example he led and not the matter of whether or not he was divine or died for our sins. Actually, I'm probably even more a follower of Atticus Finch.
I believe all people have good in them, as well as the capacity for evil, and that nurturing the good is the answer to just about everything. Kindness, compassion, understanding, forgiveness, leading by example -- all extensions of that. It's what makes me a good teacher.
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shaxper
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Posts: 22,772
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Post by shaxper on Sept 13, 2014 8:25:11 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2014 8:31:52 GMT -5
My stance is that I don't know what to believe specifically, but I'm not opposed to the existence of something beyond conventional logic and understanding. My mind is open. I'd probably feel the same way if I was asked about ghosts or aliens from another planet. I'm actually waaaaay more open to the possibility of ghosts, UFOs, etc. than I am to the existence of a supreme being. Certainly part of that, as I've noted at one time or other, is that I'm nothing if not a contarian & iconoclast at heart, & I wasn't dragged to church as a kid to hear people talk about ghosts, UFOs., etc. I've lived some 99 percent of my life in the Bible Belt, not the UFO Belt. Though the latter would probably be highly cool ...
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