|
Post by Grecian on May 15, 2013 20:17:21 GMT 2
Where was it and why was it 'very interesting' to attend??
Talk about Half a bleedin Story, Ninch'!
I hear what you say, Lumi...You will notice a lot of difference when you move...for the Good...
|
|
|
Post by sprite on May 16, 2013 6:17:13 GMT 2
slow, that is interesting--i'll have to look for more. bit of a, 'hah! in your face!' moment. i'm very happy that the muslim country i'm in is multi-ethnic and thus reasonably tolerant of non-muslims provided we do our more 'infidel' stuff at home. and spend money. It's been interesting reading this thread thus far. Do I really need to read that you thank allah or god for this or that? I wish people could seperate the event they want to tell about and their religion. but that would be denying them their religious freedoms. i'm not sure if you have any sort of spiritual background. i do, and although my expression of faith is different from many of my friends, i understand why they thank whomever for whatever. when faith is part of a person's daily life, it permeates everything. the ability to do a job well is attributed to blessings from the deity. getting home safely from teh commute is a deliverance. an unexpected good thing is a miracle--and they believe their God/spirit is reponsible. imagine going your entire life never telling anyone about your husband. never wearing a wedding ring. pretending he didn't exist unless they came to your home and saw him in the flesh. it would be incredibly difficult--both practically and emotionally. of course it would be really annoying if you talked about him constantly, but if you never did people might question how important he was to you.
|
|
|
Post by lumi on May 16, 2013 8:44:26 GMT 2
It's not that I think people should never mention whatever god etc they believe in. I just don't think its necessary to constantly mention it/them in conjunction with everything you say or do everyday. And why quote passages of the bible repeatedly as your Facebook status? If I were that interested I would either ask or read it myself.
|
|
|
Post by Grecian on May 16, 2013 21:07:03 GMT 2
i assume Sprite is a Muslim?....
I have never, ever felt the need to mention that I am a Humanist in all my years of living...
Strange that?
|
|
|
Post by slowcoach on May 16, 2013 21:10:56 GMT 2
I have never, ever felt the need to mention that I am a Humanist in all my years of living...
Strange that? Just as well you didn't then.
|
|
|
Post by Grecian on May 16, 2013 21:20:56 GMT 2
'Rolling Eyes' Smilie??
WTF?
Just never rammed a Religion down any fecker's throat....unlike others...
That's all...
|
|
|
Post by ninchursanga on May 18, 2013 0:27:41 GMT 2
but that would be denying them their religious freedoms. [...] imagine going your entire life never telling anyone about your husband. never wearing a wedding ring. pretending he didn't exist unless they came to your home and saw him in the flesh. it would be incredibly difficult--both practically and emotionally. of course it would be really annoying if you talked about him constantly, but if you never did people might question how important he was to you. That is exactly what life is like for a lot of non-believers. Somehow religious people always need to pound on their religious freedom but there's no freedom for the non-religious.
|
|
|
Post by ninchursanga on May 18, 2013 0:33:48 GMT 2
Where was it and why was it 'very interesting' to attend?? Talk about Half a bleedin Story, Ninch'! This was in the U.S. in Virginia. The western part of Virginia, close to West Virginia and Kentucky. I live in small college town which seems to be the liberal island. The minute you leave town, you'lle see signs of the ten commandments popping up in people's front garden. You also often see three huge crosses on hilltops that some farmer has put up. And lots of churches and their carparks are all full on Sundays. And every church has signs that they offer Sunday school for the kids. The neighbouring county is very, very rural. There's a couple close to retirement age, he's a farmer and she teaches at the community college. The regularly organise a jam session at their farm. People bring food & instruments, play music and chat. The surprise was to find out that it seemed to be the gathering place for the county's liberals, alternatives & non-believers. Not something I would expect to find in a rural Virginia farming community somewhere out in the middle of nowhere.
|
|
|
Post by sprite on May 18, 2013 9:27:28 GMT 2
That is exactly what life is like for a lot of non-believers. Somehow religious people always need to pound on their religious freedom but there's no freedom for the non-religious. how do you mean?
|
|
|
Post by Grecian on May 18, 2013 21:53:43 GMT 2
Ninc' is talking about the small minority that take their Religion so embedded in their so sorry Hearts that they feel the need to ram it down the throats to anyone who will listen to them...
They are Sad Fucks...
