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Religious Nuts


cwes99_03

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As though we were some lower form of life. I'm sure you didn't mean it that way.:evil:

I was being sarcastic. I was referring to the popular opinion that Christian ideas in the US government are somehow abhorable from a democratic standpoint, when in fact, the whole point of democracy is to give everyone a voice in the nation building process, whether they're nuts or not. Don't believe me? Just watch the losing politicians scramble to count the votes of inmates.

 

Ideas shouldn't be discounted just because they were first found in the bible. They should be discounted based on merit and usefulness.

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I guess this means you are a religious nut IrishEyes :eek:

Ok, I've been waiting to respond. I hope that enough time has passed that my response will be ok with the thread originator, and that this post will not be considered as thread diversion.

 

To answer your question, Rocky, YES, I have been called a religious nut on a few occasions. That has happened here many times, usually by one or two people that don't visit very often any longer. Longtimers will guess who I mean, but I'm not naming names.:evil:

 

As I've also called people religious nuts, I should also be able to answer that part of the question, right?

 

I don't single out anyone from any religion. Like most others, I generally refer to people as 'nuts' (religious or otherwise), when they refuse to be objective about any given situation or discussion, and instead eschew thoughts and ideas that are limited at best, elitist at worst. I don't think that Christians have the market cornered on nutty-ism, but there are more of them that visit here than most other religions.

 

Why have I been called a religious nut? Well, I'm a Christian, and I think that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, and that it should be the resource for any problem that I face in my life. While I do not often get into religious discussions here anymore, I still have no problem sharing my views and opinions with others if asked, or if a thread proves too interesting to ignore. Yeah, I know, this is a science site and all, and I'm even an Administrator here, but luckily, our site owner's wife likes me, so I still get to stick around... :eek:

 

I'll add more after the thread originator chimes in, but I couldn't help myself. Please forgive me. :eek:

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I don't think specific beliefs make a person a religious nut, it's just how they act that does. For instance, I found out that my drummer, a very good friend of mine, believes that the earth is only 5,000 or so years old and he believes that the dinosaurs walked the earth with humans. This really surprised me because he's the first sane person that I've ever heard this kind of talk from. I've known him for more than a year before I found this out, this is why I wouldn't consider him a religious nut, because if he was, I probably would have heard about it in the first week of knowing him and I wouldn't be in the band now.

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Not all YECers feel free to share their views, especially if they are normally surrounded by people that might ridicule them.

While I accept your explanation and distinction between who is and is not a 'nut', not all share your views. Simply by expressing the same view that you just described, I have been called much worse, at this very site. Of course, it was all in the name of fun, I'm sure... :)

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I don't think specific beliefs make a person a religious nut, it's just how they act that does. For instance, I found out that my drummer, a very good friend of mine, believes that the earth is only 5,000 or so years old and he believes that the dinosaurs walked the earth with humans. This really surprised me because he's the first sane person that I've ever heard this kind of talk from. I've known him for more than a year before I found this out, this is why I wouldn't consider him a religious nut, because if he was, I probably would have heard about it in the first week of knowing him and I wouldn't be in the band now.

That's pretty cool of you, dude. Appreciating the ideas of others wasn't an immediately acquired trait in my particular case. But getting defensive when people disagree with me is not just nutty, but childish. Marriage has cured me of always having to be right.

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Hehehe. I'll appreciate that last comment soon enough I suppose.

Irish, I'm just sorry I wasn't around earlier to open it up. I was waiting for comments like post number 22 to show up. Then I got busy with some things, and now it is a full hour plus since I planned on opening the forum. No problems with you opening it earlier, it seems to have stagnated anyway.

I too have been called just about every name in the book. I belong to a religious group that is constantly riducled by just about everyone. We use the Bible completely for our beliefs. For this reason I don't see how evolution (that all life evolved from chemical reactions) could be true. I don't however throw out all scientific, or historical data. In fact, using history often opens up the Bible to further understanding of prophecy, take the book of Daniel as a prime example.

What Rocky said in post 22, is the point I was hoping to make. That is many are labeled religious nuts simply because they hold beliefs that are contrary to someone else's. Many of you stated that you believe people are religious nuts if they believe their view is the only right view. While I can't say that everything I believe is absolutely right, I do believe that everything the Bible has to teach is inspired by God and therefore is the absolute truth and right. Does this make me a religious nut by most of your definitions?

 

Additionally, I believe that anyone who does not believe that what the Bible teaches is all true and right must have trouble identifying themselves as a true Christian (follower of Christ). Anyone who practices something that the Bible obviously condemns and still calls themselves a Christian is a hypocrite (unless of course they don't know what the Bible says). I also believe that as a Christian it is my duty to teach others what the Bible says. I do however draw the line at forcing my teachings upon someone else (which seems to have been a sticking point for some of you.)

 

Zeal does not a nut make in my opinion.

There are "religious nuts" in just about any religion as they have been described by all of you.

WEBSTERS DICTIONARY (Paraphrase)

 

Religion: "A specific system of belief"; "A code of ethics"; "A philosophy of life".

...

According to these definitions, religion is not limited to a belief in God, reguardless of the common usage of the term.

 

Consequently, Evolution neatly fits the criterion as a religion.

