YaY!You made it:lol:
  Morning!

Here is almost 10 a.m.So I just got up a few hours ago:)

KilalaKurosaki wrote:

ADJ wrote:

And this 'The study included Christians of all stripes -- from Catholics to Protestants of both conservative and liberal denominations. Though three out of four American teenagers claim to be Christian, fewer than half practice their faith, only half deem it important, and most can't talk coherently about their beliefs, the study found.' - mmmm I wonder why they can't coherently express their beliefs. Could it be because the beliefs that they are taught aren't coherent trains of thought to begin with?

I don't think there is anything wrong with the beliefs, per se. It's with the people.

I come in peace! Please don't bash me!

Eh, you see, just religion often make people, especially young, ask questions, and they are hard to answer for religion teachers. Like - why God created evil? If God created us imperfect why he expect us to behave against our sinful nature? Etc. Of course theologists created a lot of answers during centuries, but for example for me, all those answers are totally unconvincing. I guess for many teenagers, too, but because they want to believe they take it, just in their hearts they have doubts. And a lotof people are like that. For example in Poland, over 90% of population declare they are Catholic. Just more then half of population believe in reincarnation. Catholic faith says strongly that we have only one life, after which we are judged or go to heaven or hell. So what they people really believe in? Probably they don't know themselves.

"David Wheaton, an Atlanta high school senior, says many of his peers aren't excited about Christianity because they don't see the payoff.

"If they can't see benefits immediately, they stay away from it," Wheaton says. "They don't want to make sacrifices.""
Well, I am 27 and I don't see any payoffs, instead of maybe feeling of knowing the Truth. But I am unable to believe in that, so that wouldn't be a pay off. And anyway, I thought it should be like love, not because of benefits. Of course they don't want to make 'sacrifices'. to make a one you have to believe you do it for something really good, otherwise it's just a mental illness. Sounds like typical arrogant self rightous brat thinking he is better then his peers. That's not very Christian. I remember I read an article written by a Catholic teenager, and it was about fighting that feeling of superiority we feel for other people. That guy just fails at it.

"How 'radical' parents instill religious passion in their children"
They are not 'radical', they are true believers, not hypocrites. Of course theit children will grow up respecting religion, even if they lack faith themselves.

'They called when all the cards stopped'
Such stories always bring me down. Of course it's better for her she found comfort in religion. Much, much better. Just it won't convince me or many other atheists.

Last edited by Vampie (08-28-2010 11:50)

emmyema wrote:

Religious tennagers don't do better in school.And I know it from experience.They will never be in the top because they don't have the strength to do some"nasty things" in order to be the best.If someone does better than they do,they say it was God's will.They don't fight it,they don't struggle to the top.
    That's the problem.They will never be superior because they believe that there is something bigger than them.

Yes, and from my observation, they often lack imagination and wide horizon, so they are never good in humanities and even in science they rather memorise then understand. I had lessons of Catholic religion in school, and I had better grades then real believers, and the best grade from final exam. They really didn't even get many things from Catholic theology, their faith was rather... natural. Of course there were also people who understood all theology and believed but they were minority.

And they very often make a mistake of assuming that all people share their values and way of thinking. So as a result they can't understand other people.

Vampie wrote:

And they very often make a mistake of assuming that all people share their values and way of thinking. So as a result they can't understand other people.

Of course.
  That's why I believe that atheist are superior to them.We are able to understand other people.At least I am because I used to be a christian(well officialy I still am) until last summer.
Hi Fizzy!

FizzyIzzy wrote:

Gosh,In Greece everyone there is a Christian and VERY religious people.
At school they tell us different "miracles" God did.

And if you do something bad "God is going to do something to you"

Like,what in the world?!

People from Greece really are religious.
This made me remember of Fowles's "Magician".

First of all *coff coff* I hate fruitcake, now that its off my chest i can continue n_n

I see a little problem when i comes to growing up in a strongly religious family, kids are all nice and sweet until their hormones take the best of them and they turn rebellious, and it is in my experience that whenever the parents draw very limited lines and insisnt on some kind of behavior, it works the other way around, "dont have premarital sex because it is a sin" you say it enough times and the kid will end up doing it just because it is forbidden, i am aware that not all kids are like that, however a big majority goes to the "parents suck team" when they hit puberty.

I think there is good and bad kids in both religious and non religious families, but lets face it, even when there is so many reluctant to accept the facts, most non believers are humanists and we are more inclined to treat all kinds of life forms with more respect (since we don't see them as created to serve us)... im not sure where the difference is, i don't want to blame it all in religion, there has to be something else that maybe comes along with the predisposition that some people have to believe, but it cant be coincidence that the most peaceful and stable countries are populated mostly by atheists... what do you guys think is the difference?

In a little separate rant:
The thing that really ticks me off is that (like in the miracle thread) believer like to throw the first rock and cry at the first sign of response... calling someone pompous or arrogant when you believe you have all the answers and you think you are the one that will be saved and the rest that doesn't do as you think is right wont, isn't it like biting your own tongue?

After my happy blabla i salute you all and gives you hugs~~
Its nice to have this group open, by the way i made this little image in case someone wants to use it, it works for all those time that people keep bugging us with the whole "you have no moral because you have no religion", hope you like it.


*wooosh*

Last edited by Lutren (08-28-2010 15:55)

Horatia wrote:

*reads thread*

*drools at thought of fruitcake*

Fruitcakeeeee ...

I went to public school and because of where I live zero religion was taught. But I had friends who went to Catholic school, and I think they all suffered from sexual repression in varying degrees. Most were basically obsessed with sex, it was all they talked about. The Catholic girls school by me had a rep for the girls all being sl*ts.
As teenagers we were all pre-occupied with sex, but those I know who attended Catholic school were much worse. My friends who were public school were interested in other things in addition to sex. We talked about music and politics.
And my atheist self now has a better job then all of them, that I know.

Yea, but you have to hike your skirt all the way up and give blow-jobs in the parking lot. If there's a line for them, you can be Queen of the Naughty Girls.