Actually I have read much of the bible. At 16 I haven't had the time or bothered to make the time to read it cover to cover. It's something I plan on doing soon however.

I don't know what part you're talking about that has to do with differences or atheism but...

Psalm 14:1
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

This just proves my point. The idea that a man can't have good intentions because they are atheist is just absurd. Too many assumption. To believe atheists can't be good people because they're atheist is like saying a person who believes in a God can't have a general understanding of the world around them because they believe in a God. And to think that religion is the key to peace... well that just makes me laugh. Get over yourself, millions of innocent people have been slaughtered for some God.

I am a catholic person, but the one problem I have with the "Bible" assuming it is true in some peoples eyes, it has been passed down for centuries. Much like the work of Shakespeare, it is merely speculations, and a gathering of evidence from hundreds of different people. The bible is not written by one person, it is a bunch of stories from different people and religions. I do not follow the bible and the stuff that is said in it, but that is my opinion and I am not here to change any one else's opinion.

The idea of having the book(s) written by multiple people is to show different perspectives on the same events. However, the underlying morals and beliefs should all remain constant. Any person of religious faith will tell you that.

The Catholic church especially holds true to the bible. It's surprising to hear that you're Catholic yet reject the Bible and it's teachings. A Catholic priest would hold true to anything said in the bible, no matter how absurd it might be to the current standards. Moral dilemmas like gay marriage, abortion, atheism, etc. Are all examples of this today.

Perhaps you should look into some other branches of Catholicism that don't go strictly off of the bible. Many newer religions for instance say that the miracles Jesus worked were merely metaphors to show an underlying moral. If you're one of these people do a little research and see what fits you best. Even though I hate the idea of religion... you have every right to seek what you find happiness in.

I am just saying that it seems kinda odd that we follow a book that could have been though up of by a schizophrenic. It just doesn't show a lot of evidence and what not. If you look at all of the religions closely, all of the religions are based off of the same idea. I can tell you are a religious person, but in my defense I am not going to base my life off of a book that was written, lost, then written again so many times people could not keep track. I have read the whole bible, but that doesn't change anything. It is a bunch of stories that could either be true or absolutely made up. Like I mentioned before, Shakespeare never wrote down any of his plays. The plays that you see now by Shakespeare are just speculations, and what people remember of actually seeing. Half of the stuff in his current plays may not even have been in his original ones. Tell me if you don't get the analogy I will try to explain it in another way.
I am still a religious person, I believe in a higher power, but I don't believe in following a book that could be 100% wrong.

This is what baffles me. You identify yourself as a Catholic when the Catholic church is known for holding true to the bible. That's essentially what Catholicism is about.Their teachings are derived directly from the Scriptures and the Bible. Even when you say a "higher power" I'm confused. I assume you're referring to God, the god in your religion. But why not call him by his name?

There are many gods, and by saying "GOD" that is not being specific enough so I felt the need to say "higher power." You can be a religious person but not follow every single rule. If this is your idea of religion, then your wrong. Religion was mainly though up of because people needed answers to question that they could not comprehend. I am not trying to say religion is fake, but if I wanted to I could make my own religion in a day. I am just trying to say that there is a good chance the current bible we follow could be wrong. This doesn't mean that there is not a god, it just means that the book written about a god by humans seems pretty sketchy.

Dannyrug that's not what being religious mean. You're not catholic, you just have faith in something.

Religion implies dogmas and worship. Believing in a higher power you can't define doesn't make you religious, it makes you at most aware that men doesn't hold all the answers.


That's exactly what you should do. Define through your eyes, your knowledge and your logic what you think is acceptable to have faith in. The rest is just useless

well then, I am not a religious person. If I am to be bound to any type of vows/rules, they need to be my own. I am going to ask two question, both directed towards JayStar, but anyone can answer them. Are you a Christian or Catholic? If so do you dislike gays and believe that they should not be treated equal to everyone else?

Thank you for clearing this up for me Deprav.

I'm going to bold the answers, the rest I'd like you to read but isn't necessary to get the answer you seek.


That's a tough question and it is because it's a matter of perspective... in other words, in whose eye's am I Catholic or not?

In the churches eyes I am, I have been baptized and confirmed. I attend mass regularly (my parents make me) and I receive the Eucharist ~ every week.

However, I denounce any existence of a God, holy spirit, or messiah. I do not believe in any "higher power" and I believe every man/woman is free to do what they wish. Morals are only made to keep people safe and set a standard of life. I believe the idea of religion is useless and the world would be much better off without. I respect people's opinions but hate the hypocrisy I see every day that results directly from religion.

The only reason I am confirmed is for my family. Not my immediate family, they know I'm an atheist, but my grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc. My grandmother is very proud of me for being a Catholic and I don't want to take that from her. If it makes her happy, I don't have a problem doing it. Just that the whole time I was being confirmed I kept think of how much of a joke the whole thing was.


I'm just going to be straight, I don't like gays, I feel homosexuality is unnatural, and that is arguably fact. (If you or anyone else would like to debate this, feel free to PM me.) However, like I said before, everyone is free to do what they wish and I respect that. So yes, they should be treated as equal, in fact, they are equal. I'm just repulsed by them. Just as they may be repulsed of me for whatever reason. It's not in my control and it's not in theirs. Don't get me wrong, just because I don't want to be around them doesn't mean I think they should be gathered and shot. I'm entitled to my opinion and I would respectfully refuse to be around them, all I ask is for the same level of respect in return. Not to be overwhelmed by hate and rants about equality.

It is my belief that the Catholic church's stance on homosexuality, abortion, contraceptives, etc. completely contradict some of it's teachings. If everyone has free will, why do they feel the need to push legislation to hinder it?

Religion was created to obtain answers from what was unknown to people. As time went on, it turned into a way to control and govern people. Eventually to instill fear in others so they may act. Today, it's less obvious, more structured, but just as effective. Relgion is the nice way of saying "Do this or suffer". "If you're gay, you go to hell." "If you oppose us, you'll go to hell."

By today's standards, some of this is good. Common morals like murdering, stealing, slavery, etc.. all are condemned by Catholicism, but does that mean Catholicism is necessary to condemn them? I don't think so.

Don't think what I'm saying is the answer to life, or how anyone else should live. I only tell you what I feel and how I came about to feel such a way. Hopefully this sparks doubt, curiosity, and wonder. Do a little research, or a lot, but try to find both sides. Decide what you think is right.

To get you started, I'll provide a somewhat biased source, but he's my favorite atheist because like a sane person, he has humility for those who are religious and respects their choice.

Now that I know your views, I think you would be interested in a movie called zeitgeist. You can look it up on youtube, there are three parts. One is 9/11 conspiracy, two is religion, and 3 three is the new world order. This is a great movie for everyone to watch. You can watch whatever part you want, and it has a lot of background on religion. If you have already seen it, what do you think about it?
My mom works in a church, so I go weekly but not by choice. One of the priest there said that people are losing fear of god and that is why there are more and more atheist. My one question is why should people fear god if he loves everyone and wants the best for them. Some stuff just doesn't make sense anymore.
This is the full movie, it can also be found on netflix.