To this I point you to the earlier thread of mine http://hypography.com/forums/theology-forum/4266-religion-vs-philosophy.html

 

Religious nuts are the ones who want to make their Bible, Koran, etc. the law.

 

In other words, they want to make laws according to their religion. While screwing up the constitution of your country.

 

That's what a religious nut is for me. I only respect the ones who keep themselves going rampant and crazy about their religion.

By this definition, I am borderline nut. I believe that my beliefs are centered around the best law ever written (the principles and laws found in the Bible). I do however draw the line at participating at all in politics, as I believe that would go against the teachings of remaining separate from the world, and would be putting my faith in man instead of God.

 

Hope to keep up a good conversation for a bit here so I release all to talk about this thread.

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By this definition, I am borderline nut. I believe that my beliefs are centered around the best law ever written (the principles and laws found in the Bible). I do however draw the line at participating at all in politics, as I believe that would go against the teachings of remaining separate from the world, and would be putting my faith in man instead of God.

I'm not sure that I follow you here. What do you mean by no participation in politics? Do you not voice your opinions on anything political? Do you not run for office? Do you not support any candidate? Do you not vote?

I'm just not sure that I agree that being instructed to remain separate means that you are forbidden to participate in politics, nor do I feel that it indicates putting faith in man above God.

I am very much looking forward to your clarifications.

 

 

 

Marriage has cured me of always having to be right.

From one very outspoken wife...

Shouldn't that be:

Marriage has cured me of ever having to be right
?????
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Ultimately however when dealing with a person like you it just comes down to why anyone has any reason to believe the bible has the slightest clue about anything. You see in my experience the only people who look at the bible the way you do are people who have been brainwashed since birth with social pressure to accept its poorly reasoned ideas. If you take anyone who has been left to fend for themselves as far as understanding of the world is concerned, or who has been given some other type of similar information (another religion or philosophy) they rarely if ever would convert to christianity without serious social pressure because it makes no damn sense. People realize christianity is stupid and lose faith all the time though.

 

Therefore I look to that and the need for you to justify the beliefs you have had up to this point in life in the face of superior reasoning as the motivation for your arguments, until such a time you present any reasoning for why the bible has inherent value.

This was one of the other reasons I posted this thread. I don't believe that Kriminal99 meant anything bad when he said this, but I know others who have not studied the Bible very deeply either, but they disregard everything I have to say out of hand because I put my faith in the bible.

Irish, so as not to devolve this thread into a religious discussion of my beliefs (and anger the moderator of the theology forum, :) jk) I will reply to you in a pm. OK?

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Cwes,

I do understand why you started this thread, and I applaud your courage.

It appears that there is a very large difference between what some people view as religious nuttism and what others do.

For instance, rocky categorizes nuts as people who try to force their views on you. Kriminal seems to think that anyone that takes the Bible seriously falls into that category (though he doesn't use the word 'nut', it is more than implied).

I will gladly stand with you beside the Bible, and will willingly accept the label 'nut', or any variation thereof, but will stop short of expecting evryone to share my views. However, not expecting people to share my views, and not hoping that they will are too very different things. While I may not force my Biblical views and beliefs down any throats here, that doesn't mean that I am not constantly besieged by doubt about whether I should be more vocal in my pursuit of fulfilling the GC laid forth in both Matthew and Mark around here. Only caution and my immeasurable respect for the community that Tormod allows me to be part of keep me (sometimes) silent.

 

EDIT:

Forgot to add that I anxiously await your PM. :)

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Believing something shouldn't make a nut, it's expecting others to follow blindly. And as said before, Christians don't have the market cornered, or any religion for that matter. Even the irreligious can be nutty. This door does swing both ways.

 

From one very outspoken wife...

Shouldn't that be:

Marriage has cured me of ever having to be right

Indeed. Much closer to the truth, but not nearly as amusing. :) :)

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So now make it "of ever being right."

 

However, not expecting people to share my views, and not hoping that they will are too very different things. While I may not force my Biblical views and beliefs down any throats here, that doesn't mean that I am not constantly besieged by doubt about whether I should be more vocal in my pursuit of fulfilling the

 

I've never said this and I think it a bit comical that I say it now, but

 

AMEN SISTER.

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"I think a “grand definition” of religion must describe not just what it is now, but what it has been, and make predictions about what it will become."

 

Re: A "grand definition" of Religion - 10-24-2005, 12:48 PM

 

Point taken cwes99_03;

but in the end, I don't think God really cares about all these semantics.

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Didn't say religious nut, but made argument against people with strong religous beliefs.

 

1) No.

2) Yes, at least people who substitute faith in their religion for reason. IE if you say something like "X is wrong because the bible says so". Other people who may follow a religion are often more open minded, although if they have followed it for too long they may end up taking this approach if backed into a corner in an argument.

3) Not really, subversion of reason is a common theme in all religions.

4) I have looked at information on various religions and read some of the texts etc involved with the more common ones. My particular problem is with the types of arguments and tactics that religous people use rather than specific points they claim.

 

Pretty much all religion founded beliefs can be debunked with one simple argument. If a god was to ever present itself, we could simply ask weather or not it was an alien instead and there was some other god. In which case, any claim it made could be a lie. In which case the idea of a book like the bible is impossible because even if the people who wrote it had contact with something resembling a god, they couldn't know that it was actually a god.

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