I find it funny how most Christians/other faithful will or would never berate, make fun of, or taunt non-believers.

But boy, those non-believers sure like to do it to people of faith! (any faith, pick one)

Why is that so? What drives people to do that? What is their satisfaction? What is the trade-off?

I think it is in poor taste of the athiests, but I completely agree with their right to erect the sign on the steps right next to it. Put a little space between them, have some respect. Better yet, don't put any of them up whatsoever. Problem solved.

Also, Christmas has become a purely secular holiday for many people. It is a time for me when I get to spend time with friends and family who I seldom get to see. That is what Christmas means to me.

I'm having trouble distinguishing between my neighbor's ox and my neighbor's wife. I don't know which one to covet, they both look nearly identical. But i don't think the wife would be able to perform some tasks as well as the ox, nor would i want the ox to attempt to perform some of the tasks i would require of the woman.

bman618 wrote: I don't see why people attack the 10 Commandments because it definitely has a very meaningful historical use in the basic laws of many nations, including our own. Most basic law derives from morality that came from faith.

I see this whole argument getting polled in two radical directions...the people on one side who want to rewrite our history and take away the contributions of morality and an instrument like the 10 Commandments - most of our founders sincerely believed a republic needed a moral people to work...and the other people who want the symbols of their religion displayed but not others or alternative points of view on public land.

I don't understand why people think following our Constitution is an attack on the 10 commandments. Except for - do not kill and do not steal, there's nothing good about them. And people knew killing and stealing were bad long before there were even Christians to force their views down everyone else's throat.

Cbus, perhaps you need new glasses?

I'd argue that one of the purposes of Christmas behind commerating the birth of Christ is spending time with family and taking stock in what is really important. While America is not as religious as it was say 30-40 years ago, it is still a vast majority religious - rather a belief in a particular faith or the belief in a creator God that left us alone. I think a lot of people have lost confidence in churches due to the various scandals, but they still have faith.

And before I start seeing polls, they bend extreme both ways because of the line of questioning.

CenterBHSFan wrote: I find it funny how most Christians/other faithful will or would never berate, make fun of, or taunt non-believers.

Really? There are plenty of people of faith who will criticize anyone who doesn't believe exactly what they believe.

CenterBHSFan wrote:But boy, those non-believers sure like to do it to people of faith! (any faith, pick one)

Apparently the non-believers aren't any better than the believers.

CenterBHSFan wrote:Why is that so? What drives people to do that? What is their satisfaction? What is the trade-off?

Your guess is as good as mine

FatHobbit wrote:

CenterBHSFan wrote: I find it funny how most Christians/other faithful will or would never berate, make fun of, or taunt non-believers.

Really? There are plenty of people of faith who will criticize anyone who doesn't believe exactly what they believe.

Most assuredly there are plenty of people who criticize anyone who doesn't believe in the same things that they do.
However, I'll stick with my assessment that most believers do not taunt, ridicule or make fun of non-believers

CenterBHSFan wrote: Most assuredly there are plenty of people who criticize anyone who doesn't believe in the same things that they do.
However, I'll stick with my assessment that most believers do not taunt, ridicule or make fun of non-believers

Do you suppose that if I were to declare myself a scientologist and start posting about the wisdom of Xenu that nobody would ridicule me?

FatHobbit wrote:

CenterBHSFan wrote: Most assuredly there are plenty of people who criticize anyone who doesn't believe in the same things that they do.
However, I'll stick with my assessment that most believers do not taunt, ridicule or make fun of non-believers

Do you suppose that if I were to declare myself a scientologist and start posting about the wisdom of Xenu that nobody would ridicule me?

Oh, that would probably happen by somebody somewhere, probably even here.
But, can you clarify where I said that it never happens?

When I say the words most or majority, I do not mean absolutely (as in all) in numbers. I mean 2/3 or 3/4, things along that nature.

CenterBHSFan wrote: Oh, that would probably happen by somebody somewhere, probably even here.
But, can you clarify where I said that it never happens?

When I say the words most or majority, I do not mean absolutely (as in all) in numbers. I mean 2/3 or 3/4, things along that nature.

Fair enough. You did say most, not all.

Can I assume then that you did not mean all non-believers?

Yep!

bman618 wrote:I think a lot of people have lost confidence in churches due to the various scandals, but they still have faith.

This has been a concern of mine. Being Catholic, I've been worried that the scandals that have come out would hurt the Catholic faith. Our faith doesn't teach, condone or justify the cover up. I can understand the feelings people would have toward the priests that committed the offenses but please don't condemn Catholicism because of the ones that didn't follow it or assume all priests are this way.

Captain Cavalier wrote:

bman618 wrote:I think a lot of people have lost confidence in churches due to the various scandals, but they still have faith.

This has been a concern of mine. Being Catholic, I've been worried that the scandals that have come out would hurt the Catholic faith. Our faith doesn't teach, condone or justify the cover up. I can understand the feelings people would have toward the priests that committed the offenses but please don't condemn Catholicism because of the ones that didn't follow it or assume all priests are this way.

I have no problems with Catholicism itself. I have a problem with the ponzi scheme greedy child molesters in the Vatican. I fail to see how a church should have that much money in its vault.

"The love of money is the root of all evil"

Where ever there is significant amounts of money, significant corruption is also there. As humans, we're all susceptible to temptation...even priests cardinals, bishops and the pope himself. I hope you don't judge all of them due to the acts of some. When people fail to adhere to there particular faith, that faith, though maybe not intentionally, tends to lose credibility to others...especially if the leaders are at fault. I know you stated that you have no problem with Catholicism and am glad you don't but how about a priest in general? Not all have fallen as far. Bring up a priest in a forum and see what you'll get. Most seem to have been put in that "child molester" group. Our parish had a priest that fell into this group as well, yet we have been Blessed with many good priests afterwards which kept our parish going. "...and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" meaning our parish didn't let this destroy our faith.

Yes, the "church", Catholicism, has a lot of money. As with paying taxes to the government and hoping it is put to good use, we hope for the same from the Vatican with our donations. And with both come corruption and with both will some day come His final judgement.

"A few bad apples..."

I think that alot of people adhere to this old saying a little too strongly. Or probably everybody has tended to think like that at some point about some thing.
In regards to Catholicism, I think it's definitely true. I'm not Catholic, but my opinions of the Catholic church have never been swayed by the priest/molestation scandal.
That would be like thinking that every Muslim is out to kill you.
Or what about thinking that every Baptist handles snakes?
Who really thinks that every Catholic priest molests children?
Or that every Preacher thinks the same as Jerry Falwell?
It's simply not true.

CenterBHSFan wrote: "A few bad apples..."

That would be like thinking that every Muslim is out to kill you.
Or what about thinking that every Baptist handles snakes?
Who really thinks that every Catholic priest molests children?
Or that every Preacher thinks the same as Jerry Falwell?
It's simply not true.

The Vatican represents the Catholic faith and they tacitly endorsed the molestation by quietly sweeping the problems under the rug and paying off victims so it never reached the public. Or leaving priests in leadership positions after they knew about the abuses.

eersandbeers wrote:The Vatican represents the Catholic faith and they tacitly endorsed the molestation by quietly sweeping the problems under the rug and paying off victims so it never reached the public. Or leaving priests in leadership positions after they knew about the abuses.

I disagree. I sincerely doubt that the Vatican says and teaches it's OK to molest. Their lack of action was probably do more to the fear of the fallout rather than endorsement.

I do believe on the other hand that it was wrong to try and hide what was done, to leave those priests in their positions or just move them to a different parish. No one can deny what happened was wrong.