Why???

Quote: AZDuffman

You obviously care enough to get involved in the discussion.
.

I only discuss it with religious people, other
atheists bore me, what's to discuss. FrG
interests me because he's a religious leader,
he's has solid views and fights for them.
I don't find that in the Christians I personally
know. They spout a few Bible verses they
memorized and wander away. Stalwart educated
Christians fascinate me because I can't understand
why they believe. My wife was raised in it, I
understand her. I could also easily confuse her
with a real discussion about her beliefs. FrG
is not ever confused, he completely gets where
he's coming from.

Quote: Fleastiff

Yet again... a thread wherein fleastiff will spout his ignorance.

Loved it. 4 stars =)

Quote: Evenbob

FrG
interests me because he's a religious leader,
he's has solid views and fights for them.
I don't find that in the Christians I personally
know. They spout a few Bible verses they
memorized and wander away. Stalwart educated
Christians fascinate me because I can't understand
why they believe. My wife was raised in it, I
understand her. I could also easily confuse her
with a real discussion about her beliefs. FrG
is not ever confused, he completely gets where
he's coming from.

Totally agree. Save for one acquaintance who actually just became an official pastor this week, there's no one else to really have these discussions with. Every single one of my religious friends are exactly as EB described. It's all on the surface. Go deep and it's over. Plus... this stuff usually pisses me off. FrG is better at not pissing me off, and when he does, ain't nothing I can do about it but let it pass by. Others... they're within my reach and I mostly like them. I don't want to risk having to kick one in the face.

Like this one broad... Christ almighty. This lady reached out. Shocking in this day and age to put yourself out there and admit you need help, but that's exactly what she did. "I really need someone to talk to." You almost never hear that, and when you do, you know things are bad. The reply? One sentence "Talk to God".

F$%^ you. I don't care what the reason for that reply. You're a piece of s$%^.

FrG, despite our vast differences, tries. And he knows. So even if the conversation is sending me straight to Angertown, it's almost always worth having.

Quote: Face

FrG, despite our vast differences, tries. And he knows. So even if the conversation is sending me straight to Angertown, it's almost always worth having.

If a regular Christian finds out you're
an atheist, you get a lot of condescenion
and patronizing. FrG does very little of
that, he controls it well. I think he wants
to do it a lot more then he does. Most
Christians don't even bother to hide the
disdain they have for atheists.

Quote: Evenbob

If a regular Christian finds out you're
an atheist, you get a lot of condescenion
and patronizing.

Lol, I almost got dragged into it. The aforementioned pastor friend admitted / questioned the deal with Easter eggs last Easter in a sort of throwaway comment. I figured there was no harm and broke one of my rules - I made a religion post on Facebook. I simply informed him of the history of Eostre, and ended it by agreeing with his ending that all should just enjoy the weather and time with fam regardless of denomination. It was a nice post. Holy s#$%. The sheep went rabid and let loose for all to see their own ignorance about their own religion. They actually started arguing with me, whereas I was simply having a convo with a friend, and made no comment that put down their beliefs.

Like I said... it makes me want to kick people in the face =p

Quote: Face

I simply informed him of the history of Eostre,

{The name "Easter" originated with the names of an ancient Goddess and God. The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE), a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe.}

Easter is another holiday the early Christians
took over because it was Pagan in origin,
like Christmas. Winning over Pagans was
a big job, they didn't part easily with their
goddess worshiping. Eostre was the big spring
celebration, usually right around the equinox.

Quote: Evenbob

{The name "Easter" originated with the names of an ancient Goddess and God. The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE), a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe.}

Easter is another holiday the early Christians
took over because it was Pagan in origin,
like Christmas. Winning over Pagans was
a big job, they didn't part easily with their
goddess worshiping. Eostre was the big spring
celebration, usually right around the equinox.

Oh, I know all that, obviously. That's what I told him. In short, Eostre was a Goddess of some Teutonic religion, where she represented fertility and the renewal of life. Hence the spring equinox, hence the eggs, hence the rabbits. Short and sweet, nothing even remotely challenging to Christianity, as I didn't want to leave any room for argument.

But there was one anyways, and immediately. Kind of makes me giggle that I'm a better Christian than some (most?) of this particular flock XD

Quote: Face

But there was one anyways, and immediately. Kind of makes me giggle that I'm a better Christian than some (most?) of this particular flock XD

So what was their problem with it. I don't
see any room for argument. Eostre is a fact,
a Christian wrote about it in the 7th century.
Pagans have known about it forever.

Quote: Evenbob

So what was their problem with it.

You know damn well the problem, because you've mentioned it many times lol. Quite simply, most people are dreadfully ignorant. Many do not question things.

The instant I posted it, there were claims that "it" (I assume the Eostre worshippers) was "evil trying to usurp the holiday" and further claims that "they" (the flock) will "just hijack the day right back from them". As if this was some new thing that just popped up last February! I seriously commented purely from an educational standpoint, taking great pains to ensure I wrote in such a manner so as to not be confrontational or the least bit challenging, and it was taken as threat and instantly went off the deep end.

I bailed on the convo immediately. I can't handle that level of ignorance. The willful kind. It makes me want to hurt people.

Quote: Face

Holy s#$%. The sheep went rabid and let loose for all to see their own ignorance about their own religion. They actually started arguing with me, whereas I was simply having a convo with a friend, and made no comment that put down their beliefs.

If you're going to wind up paying the piper anyway, you may as well call the tune.

So next winter solstice, quite forcefully remind them to "Keep Saturn in Saturnalia." If you want to be mean about it, add a plea not to cheapen Saturnalia by hijacking it with the name "Christmas."

Quote: Nareed

If you're going to wind up paying the piper anyway, you may as well call the tune.

So next winter solstice, quite forcefully remind them to "Keep Saturn in Saturnalia." If you want to be mean about it, add a plea not to cheapen Saturnalia by hijacking it with the name "Christmas."

I don't play that game. I can't. I can't even do it online, I sure as hell can't do it in person. Teasing is childish, and I'm too... excitable. Like ether. It doesn't take much to set me off =p

Plus, I'm tolerant. Quite Christ-like, if one were to ask me ;) So what if a bunch of ignoramuses tried to make me look stupid and argued at me. Best thing I can do is keep calm and continue dropping the knowledge.