As regards Virginia....in the Great old US of A...
It's to far North to be Totally Racist in their views and you have the Soffties above you - then the Native Indians may take exception to certain views?...
Good job I'm only a Humanist; Just getting on with my own, little, Life.... isn't it!
|
|
|
Post by ninchursanga on May 18, 2013 23:15:54 GMT 2
then the Native Indians may take exception to certain views?... Are you kidding? There are no Native Indians here. Almost, I've read somewhere that there are only 2000-3000 left. That is exactly what life is like for a lot of non-believers. Somehow religious people always need to pound on their religious freedom but there's no freedom for the non-religious. how do you mean? What Tinman said. They are usually the people who use every occasion to stuff their religion down your throat and are offened by the mere existance of an atheist. If your question was directed at the first part, then I mean that in an awful lot of places you just can't say out aloud that you are an atheist or don't believe in god. In my freethinkers group there are quite a few who didn't come out to their family. Student's there also set up a a virtual underground railroad for closet atheists who attend the nearby fundamentalist christian univeristy. Thinking that this is the country that brags to be the most free, democratic, blablabla in the world it's pretty sad.
|
|
|
Post by sprite on May 19, 2013 11:19:57 GMT 2
i'm sorry that's an experience, but i've never met anyone who couldn't be honest about their beliefs. my family is in a little bible belt, so saying 'i'm an atheist' would provoke curiousity, but the only hostility would come from people who are hostile to anyone outside their own denomination. :s
i am curious--why would an atheist go to a fundie uni?
|
|
|
Post by ninchursanga on May 19, 2013 16:56:57 GMT 2
You can be honest about your beliefs in a lot of places, but you can't always be about your non-belief. Not that people start yelling at you, but it definitely makes you an outsider and not always a sympathetic one. Don't you live in Brunei or some place like that? Do you seriously think that local people there can openly live their atheism? In Turkey, many young people I knew didn't believe but it was something that was kept under the carpet, only save to talk about in their own circle of friends. Here in Virginia I also notice that you first fish around a bit before you reveal your non-belief. People are so religious here and there are constant references to religion.
Why would an atheist go to a fundie uni? Here in the US people can be very zealous about religion. There's a town nearby that is dominated by one big church. Children grow up in that community, go to the church's pre-school and entire k-12 school system and the logical continuation is to go to their college. If you realize somewhere inbetween you don't believe all that crap, you have a problem. Before I came here, I had no idea how rigid and opressive and narrow minded these communities were.
There's another student who's been looking for books for a friend who just got out of high-school and has doubts about religion. The girl will be send of to a Baptist college, closeby to her parents and the father monitors everything she reads. IMHO that is pretty sad, if you need to exert such control over your kid to make sure they stay within your religious community and don't allow them to explore the world and their beliefs themselves.
|
|
|
Post by Grecian on May 19, 2013 20:59:24 GMT 2
"Are you kidding? There are no Native Indians here. Almost, I've read somewhere that there are only 2000-3000 left."
...and I know one of them?? How much of a coincidence is that?
Population
2.9 million
As of 2010, the estimated population of American Indians and Alaska Natives. They made up 0.9% of the total population.......
From Infoplease...
|
|
|
Post by ninchursanga on May 20, 2013 5:20:13 GMT 2
It wasn't clear what I meant. The number I state was about Natives in the state of Virginia. Of course there are more in the whole of the US and I've met some, too but not where I live now.
|
|
|
Post by sprite on May 20, 2013 6:38:29 GMT 2
that is quite sad, and really missed the point.
for ethnic bruneians, the rules are reasonably strict--for example, there's a female religious police force that checks that all bruneian men attend friday prayers. but if they're anything like hte traffic police, that won't but much enforced.
i don't actually interact with many bruneians. my neighbours are mostly asia, and my colleagues from the phillipines. as a result, i'm not sure how open they could be. they don't appear, on the surface, to be as 'devout' as muslims from other countries, and there's a fair amount of religious freedom--just no proselytizing.
|
|
|
Post by Grecian on May 20, 2013 20:47:45 GMT 2
Feck me, Sprite!
Your Country sounds like back in the 12th Century!
I so bet you wished that The Crusades were still on the English Parliament's Agenda as far as allocating money goes?
You live in a 4th World Country as far as Acceptance, Diversity and Tolerence is concerned?...
|
|