menosh
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 9:06 PM,
All I can do is my best to answer your questions and add my views.
"I'm certain you have realized that this is an impossibility with some people".Yes I realize that,but my opinions are not directed to those,who have fallen victim to the massive propaganda and other misinformation,that managed to close their minds.They are rather meant for those,who approach life and everything connected with it,with a sincere and critical approach;those who dare to think for themselves.Then of course there are those,who comment here,because their basic nature dictates to be antagonistic.
The ones,who have a certain religious persuasion,I tolerate because I have respect for the individual,as long as he/she does not become obnoxious in their zeal and stay within the realm of rationality,as far as that is possible with religion as the stronger influence.
"...,yet in the same breath I have to ask myself...where are these people?" you say.Believe me menosh,they are out there,but it is their nature to also be more tolerant,to the point of lethargy.Timid is the word you use and that may be a better description than mine.Yes,it does give a louder voice to the antagonists,but fortunately the loudness of a voice is not directly proportional to the quality or truth of its content.
A lot of them are so busy making a living,that they have hardly any time or energy left to live or inform themselves of what is going on in the world.Then there are those of us,as you can see on this forum,who either have the interest and enthusiasm to enter into a debate,from which we can all learn.After a while you get to know the ones whose opinions do not matter and contribute no added value and of course we have the right and freedom to scroll right by them.
As you may remember from previous comments of mine,religion has for a long time played a big role in my life.I have enough experiences there to write a book about it.
In my youthful naivety I fell victim to the and almost to the point of brainwashing,but was fortunately given an inquisitive mind and a great desire for logical reasoning,which was instrumental in my liberation from religion.
If I seem anti-religious,it is because I came to realized after spending half my life blindly following,that not only I got fooled and cheated,but my dear parents suffered hardships on behalf of their beliefs.They suffered severe emotional trauma,because of their blind obedience.My dear father only had seven grades in elementary school and my dear mother barely four,because suddenly she found herself to be an orphan about the same time she became a teenager.They stood in awe,when they saw a priest.That is why my leaving the seminary was such a blow to them.A priest used to be his parents` pride.That has changed dramatically and almost to the opposite.Fortunately,they did not have to be witness to the discoveries of all the corruption in religions as a whole.
My kids also had good,happy and meaningful lives in the Catholic religion,because we raised our children in that faith.They had a very good education in that system.But that is not because of,but rather in spite of the religious content.
I enjoyed a good education too,but sometimes wonder,if I would not have been better off had I gone straight to university instead.At the same time though,I did learn some of the theological aspects of it,an experience,that I can now reap the benefits from,because it gave me a deeper understanding.I often will pick up a book on religion and invariably discover,that although theology has all the appearances of legitimacy,it misses the basis of a logical foundation.There are too many assumptions used as steppingstones to make it all seem true,but that is more sophism than logic.
menosh,who am I to judge you?I give you my honest and best opinion .One I feel is morally responsible.It is up to you,what if anything you do with it.
I am glad to read though,that you do not sit back and blindly accept everything.You have those scrutinizing qualities,that far more people should have.

menosh
Thursday, July 28, 2011 9:26 AM,
Only those,who deliberately deceive not just themselves,but others as well.Some get slowly brainwashed into believing,they are right,because it so much is aligned with that primordial scream,that accompanied our becoming aware of our surroundings.That was before the first seeds of civilization were sown.