A Different Angle

Author: RoderickSpode

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A different twist to "If you were born in America, you will be a Christian", "If you were born in Iraq, you will be a Muslim", etc., that is focused on religious folk.

How about one for atheists.

"If you were born in America, you will be a pluralist". "if you were born in China, you will be totalitarian".
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@RoderickSpode
Progressive attitudes:

If you were born alive, you're a pandemic

If you are a human, you're a racist against other animals.

If you are not a victim, you're no friend of ours.

If someone tells you to take off your clothes,  you do it.


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The funny part is they use this so-called argument in favor against God or religion and used in a negative way when in fact it supports it, that's the irony of it all. God is universal and each culture has their own interpretation of that Reality, with only a few interpreting an atheistic view (which is fine too). Just like when you go to different countries and they all have their own way and style of cooking, or their own style of clothing, or their own style of buildings, architecture, language, education and of course religious ideas and concepts about the Creator.

Do we ever say that those things don't exist because they all are different one from the other? or that they are not legitimate? or they have no value? Of course not, so why when different cultures express their religious beliefs in different ways is it suddenly a negative or something used to disprove God? that's stupid, of course every culture will have their own way of expressing the SAME Reality, how could they not? God is one massive phenomenon, and there are many aspects of God and MANY places in creation even beyond this one universe, we're talking about an Eternal Reality with no limits and no boundaries. No one can put restrictions and limitations on that.

There's also deeper reasons for this phenomenon besides just different interpretations, when you leave this world there's not just two places or one that an individual can go. The afterlife and the parallel worlds are just like our universe, there's many planets, galaxies and places, cultures, groups, heavens, hells, peoples, creatures ect ect so there are accuracies involved in different expressions of God and creation because there are countless cultures and places outside the physical universe. And that's the fun part, most people are stuck in one culture and belief system not knowing God is a God of variety and flavors.

God enjoys creating countless souls and in doing so God knows there needs to be countless places for the soul to exist. God knows that not all cultures will be the same and reflect the same things that is obvious and God accommodates every group of people. That doesn't mean that everyone goes to a heaven when they leave here, cause and effect and Karma are still real factors no matter what culture you were raised in. But each culture of souls have an extended culture that exists beyond this one, this is why for example you have a group like the Native Americans always putting emphasis on their culture and their ancestors because they know that there will be an extension of their culture when they die and leave this world.....why Christianity always puts emphasis on the Christian Heaven or Hell, they know there will be such a Kingdom that exists and this is the same for each culture and religion.

This does not imply that souls can't mix and match either, the soul is free to choose what it wants and what it relates most with. Their main obligation is to follow the universal rules of creation. And that they answer to the call of spirituality (no matter the belief system), be willing to progress in creation. 

Each religion and culture believes their ideas are most accurate, that they are special among the others and that is okay too, just like Americans love America and believe their country is most desirable....they call that patriotism. The same thing applies to religion and their cultures, that's what makes them special and unique, they call this a creed. So really it is irrelevant to bring up the fact each belief system claims they are the only one that's legit (if they even do). That's the nature of all this, and why people have such passion in their beliefs and that is the point of creeds and zeal, it anchors the individual to their culture and way of thinking. It creates a passionate binding for each culture. If you understand it according to the terms I just laid out everyone should be quite happy, and delighted and overjoyed knowing that God is that friggin cool. It's a refreshing way of understanding God and I'm not just blowing smoke up people's arse this is true about creation. It also should answer and satisfy many questions people have about God and religion.

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@EtrnlVw
I could never figure out what anyone would have against variety.

One of the worst accusations against God (among a multitude), is genocide. That is such a deplorable accusation, and immensely ignorant. The variety of humans in terms of culture is quite incredible when we think about it considering the planet isn't really that large. How many language accents are there in Great Britain.....wait....in England alone?

Good points!




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@fauxlaw
And you download music.

I don't think it was that long ago when progressive meant improvement.
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@RoderickSpode
I could never figure out what anyone would have against variety.

That's what I ask myself, it is what makes creation beautiful and interesting. Unfortunately humans have a very bad habit of discrimination and judging others of difference. Very sad. 
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@RoderickSpode
If you were born in the Czech Republic today, you are an atheist
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@Dr.Franklin
If you were born in the Czech Republic today, you are an atheist
Yes. But that would kill the theory that atheists are the enlightened few, completely free from cultural influence.

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@RoderickSpode
Atheism is usually reached by people born into a life where desperation and suffering were absent.

Theism is usually reached by people who have been through hard times and is typically only pretended to be believed by people who have not.

There are various exceptions, 2 of the most significant achieve contradiction to those trend and it comes in 2 ways:

  1. When someone who has had a relatively pain-free life suddenly reaches brutal hard times fast, this inverts.
  2. When someone who has had a relatively painful life suddenly comes across good times this also inverts.

The contradictory occurences have even stronger correlation to the proneness to end up atheistic or theistic than the former trend.
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@RoderickSpode
That has been dead for a long time-the fact is that atheism is a religion now-clinging onto a few ideas and violently lashing out on those who disagree

r/atheism cheered when a pastor died of COVID-19, muslims cheered when the Notre Dame fire happened, it is the same idea today
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@Dr.Franklin

r/atheism cheered when a pastor died of COVID-19
Wow! That's creepy.

