<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q2gfS_qUZmY&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q2gfS_qUZmY&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Believe me, if it really was only like the stereotypes I'd move down there without even thinking. The toilet water going in the opposite direction is almost enough for me.
Now I wonder how long it will be before the Des Moines DART rewrties it's advertising policy to preclude this sort of speech. *sighs*
Sometimes, a little divine intervention is required, like this <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6g7edBUUrlw&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6g7edBUUrlw&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1iMmvu9eMrg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1iMmvu9eMrg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object> i recently left mormonism and wanted to start a thread on it, but this thread seems to have alot of the same things i would discuss - considering i didn't just leave the LDS behind, but the rest of christianity and religion. before leaving religion behind entirely, i was "courted by" my ex-fiance's born-again family (long story). we didn't end up getting hitched for a number of reasons, one of them religion. watching one group of religious people (born-agains) tear down another (mormons) was ironic on so many levels. so it was okay for me to leave behind mormonism's silly superstitions... just as long as i went along with all the born-again christian ideals? it was the same stuff! if you have ever questioned the presence of god, this video has a collection of ideas that might help you make some sense of it. no matter what your beliefs, everyone should question why they believe what they believe.
Dude, I am happy for you. And I think you will soon, if not already, get a real sense of freedom and happiness that you maybe never thought possible. Enjoy.
thank you, i am enjoying life in a way i never understood before. it is a truly liberating. my life is forever changed. for the better. i want other religious people to open their minds and understand. maybe i will pop into the D&D a little more often.
Congratulations on your choice to let reason be your guide. It can be a lonely existence at times but once you become a non-believer self-delusion never seems like an option again.
see, a lot of people don't understand this. people are like, "well, religion works for them, no need to **** on their beliefs" - etc, etc. i think when you come out of religion after being deeply entrenched in it, you HAVE that desire that you noted. you want to share your liberation with others. i guess that's good or bad depending on who you ask, but i feel ya. i have bitterness toward religion that i don't think will ever go away. have you seen "religulous" yet? it's hilarious and really helped me laugh a little when i was going through the painful process of admitting to myself that i didn't believe in god. there are some ex-mormons in there too that share their story.
txppratt. I applaud you for examining your life and your belief system. While I don't share your belief, I think it took a lot of courage to come to the conclusions you did, so bravo. Having said that (and not meaning to start an argument in any way) can you enlighten me a little about the LDS church, and why you left it? I must admit to being somewhat ignorant of the church in general, and would like to hear an opinion from someone who lived the life.
you said it man. i remeber back to when i was a believer... i'm not a different person now... i just no longer live in a delusional state. anyone who truly experiences leaving religion must on some level want to help others do the same. there is no doubt that i want to discuss it with others, especially religious people. because i was them! i did see 'religulous'! great movie - bill maher (who i used to despise when i was religious) is a pretty funny dude. pretty ballsy to do that movie - props.
of course. the LDS church has some pretty outrageous claims that do not have any credibility to them (i could make a VERY exhaustive list at this point, one so long i just don't have the time to write it out). the main point being the prophet jospeh smith and his entire story, from his first vision experiences (similar to muhammed, god and jesus appear to him, tell him all other christian churches are an abomination in his sight, and that he was to be god's new propheton earth) on down to book of mormon (claimed to be a record of an ancient people in america). there is no validity to any of it. after being born and raised in the faith, i eventually came to see the 'other side' of the history of the church. when you look at the summation of the data, there is no way to conclude that joseph was a prophet or that the church can be true. if you want to learn more about mormons and their history, pbs did a special that was done VERY tastefully. they didn't exactly 'take it to the mormons' in the film, but highlight the good and the bad. very accurate. you can watch it free here: http://www.pbs.org/mormons/view/
Thanks for the background, and for the link. I'll check it out later. I really feel for atheists, because I honestly believe it's one of the few acceptable prejudices left in our society. Some people of faith don't even think twice about saying the most judgmental and hateful things to atheists, all in the name of their God. It really is a very sad thing to see, and as a Christian, I abhor it. In the end, atheists just want to be free to believe what they believe, same as me.
You can do whatever you like but I don't think you should. The one thing that bothers me about some religious people and atheist are those that try to push their beliefs, or non-beliefs, on others. I'm not religious, but I respect those that are and their beliefs. I won't call them "delusional" or talk down to their God in any way unless of course if they talk down to me. Let people make their own decisions about how they want to live their life.
As complex as the human body is, I don't see how one can't believe there is a creator. There's no way human beings just evolved from another species IMO.
IDK if I posted in here in the past since it is an old thread but.. Atheists tend to belittle anyone that believes in any kind of religion, which I find pretty pathetic. A lot of people feel this way
