(12-09-2015 08:08 AM)Hitch Wrote:  religious preferences are a choice people make.

(12-09-2015 09:32 AM)gsu95 Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 08:08 AM)Hitch Wrote:  religious preferences are a choice people make.

Supposedly. But is it always a free choice? If you come from a long line of (insert religion here) are you not more likely to follow that religion? If you're steeped in a religion is not that one you might more likely follow -- unless you're a rebel and choose the exact opposite.

I ask because I do not know. In my case it has been a free choice. My mother came from Methodists, my father from Baptists but we were sort of laid back about it. My wife is a devout Christian, but also does not push her belief on me.
As a result I am an agnostic.

I realize others may not have had or won't have that same latitude to discover their own belief.

(12-09-2015 08:08 AM)Hitch Wrote:  religious preferences are a choice people make.

(12-09-2015 10:31 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 08:08 AM)Hitch Wrote:  religious preferences are a choice people make.

As Crebman said, it's not a choice when leaving the faith is punishable by death.

(12-09-2015 10:55 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 10:31 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 08:08 AM)Hitch Wrote:  religious preferences are a choice people make.

As Crebman said, it's not a choice when leaving the faith is punishable by death.

Especially when, in countries like Egypt, upwards of 80% of Muslims support death to those who leave the "faith."

80. Freaking. Percent.

But but but, most Muslims are peaceful and moderate. What a crock of shiit. No they aren't.

(12-09-2015 11:00 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 10:55 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 10:31 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 08:08 AM)Hitch Wrote:  religious preferences are a choice people make.

As Crebman said, it's not a choice when leaving the faith is punishable by death.

Especially when, in countries like Egypt, upwards of 80% of Muslims support death to those who leave the "faith."

80. Freaking. Percent.

But but but, most Muslims are peaceful and moderate. What a crock of shiit. No they aren't.

You don't hear of many atheists in muslim countries

(12-09-2015 11:00 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 10:55 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 10:31 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 08:08 AM)Hitch Wrote:  religious preferences are a choice people make.

As Crebman said, it's not a choice when leaving the faith is punishable by death.

Especially when, in countries like Egypt, upwards of 80% of Muslims support death to those who leave the "faith."

80. Freaking. Percent.

But but but, most Muslims are peaceful and moderate. What a crock of shiit. No they aren't.

Kinda makes atheists in the US look incredibly stupid for being offended at having a cross on the side of the road, or for having the Ten Commandments displayed outside courthouses. You don't hear of many atheists in muslim countries complaining about the crescent being displayed, or the call to worship being played.

(12-09-2015 11:14 AM)dmacfour Wrote:  Because someone has it worse, we should lower our standards? I didn't realize that the bar was set by someone on a different continent.

(12-09-2015 11:14 AM)dmacfour Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 11:00 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 10:55 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 10:31 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 08:08 AM)Hitch Wrote:  religious preferences are a choice people make.

As Crebman said, it's not a choice when leaving the faith is punishable by death.

Especially when, in countries like Egypt, upwards of 80% of Muslims support death to those who leave the "faith."

80. Freaking. Percent.

But but but, most Muslims are peaceful and moderate. What a crock of shiit. No they aren't.

Kinda makes atheists in the US look incredibly stupid for being offended at having a cross on the side of the road, or for having the Ten Commandments displayed outside courthouses. You don't hear of many atheists in muslim countries complaining about the crescent being displayed, or the call to worship being played.

Because someone has it worse, we should lower our standards? I didn't realize that the bar was set by someone on a different continent.

(12-09-2015 11:23 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 11:14 AM)dmacfour Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 11:00 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 10:55 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 10:31 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  As Crebman said, it's not a choice when leaving the faith is punishable by death.

Especially when, in countries like Egypt, upwards of 80% of Muslims support death to those who leave the "faith."

80. Freaking. Percent.

But but but, most Muslims are peaceful and moderate. What a crock of shiit. No they aren't.

Kinda makes atheists in the US look incredibly stupid for being offended at having a cross on the side of the road, or for having the Ten Commandments displayed outside courthouses. You don't hear of many atheists in muslim countries complaining about the crescent being displayed, or the call to worship being played.

Because someone has it worse, we should lower our standards? I didn't realize that the bar was set by someone on a different continent.

As usual, you miss the point entirely. Atheists here face the 'first world' problem of having to endure the inhumanity of having to see a cross, nativity, or the Ten Commandments on display, all the while screaming that it is an endorsement of religion and an infringement on their religious freedoms while being a non-believer in another country is punishable by death.

The "standards" here also aren't what most atheists think or wish they were.

(12-09-2015 11:22 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 11:14 AM)dmacfour Wrote:  Because someone has it worse, we should lower our standards? I didn't realize that the bar was set by someone on a different continent.

