LDS Freedom Forum

Hi Everyone
I'm John and I really nonreligious. Anyway I'm happy my membership request was accepted. Happy to be hear.

Welcome!

Hi non-religious John. Enjoy the show.

Hey atheist, I'm a theist.

We must be related.

I thought of you atheist when I watched this:
Merry Christmas!

Atheist quit the forum.

I liked him.

I did too.

Random rant, but 2 of my closest friends are outspoken atheists. Both are the nicest people you can find. I started a project recently that required loads of time, both of them volunteered to help while not a single active LDS friend did, presumably because they were too busy preparing lessons about service.

Also, I have an easier time talking about god and sharing my spiritual experiences with these two guys than most anybody else.

Steve Clark wrote:Random rant, but 2 of my closest friends are outspoken atheists. Both are the nicest people you can find. I started a project recently that required loads of time, both of them volunteered to help while not a single active LDS friend did, presumably because they were too busy preparing lessons about service.

Also, I have an easier time talking about god and sharing my spiritual experiences with these two guys than most anybody else.

THIS!!^
I have a few atheist family members and close friends. They are the most honest and loving people I know.

coachmarc wrote:Atheist quit the forum.

Thanks for the heads up

Steve Clark wrote:Random rant, but 2 of my closest friends are outspoken atheists.Both are the nicest people you can find. I started a project recently that required loads of time, both of them volunteered to help while not a single active LDS friend did, presumably because they were too busy preparing lessons about service.

Also, I have an easier time talking about god and sharing my spiritual experiences with these two guys than most anybody else.

This has always been my experience also, I have always had more non believing friends than believing friends. I will say though in the last few years I have met a handful of believing folks that seem to be just a sweet and good as my atheist friends, but I haven't spent a lot of time with them to know if I would enjoy their friendship long term.

Atheists (at least the ones I've spoken to) try to get the most out of life, since they believe this is the only one they get. Their only "immortality" is their legacy. So they try to leave the best legacy possible.

There's probably some sort of lesson to be learned there.

jbalm wrote:Atheists (at least the ones I've spoken to) try to get the most out of life, since they believe this is the only one they get. Their only "immortality" is their legacy. So they try to leave the best legacy possible.

There's probably some sort of lesson to be learned there.

That doesn't seem to be different than any other average joe non-atheist. As long as their "best legacy" is out of the realm of politics, I'm down.

ajax wrote:

jbalm wrote:Atheists (at least the ones I've spoken to) try to get the most out of life, since they believe this is the only one they get. Their only "immortality" is their legacy. So they try to leave the best legacy possible.

There's probably some sort of lesson to be learned there.

That doesn't seem to be different than any other average joe non-atheist. As long as their "best legacy" is out of the realm of politics, I'm down.

I've seen a lot of religious people willing to be Jerks for Jesus (or A-holes for Allah), because their next life will be way more awesome if they do.

On the other hand, those who strive to lead a truly Christ-like life are pretty awesome.

I should be careful not to paint with too broad a brush.

Not all atheists are well meaning to Christians:
http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/to ... arade.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"The parade committee selected “Keep Christ in Christmas” as the theme of Thursday night’s parade. Seeing how there’s a church on nearly every street corner in town – no one gave it a second thought. “It was a great theme,” the mayor said. “I was totally shocked when I received the letter. It’s a small town. It’s a small Christmas parade. We didn’t think there would be any problems at all.” Little did the mayor know that his town was about to be infested with an ill-tempered gaggle of atheists from Wisconsin – the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF).

They alleged that a single person in Piedmont had complained about the parade theme – and the FFRF sent the mayor a threatening letter. The theme “alienates non-Christians and others in Piedmont who do not in fact have a ‘strong belief in prayers’ by turning them into political outsiders in their own community,” FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel wrote. “The sentiment of ‘Keeping Christ in Christmas’ does not qualify as a secular celebration.” They told the city to find a “more appropriate, more inclusive, and constitutional theme” for the parade.

