On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 14:11:14 -0500, Matthew Carpenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Here is what you wrote:
> > I don't care what anyone's religious beliefs are. Its their own
> business. I don't force mine on anyone, and all agents of government in
> the
> > united states are legally prohibited from doing the same. Ashcroft
> somehow decided that law doesn't apply to him.
>
> It is my opinion, judging from posts over the past several years, that
> you do not have a religion, or at least not that you make a significant
> part of your life. So when you use phrases like "force mine on anyone"
> I have to question where the disconnect is.
>
> Religiosity, or the claiming of some religious tie and perhaps some
> rituals without applying the standards to your life, is not the same
> thing as taking a belief-structure to heart and applying it to every
> decision you make (ideally speaking). Most people I hear preaching
> "Separation of Church and State" the way you do are either atheist,
> agnostic, or lukewarm -- lacking any religious convictions whatsoever.
I think you need to re-read and re-think this statement, especially in
light of what you say about where atheists come from in your ultimate
paragraph.
Agnostics may be lukewarm. But you need to understand the definition
of atheist and agnostic (if you did, you wouldn't say what you just
said).
First, lets define religion: religion is a belief system. Doesn't
necessarily matter _what_ you believe in. Shamanism is a religion,
although I'm sure most Christians would poo-poo it as such because it
doesn't include a belief in a God as Christians define it. Be that as
it may ...
Atheists _believe_ their IS NO God. It _is_ a belief. This belief may
or may not be fostered by the reasons in your ultimate para, but it is
a belief none-the-less.
Agnostics are not atheists. They just do not believe there _is_ a God,
but they _don't_ believe there IS NO God. So perhaps they are
"lukewarm" as you say, or perhaps they're just not convinced.
Let's face it, folks from Missouri are proud of saying: I'm from
Missouri, _SHOW ME_. Religion is a belief system because you'd be
hard pressed to _prove_ there is a God. All "proofs" are anecdotal.
But by the above, folks from Missouri are all Agnostics ;-).
> I wager most of them don't have a clue what placing faith in God (Jesus
> Christ or any other religious figure) is all about. I believe it was
> Alma who so aptly pointed out that religion is not what you spend a
> couple hours on Sunday doing.
>
> "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians,
> who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him
> by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds
> unbelieveable. "
> --Brennan Manning
>
>
Ciao,
David A. Bandel
--
Focus on the dream, not the competition.
- Nemesis Air Racing Team motto
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