I didn't hear about that.
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@RationalMadman
Atheism is usually reached by people born into a life where desperation and suffering were absent.

Theism is usually reached by people who have been through hard times and is typically only pretended to be believed by people who have not.

There are various exceptions, 2 of the most significant achieve contradiction to those trend and it comes in 2 ways:

  1. When someone who has had a relatively pain-free life suddenly reaches brutal hard times fast, this inverts.
  2. When someone who has had a relatively painful life suddenly comes across good times this also inverts.

The contradictory occurences have even stronger correlation to the proneness to end up atheistic or theistic than the former trend.

There's truth in what you're saying.

Many atheists I would guess may not even refer to themselves as atheists. Or if they ever do, more casually. That's how I was growing up in white suburbia. I had no political association with being an atheist ( or agnostic). And religious people I viewed as conservative folk who at worst presented a threat to my having fun.


But there's the more politically motivated atheist who feel they have been enlightened. And many of them came out of religion. Or if they haven't
they may just feel enlightened by default.

As far as the reverse trend you referred to where things go well for one who found religion out of diversity, to relate to what I'm saying you'll have to assume for a moment that God exists. For the person who at one point encountered the living personal creator of the bible, the temptation to leave the religion behind is replaced by either becoming a lukewarm believer, or a backslider.




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@RoderickSpode
See what I mean
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@EtrnlVw
Unfortunately humans have a very bad habit of discrimination and judging others of difference. Very sad. 
I thoroughly agree with you there although I think that society has moved on and such discriminations are only rife in religious organisations such as churches where members are encouraged to discriminate against minority groups and bigotry is fostered. For example, the vilification of gays, anti-abortion, anti-assisted dying and anti-unmarried couples and mothers. 

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@Tyran_Orex
members are encouraged to discriminate against minority groups

I've never been to a Church in my life that discriminates nor would I support that in any way, sorry Willy. Perhaps try a different Church?
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@Dr.Franklin
Yes indeed!
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@EtrnlVw
I've never been to a Church in my life that discriminates nor would I support that in any way, sorry Willy. Perhaps try a different Church?
It's actually quite astonishing how many people believe that every church is a mirror of the one they went to. Even an atheist talk show host I heard recently.

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@RoderickSpode
Crazy ain't it? everything this guy spouts has no relevance to any of my beliefs or experiences at all yet he has no idea of that lol. It's actually pathetic and sad, because those same presumptions and preconceived notions he has creates this misconception that religion is all bad and somehow that means God doesn't exist. 

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@RoderickSpode
cool
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@EtrnlVw
I've never been to a Church in my life that discriminates nor would I support that in any way, sorry Willy. Perhaps try a different Church?
Well, it's great to hear that you have never been to a Church that doesn't discriminate.
Can you name it?

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@Tyran_Orex
Well, it's great to hear that you have never been to a Church that doesn't discriminate.
Can you name it?

So you get to make blanket statements and assertions about every Church without naming them and now I'm supposed to name the Church's I've been to that prove you're a liar lol? get a grip. Why don't you name these supposed Church's that you have visited where you were discriminated against first. You made the claim so you get to show us all who they were. 

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@EtrnlVw
So you get to make blanket statements and assertions about every Church without naming them and now I'm supposed to name the Church's I've been to that prove you're a liar lol? get a grip. Why don't you name these supposed Church's that you have visited where you were discriminated against first. You made the claim so you get to show us all who they were. 


Church's that you have visited where you were discriminated against

Wrong.
I said: "rife in religious organisations such as churches".
And I said: "...churches where members are encouraged to discriminate against minority groups and bigotry is fostered.."

I would suggest that you would gain more credibility by not quoting out of context and by simply making things up.

Here's a list of (some of the) Christian Churches that I have personally attended and have shown to discriminate:
https://gobaptist.org.au/
https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/adelaidecity/
http://www.eppingbaptist.org.au/
http://www.adelaide.catholic.org.au/
https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/about/contact/directory/parish/18602
https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/about/contact/directory/parish/9633
https://www.facebook.com/places/Evangelical-Church-in-Gomadingen/107432539286389/108447855899758/
https://www.holytrinityclapham.org/
https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/about/contact/directory/parish/9401
http://www.catholicrotorua.org.nz/index.php/2-uncategorised/4-mass-times
https://www.aviewoncities.com/venice/basilicadisanmarco.htm
https://www.salzburg.info/en/sights/churches-cemeteries/franziskanerkirche
https://www.anggos.com.au/
https://www.localprayers.com/AU/Adelaide/391027380911142/Influencers-Church-Paradise
https://www.gracecitychurch.net/

Now, perhaps you could supply a link to the Church that supposedly does not discriminate.
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@EtrnlVw
You made the claim so you get to show us all who they were. 
I did.
As with all my posts, I thoroughly and objectively research the subject. You have failed to respond.

You have made a claim to the opposite effect; you are either lying or in complete denial of the facts in which case you are clearly deluded.

The fact is that religious institutions by their very nature are prejudiced and incite bigotry.