It’s not the first time that the perpetually offended atheists have targeted Piedmont. Earlier this year, they demanded that the local high school stop reciting prayers before football games. “Somebody filed a complaint and we had to stop that,” the mayor said. Well, to be accurate – they sort of stopped praying. And from that point on folks would gather on the football field before the game. “And as citizens, we recited the Lord’s Prayer – out loud,” Mayor Baker said. “One week we had the entire football field encircled by people. It was really wonderful and very moving to me to see people come together and praise God and speak His name out loud.”

The prayer controversy was one of the reasons why the parade committee wanted to make a statement during the Christmas parade. Unfortunately, the city attorney told the mayor that the theme violated the law – there was nothing they could do. But the folks around Piedmont are not the kind of folks who back away from a fight. They’re a pretty resourceful bunch. While they agreed to not officially have a parade theme – the city has decided to keep Christ in Christmas in other ways...
“It annoys me that a small group of people can do what they do and get away with it and the majority has to suffer,” the mayor said. “They are infringing on my beliefs.”

Sweet&Noble wrote:Not all atheists are well meaning to Christians:
http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/to ... arade.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"The parade committee selected “Keep Christ in Christmas” as the theme of Thursday night’s parade. Seeing how there’s a church on nearly every street corner in town – no one gave it a second thought. “It was a great theme,” the mayor said. “I was totally shocked when I received the letter. It’s a small town. It’s a small Christmas parade. We didn’t think there would be any problems at all.” Little did the mayor know that his town was about to be infested with an ill-tempered gaggle of atheists from Wisconsin – the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF).

They alleged that a single person in Piedmont had complained about the parade theme – and the FFRF sent the mayor a threatening letter. The theme “alienates non-Christians and others in Piedmont who do not in fact have a ‘strong belief in prayers’ by turning them into political outsiders in their own community,” FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel wrote. “The sentiment of ‘Keeping Christ in Christmas’ does not qualify as a secular celebration.” They told the city to find a “more appropriate, more inclusive, and constitutional theme” for the parade.

It’s not the first time that the perpetually offended atheists have targeted Piedmont. Earlier this year, they demanded that the local high school stop reciting prayers before football games. “Somebody filed a complaint and we had to stop that,” the mayor said. Well, to be accurate – they sort of stopped praying. And from that point on folks would gather on the football field before the game. “And as citizens, we recited the Lord’s Prayer – out loud,” Mayor Baker said. “One week we had the entire football field encircled by people. It was really wonderful and very moving to me to see people come together and praise God and speak His name out loud.”

The prayer controversy was one of the reasons why the parade committee wanted to make a statement during the Christmas parade. Unfortunately, the city attorney told the mayor that the theme violated the law – there was nothing they could do. But the folks around Piedmont are not the kind of folks who back away from a fight. They’re a pretty resourceful bunch. While they agreed to not officially have a parade theme – the city has decided to keep Christ in Christmas in other ways...
“It annoys me that a small group of people can do what they do and get away with it and the majority has to suffer,” the mayor said. “They are infringing on my beliefs.”

Not all Christians are well meaning to atheists.

Not all Christians are well meaning to Christians and not all atheists are well meaning to atheists...etc..etc..
What's your point?

I could ask the same question of your posts...
As a Christian, I personally would not consider an atheist to be a "close friend".

Cookies wrote: What's your point?

I was just reminded of something that makes me happy:

Sweet&Noble wrote:I could ask the same question of your posts...

Touche' ;)

Sweet&Noble wrote:As a Christian, I personally would not consider an atheist to be a "close friend".

Whatever works for you, I guess?? :-??

Most atheist and nonbelievers in general could care less about complaining about a theme in a parade. We simply don't have time for it. However, there are a few that blow their stack. They do not steak for the rest of us.
you never hear the good things the FFRF does.

Welcome back!

Thank you.