GOING TO HELL? Atheist, Non-Believer Isn't Worried! A Discussion About Religion and Irreligion.

[@mikefetterman6782]

In 1980, my father died from an unknown, at the time, congenital heart defect. He was 39 and I was 9. My neighbor, the day before, had shot and killed my pet German shepherd, because he could see it from his property, and my favorite aunt died 5 days later! Needless to say, there was a lot of god talk in those few weeks, lots of ministers and people giving religious adages for sympathy. I had, just the year earlier, discovered that Santa was not real. I started picturing god as just a story like santa for adults. Then I watched, on PBS, the Irish comedian Dave Allen do a few bits about religion and, although I didn't know what it was, I was an atheist by age 10. I was thrown out of Sunday school for asking questions, "If Mary was married to Joseph, how could she still be a virgin? Consummation was a requirement in those days to secure the wedding bond. " I was tossed from the Boy Scouts, and disowned by my fathers side of the family. In my teens I started working for a zoo working with crocodiles and snakes. My grandfather screamed me out for "handling Satan's instrument" and severed ties with me, and cut me out of their will (and told me) when I was 17. Religious dogma in this day and age is inexcusable. I am not a genius and I figured it out as a kid.

[@ootowj]

Thanks for the comment. That is quite a serious story of pain and resilience. Thank you for sharing it.

[@darfcrow]

That's A LOT for a kid to endure. Glad you found the truth

[@ootowj]

@@darfcrow Thanks for contributing to the dialog.

[@mirriulahmirriulah1319]

Hey! Have you heard about the Pastor and his Parishioner enjoying a round of golf? After a few holes the Parishioner was on the green for a 5 foot putt but missed... 'Damn he said, missed the bugger.' 'Tut, Tut' said the Pastor. 'If you keep that language up god will strike you dead.' A couple of holes later the Parishioner was on a 3 foot putt and couldn't help himself. 'Damn he said, missed the bugger.' Well the sky clouded over ominously and a great bolt of lightning came from the heavens and struck the Pastor DEAD. A voice was heard from the heavens 'Damn, missed the bugger.' What do you think ... 🤣😂🤣😂😈

[@ootowj]

That was a good one. LOL! Thanks for sharing. :)

[@adamgilbert9176]

Great interview

[@ootowj]

Thanks for the comment! It is especially hard to tackle certain subjects, but I thought it worked out pretty well. Take care and thanks for watching.

[@adamgilbert9176]

@@ootowj very welcome

[@Hectorheroic]

I was brought up in a relentlessly doctrinating Christian household. Fed the fear of hell. Even from a young age I thought it was so strange that I had no say in my existence, I didn't make a deal or an agreement with any God to be born, so why would I have to play some game where to fail means everlasting torture and punishment. I have zero reason to believe there is a God. I'm good to other people because I want to be good to other people, just as I naturally want other people to be good to me. There is no god. There is no heaven. There is no Satan. There is no hell. We're completely alone. And knowing this is a wonderfully liberating thing.

[@ootowj]

Thanks for the comment. You make some good points, and it seems you share much with the interviewee.

[@Hectorheroic]

@@ootowj it was a great interview. Thank you for posting it.

[@NoName-rs1sg]

Funny because I have zero reason to NOT think there's a God 😂

[@ootowj]

@@NoName-rs1sg Thanks for the comment, and obviously many people share that opinion. It is so interesting that with so many humans we have so many beliefs, and in noticing the ways we are similar and different.

[@jamesburian5203]

The problem with Pascals wager is how do you know if you are believing in the right god? Just as Christians don't seem to worry about the possibility of Allah being the true god, I don't worry about any gods vengence. I consider all defined personal gods as man made unless empirical evidence suggests otherwise.

[@ootowj]

Thanks for the comment. You do make a good point. Perhaps, Pascal would have picked them all?

[@br.m]

If he left Catholicism, that is an improvement. At least he took a step in the right direction, there is hope for him.

[@ootowj]

Thanks for the comment. I believe he grew up in a Catholic household, which I think is still the largest of the Christian religions at 1.3 billion adherents.

[@br.m]

@@ootowj Roman Catholicism is not Christian though, that's the problem with it. They have a different Jesus and a false Gospel. They are as Christian as Muslims or Mormons. Which is not Christian at all. Peace.

[@ootowj]

@@br.m There are some key differences and also many commonalities among most of the world's religions, and I want to try to keep this a safe space for everyone to discuss. What I had done a search on was "What are the biggest christian religions"? The answer I got was; "The largest Christian denominations are Catholicism and Protestantism, or the Eastern Orthodox Church, depending on how Protestantism is grouped. Catholicism is the largest branch of Christianity, with 1.278-1.390 billion members."

