How did you end up here?

[Nooj]

To all the Non-Christians here at CF, how did you find this forum?

I don't remember. Blame my atrocious memory.

Why did you choose to join a Christian forum even though you are not Christian yourself?

I did lurk for several months before I signed up.

It probably had to do with the Creationism vs Evolution forum. I was really interested in the subject, and there was a very healthy debate going on there so I wanted to jump in.

Has this forum positively or negatively affected your views of Christianity?

My experience here has...negatively affected my views of Christianity. It has nothing to do with the individual conduct of Christians that I've met here. It's just that I learned far more about Christianity's failings as a religion on this forum than I could have learned outside.

Are you a part of a forum that caters to your own specific religion?

Nope.

Thank you everyone for your replies!

It seems a lot of people here have a negative view of Christianity. What could Christianity, or Christians, change to give you a more positive view?

In regards to Christians, nothing. All the Christians here could be the friendliest, kindest, most earnest people ever, and I would still think of Christianity negatively. Conversely, every Christian could be rude and all they'd be accomplishing is making me think ill of them. I judge Christianity on its own merits.

For one thing, if Christianity dispensed of the concept of Hell (and after that, maybe Heaven), I'd think more positively of the religion.

 

[Arthra]

"What could Christianity, or Christians, change to give you a more positive view?"

I don't really have a negative view of most of the Christians I've met.. I have a high esteem for Christians who have a peace testimony such as the Quakers, Brethren and others who are more open to the problems of the world and try to make a difference sometimes by laying their lives on the line.. and sacrificing themselves for their principles.. One of the great Christians I admire the most was Leo Tolstoy who lived a simple life and taught the teachings of Jesus. Another was Kahlil Gibran who wrote Jesus The Son of Man and he was later excommunicate from his church for this writing. I still have the deepest reverence for my Brethren ancestors who had to flee the Holy Roman Empire rather than serve in it's armies.

- Art

 

[Alizera]

Look at the question.The question is not about Christians it is about Christianity.I think she is asking if I tend to Christianity after joining CF or otherwise.I have understood better that Islam is the right path after the researchs I've made after joining CF.

I am honestly not asking if you are learning towards Christianity by being on these forums. I understand each person has their own path to follow and usually are pretty staunch in their own religion, especially if you're defending yourself on a forum where the religion is different from your own.

But anyways...thanks again for responses, I really like learning other people's perspectives. Give me some more time and I'll think up some more questions to ask.

 

[Alizera]

Alrighty, another question. Could you point me to a website (non-wikipedia, let's have a challenge!) that could give a basic outline of your faith?

What is it about your faith that you like the most? The least?

Give me a quote (preferably from one of your religion's holy books, if you have one) that can be related to your faith that holds special meaning to you. Do a different one if it's already on your signature line.

 

[awitch]

To all the Non-Christians here at CF, how did you find this forum?

Google.com

Why did you choose to join a Christian forum even though you are not Christian yourself?

I used to be active in other religious forums like beliefnet.com, but whenever I wanted to ask the Christians anything, they wouldn't answer. I suspected they didn't want to think too much about their religion. I've lost count of how many of sincere questions were deleted here.

Has this forum positively or negatively affected your views of Christianity?

Both...I've come across some very nice Christians (most are) who took the time to answer the questions and play along when I poked their faith. They were patient and explained things even if we disagreed. I've also met a few of the creepier ones who personify the negative Religious Reich stereotype - the ones who tout that everyone who disagrees is not only wrong, but necessarily evil.

Are you a part of a forum that caters to your own specific religion?

Several.

 

[Morcova]

To all the Non-Christians here at CF, how did you find this forum?

Linked to it by a christian friend.

Why did you choose to join a Christian forum even though you are not Christian yourself?

Debate with people who agree with you is boring.

Has this forum positively or negatively affected your views of Christianity?

No, of some of it's followers? Yes.

Are you a part of a forum that caters to your own specific religion?

I have no religion.

Thanks...I've just been curious about this.

You're welcome.

 

[PassionFruit]

To all the Non-Christians here at CF, how did you find this forum

FSTDT (Fundies Say The Darndest Things)

Why did you choose to join a Christian forum even though you are not Christian yourself?

The original owner of the site was welcoming of people with different faiths that's why I joined. And to help clear up misconceptions people have about non-Christians. I also joined to have lively discussions.

Has this forum positively or negatively affected your views of Christianity?

I would say this forum helped me understand why I'm no longer a Christian.

Are you a part of a forum that caters to your own specific religion

No, not really.

Thanks...I've just been curious about this.

You're welcome.

It seems a lot of people here have a negative view of Christianity. What could Christianity, or Christians, change to give you a more positive view?

