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Repressing your instincts

charityagape

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Helo said:
Ive interacted with people who HAVE nothing left but thier faith and that was the only thing that helped them get out of a bad situation.

That in and of itself tells me that religion DOES have a place in our society, but we put far too much emphasis on it, and like any good thing, too much is a bad thing and the reason behind WHY it knocks so many people down in the first place because they OD on religion


Interesting view, Helo, not one I personally ascribe too, but I can see what you're saying.

Also, Spinrad, you found great release in binging on alcohol but resent anyone with religious beliefs? When you equate the two.

I found a real great release in music and alcoholic binge drinking. I was pretty lucky because I am not the kind of person who gets addicted to things. But I wouldn't recomend it to everyone. Or anyone, really.
 
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Spinrad

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charityagape said:
.

Also, Spinrad, you found great release in binging on alcohol but resent anyone with religious beliefs? When you equate the two.

Yes, the two are almost exactly the same. Niether one is a real solution to anything, neither one is actually good for you and both leave you in a state of inaccurate perception. That was sort of the point I was trying to make. I found release in some very destructive and dangerous behaviors. And all they did was put off my having to face my real issues. And that is true of music, by the way, also.
 
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Spinrad

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Helo said:
Ive interacted with people who HAVE nothing left but thier faith and that was the only thing that helped them get out of a bad situation.

That in and of itself tells me that religion DOES have a place in our society, but we put far too much emphasis on it, and like any good thing, too much is a bad thing and the reason behind WHY it knocks so many people down in the first place because they OD on religion

I can say the same of binge drinking. Without it I would probably have pulled the trigger. But do you think that binge drinking is actually a solution to any kind of problem? Or just something to keep you from doing anything dangerous for a while? How much better would my life have been had I had a REAL HONEST TO **** SOLUTION instead of a series of placebos? I know for a fact I would still have an esophogas, and maybe even a degree.

And how much further as a species would we be if instead of patting each other's backs when we turn to hokus pokus we actually dug down and solved whatever problem it was that made us want to live in a fantasy world? I suggest the answer is "much".
 
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belladonic-haze

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Spinrad said:
Yes, the two are almost exactly the same. Niether one is a real solution to anything, neither one is actually good for you and both leave you in a state of inaccurate perception. That was sort of the point I was trying to make. I found release in some very destructive and dangerous behaviors. And all they did was put off my having to face my real issues. And that is true of music, by the way, also.

My destructive behavior nearly killed me but because God found me I am now a happier person. So, my faith is not killing me.

I guess it is by whom you are approached and how they treat you. That has nothing to do with God, that is what people make of religion and THAT can be very destructive....and I have experienced that fact as well....
 
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Spinrad

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belladonic-haze said:
My destructive behavior nearly killed me but because God found me I am now a happier person. So, my faith is not killing me.

I guess it is by whom you are approached and how they treat you. That has nothing to do with God, that is what people make of religion and THAT can be very destructive....and I have experienced that fact as well....

Happier is not enough. Better. More accurate, more realistic, more self aware. Able to do things that EVERYONE could do to improve their lives. I was very happy when I was very hammered.
 
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Helo

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Spinrad said:
I can say the same of binge drinking. Without it I would probably have pulled the trigger. But do you think that binge drinking is actually a solution to any kind of problem? Or just something to keep you from doing anything dangerous for a while? How much better would my life have been had I had a REAL HONEST TO **** SOLUTION instead of a series of placebos? I know for a fact I would still have an esophogas, and maybe even a degree.

And how much further as a species would we be if instead of patting each other's backs when we turn to hokus pokus we actually dug down and solved whatever problem it was that made us want to live in a fantasy world? I suggest the answer is "much".
Like I said, for the most part I agree with you. Religion makes a stagnant culture because people put too much into it, they try and base EVERYTHING off religion and you cant do that and have a progressive society.

Im saying that just a little faith is not a bad thing
 
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Spinrad

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Helo said:
Like I said, for the most part I agree with you. Religion makes a stagnant culture because people put too much into it, they try and base EVERYTHING off religion and you cant do that and have a progressive society.

Im saying that just a little faith is not a bad thing

Is it that hard to give up? I swear to nothingness, you sound like a drunk talking about "just one shot" or a junkie saying "just one fix". What's the harm? It'll get me through the night.

I simply do not agree with you. It masks problems. It solves nothing.
 
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Helo

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Spinrad said:
Is it that hard to give up? I swear to nothingness, you sound like a drunk talking about "just one shot" or a junkie saying "just one fix". What's the harm? It'll get me through the night.

I simply do not agree with you. It masks problems. It solves nothing.
When its used to mask problems then yes its a bad thing, but when its used to help you through problems, then I dont think it is a bad thing.

By that thought we shouldnt use asprin or law enforcement because theyre there to help us and they just mask problems
 
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belladonic-haze

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Spinrad said:
Happier is not enough. Better. More accurate, more realistic, more self aware. Able to do things that EVERYONE could do to improve their lives. I was very happy when I was very hammered.

Hmm, that too...LOL...lack of the english vocabulairy:p ;) . I guess. But you are right. I am all that thanks to God and Jesus; more accurate, more realistic, more self aware

By the way, being drunk didn't make me feel happier, it just knocked me out...having no feelings is not being happier...it is just getting out.
 
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Spinrad

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Helo said:
When its used to mask problems then yes its a bad thing, but when its used to help you through problems, then I dont think it is a bad thing.

By that thought we shouldnt use asprin or law enforcement because theyre there to help us and they just mask problems

If you take aspirin simply to dull pain, and only occasionally, no problem. If you are taking it every day to dull pain, problem. If you use law enforcement to eliminate the dangerous people in society, no problem. If you use it to enforce morality or control behavior, problem. If you can figure out a way to use a God sparingly, I guess no problem. Stupid but harmless. If you use God every day instead of facing reality, problem. Anyone here able to take a God for a limited time only?
 
