[quote=Doooh][quote=zk]Hmm. Upon further review, maybe I do have issues with your fantasy, Doooh.[/quote]
To hate something that doesn’t exist, is ironic.
Carry on.[/quote]
Ahh, Doooh, but your fantasy does exist. And your fantasy has real consequences in the real world.
I don’t hate your fantasy. I’m not sure where you got “hate” from. But I do have issues with it and its consequences. A couple of those consequences I’ve already mentioned. Here are a few more.
My ganster metaphor was partly an attempt at humor but also an analogy. Your fantasy has got you and the billion people who share your fantasy (or, to be more accurate, the billion people with whom you share variations on a fantasy) cowering from your imaginations. This cowering was designed by the writers of your fantasy to (in my opinion – I’d be interested in any others’) keep you in line. To keep you from “sinning” or from questioning the word of your “god.” This is not, in my opinion, the best way to get people to behave well. Instead of appealing to your better nature or to your reason, the writers of your fantasy attempt to control you through fear and cowardice.
I was going to add something about substitutionary atonement in my gangster story, too, but I ran out of time. Here’s another problem I have with your fantasy. Where is your fear and cowardice when you decide to go against god’s word and be arrogant, Doooh? Is it, perhaps, that you figure you’ll just atone for your wrongdoings and receive forgiveness? This is not a rhetorical question; I really want to know. Christians willingly, purposely, and with forethought sin on a very regular basis. Why? Why risk eternal damnation when all you have to do is be good for 70 or 80 years? Do you think, “Jesus died for me. I’ll atone. God will have me again.” Doesn’t seem like a very good system.
Back to the billion variations. Here’s another problem. Even among those whose flavor of christianity means interpreting the bible literally, each person has his own version. And among the rest of the christians (which is most of them), there is even wider variation. If the word of god can be interpreted almost any way you want, then it doesn’t mean much. Point being, it doesn’t mean much. Much good, anyway. “I’ll be a christian. But I’ll interpret the bible in a way that fits my lifestyle. For instance, I think homosexuality is an abomination. So I’m going to interpret that part of the bible literally.”
This brings me to another point. Why are christians generally politically conservative? I can’t for the life of me understand this. Kind, gentle souls reach out to the poor and underprivileged. Aren’t christians supposed to be kind, gentle, generous souls? I can understand the abortion issue. (Heck, I’m basically an atheist, and I’m not really in favor of abortion in most cases.) I can sort of understand the gay marriage law issue. If you’re homophobic and christian and therefore agree with that part of the bible. Other than that, I don’t get it. If any christians out there want to explain that to me, I’d love to hear it. Like I said, I can understand why they stand where they do on those two issues. But they generally follow all the far-right ideas. Including the ones that basically give the poor and underprivileged nothing but the middle finger. That’s what I don’t understand.
Here’s my biggest problem with your fantasy: It makes you immune to logic, reason, data, and facts. Any evidence for anything that contradicts your fantasy, you discard. That, of course, leaves you ignorant of reality. Maybe none of us has a perfect grasp on reality. But to purposely ignore reality doesn’t make sense at all.
I’d mentioned previously a couple christian shortcomings that directly apply to you, Doooh. And, having gotten no rebuttal other than what I assume you thought was a funny comment, it seems likely that you have no valid rebuttal. I’d love you to prove me wrong. I’m not holding my breath.
One more question for christians: Do you, like Doooh appears to, think christians have a monopoly on family values? It occurred to me today that possibly Doooh really does think that. If christians are taught their whole lives that fear of god and being a good christian are the only things that will keep you on the straight and narrow, then maybe they really believe that’s true. Maybe they really do believe that all non-christians are to be feared and avoided.
