Judy,

You and I have been on this site...how long, and as many times as people have told you that when you speak this way, you piss people off, you still don't get it?

YOUR God doesn't work that way. Other's Gods do. You believe that YOUR God is the one and only God, just as everyone else with a God (including, apparently, 20% of all atheists...go figure) feels that their God has a particular preference for how they need to act to get into heaven.

Except, as the survey indicates, most of them have enough tolerance to acknowledge that other ways may, in fact work.

It seems that, try as the rest of us might, you are just not all that tolerant. And then, to make matters worse, you hide behind your "God" to mask your intolerance.

No excuses this time, since you've told a number of us, on public threads, that you CHOSE your particular religion, so YOU made the decision to select the intolerant version of God--this particular exclusionary and intolerant God happens to meet YOUR particular needs. He reflects you, since you chose Him (after much thought, I might add).

Go ahead and blame Him all you want for your intolerance; the rest of us "get it," while you (unfortunately) continue not to.

Be

I am.

Yes, I believe my God is the True God, and that there is only one way to God and that is through His son, Jesus Christ. If I didn't believe in my belief then why believe at all? As far as "getting it" . . . I truly DO get it, but you apparently don't.

Of course I would like all people to like me, but I also live in the real world. People that believe in everything actually believe in nothing. Tolerating someone else's beliefs, to me, means that I don't try to harm anyone else, don't picket their place of employment, don't make fun of their beliefs, etc. I have done none of those things. Tolerating someone else's beliefs does not mean I or anyone else is required to believe their beliefs, or recommend those beliefs to others.

Again, I "get it". You don't want me to have my beliefs, because in having my beliefs you think I will not still care about you, love you, and wish the best for you. That is not so, even when you show intolerance toward me, or point out my failings, or make me out to be the "bad guy". I do "get it".

I truly DO "get it".

I guess that would make my views consistent with the 25%. The survey results seem contradictory, as atheism implies a belief that there is no God, or just doubt in the existence of deities. Perhaps they are simply confused about what they believe. I am a Christian, and have friends who are Christians and some who are not. We Christians worship a God that excludes no one, but does allow anyone to exclude themselves. We all have a choice! It is my experience that most who reject Christ do so because they are unwilling to give up the sin in their lives that they enjoy--that sin, whatever it is, apparently means more to them than salvation.

Judi,

You're more than welcome to your beliefs; You're even welcome to espouse them here, or anywhere else. But the way you present yourself is not only critical, but hypocritical as well.

I really don't give a damn if you "care about [me], love [me], [or] wish the best for [me];" I really don't. And I'm not making you out to be the "bad guy."

You have, however, shown yourself to be intolerant. And you have also stated that your particular form of Christianity is rather selfish (you do not believe in the value of "good acts," they are not necessary, in your religion, to help you gain passage to heaven; your particular God does not care about such things). Your intolerance may even be related to this inherent selfishness in your world view, but I don't really know, and it is really not that important to me to learn if that is the case or not.

But the response that I quoted actually makes you sound a little paranoid (this seems new). Sorry about that. But you have been told a few dozen times that you have a rather harsh and intolerant approach--one that many good religious people here feel is at odds with their concept of a loving God. And while I'm not going to invoke Boothby's "Rule #4," I've always found that if a preponderance of people keep telling you (or me) something, it's certainly worth looking in to.

DrMc,

I reject Christ because I believe that He never existed--certainly not as the "Son of God" (and that, in no small part, is because I also reject the concept that the larger God exists). Besides, you will find people on this very board who have accepted Christ, proclaim his good and glorious name to all those who will listen (as well as to many who really are tired of listening), and who sin so damned much they make me look like an infant in swaddling clothes. (I won't name him, but I don't think he's made it to this thread yet).

My sins are minimal (unless you listen to that kid from Growing Pains, in which case we're all screwed--but at least we'll have our potassium), and I've been forgiven for most of them by the people I need to be forgiven by.