Nothing to be honest. It won't make want to return to Christianity. I don't view Christianity to be interhently negative. Christianity could change how it views god as being wrathful, but in reality I realize that's part of Christianity.

 

[Arthra]

Alizera wrote:

Alrighty, another question. Could you point me to a website (non-wikipedia, let's have a challenge!) that could give a basic outline of your faith?

http://info.bahai.org/

What is it about your faith that you like the most? The least?

I believe Baha'u'llah fulfilled the promise of the previous religions and was the latest Messenger from God but all of the previous religions were Divine in origin so we reject none of the great religions of the past or their Founders and this I believe is important to unify humanity.. along with the principles needed to build a better world.

Give me a quote (preferably from one of your religion's holy books, if you have one) that can be related to your faith that holds special meaning to you. Do a different one if it's already on your signature line.

The light of truth has heretofore been seen dimly through variegated glasses, but now the splendors of Divinity shall be visible through the translucent mirrors of pure hearts and spirits. The light of truth is the divine teaching, heavenly instruction, merciful principles and spiritual civilization. Since my arrival in this country (the United States in 1912) I find that material civilization has progressed greatly, that commerce has attained the utmost degree of expansion; arts, agriculture and all details of material civilization have reached the highest stage of perfection, but spiritual civilization has been left behind. Material civilization is like unto the lamp, while spiritual civilization is the light in that lamp. If the material and spiritual civilization become united, then we will have the light and the lamp together, and the outcome will be perfect.

~ Abdul-Baha Promulgation of Universal Peace

Source:

http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/PUP/pup-5.html

 

[anatolian]

I am honestly not asking if you are learning towards Christianity by being on these forums. I understand each person has their own path to follow and usually are pretty staunch in their own religion, especially if you're defending yourself on a forum where the religion is different from your own.

Salam.What were you asking then?

 

[vajradhara]

Namaste Alizera,

thank you for the opst.

Alrighty, another question. Could you point me to a website (non-wikipedia, let's have a challenge!) that could give a basic outline of your faith?

buddhanet.net is a good place to start. it has introductory material, overviews and all manner of things... even a nice Q&A section.

What is it about your faith that you like the most? The least?

what i enjoy the most about my Dharma is that it is universal in scope, excluding no sentient being of any sort in any world.

the least favorite part of my Dharma is that nobody can do it for me. others can open the door but i, alone, am the one that walks through it.

Give me a quote (preferably from one of your religion's holy books, if you have one) that can be related to your faith that holds special meaning to you. Do a different one if it's already on your signature line.

from a very famous Sutta which is, by and large, partially quoted and misunderstood by non-Buddhists:

"Come, Kalamas. Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor upon tradition; nor upon rumor; nor upon what is in a scripture; nor upon surmise; nor upon an axiom; nor upon specious reasoning; nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over; nor upon another's seeming ability; nor upon the consideration, 'The monk is our teacher.' Kalamas, when you yourselves know: 'These things are good; these things are not blamable; these things are praised by the wise; undertaken and observed, these things lead to benefit and happiness,' enter on and abide in them."

metta,

~v

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Thank you everyone for your replies!

It seems a lot of people here have a negative view of Christianity. What could Christianity, or Christians, change to give you a more positive view?

Interesting question. Perhaps we could make a thread on that?

Matt 5:1 Seeing yet the throngs He went up into the mount and of being seated Him toward came to Him His disciples.
2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

 

[franklin]

How did you end up here?

Just lucky I guess. Thanks for asking .

 

[Alizera]

Salam.What were you asking then?

Just look back at my original post. I asked a lot of questions.

If you're asking why I was asking those questions...it's just to get perspectives and to satisfy my own curiosity.

 

[Eudaimonist]

Alrighty, another question. Could you point me to a website (non-wikipedia, let's have a challenge!) that could give a basic outline of your faith?

Non-Wikipedia? There's no place that states it all in a nice and neat fashion, but the following sites aren't bad. The first is mine.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eudaimonistseuphoria/

http://www.fellowshipofreason.com/

What is it about your faith that you like the most? The least?

The most? Its life-orientation.

The least? That there are so few Eudaimonists.

Give me a quote (preferably from one of your religion's holy books, if you have one) that can be related to your faith that holds special meaning to you.