How many people who are deeply, deeply offended about keeping non-citizen Muslims out of the US think it's perfectly fine to force Christian bakers to provide a cake for same sex ceremonies?

(12-09-2015 11:23 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 11:14 AM)dmacfour Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 11:00 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 10:55 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 10:31 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  As Crebman said, it's not a choice when leaving the faith is punishable by death.

Especially when, in countries like Egypt, upwards of 80% of Muslims support death to those who leave the "faith."

80. Freaking. Percent.

But but but, most Muslims are peaceful and moderate. What a crock of shiit. No they aren't.

Kinda makes atheists in the US look incredibly stupid for being offended at having a cross on the side of the road, or for having the Ten Commandments displayed outside courthouses. You don't hear of many atheists in muslim countries complaining about the crescent being displayed, or the call to worship being played.

Because someone has it worse, we should lower our standards? I didn't realize that the bar was set by someone on a different continent.

As usual, you miss the point entirely. Atheists here face the 'first world' problem of having to endure the inhumanity of having to see a cross, nativity, or the Ten Commandments on display, all the while screaming that it is an endorsement of religion and an infringement on their religious freedoms while being a non-believer in another country is punishable by death.

The "standards" here also aren't what most atheists think or wish they were.

(12-09-2015 12:54 PM)miko33 Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 11:23 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 11:14 AM)dmacfour Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 11:00 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 10:55 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  Especially when, in countries like Egypt, upwards of 80% of Muslims support death to those who leave the "faith."

80. Freaking. Percent.

But but but, most Muslims are peaceful and moderate. What a crock of shiit. No they aren't.

Kinda makes atheists in the US look incredibly stupid for being offended at having a cross on the side of the road, or for having the Ten Commandments displayed outside courthouses. You don't hear of many atheists in muslim countries complaining about the crescent being displayed, or the call to worship being played.

Because someone has it worse, we should lower our standards? I didn't realize that the bar was set by someone on a different continent.

As usual, you miss the point entirely. Atheists here face the 'first world' problem of having to endure the inhumanity of having to see a cross, nativity, or the Ten Commandments on display, all the while screaming that it is an endorsement of religion and an infringement on their religious freedoms while being a non-believer in another country is punishable by death.

The "standards" here also aren't what most atheists think or wish they were.

By this logic: Be content that you can buy a gun if you jump thru a thousand hoops in the U.S., because other countries outlaw firearms completely. Be content that you would have to accept the idea that adopting babies to gay couples is acceptable because you may be killed in other countries because of your faith. That's the point of living in America. Us and our forbearers created an environment where we can think about higher level things and not have to worry where our next meal is going to come from.

The day you become content because your country has it better than others is the day you will lose what great things you have in the country.

(12-09-2015 01:04 PM)dmacfour Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 12:54 PM)miko33 Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 11:23 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 11:14 AM)dmacfour Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 11:00 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  Kinda makes atheists in the US look incredibly stupid for being offended at having a cross on the side of the road, or for having the Ten Commandments displayed outside courthouses. You don't hear of many atheists in muslim countries complaining about the crescent being displayed, or the call to worship being played.

Because someone has it worse, we should lower our standards? I didn't realize that the bar was set by someone on a different continent.

As usual, you miss the point entirely. Atheists here face the 'first world' problem of having to endure the inhumanity of having to see a cross, nativity, or the Ten Commandments on display, all the while screaming that it is an endorsement of religion and an infringement on their religious freedoms while being a non-believer in another country is punishable by death.

The "standards" here also aren't what most atheists think or wish they were.

By this logic: Be content that you can buy a gun if you jump thru a thousand hoops in the U.S., because other countries outlaw firearms completely. Be content that you would have to accept the idea that adopting babies to gay couples is acceptable because you may be killed in other countries because of your faith. That's the point of living in America. Us and our forbearers created an environment where we can think about higher level things and not have to worry where our next meal is going to come from.

The day you become content because your country has it better than others is the day you will lose what great things you have in the country.

It's called the fallacy of relative privation.

(12-09-2015 11:00 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 10:55 AM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 10:31 AM)200yrs2late Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 08:08 AM)Hitch Wrote:  religious preferences are a choice people make.

As Crebman said, it's not a choice when leaving the faith is punishable by death.

Especially when, in countries like Egypt, upwards of 80% of Muslims support death to those who leave the "faith."

80. Freaking. Percent.

But but but, most Muslims are peaceful and moderate. What a crock of shiit. No they aren't.

Kinda makes atheists in the US look incredibly stupid for being offended at having a cross on the side of the road, or for having the Ten Commandments displayed outside courthouses. You don't hear of many atheists in muslim countries complaining about the crescent being displayed, or the call to worship being played.