To wish people would stop saying 'Jesus' all the bloody time

[Sortyourlifeout]

I can't read a thread on here without someone saying "Jesus Christ" or "Jesus wept" or similar.

I'm not a prude AT all and I have no issue with people swearing but as a Christian I find it highly offensive when people throw Jesus' name round in a negative way, without a thought for others' feelings and religions.

Most people wouldn't dream of using words that were offensive to other religions so why is it acceptable when it's 'Jesus?'.

This is a genuine message to ask people to PLEASE think before they post/speak.

Ah yes, always a reason why we must not offend Atheists!

Is that what you took from what I wrote? it's not really about 'not offending xxx ' as not being the sort of person who refers to a whole group of people in a derogatory manner as an epithet.

I suspect Yeshua Ben Joseph would be fucking horrified at “Christianity”. Probably bang his head several times against a brick wall shout “I give up” and wonder off to an occult bookshop via a pub possibly picking up a(nother)prostitute along the way 😀.

I'm just hoping in that mental image he's wearing his bike helmet.

I suspect Yeshua Ben Joseph would be fucking horrified at “Christianity”.

The boy who overturned the money lenders table in the temple ?

If he came back (?) today, he'd be in Rwanda before you could say "jumping Jehoshaphat". Or banged up for terrorism offences.

I think for many spirituality is completely instinctive. It too is visceral (and more).

But,of course Religion is different to spirituality. Therefor I think there are two separate questions why are people angry about Religion? Why are people angry about spirituality?

People are often, I think, angry about religion because it is a man made institution designed to control and manipulate. Its belief systems are a mechanism of that goal of control. Slaves always eventually rebel unless the slave feels he benefits from the master slave relationship in some way. There’s even stories about this in the Bible😀. Often these religions start out with a grain of wisdom but soon they become overrun by man’s desires. Echoes of this wisdom remain but become increasing hidden by the corruption and hypocrisy of mankind. If you can no longer see the wisdom all you can see is the corruption and hypocrisy. This makes people angry.

So why do people get angry about spirituality? I think largely because it was never meant for everyone. Some people see the universe in a spiritual way, others in a more mundane way. These things balance each other out.

People who view the universe only in its physical manner and cannot see beyond that might feel more spiritual people are “making it up”, have a feeling of superiority, have something different, have a secret they’re not sharing etc etc, People who experience the spiritual side as well as mundane side act according to different rules with different goals. Read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. People don’t generally like people who are different.

There’s no right or wrong, it just is

They’d probably kill him again - Religious leaders never like to be challenged

People are often, I think, angry about religion because it is a man made institution designed to control and manipulate.

Emphasis on the "man" in that sentence.

Yes, agreed in 99% of situations

I'm not sure many people get angry about other peoples 'spirituality', do they? There may be lack of understanding, maybe some feeling of superiority in either direction, that sort of thing, but I think 'anger' is much more directed at religious institutions and practices rather than individuals' beliefs.

You mean the wholesale statements like ‘all religious people are idiots’ and ‘all religious people are unhinged’?

Funny how you didn’t challenge those statements but took immediate offence at Arsing Atheists.

I think there are concentric circles and a sociology doctorate involved. But generally as long as your beliefs don't involve you telling me what to do, we should get along.

Obviously there's the whole hypocrisy of organised religion that will carry some judgement if you insist on proselyting. But that's pretty much along the lines of "You must watch" or "I can't stand" when it comes to TV.

Beyond that, is the harm done to all. And I don't care who I offend when I say that I regard unneeded circumcision as something that isn't good. There are stronger words, but I would rather keep the debate better than the practice.

You mean the wholesale statements like ‘all religious people are idiots’ and ‘all religious people are unhinged’?
I don't have to comment on everything, you know. But for the record, I certainly don't condone those types of generalisations either. I'd never make those sorts of statements because I know they aren't true... indeed, in my youth, I used to be a 'religious person' and afaik was neither an idiot nor unhinged.

As there is no evidence God doesn't exist, then being an athiest is a faith position also.

I think everyone is religious in some way be it the law, political ideologies etc they are in denial about it.

Not really sure about Wicca and Mother Earth type religions, I will admit.

I think quite often they lump it together, but talk of “sky daddies” stupidity, and inferences that the person had some kind of mental illness, not a believer in science, demanding “proof” etc shows some people are quite angry about people’s spirituality. But as I say, maybe this is from people who don’t distinguish the two things

Wicca was stated by a man. I’m not a big fan of Madam Blavatsky though.

Not sure what definition of 'religious' you're using, but never mind.

I don't believe in invisible pink unicorns or chocolate teapots in the asteroid belt, beside the lack of evidence they don't exist.

Probably you don't believe in Zeus or Thor, despite a similar 'lack of evidence'.

Many atheists will describe themselves as philosophically agnostic, but with the belief at a very high probability level that there are no gods.

There's a lot of evidence that negates the possibility of there being a god that is omnipotent, omniscient and good.

can we say zounds?

I always come back to there being a creator, the alpha and omega.

I think everyone is religious in some way be it the law, political ideologies etc they are in denial about it.

Political ideology is a form of faith - I mean, look at the Cult of Brexit - but the law? That's just a set of broadly agreed rules intended to make a society made up of disparate people function. Laws are subject to change - and rightly so - far more than religious dogma is so I don't think you can compare the two. You also can't compare things like vegetarianism/veganism to a religion because let's be honest here, if you eat meat you accept that animals will suffer and die for that. It's a simple truth, like two and two making four (I am neither vegetarian nor vegan, btw).

I do like the distinction between religion and faith/spirituality. IMO religion means accepting and condoning all the power structures people build around their beliefs, and being complicit with all the injustice and persecution that accompanies those structures. This is currently playing itself out in Uganda and I am appalled that there isn't a worldwide outcry amongst Christians against it.

https://twitter.com/Quillette/status/1651482144785698816/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1651482144785698816&currentTweetUser=Quillette

This is an example of another religion.

@SpeedSnap your Twitter link doesn't work.

@SpeedSnap "As there is no evidence God doesn't exist, then being an athiest is a faith position also."
There is significantly more evidence that he doesn't than that he does. In the light of that, it's entirely logical to assume that he doesn't. Should more evidence emerge, then it's time to adjust the theory. That's how science works.

There is absolutely evidence that an all-seeing, all-powerful, all-good creator doesn't exist. That might not be the kind of god alluded to though?

The evidence is in every case of child cancer. That's just the first in a very long list of things that such a god could surely not allow to be.

Of course, your god might only be two out of three - but surely a God that was all-powerful would also by definition need to be all-seeing - so therefore he can't be all-good?

I find atheism much easier to swallow than believing in such a god.

Atheism is a lack of faith, due to the lack of evidence that supports a conclusion that there’s an all powerful dirty. It doesn’t require faith to disbelieve a theory, but it takes faith to believe in one despite the lack of evidence.