 |
|
|
|
| The Lounge |
Family and Religion |
Oct 20 2009
19:38 (UTC) |
62 |
Original Post by coffincritter:
How do I feel about atheism? Fine. I just don't like atheism being crammed down my throat any more than I want any religion shoved on me. Most of the atheists I've known have been very cool "live and let live" sort of people, but I have encountered a few who had to browbeat you with it and it was annoying.
It is bad science for one to go about disproving the beliefs of others while simultaneously failing to prove one's own beliefs, which is exactly what some of the more militant atheists seek to do. I can't stand it.
|
| The Lounge |
Family and Religion |
Oct 20 2009
19:25 (UTC) |
67 |
Original Post by splitrail:
Original Post by vincent_louis:
Original Post by splitrail:
*ties v_l to the railway tracks*
"OH GOD! OH GOD! SAVE ME DUDLEY DO-RIGHT, WHOEVER YOU ARE!!!!"
LOL! Way to hedge your bets!
Someone is bound to save me, I just know it B] |
| The Lounge |
Family and Religion |
Oct 20 2009
19:22 (UTC) |
70 |
Original Post by splitrail:
*ties v_l to the railway tracks*
"OH GOD! OH GOD! SAVE ME DUDLEY DO-RIGHT, WHOEVER YOU ARE!!!!" |
| The Lounge |
Family and Religion |
Oct 20 2009
19:20 (UTC) |
72 |
Original Post by amethystgirl:
Original Post by alaskanmama:
Missionaries are not stupid. I'm sure they have heard every excuse there is when it comes to someone who is not interested in what they have to say.
I don't know. Maybe if they were smarter, they'd realize that I enjoy them coming to my house and telling me about their religion about as much as they'd enjoy me coming to their house and telling them about mine (it involves a feather boa and the theme to A Summer Place - I can't discuss it here).
Although the southern baptists were very polite when I informed them that I'm Jewish (which is technically true), and told me that they'd been recent learning about The Jews and that they are a very interesting People. I replied "Yes, we are" and we parted as friends.
That would never work with evangelists. They just keep coming back @_@ |
| The Lounge |
Family and Religion |
Oct 20 2009
19:15 (UTC) |
75 |
Original Post by splitrail:
Original Post by vincent_louis:
Original Post by splitrail:
At the end of the day, if you're tied to the railway tracks and the 4:15 is barreling towards you, I'd wager that 99% of the North American population would begin their final sentence with the words "Oh god".
Yes, but I believe that this is largely a cultural thing. We hear it in movies, read it in books...we mimic what we are exposed to.
If I were in that circumstance and mimicking popular culture, I'd be calling for Dudley Do-right.
I don't even know who that is XD |
| The Lounge |
Family and Religion |
Oct 20 2009
19:12 (UTC) |
77 |
Original Post by kbella24:
I was raised Catholic, and went to Catholic school all of my life (including college). I was also forced to go to church every Sunday until I went off to college. Now, I am no longer a Catholic. In fact, I don't even know if I believe in God (I am an agnostic). I am also firmly against organized religion.
As for atheism, I am also hesitant to give myself the label of atheist. While I do not believe in God, I also do not have any proof one way or the other that he/she/it exists or doesn't exist. My inclination is more towards God not existing, but I honestly don't know.
I think my parents are VERY disappointed that I have given up their faith. I think they see it as a failure on their part that I am not religious. They still go to church every Sunday. However, I will say that I probably know more about the Catholic faith than the two of them combined. Even as a firm agnostic, I decided to study theology in college (it was my minor). I think my parents hoped I would come back to Catholicism, but if anything, my education pushed me further away from it. The more I learned, the more I realized how weird religion is, in general.
My parents occasionally will say something about how I don't believe in God or go to church. I usually just let it slide. They are convinced that I will turn back to God once I have children. I won't. If anything, I am firmly against indoctrinating children to believe what I believe. I will expose my children to all religions, and when they are adults they are free to choose a religion to follow, if they like. I won't be stopping them.
I think that exposure and freedom-of-choice are the best way to go about it. It angers me when I hear parents saying that they pulled their kids out of biology because Darwinism conflicts with their religion. I guess they have a great appreciation for narrow-mindedness above all else. |
| The Lounge |
Family and Religion |
Oct 20 2009
19:10 (UTC) |
79 |
Original Post by splitrail:
At the end of the day, if you're tied to the railway tracks and the 4:15 is barreling towards you, I'd wager that 99% of the North American population would begin their final sentence with the words "Oh god".
Yes, but I believe that this is largely a cultural thing. We hear it in movies, read it in books...we mimic what we are exposed to. |
| The Lounge |
Family and Religion |
Oct 20 2009
19:08 (UTC) |
82 |
Original Post by dnrothx:
Original Post by vincent_louis:
Original Post by dnrothx:
As a former missionary, I deem your response to be less than creative.
