For example, you put yourself through university by studying hard and working full time. Then someone says, you should thank god for giving you the strength. Like wtf do you mean, I busted my ass day in and day out but I’m supposed to thank god for it?
It irritates me because the family member who attributes random occurrences to god intervening in daily life and a great evil we are fighting on earth that also intervenes is catholic; this mystic shit is heretical as hell.
I’m not a Christian anymore, but brought up as one. I was never told what Christianity actually is and meant, and only figured that out later in life. That did help me to not be too annoyed with the annoying parts of Christianity, even when people themselves don’t have a clue about what they are saying.
A basic misunderstanding of what is meant by ‘thanking God’ in a religious context like this, for atheist (and for a lot of theists as well), is the idea that this is an outwards expression, to something out there. For the theists it is supposed to be an inward expression to a feeling/knowledge of yourself. That’s the entire idea of baptism, it’s the symbolic acknowledgement of having God inside you. And part of the three parts of God (in Christianity), inside, outside, and in other persons. Symbolized by the holy spirit, God as a father and Jesus.
A consequence of being a creation of the almighty God. So, that’s 4 Gods to keep track of. Of which 3 of them are the representation of 1, this also hints at the polytheistic beginnings of religion.
I think for most atheists the feelings of annoyance isn’t because of these beliefs, as they are in themselves quite logical (in their own right, I didn’t mean ‘correct’ or ‘factual’). The annoying part is Christians don’t understand their own religion anymore and most of it is infested with fascism.
Anyway, this helps me not hate too much on harmless frases.
A little irritated that they should presume upon my religious practice, like they think they need to act as hall monitor for God. Like you can praise God as you feel compelled, but don’t tell me how to; that’s between us.
My mom showed me her list of answered prayers to prove prayer works. I looked at the list and it turns out I did most of that. If I’m doing all the work what do I need God for?
Have you entertained the possibility that you simply might be God ?
Title
Easy there Homelander.
I was reading recently that thought as we know it, is a relatively recent development in humanity. Up until only a few hundred years ago, any ideas we came up with, were automatically attributed to the Gods. You didn’t come up with any ideas on your own, you wondered what to do, and God told you, and you did it.
It was only a few hundred years ago that people began to realize that they were thinking up these ideas on their own, and God had nothing to do with it.
Some people STILL think this way.
The idea of the weird voice in your head not being “you” can make a lot of sense, in a weird way.
I also once read that the Romans believed thoughts came from your heart. I get that. After all, when you feel loss or separation, you feel it in your chest.
Still, it’s interesting to think about - why do we think thoughts come from our head? I’ve tried to imagine thoughts coming from my heart, and it doesn’t feel right. I think it might be because our eyes and ears are right there, feeding information straight into our brain. And yet the Romans believed it. It must have felt right to them, so that would indicate that it’s a socialization sort of thing. We’re told where our thoughts emanate from, and we believe it.
I guess they didn’t know what the brain did exactly, but they must have noticed from battle injuries that the brain is key to being alive.
Its a philosophical crutch, putting your reason for living or being a decent person in the hands of an other entity is easier than taking that responsibility yourself.
I guess the emotion I feel when some theist is mouthing off or drawing irrational conclusions is pitty. I do try to not be judgmental, but its hard some days.
I will note however, that if that’s what it takes for someone to be a decent person, who am I to GAF :)
My aunt told me a story about how her mother had to be rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. On the way to he hospital, she died in the ambulance, the paramedics revived her, got her to he hospital and she lived another 5 years. After my aunt told me that story, she immediately thanked God instead of the paramedics and other medical professionals who saved her mother’s life…
I’m not sure “irritated” is the right word. If God is the reason good things happen, I have to ask why THE FUCK my daughter got a brain tumor at age 10. If that was part of God’s Great Plan then he’s a FUCKING ASSHOLE, and next time you pray you can tell him that for me.
Anything I say will seem reductive and hollow, but I’m truly sorry you’ve had to/are having to deal with this and I can’t imagine the hardship. I wish you and your family nothing but the best.
I remember when I was a teenager I was annoyed when my mom thanked god for paying off the house instead of right fully taking the credit. I remember her and my father busting their ass every day to pay the bills but not once did I ever see god pitch in so much as a dollar. Yet she gave all the credit to “god” anyway.
I’m annoyed anytime anyone religious says anything about god
Yeah it’s annoying.
But fairy tale creatures aside, recognizing and being grateful for any good luck, attributes, or privilege you might have is good for you and your empathy for others.
I grew up poor, usually ate 1 meal a day until I was about 9, parents were physically abusive and neglectful, I wasn’t taken to a doctor or dentist until my teacher in grade 6 spoke to my parents about my constant illnesses and jacked up teeth, they actually put me in school 2 years late because they didn’t care. They were immigrants who didn’t want to learn the language of the country we live in so I went into school not even knowing how to say “hello, my name is”. Being the only minority in my class until high school made me a target at all times. I got a job at 14, worked hard to save up for a car and uni, worked my way through uni.
There aren’t many things I am grateful for but I am most grateful that I never killed myself even though I felt I had been dealt a shitty hand. I am very empathetic to others because I had experienced nothing but pain through my childhood and it has nothing to do with luck or privilege. It’s because I woke up everyday and focused on doing everything I could to maybe have a better future one day. The only person I feel I owe anything to is myself and it’s tiring to hear people say my efforts were not my own.
They’re terrifying.
My entire childhood was spent in churches… Catholic, Baptist, and Assembly of God… and their schools.
They all had one thing in common, they were bat-shit crazy. I was horrified every day, adulthood and leaving them behind was a magnificent relief.
This is a huge part of why America is such a shithole, in my opinion.
… and of course they don’t pay taxes in the USA, with far greater tax relief than any secular non-profits… so we all get to pay for their ridiculous drek, whether Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mormons, even Church of Scientology, the taxpayers carry them all.
My biggest pet peeve in this realm is people thanking God when it was the medical staff that did all the work.
I know dozens of people worked together to save my life but forget all that because I am going to thank my magic sky daddy.
I bet they wouldn’t have blamed god if you had died! He always gets the credit but never the blame.
He always gets the credit but never the blame.
Lol. Good point.
Of course, I suppose some are just quiet about it. It doesn’t pay to share what we blame God for, too widely.
Edit: And I suppose it’s eventually easier to let it go, than hold a grudge against a probably-not-there diety who is arguably either incompetent or didn’t care enough to help.
This but even beyond medical (though that’s probably the most egregious) same shit happens when people pool together to get any kind of cause and then someone turns around and thanks god. Like homie what about all the actual people who actually did the work?
True dat.
I’m annoyed by anyone with a personality that consists of exactly one thing and one thing only, even more so when the one thing they picked for their personality is a tradition of extravagant bullshit that has been ruining lives for millenia
probably not half as irritated as god would be
