Spiritual mistake Date Thursday, April 18, 2024 - 05:57 PM PST Topic Religion This was an e-mail I got as a result of posting something about my religious belief: But first off he said he'd pray for my soul because it can still be saved(...) "My opinion? I think you had some serious issues in your childhood. How can you be an atheist?Do you think that all you have, you gained through your own forces??? Don't you realize you're meaningless???? Now I'll try to describe you.Tell me if I'm wrong. In my opinion you're a girl, you're aproximatly 17 years old, I was very sure you were from Romania before I wrote you......You're from Transilvania, you've had some serious issues. I can't think of anything more at the moment, but I want to ask you. DID YOU EVER TRY TO BELIEVE??? IF NOT, WHAT DO YOU LIVE FOR????????" This is what I replyed: "Okay, Father, now it's my turn to answer. I have so much to say, I honestly don't know where to start. Let's take it from the top, shall we? I had some serious issues as a child? Pardon me, but that is such a load of crap. What, now, because I don't believe in god, I had to have something awful happen to me?! Oh... Wrong, I grew up in a healthy enviroment, with both parents, who are still together, with the unconditional love of my grandparents and the company of my sister and the pets I've went through during the years. I had a happy childhood. How can I be an atheist? That's easy, christian. What, you've never heard about exercising your own opinion? I'm sorry, but believeing something just because someone said it, or worse, because it's written in some book (that, no doubt, was written by Humans, in the first place) is unacceptable and strongly denots serious confrmity and stupidity. Asking questions about what you don't understand is a good thing! And being told "god works in misterious ways" is not a valid answer. Do I think that all I have, I've gained through my own forces? Well, I take it that "all I have" means my knowledge, so the answer is obvious. NO DUH! of course I gained it on my own. How else? Nobody put the books in my hands and a gun to my head telling me to read them, etc. What do you think? That all I know god taught me? Guess what? I've never seen your god, nor heard or felt his presence. I don't know any god. I'm meaningless? In god's plan, correct? Fine, maybe I am meaningless, after all, the world has thousands of millions of people, but at least I have the curage to maintain my opinion high and strong and the arguments to support it. And I'll bett you think humbleness gives you some meaning, doesn't it? In all of this you got two things right: I am indeed 17 and a girl. But where did you get the idea that I'm from Transilvania? What's that got to do with anything? I suppose that you think I'm obsessed with that everlasting transilvanian vampyre mith, don't you? Well, guess again. If you'd bother to read my site, you'd know I live, and always have lived in the capital, Bucharest. And again I had some serious issues...now this is becoming really annoying. Who do you think you are? What gives YOU the right to label atheists as lunatics??? You can't think of anything at the moment? Try forever, you aparently Can't Think. Did I ever try to believe? Believe it or not, my dear, I was born into an orthodox familly. Like so many others, I wasn't given the oportunity to choose. I was just taught to believe. As simple as that. I even used to pray before going to sleep (this happened when I was about 4 or 5). I guess it was mechanical, I didn't really believe for myself, I simply believed my gradfather. Until I was old enough to realize the mistakes, the not so valid explanations and the really far-fetched lies, which are so obvious, people! I asked. I asked about what I didn't understand, but nobody could answer. That's when I started to think that it was all a bunch of lies. And I haven't had some tragic incident change my perception, I simply grew out of believing other peoples opinions and developing my own. Now for the last statement, the "best" one yet. If not for god, then what do I live for?Now this is just pathetic. I'm serious. What else could I live for? How about art, and beauty, and knowledge, and pleasure??? Does that answer your question? Why shouldn't I enjoy life as it is? I'm sorry that your belief limits the beautys of life for you, I really am. But, that's your choice, and yours alone. I think that pretty much sums up all I had to say. Please don't take this personally as I'm not trying to criticize anything, I'm just replying to this message. My opinion. My belief. And to you, Father, or whatever you are, be sure that not anything you could say can change what I think. And be warned that I am not shy, or missing a personality, or scared of your god. You do whatever you want, and I'll do the same." Of course I never got another mail from him. It never ceases to amaze me what some people can think up and how blind they are. This guy was by far the most ignorant I've ever encountered. I'm scared of the world and the poeple in it. This article comes from Shmeng http://www.shmeng.com/ The URL for this story is: http://www.shmeng.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=218