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Helo

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Spinrad said:
If you take aspirin simply to dull pain, and only occasionally, no problem. If you are taking it every day to dull pain, problem. If you use law enforcement to eliminate the dangerous people in society, no problem. If you use it to enforce morality or control behavior, problem. If you can figure out a way to use a God sparingly, I guess no problem. Stupid but harmless. If you use God every day instead of facing reality, problem. Anyone here able to take a God for a limited time only?
EXACTLY! Using faith sparingly is not a bad thing, but people OD and in THIER case, faith is a bad thing because they take too much of it.
 
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belladonic-haze

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Spinrad said:
If you take aspirin simply to dull pain, and only occasionally, no problem. If you are taking it every day to dull pain, problem. If you use law enforcement to eliminate the dangerous people in society, no problem. If you use it to enforce morality or control behavior, problem. If you can figure out a way to use a God sparingly, I guess no problem. Stupid but harmless. If you use God every day instead of facing reality, problem. Anyone here able to take a God for a limited time only?

I don't use God to step out of reality. I use the words of Jesus to be respectful and compassioned towards ever other living being. I learn from them and yes, if I have flashbacks of the rapes I use the bible (Psalm 23 to be exactly) to get me back to reality. I combine my biology backrgound and my relationship with God to walk a path in my life where I hope I can shine a lightin this dark world; with a simple smile, and with catching a fly in my house instead of killing it with a newspaper, and with just being my happy joyful me, and eat vegetables instead of meat, and being respectful towards people and animals and plants even, but most of all treat myself finally with respect...

It took me 20 years to get where I am today. I've tried alcohol, drugs, painkillers, self-mutalation, even self humiliation to step out of reality, cause it hurted like hell....If God made me turn to reality where *I* can be part of as well.....what's so wrong about that?

You don't believe in a God....That is okay, been an atheist myself for a long long time. I sometimes realize that atheists don't think God will make the world better and they act upon it themselves. They are aware of polution, cruelity and against violence and war.....Even here I find it amazing to see that some Christians i.e. aprove of guns or the death penalty while they see abortion is murder. I think most atheist live more according the teachings of Jesus then they realize.....:p

But do not wave my realitionship with God of the table like it is a drug.....That is, my dear, insulting and it hurts......God is too precious to me. He came to me, not I to Him....THAT is what happened.....

God bless you,
Belladonic haze.
 
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holyorders

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Spinrad said:
If you take aspirin simply to dull pain, and only occasionally, no problem. If you are taking it every day to dull pain, problem. If you use law enforcement to eliminate the dangerous people in society, no problem. If you use it to enforce morality or control behavior, problem. If you can figure out a way to use a God sparingly, I guess no problem. Stupid but harmless. If you use God every day instead of facing reality, problem. Anyone here able to take a God for a limited time only?

I pray that God knocks you in the head with a 2 X 4.


Seriously before I was Christian I didn't want religion. I truly had a make-believe mental-construct of who or what God is. He used to be a fairy tale to me to. Then stuff happened to me...to which I can only describe as getting hit in the head with a 2 X 4. God will come to you if you just search. Keep on searching, just for curiosity (or to even prove people wrong) and God will come to you my friend.
 
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sethad

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psychedelicist said:
I'm sure it's been talked about to death about how represing your sexual instincts can be very bad for you (catholic priest paedophiles, etc.).

But what about your territorial instincts? The instinct to fight for your territory or what you want to be your territory. Every other animal on the planet does so- ant colonies will kill each other if they come too near each other, even though there's more than enough food for them all, they still think more territory=better chances of survival.

But in human behavior this is often repressed as well. Outside rivaling gangs (which are seen as immature and pointless killings by everyone else), and the occasional husband who kills his wife's boyfriend when he finds out, we have largely repressed the terretorial instinct.

And just like repressing sexual behavior can lead to things like pedophiles and rapists, might repressing territorial instincts not lead to things like sadists and masochists? Is it a good idea to repress territorial instincts but not sexual instincts? Where do we draw the line between our animal nature and what we should do as humans?

source?
 
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Gracchus

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psychedelicist said:
I'm sure it's been talked about to death about how represing your sexual instincts can be very bad for you (catholic priest paedophiles, etc.).

Excuse me, but pedophiles are harmless if they repress their instincts.

And just like repressing sexual behavior can lead to things like pedophiles and rapists,...

Rape is not about sex, it is about power. And pedophilia is about fear of rejection.

... might repressing territorial instincts not lead to things like sadists and masochists? Is it a good idea to repress territorial instincts but not sexual instincts? Where do we draw the line between our animal nature and what we should do as humans?

We draw the line where expressing our instincts harms others. I say again: It isn't the repressed instincts that cause harm. It is the expressed instincts.

:doh:
 
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MoonlessNight

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Helo said:
EXACTLY! Using faith sparingly is not a bad thing, but people OD and in THIER case, faith is a bad thing because they take too much of it.
To me this is like saying that when you believe something you should only half believe it, because believing at the way would be bad. Or that when you make a mathematical proof you should only consider it valid half the time because considering it valid all the time would be bad.
 
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MoonlessNight said:
To me this is like saying that when you believe something you should only half believe it, because believing at the way would be bad. Or that when you make a mathematical proof you should only consider it valid half the time because considering it valid all the time would be bad.
Im not saying that at all. Im saying that when you use faith for EVERYTHING, its bad. When you start checking with your faith to brush your teeth or buy your groceries or date, your ODing on religion.
 
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