[@br.m]

@@ootowj Sure and I was just offering to the discussion the fact that Roman Catholicism has abandoned the Bible and made something else up. Perhaps they could argue for a place among Abrahamic religions, but if we are being honest, not Christianity. Christians follow Jesus and Catholics follow popes. This doesn't feel like a safe space for me to discuss these uncomfortable truths though so I will go back to my own safe space.

[@Tybold63]

Not a very great interview or maybe it is the format - content wise it is more than OK but it is a noisy environment and gets unfocused. I do not fear the option of "hell" from any supernatural entity or deity that nor any supposed "love" from a creator, demiurge whatever you call it. Religion prevails as long as people who seek power can use it as a tool to brainwash and control others... It more often than not actually about deities but just "moral" or rather imposed laws to create fear.

[@ootowj]

Yeah, the format could've used improvement. There was actually a spot where some skateboarders started doing jumps right behind us I had to edit out and start over... Plus I'm still a novice at this. That is a good point you make about "controlling others". Would have been interesting to get his take on that. Thanks for the comment.

[@Tybold63]

@@ootowj Thanks for your kind response, take care.

[@adamgilbert9176]

@Tybold63 I'd disagree, it was a great interview bc it shows authenticity. Not overly produced and the content is or should be at a high level of importance in discussion.

[@adamgilbert9176]

@@Tybold63 and I'm a hard atheist activist.

[@Tybold63]

@@adamgilbert9176 I might been to direct on how I perceived it, might be due to being a Swede and not native to English.

[@davida8216]

what evidence do you need in order to believe in God?

[@ootowj]

Thanks for the comment. Indeed one could argue faith is just that.

[@davida8216]

@@ootowj faith = evidence + will

[@mirriulahmirriulah1319]

Every cult member around the world of every description has Faith as their primary motivation, without evidence, as there is no evidence. The best example today is how Maga cultists blindly follow their cult leader and self proclaimed messenger of god to save America, Donald Trump. Quite remarkable and at the same time unbelievable.

[@MrGrifft]

​@@ootowj Faith is belief in the absence of evidence. If you have evidence you don't need faith.

[@ootowj]

@@MrGrifft Thanks for the comment. Quite close to the dictionary definition.

[@joshuaakins8789]

Why don't we define God before we debate about the existence of God? Is God finite or infinite? If infinite, then there cannot be any separation and therefore God isn't a thing seperate from us or reality for that matter..Most people cannot define God in the slightest because you cannot define the infinite. So what are we even debating? Whether or not reality is infinite? Because that question also falls apart.

[@ootowj]

Thanks for the comment. That was pretty deep!

[@NeonSlime-uu5kt]

I was raised Christian. I had togo to church growing up. I even went to a private Christian school. I'm 42 now and research has led me away from Christianity. Research that still goes on to this day. I believe in God but not the Biblical god. Christians ran me away from the church. They're exhausting to be around. Research led me away from Christianity.

[@ootowj]

Thanks for your comment, and for sharing your personal story.

[@azammunir6990]

4:04 How you can say that if you create a animal you need to ask him to worship you, even if you adopt a Dog and he is not obey you, you will left him or even kill him... think.... If you have a company and you hire staff you must want that they work for the company and if these don't then you must fire them from company.

[@studiokix9274]

You would kill a dog for disobedience!? That is evil . Just like your Christian god.

[@ootowj]

@@studiokix9274 Religious or irreligious, I happen to think dogs are among the best of us. :)

[@ootowj]

Thanks for the comment. I think I understand your point is that the creator should expect obedience, rather than have to request it.

[@KUarentaKILLA]

I doubt Christian’s celebrated thanksgiving and Christmas 😂

[@ootowj]

It was my lame attempt to make a joke about how "smart" it is to bring up topics like religion, politics, etc at family get togethers.

[@BeefT-Sq]

" Rationality is the recognition of the fact that existence exists, that nothing can alter the truth and nothing can take precedence over that act of perceiving it, which is thinking--that the mind is one's only judge of values and one's only guide of action--that reason is an absolute that permits no compromise--that a concession to the irrational invalidates one's consciousness and turns it from the task of perceiving to the task of faking reality--that the alleged short-cut to knowledge, which is faith, is only a short-circuit destroying the mind--..."

- John Galt- from Atlas Shrugged, P. 1018

[@ootowj]

Thanks for the comment. I didn't expect an Ayn Rand reference, but it makes sense.