Do you believe in God, Andrei? No. Neither do I. But that's a favorite question of mine. An upside-down question, you know. What do you mean? Well, if I asked people whether they believed in life, they'd never understand what I meant. It's a bad question. It can mean so much that it really means nothing. So I ask them if they believe in God. And if they say they do -- then, I know they don't believe in life. Why? Because, you see, God -- whatever anyone chooses to call God -- is one's highest conception of the highest possible. And whoever places his highest conception above his own possibility thinks very little of himself and his life. It's a rare gift, you know, to feel reverence for your own life and to want the best, the greatest, the highest possible, here, now, for your very own.
-- Ayn Rand, We the Living


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Alizera]

Was Ayn Rand a Eudaimonist or is that just a section that sums up Eudaimonism well?

 

[gwenmead]

Alrighty, another question. Could you point me to a website (non-wikipedia, let's have a challenge!) that could give a basic outline of your faith?

This page at infidels.org isn't too bad. I like the Basics pages at about.com better though, or the page on atheism at religioustolerance.org. (Five blessings says I get reported for "promoting" atheism for posting those links.)

What is it about your faith that you like the most? The least?

Well just to be nitpicky again, atheism isn't actually a faith, it's a position on the existence of a god or gods... and I can't say I like or dislike holding the position, really. I don't think of it as something to like, I just do it because I find it the best way to be intellectually honest about theism and religion.

With that said, living life sans deity has different implications than living life as a theist. I've been both (I was a Christian, then a pagan, before I was an atheist), and the contrast is subtle but definitely there.

I find that I value my life more now because I no longer believe in an afterlife. I find that I value quality of life over quantity more fiercely. I find that I've had to figure out issues like ethics and morality without involving mandates from a god (a process I'm still working out, and will probably continue to do so). I must admit, it was a lot easier to just fall back on "because god says so"; but I find that wrestling with such things on my own is much more satisfying.

I find that I'm more laid back than I used to be. I am not ashamed of sex or of my gender anymore. I am somewhat more hedonistic. I do not take religious authority seriously. I am far more skeptical. I am happier to admit that I don't know everything.

Heck, I'm just happier overall, really, now that I am an atheist.

Give me a quote (preferably from one of your religion's holy books, if you have one) that can be related to your faith that holds special meaning to you. Do a different one if it's already on your signature line.

Hmm. Well, we don't have a holy book (not even Dawkins or Hitchens, sorry). But for a particularly poignant quote or passage, I really love Carl Sagan's words about the Pale Blue Dot.

Hmm. I'm not fond of embedding vids, but the editor here keeps insisting...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p86BPM1GV8M

Leaves a lump in my throat every time.

 

[Arthra]

Love that Carl Sagan...

I don't think there should be so much tension between science and religion.. both should be based on truth.

 

[ahmid]

Thank you everyone for your replies!

It seems a lot of people here have a negative view of Christianity. What could Christianity, or Christians, change to give you a more positive view?

Every non-christian response that is negative simply reflects his/her main trait. If a christian response seems strong, it is only for the pagan's benefit.

God is your witness and mine. If a pagan decides not to know his real maker, I have nothing to do with that decision. I have written to enlighten and my prayers have been for the pagan's enlightenment in Christ.
-------------------------------------------------
Even as Paul thru Jesus Christ convinced idol worshiping infidels in the first century; likewise do I move about Breaking the Sword of Islam. For the true G*d so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life. I will love G*d and my neighbor. By Jesus Christ, all evil is bound from hindering. --- Ahmid Truth

G*d thru Jesus Christ bless Zakaria Botros - today he is reaching up to 50 million Muslims in the middle east through televised evangelism via satellite. Reportedly hundreds a week are turning to Christ and abandoning Islam... Hallelujah. 3lotus.com

Help Stop Islam! ...over 12,000 selfish attacks since 9/11 ... Islam Kills

 

[anatolian]

Has this forum positively or negatively affected your views of Christianity?

I am honestly not asking if you are learning towards Christianity by being on these forums. I understand each person has their own path to follow and usually are pretty staunch in their own religion, especially if you're defending yourself on a forum where the religion is different from your own.

Just look back at my original post. I asked a lot of questions.

If you're asking why I was asking those questions...it's just to get perspectives and to satisfy my own curiosity.

Ok all right.I'm asking what do you want to ask with the question if this forum has affected our views on Christianity positively or negatively.

 

[anatolian]

Alrighty, another question. Could you point me to a website (non-wikipedia, let's have a challenge!) that could give a basic outline of your faith?

unfortunately I can't. I don't know any Islamic website.

What is it about your faith that you like the most?

everything

The least?

nothing

Give me a quote (preferably from one of your religion's holy books, if you have one) that can be related to your faith that holds special meaning to you. Do a different one if it's already on your signature line.

"Surely Allah enjoins the doing of justice and the doing of good (to others) and the giving to the kindred, and He forbids indecency and evil and rebellion; He admonishes you that you may be mindful." 16:90