Quote:
Originally Posted by AcGold
very true. Many people call themselves Christians yet act very unChristian while many atheists don't know what it really means. The religion is so massively flawed that it is not fair to equate a true Christian with the religious group.
|
No true Scotsman fallacy? I don't think the problem here is with specific religions, or even religion in general. The problem is in the transitory nature of what "religion" has come to mean in the past 200–300 years or so. Before the colonisation of North America, religion was a pretty static term that people understood to mean a combination of things, which were somewhat universally applied. Now? Not so much.
So, what is a "true Christian"? I would be very interested to hear your opinion of this, as an outsider, how we distinguish between regenerate and hypocrite.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AcGold
I'm not an atheist but I am a-religious, the problem I have is atheists often equate anyone not on their side with the religious while I think the very word religion doesn't have much to do with important philosophies and spirituality upon which they are founded. If anything religion should go, they are as corrupt as the government and often don't follow their own tenants. I'd like for atheists, extremists and everything inbetween to band together against the hypocrisy of religion. Even if you are atheist the idea of forgiveness and the golden rule are worth living by.
|
So, am I to understand that you equate religion with ethics? That seems odd to me. Like above, I am interested to know your definition of "religion" in order to gain a better understanding of what it is you are getting at more precisely in your posts.