I could be just one more heartwarming example away

[Silent3]

I'm on the edge of my seat, eagerly awaiting the next feel-good story about religious people doing good things. Especially good things which epitomize the values I share with my fellow Democrats.

I feel my cold atheist heart melting, on the very edge of proclaiming what a wonderful thing religion is. Even if religion isn't ultimately for me, gosh darnit, I could nearly be ready to realize what a wonderful thing it is for some people. I could soon cross over into the land where my heart is filled with gladness just thinking about how fulfilling others find their devotion to things which seem entirely irrational to me.

Heck, I might even start admiring people for the strength of their unflagging faith, the way it sometimes stands proud and tall against a barrage of conflicting evidence, or the way it sometimes snuggles safely in peaceful harbors carefully shielded from the harsh winds of cognitive dissonance.

It might take several heartwarming examples. Or maybe just one.

It could take big impressive examples, like religious organizations which I haven't heard of before that each feed at least 1.5 million people. Then again, I think I could be so close that one story of a small congregation getting together to help a little girl find her lost kitten could turn the tide.

Keep 'em coming. You almost have me.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[kcks]

2. Go to

Joplin Mo. you see lots of help be offered from "religious people" I cannot speak for some of the other areas that were hit as I have only been to Joplin to offer assistance. That is if your question was a serious one.

[Silent3]

3. I don't doubt that there are lots of religious people doing charitable things...

...in Joplin, and in many other places.

The OP is a response to a certain type of post being made frequently in R/T, lately often by one particular poster. These posts seems to labor under a delusion of which the OP is a parody.

[cleanhippie]

4. There is even MORE help being given by non-religious people and organization there.

One of the LARGEST relief organizations on the planet, and non-religious to boot! You can donate if you want...


www.redcross.org

[MineralMan]

5. No, thanks.

I'm an atheist. I don't associate myself with your comments. Religion is not any single thing. Religious people are as varied as any group. This is, in my opinion, offensive on many levels. Generalizing is generally a very poor debating technique, and is useless in discussions among reasonable people.

[Silent3]

6. What in my OP denies variety to religious people?

The OP is a response to other threads which seem to have the purpose of being positive PR for religion. Being impressed by those posts is what would require a denial of the variety, both good and bad, of religion and the people who subscribe to religions.

[MineralMan]

7. I'm responding to this post, not some other posts that

aren't linked to in your post. You have my response. You can take it for whatever you think it's worth.

[Silent3]

9. In other words, you can't find anything in my post that denies variety...

...among religions and religious people. My mention of the motivation for my thread in no way constitutes a claim that I think any other posts need to be read to defend the point that I've made no denial of variety.

But keep it up. That Templeton Prize could be yours. :)

[laconicsax]

8. Me too!

I can feel the God-shaped hole in my heart for the first time!

I want to believe! After all, none of us would want to live in a society without some sort of an ethical sensitivity based on solid religious faith.

[skepticscott]

10. Not missing the irony, but since this same poster has stated

"What we call God is the process in which the universe is continually being unfolded", one is left to wonder what kind of "faith" in that "god" is even necessary, let alone how it would motivate anyone to do good.