Here in bold is where I disagree with you, Lauren. In your post, you said that "The Christian God is a wanker..." THAT is where I felt that I had to respond. Sure that could very well be your opinion and I understand that the OP was very tactless in his posts and was very disrespectful to women as a whole. But you have to understand that your words there were what brought me into this discussion. Suppose my landlord was a pagan and offended me in some way (use your imagination). IF I came on here and went on a tirade that, in my opinion, my pagan landlord was a jerk, his religion is idiotic and stupid and that he and all pagans need to be electrocuted for daring to offend me - there would probably be an uproar and I'd be "crucified" for daring to lump all pagans together and belittling their religion. Suppose he had been a gay man and I had lumped all gay men together in the same fashion? I'd probably have been "BANNED" and burnt at the stake for it. Yet, it is perfectly okay for you to belittle my God and my religion? Not that I think my God needs defending, but I do have feelings too and it unsettles me that the expectation for "tolerance" for something seems to go one way, but not the other. One can speak all they'd like against "Christianity" but we have to act like we're stepping on eggshells when it comes to gays and lesbians, pagans (is this supposed to be capitalized? IDK.), Wiccans, and the myriad other perfectly legitimate belief systems/ways of life out there.
Now, I DO understand that there has been LOTS of stupid idiot "christian" folk who have painted HUGE targets on themselves (remember the "end of the world was supposed to be earlier this year - what a CROCK!), but that doesn't justify lumping ALL Christians together as bigots - because not all of us are... Just like you wouldn't want me to lump all (name a group) together, don't do the same to us. As many of us try to be sensitive to your issues and those of others, TRY to be sensitive to ours.
TBH, although the mods here (who are "practically perfect in every way..." LOL. I jest, but respect all their good work) would NOT approve, I would almost be "happier"/"more understanding" if the OP himself had been thrashed and lambasted rather than see many good people and their belief systems attacked and lumped in with him. However, I guess the "forum approved debate" should have centered on how unfounded his statements were and how hurtful they were to the good folks here. Difficult to do, but wouldn't it be better to go into a fight with pinpoint precision instead of with a shotgun, devil-may-care attitude.
Good post Fred.
I definitely agree. I get frustrated with people who try to force their religious beliefs on others, regardless of faith. I know that in any religion, there are those who follow their faith without inflicting their beliefs on others, & there are those that feel the need to either judge others who do not believe as they do.
Christianity is the one that affects me the most, because that is the most prominent religion. Knowing that Paganism was here in America long before Christianity, & when the Christian settlers came to this continent, they tried to convert Native Americans from their Pagan ways. When they couldn't change their ways, they took over their land, & gave them sections of land to live on (Reservations). They spread lies, about Paganism, so that other Christians would fear Paganism, claming they were devil worshipers, when in fact, it's merely a religion that honors nature, all her animals, all her plants, trees, etc.
I no longer celebrate St Patty's day, after learning the true meaning behind it. When St Patrick could not convert the Pagan Druids in Ireland, he ran them out, killed them. The stories tell of St Patrick running the "snakes" out of Ireland, when in fact it was the Pagan Druids that he "rid the area of".
*That said, I do NOT see all Christians in that light. I know that a good majority of Christians are not like that.
I respect Christianity & other religions.
I will not discount any religion, just because a handful of zealots make a bad name for that religion.
I will stand up when my religion is being attacked, but I feel the statements made by Lauren are just as offensive as the posts that the OP has made.
It is blatantly obvious that the OP is bent on preaching to us, by continuing to post scripture in more & more threads, answering questions with scripture.
I won't say he doesn't have the right to posting such things, but I do not want to see it.
We do have the option of blocking (with the "ignore" function) someone that we do not want to see. To me, it sounds like a pretty good option right now.
