From: U55870@uicvm.uic.edu
Newsgroups: alt.atheism
Subject: Re: lighten up, people
Date: 28 Jul 92 05:28:45 GMT
 <Bs17E3.Ku1@news.cso.uiuc.edu>
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago

In article <Bs17E3.Ku1@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, tpe36878@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Mr. Mensa
) says:
>
>duncan@brolga.cc.uq.oz.au (Duncan McCardle) writes:
>
>
>>>      1) the idea of God is not illogical. I am a scientist (an astronomer),
>>>      and I believe in God. I believe that He (or whatever pc pronoun you

  You later in the artyicle claim to be catholic.  As a scientist, did
you evaluate all the possible religions, and give them an equal
trail before you decided to be catholic?  Did it ever occur to you that
one true religion may be practiced by a tribe of aboriginies in the
australian desert?

>>>      see fit to insert) created the Universe. BUT: I also believe 100% in
>>>      the natural laws that control the Universe (ie Big Bang, Worm Holes,
>>>      Black Holes, etc.) I am VERY interested in correspondance with someone
>>>      who has a differing opinion on this.

  Standard questions:
  1) Can god make a rock so big he can't lift it?
  2) Why is there evil if god is all-powerful,good,and loves us all to
     boot?
  More to come if you can answer these.

>
>        Hmmmm.....did you happen to see the title of the original post...?

  Mmmm... Did you happen to catch the title of the newsgroup??

>
>>>      3) God is not a person! I am Catholic (err, no comments please) and I
>>>      do not believe that God is a person, per se. He (see above note) does
>>>      not have a physical existence. He is a spirit of Love. One will
>>>      never 'see God' in a physical sense, because that is simply not how
>>>      He exists.

>        everyday life. A belief in God does not explain away anything. He is
>        not a magical being who does things on a whim like the Greek and Roman
>        legends of Zeus and company. He will not zap someone for not believing
>        in Him, He will not win someone the lottery just because this person
>        really needs the money. God does things in a very subtle way, and when
  How do you reconcile this with your
catholicism?  The miracles?  The flood?  Why do these things not
happen today?

>        things, we realize how beautiful our relationship with Him is. For
>        example, right now I am in love. Now it is hard for me to deny that
>        I can feel God's presence in this relationship...it is through

  Hmm..  I was in love once.  I got dumped on too.  It didn't feel good.
Was this god also?  If god guides love, who do so many people fall out
of love?  If there was no god.. Do you believe there would be no love
either???

>>
>>>      4) the Bible (to me, at least) is not a literal work. Come on,
>people..
>>>      who really believes that the Universe was created in SIX DAYS?!?! BUT:

 Umm.. A downright scary number of people believe this.
 If the bible is not literal, do you think that 'god' may simply be
a symbol for 'nature' that does not really exist?  That the authors
were just telling how humans evolved in genesis?  Think about it,

>
>>I would LOVE to lighten up, unfortunately some people *do* take the bible
>>literally, and they wont 'Lighten Up'. So while religious beliefs, in all
>>their myriad forms, threaten my (or anyone else's) freedoms, while believers
>>continue to harass me and insult my opinions and treat me with intolerence
>>and hatred, while all this continues to occur I'm afraid I'm NOT going to
>>lighten up. All I want is to be left alone to live my life as I see fit.
>>I'm only too happy to extend the same courtesy to everyone else, but I'll
>>defend myself against anyone to tries to tell me what to think.
>
>        Again, do you have some sort of problem that perhaps some people
>        believe differently than you? I believe there have been some
>        wonderful thinkers in this century who have also had problems
>        with those who thought differently than themselves.....Hitler and
>        Stalin are two that come to mind right now........... And another

  Did you really read what was written carefully? He says that all he
wants to do is live his life as he sees fit.  This is hardly a
'hitler' attitide.  I do find the 'hitler' attitude alive and well,
in many religious groups trying to get laws passed in our country
that will turn public schools into christian zombie camps...


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Newsgroups: alt.atheism