I wasn't trying to be creative. I just wanted to them to leave and go bother someone else. It served its purpose.
That was a rather convoluted way of going about it, then.
The "I'm a Darwinist angle" doesn't work. I have tried other methods as well, unfortunately to no avail. The "I'm a Satanist" approach is the only one with immediate and lasting results (they leave and don't come back). |
| The Lounge |
Family and Religion |
Oct 20 2009
19:02 (UTC) |
86 |
Original Post by dnrothx:
As a former missionary, I deem your response to be less than creative.
I wasn't trying to be creative. I just wanted to them to leave and go bother someone else. It served its purpose. |
| The Lounge |
Family and Religion |
Oct 20 2009
18:50 (UTC) |
90 |
Original Post by moonikins:
This is interesting. I was raised christian. I went to sunday school and church as a child. I've read and studied the bible. I am not an atheist anymore, but I am most definitely not a christian. I despise organized religion. I can't go the atheism route because there is no proof of a lack of god just as there is no proof of the existence of god.
My mother definitely identified herself as christian. She knew I quit believing, but not until very close to her death did she realize that I didn't believe Jesus was my saviour, etc. It scared her. I think it scares most parents if their children turn away from the religion that they have held.
My son knew from an early age that I despised organized religion. He went to the occasional church service with friends. His father flat out said there was no god or that it was all a crock. My son isn't an atheist. He's more like me in believing there's some sort of source of energy bigger than humans, but not defined as "god" to him.
I went to church with friends when I was younger, but mostly for the free food they gave you after services. I eventually stopped going because the people there were often militant in their beliefs and were unwilling to question anything. I question everything. Nevertheless, I do not appreciate militant thinking from atheists either. Black-and-white thinking is a major turn-off to everyone except those who embrace it. |
| The Lounge |
Family and Religion |
Oct 20 2009
18:46 (UTC) |
92 |
Original Post by purespark:
Atheist or religious aren't the only alternatives. Even if you don't believe in the deity of an organized religion (e.g. God), you can still be what's known as agnostic.
I'm not going to speak to the questions you ask, though, because I don't usually state my religious views on this site. Religion threads on CC always devolve into name-calling and accusations of blasphemy and other forms of unpleasantness. :)
I am aware of agnosticism. However, I do not know if I fit into that category either. This is really a topic that I do not lend too much thought to.
Yes, people can get a little carried away. Whether it is eating disorders or religion, black-and-white thinking benefits virtually no one. |
| The Lounge |
Family and Religion |
Oct 20 2009
18:44 (UTC) |
93 |
Original Post by watergirl:
Original Post by vincent_louis:
In order to get rid of the missionaries, I lied to them and said that we were Satanists, and complimented that by saying "Hail Satan!" as they turned to leave. Needless to say, they did not return.
 i am soooo stealing this idea if the situation presents itself in the future.
i am an agnostic theist. i took my kids to church and exposed them to organized religion between ages 5 and 10. my work is done. it is not my duty as a parent to make them believe like i do, but merely to expose them to the possibilities. they are individuals with unique thoughts and feelings. it is up to them to decide what exactly they believe, imo.
This is the way that I feel about it. I respect the fact that my dad is a religious person, however, I do not believe that I should also be forced to follow in his footsteps. It is not that I do not believe, but instead, that I am simply not that interested. |
| The Lounge |
What Are You Reading? |
Oct 18 2009
21:01 (UTC) |
7 |
Original Post by gi-jane:
I'm currently reading 'Brick Lane' by Monica Ali... It follows the story of a woman who finds herself in the middle of the expat Bangladeshi community in London as a new bride. Her development against the backdrop of conflicting cultures provides some surprising tensions, the dialogue has an authentic musciality and it's educational for someone, like myself, who isn't in that community. I'd recommend it.
My next read is the much-hyped 'The Girl Who Played With Fire' by the late Stieg Larsson. I read 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' and it was certainly entertaining in that 'long flight and nothing to do' situation! Not great literature but the central character 'Lisbeth Salander' is definitely a cut above the usual penny dreadful heroine.
I only read one book at a time and I like to set aside several hours to ensure maximum immersion.....
Would you recommend The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo? I owned it for a time, as I found some novelty in it being a Swedish thriller, but ultimately decided to exchange it for something else. Nevertheless, I have not read a series in a while, and if this one happens to be any good, then I might be interested in giving it a second (actual) chance. |
| The Lounge |
What Are You Reading? |
Oct 17 2009
04:10 (UTC) |
20 |
Original Post by cpw31:
Deep Economy by Bill McKibben.
