It was rude of him to just tell you to shut up like that, no doubt. But that's why I totally disagree with discussion of religion on public forums. It never ends well and there's usually no chance of a peaceful and positive discussion. There's always going to be bitter posts that cause arguments and it's unavoidable unfortunately.
But to be fair, there's been many religious themed discussions here on LPA that were respectful, that didn't exactly boil over in flamewars.
Ok, got it. Respect each others opinions. I was responding like I respond when something like that gets mentioned in a conversation with my friends. I see that can be taken like it's harsher than I meant it when it's just written on a public forum. I apologize.
I feel like religion brings out the worst in us when it really shouldn't. It's meant to be a personal belief to help the person following it, but instead it turns into a war of who can shove more of their own beliefs down the other person's throat. Religion is a belief; an opinion. It should be treated like one.
I wouldn't say it should be treated as an opinion say much as a hypothetical. God sure has a lot of power in this country despite the fact that he is completely hypothetical. I don't oppose freedom of religion but when you're religion encroaches my life there's something wrong with that. My being allowed to live my life the way I want to has no affect on them, but it has a huge affect on me. It's not a 2 way street. And it's all over someone else's God. Some fucking being I don't even believe in and I have to follow his rules... Fuck that.
I didn't even take it as though you were being harsh, you just confused me, because, as Ryan said, a belief is an opinion, and opinions are never wrong. "I don't believe in god." –"Oh shut up." It makes no sense.
Yeah, pretty much how I see it. Trying to get with the times to stem/reverse the flow of people leaving. The only thing though, it's an institution founded on book that is millennia old, "getting with the times" means it has to throw out even more of that book then it already has. Eventually it'll either cease to exist or it won't resemble the thing it started off as at all. Which makes the entire thing seem (even more) pointless to me. I dunno, I don't see it surviving much longer (and I'm completely fine with that), the more information/education becomes available the less stock people put in organised religion... and in the internet age... Opinions can be wrong. They can be formed off of incomplete or incorrect information and therefore ... Agreed. See my sig.
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/09/21/vic-priest-excommunicated-over-teachings Nvm. Title was misleading. Link is still ibteresting.
The Church teaches in favour of respecting and tolerating gay people, but I doubt it will ever allow them to marry each other. They should be "sympathized" with because they "can't" live a happy, fulfilled life (under the approval of God), for lack of a better way to say it, as men are to marry females and vice versa. So, this^ isn't progress, nor progress coming to a halt – it's just how it is. Sure, today, in most countries, they don't execute gay people anymore – call that progress if you like, but don't expect the Church to start allowing gay marriages.
They teach that they're going to burn in hell forever if they act upon their natural sexual urges. That hardly seems to be promoting 'respecting.' And not executing people for what they do in the bedroom doesn't seem like progress to me, it seems like not breaking basic human rights laws. Progress would be actively ensuring gays have the same rights and options as everyone else.
It's the same with heterosexuals outside of marriage. Ugh, there are loads of things I could say, but words just aren't coming. Don't expect a priest to say he's okay with homosexuals doing sexual acts if that's what they want to do. You're missing the total essence of what Church is.