How do religious people feel about people who are non-religious?: Philosophy Forums

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How do religious people feel about people who are non-religious?
A bit of sociology...

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How do religious people feel about people who are non-religious?

dont tread on me
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Posted 06/15/09 - 12:53 PM:	#11
I'm somewhat a Catholic (I believe in the theological doctrine, except for their views on gay marriage and drugs, and I only acknowledge the trinity as a metaphorical and symbolic thing. I'm not sure on the actual existence of a God. And I don't believe in an afterlife). Howveer, I do go to church regularly and participate in church events. How do I feel about non-religious people? It doesn't bother me at all, but when we actually get to talking about theology or philosophy, I generally feel a sense of pity for them that they're too proud to acknowledge the authority of the Church. That being said, I see super religious Catholic types as a lesser evil than irreligious post-modernist atheosits (Though I hesitate to use the word "evil").

bert1
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Posted 06/17/09 - 07:37 AM:	#12
I'm a theist (in my own sweet way!) but I am often very sympathetic to atheists both intellectually and psychologically; intellectually, because many of the concepts of God which people have are so poorly defined that they fail to characterise anything very much, and when they are better defined they often seem to be childish/incoherent/inconsistent with generally accepted scientific findings; psychologically, because many atheists are atheists because of the horrible things done to them by so-called religious parents and schools.
"Like a ungroomed dog in which the desired look is it’s long hair but it has been so unattended to, that combing is impractical, and it might be better if the hair was cut and attended to as it grows back." d_martin

Ico
私たちは一緒に死ぬよ。

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Posted 06/28/09 - 02:19 PM:	#13
Yahadreas wrote: A good friend of mine from a couple of years ago was a very devout Christian. She once said that she wishes all her friends were Christian so that they'd all be in heaven together and that it would be awesome. So I suppose she, at least, would feel sad about people who are non-religious, or just not Christian. They wouldn't go to heaven. They'd go to hell. Being friends with a non-Christian would be like us being friends with someone whom we knew would one day be taken away by some evil scum and tortured for all eternity. Can't be a nice feeling. I have a few friends and family members like that. I've only ever had two people seriously try to convert me, but I don't really know why, they weren't close friends of mine. My religious family members are mostly indifferent. My mother believes in God mostly for the comfort reasons - she likes to think that there is something supernatural taking care of her, but she's so much more rational than that...she's never raised the "I'm afraid of you going to hell" point, though, so I don't really bother her about it. My grandmother, a stereotype of the psycho-conservative Christian, doesn't yet know of my atheism. If she did, though, I know she would have a field day with it. She's already given me all sorts of books because she thinks I'm not religious enough and she wants me to be just like her...if only she knew.
...the Bible (nor any 'holy' book) should not have a favored place in our human exploration of what is true about our world ~Ellory Schempp (Abington vs. Schempp)

coriolis
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Posted 06/28/09 - 03:01 PM:	#14
I doubt that there's many people who have the same beliefs as me, so I tend to be rather tolerant. One's religion is a very personal thing. The faith/beliefs/prayers/actions of others are not going to do anything for me or for the next guy. I have no doubt that God is there waiting for me to find my way to him. I believe in Christ and what you'd find in the Nicene Creed. Even so organized religion isn't going to save a single soul. It's our own journey. Others who are at different points in their journey or even on another journey don't need criticism. I hope that each of them finds what they are looking for. If anyone asks for help, I might help them clarify what is the journey they are on. Some people need to rule out alternatives. Some people stay with an alternative. I believe that the way to God is to seek truth. No outward acts of piety - especially those that are done for others to see - are going to accomplish anything. But if one is pursuing that journey, I don't believe that their outward membership in any organization amounts to anything. In fact the saddest thing of all is a person who clings to the organization, or gives lip service to some system of belief and doesn't bother to take that personal journey. They become the intolerant. I can only control my own thoughts and actions. What other people believe or do is not in my control and can't harm me. Is anyone seeing the influence of Epictetus here? Edited by coriolis on 06/28/09 - 03:07 PM
I have a love affair with Socrates but I only know him in a Platonic way.

Mariner
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Posted 06/29/09 - 04:54 PM:	#15
"How do religious people feel about people who are non-religious?" ... that they are wrong. Being wrong has consequences, but it is bad even if it had none. The consequences of being wrong (e.g. whether there is a Hell or not, which has been the focus of your experience) should not be the focus of the discussion. Or at least that's how I feel .
"In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't." -- Blaise Pascal "The more I am by myself and alone, the more I have come to love myths" -- Aristotle in his later years

Aetixintro
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Posted 06/29/09 - 06:03 PM:	#16
To me, religion is subordinate to the personality of the people I surround myself with. A lousy Christian may think one goes to heaven, but in my eyes lousy people go to Hell no matter what! Well, actually, I don't believe in Hell. Maybe they go to the eternal purgatory, suffer psychic ailments or turmoil, or simply face their own lousy self played back on themselves eternally! Bliss! Edited by Aetixintro on 06/29/09 - 06:08 PM
Efficacy of "for since it is at present manifest to me that even bodies are not properly known by the senses nor by the faculty of imagination, but by the understanding alone" - Descartes, Meditation II I'm always wanting more, Anything I haven't got, Everything, I want it all, I just can't stop - The Cure, Want

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