It's good and thought provoking! I hate reading, but i enjoyed this one. :]
Any reason in particular as to why you normally dislike reading? |
| The Lounge |
What Are You Reading? |
Oct 16 2009
19:45 (UTC) |
34 |
Original Post by lilsammi23:
I read In Cold Blood last year. Loved it. The book is pretty disturbing if for no other reason than it forces you to identify with a pretty vicious killer.
This is another one I have sitting on my shelf. Have you read anything else by Truman Capote? Have you seen the movie Capote? My friend really liked it. |
| The Lounge |
What Are You Reading? |
Oct 16 2009
19:43 (UTC) |
35 |
Original Post by brtaylor:
Just FYI, the pictures from the crime scenes have the victims kinda "whited out." You can see where they were found, and the position they were in, but their bodies are totally white, so no features or blood or anything. Still pretty disturbing to me though.
On a similar note, I have read a lot of books on Jack the Ripper (my first serial killer interest- I started reading about it when I was 10), and those grainy, terrible mortuary photographs of the victims scare the crap out of me! A few years ago I read "The Complete Jack the Ripper" by Donald Rumbelow and oh dear lord there are some horrible photos in that...
I just might have to look into acquiring that book about Jack the Ripper. |
| The Lounge |
What Are You Reading? |
Oct 16 2009
19:42 (UTC) |
36 |
Original Post by glamgram:
PREY by Michael Chrichton - not as good as some of his others, but pretty good. I'm about 2/3 through it. It may be worth the read once I finish it. If you like his work and the added touch of computer tech stuff, you would probably like it.
My next book is FIRST FAMILY by David Baldacci - hubby says it's great.
I have you ever read Jurassic Park? That is my friend's favorite book of all time. Personally, I have never read it. |
| The Lounge |
Does School Degrade Fiction... |
Oct 16 2009
19:32 (UTC) |
4 |
Original Post by purespark:
Auditing is usually with the permission of the professor, but you wouldn't formally enroll, so the course wouldn't show on your schedule.
edit - I live on the West Coast too. When I went to UCSC, I audited a Human Sexuality class.
No, seriously, I did. :D
I believe you. As a matter of fact, I read a really interesting article about sexology in the New York Times magazine a couple months ago. |
| The Lounge |
Does School Degrade Fiction... |
Oct 16 2009
19:27 (UTC) |
6 |
Original Post by lilsammi23:
You can do that with college courses... I think you said you're not in college yet, right? I've never heard of auditing high school courses, so perhaps that's why you haven't heard of it?
The person who originally made the comment did not specify whether she did so in high school or college. I've taken college courses, but enrollment for the Spring semester is not until November. |
| The Lounge |
What Are You Reading? |
Oct 16 2009
19:03 (UTC) |
42 |
Original Post by happyfish22:
No, just big boring words and long explanations.
I would have killed to have had some boring words and long explanations present to clarify those copious graphs! |
| The Lounge |
Does School Degrade Fiction... |
Oct 16 2009
18:56 (UTC) |
8 |
Original Post by susiecue:
Auditing a class is sitting in on it for the experience but not receiving a grade (in many cases, not writing the tests; in some cases, not doing the assignments). Literally, it means "listening to" a class. I audited a class in grad school once because I'd already completed all my class-related degree requirements but still wanted to learn about the topic being taught.
If you don't mind me asking, where do you live? I live on the west coast in the US, and I have never heard of anything like that. When you audit the class, does it count as an actual course on your schedule? This really is news to me. |
| The Lounge |
What Are You Reading? |
Oct 16 2009
18:46 (UTC) |
47 |
Original Post by hotrebeccainmesa:
I'm reading Antonia Fraser's 'Mary Queen of Scots'.
It is a very detailed biography of Mary Queen of Scots. It covers her life from birth, her life in France, her return to Scotland and her execution in England. The author has delved into all the great stories about Queen Mary; the Kirk o'Field murder, the Casket Letters, and the Babington Plot. Great pains were taken to set Queen Mary's story in the context of the age in which she lived.
It is a beautifully written, compassionate look at one of history's most enchanting figures. It reads very much like a novel and the reader is able to empathize with Mary throughout the book. That said, I think it is overly sympathetic. She portrays Mary as a saint, while admitting that she knowingly married her husband's murderer and assented to an attempted assassination of Elizabeth, who had kept Mary alive at great risk to her (Elizabeth's) own life. Also, snide comments are made against Elizabeth throughout the book, some of them blatantly untrue. For example, that Elizabeth's behavior during the Rosbart affair was scandalous when the record shows it was impeccable. She also tends to gloss over some of the more nasty aspects of Mary's character.
