to be saddened when people tick the 'no faith' box.

[Funsponge]

on forms when there is a Religion or Faith box and people put none.

No faith.

Realy?

No faith in anything?

It makes me feel sad for them. How empty and meaningless and small they must feel. Poor things.

funsponge

You know why this thread will disappear.

The other one should stand imho and people can make their own rational conclusions about it and why it was started.

Tis actually lovely to see people having faith whether I agree with them or not...

Whether the thread would have gone if do people really go to mosques on Friday? had been the op.

Maybe as UK isn't as secular as it was and many these days do not define or they say Cof E but don't go etc etc it was a legitimate line of enquiry.

Also an interesting idea that different faiths or lack thereof would affect friendships.

I do not go to church. My kids are not christened. I did not want to be a hypocrite allowing my kid to do catholicism as I do not pay the church tax where I live.

However I was asked could she do it to save a teacher's job so I agreed.
Cos it was the right thing to do.

I work with two muslims. One invited me to her mosque for a celebration. It was ace. Really lovely - given pide, had photo taken, allowed to look around.
Made to feel really welcome.

Take people at face value and think the best of them. You will live longer.

Scarily, I think I may get what the OP is saying, but differently.

"No faith" implies that faith (religious) is the norm.

Rather like "childless" as opposed to "child free" it categorises those who do not have faith as deficient in some way. Perhaps "faith free" would be better.

just skimmed through the church-going thread - very interesting, not much pisstaking all things considered

YABU

and serves you right for starting a thread about a thread

People are not taking the piss on the other thread op they just don't agree with you. Church goers are no more 'fair game' for piss taking many other viewpoints or belief systems.
If you believe then you should be able to take at least a little questionning and explain your reasons behind your belief system. What's wrong with a nice debate? Makes us all more a bit more informed and well rounded.

It makes me feel sad for them. How empty and meaningless and small they must feel. Poor things

No, not at all - I feel full without needing anything extra there to take up space. Not meaningless - but meaningful since everything I do I do for myself, and others - not as part of a greater being's good works or plan, and not small because to me I am as big as everyone else - there's nothing bigger to compare myself and others to so I feel just the right size, in just the right place.

If you have faith, thats your choice, and I'm glad it makes you happy, but please don't feel sorry for those of us who choose differently - we're happy too, honest.

I had a quick look and it doesn't look piss takey to me?

Of course people are allowed to make comments about christianity, derogatory or otherwise...do you think you are some kind of protected species, immune from criticism?

And is your faith so weak it can't stand up to a little criticism? How sad for you.

For the Love of God People!

The OP started the thread in tretaliation to another thread. Okay not very christian - turning the cheek a better response or Giving your opinion on t'other thread or using other thread to educate/debate/praise whatever - but I doubt she means it. Funsponge Do you genuinely feel sorry for me ticking No Faith or are you Trying To Make A Point Which Everyone Is Taking Seriously.

Jeez Louise. (Incidentally My God thinks I am funny as fuck and allows me to blaspheme cos he knows me. And is a good egg - think Morgan Freeman in Bruce Almighty).

I'm perfectly happy being atheist thanks.

However I do believe that if there was a God, He or She would have exactly the same issues with organised religion that I do. That goes for ALL organised religion, at least in a "worshipping of a deity" sense anyway.

Funspnge it obviously means no 'religious' faith, not no faith in anything. But if you tick the faith box and write down that you have great faith in human nature/ yourself/ your friends/ your partner/ children you would look a right idiot!

It is IMO very patronising and condescending indeed to say that people who have no religious faith feel empty, meaningless and small and you feel sorry for them - just because you need to have blind faith in something outside of yourself to feel your life has meaning (and to feel big?) does not mean other people need what they would consider superstitious and groundless belief.

The OP could be reversed to say those who need to believe in something hypothetical and outside of themselves to find meaning in their lives should be pitied, and if that were the case, how angry those with religious faith would be!

YABU :)

Anyone who still had an imaginary friend after they are 6 would be fair game for piss taking. If it wasn't that that belief leads to so many wars and misery

Why on earth didn't you post this on Hully's thread though? Why start another thread about it?

It's very cowardly, IMVHO, and your OP is massively condescending and patronising.

Why do people get cross about everything? So the OP feels sorry etc, who cares? Up to her.

The other thread is discursive and sharing, much more interesting than fighting.

Ah sorry, only read part of the thread, now see it is a reverse AIBU thread about a thread...

i always think of atheism as being just another faith. No faith is imo reserved for those people who honestly have no thoughts or beliefs or ideas at all about the bigger picture. I find that sad. Not the people who have made a reasoned decision.

mark it's both provocative and insulting and didn't contain a winky/smiley face so has to be taken seriously.

Wwsd? Probably eat some Scooby snax.

puddlejumper not sure what your point is. My point is that no assumptions should be made. Yet they are. And about such bizarre stuff as imaginary beings. On official forms.

Another happy, fulfilled atheist here.

No ladysybil no faith means no designated religion. The designers of forms are not interested in the finer points of metaphysical speculation They're just linguistically lazy. No faith is the only box allowed on many forms that the robustly non-woo still have to fill in.

Hully's thread takes the piss from the op. The tongue in cheek 'aren't church congregations comprised of 2 old womwn' etc.

Which leads me to point 3.

Funny astute 'known' posters can get away with it. Never thought i'd thonk that. S'true though.

OP, I think I know what you mean. I used to have Christian faith but no longer do and I envy my church-going friends their certainty and positive way of thinking about life after death, trusting that everything is for the best in the end and their feeling of being looked after. BUT I'm still completely sure that we should try hard to be considerate, kind, honest and not judge unfortunate people who've made poor choices. So for me it's like trying to live a Christian lifestyle without the comforting faith in a benevolent power.
However, many people of no faith are passionate about their own ideals, such as social justice or promoting eg, one of the arts. Their lives are rich and meaningful.

don't be silly funsponge. have you read the thread?

Do you find it so difficult to believe that someone might want to explore something and learn about it?

My turn to feel sorry for you.

And tbat is certainly not attacki.g Hully in any way. Hully is amusing and astute. Nut was taking the piss which is fine. But as soon as someone does the opposite the responses are vwry different.

And just because someone expresses themselves "humorously" doesn't mean they are taking the piss or are insincere.