A small problem that bothered me was she often quotes a line or two from things that Mary has written (which is in French) without bothering to provide the reader with a translation. Unless you know French, this can often make funny little anecdotes seem rather pointless. With that said, I really do enjoy Antonia Fraser's books and would highly recommend this one. I'm a voracious reader of history, especially of the Medieval and Renaissance periods.
I usually like to read one book at a time because I tend to get emotionally invested and I can better focus on the plot, characters, etc. at hand.
I love books that shine a light on history. One of my favorites is Wild Swans, a biography about China that spans three generations. Prior to reading that book, I knew virtually nothing about China. And while I realize that there is always the potential for bias on the part of the author, I still feel that it is quite enlightening. Another one is Kaffir Boy, a memoir about a man's childhood growing up in the ghetto of Alexandra, South Africa. Once again, I came away with a much stronger understanding, specifically of living under apartheid in South Africa. |
| The Lounge |
What Are You Reading? |
Oct 16 2009
18:13 (UTC) |
50 |
Original Post by karozel:
Currently reading Anathem by Neal Stephenson. It's about an different world/planet where math is their religion.
I'm enjoying it, but it's a tough read. Stephenson's writing takes time for me to digest.
Not many friends I would recommend it to. Only if I knew they enjoyed Stephenson -- he seems to be an aquired taste.
Only read one at a time usually.
That book was a favorite of my AP stats teacher who bears an uncanny likeness to Einstein and Santa Clause. Nevertheless, he was a really cool teacher and was rumored to have an IQ of 170.
I don't know about you, but math has always been a subject that intrigued me, if only because I struggled with it so much when I was younger. I'm probably in the minority, but I actually love doing math problems. They're like puzzles! :D |
| The Lounge |
What Are You Reading? |
Oct 16 2009
18:02 (UTC) |
53 |
Original Post by karozel:
Not sure if this was answered already or not. They left the last (21st) chapter of the book out of the movie. In the movie it ends when Alex is "cured".
That isn't so bad, given that there was a time when the book itself was missing the chapter. Does that alter the meaning a little? Yes, but I don't think it would bother me much. |
| The Lounge |
What Are You Reading? |
Oct 16 2009
17:38 (UTC) |
55 |
Original Post by lysistrata:
I am reading The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek, about classical liberal economics. His argument is that fascism and socialism are two sides of the same coin - totalitarianism - and are both morally and economically inferior to limiting government to protect freedom. It is very good, although there is much to digest. I am glad that he did me the favor of leaving out the mathematical bases for his theories. I would recommend it, but only to wonks like me.
I usually read 1-2 books at a time, with a lot of newspapers in between. I am slowly working my way through Principles of Water Engineering (which does include the math) and a whole bunch of issues of the Wall Street Journal.
In The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera makes a similar argument in regard to the sameness of dictatorships supposedly empowered by different doctrines.
I love newspapers! I personally find The Wall Street Journal to be a bit on the dry side, however, I do love their tech affiliate All Things Digital. However, my all time favorite is The New York Times. |
| The Lounge |
What Are You Reading? |
Oct 16 2009
17:29 (UTC) |
57 |
Original Post by lilsammi23:
No, she does not. All elfpower meant was that she and her bro are both funny people :)
Oh...well, she should start writing, there's money to be made! |
| The Lounge |
What Are You Reading? |
Oct 16 2009
17:28 (UTC) |
58 |
Original Post by happyfish22:
too many books laying dormant on my shelves. As a matter of fact, I am running out of space. My room will soon look like that of a hoarder, books stacked everywhere...doesn't sound bad! :D
My boyfriend and I had to move into an apartment with a second bedroom due to severe lack of space, I made the second bedroom into a "library" with all my books. It's so much better than having them all over the place.
Do you ever sleep in there, all surrounded by book....like a book fort!? :D |
| The Lounge |
Does School Degrade Fiction... |
Oct 16 2009
17:24 (UTC) |
12 |
Original Post by purespark:
I'm also on the I Love Shakespeare team. I had an amazing teacher my senior year of high school who instilled an undying admiration for the Bard. We also had to act out scenes from certain plays during sophomore year - I got to be Julius Caesar, and get assasinated. :D Et tu, Brute!
Did you guys ever act out The Merchant of Venice? I love that play! |
| The Lounge |
Does School Degrade Fiction... |
Oct 16 2009
17:23 (UTC) |
13 |
Original Post by kathygator:
I took Shakespeare as a junior then audited the class as a senior, I loved it so much. The analysis made it that much better for me.
What do you mean by "audited the class?" Do you mean you were a teacher's aid? Sorry, I am not familiar with that terminology. |
| The Lounge |
What Are You Reading? |
Oct 16 2009
17:19 (UTC) |
61 |
Original Post by lilsammi23:
Amy is his sister. Amy Sedaris... actress/comedienne
Oh, I see. Does she coauthor the books as well? |
