God Hates Geeks now?

[Archelon]

As a deeply religious person (I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Roman Catholic, and if I weren't, I probably wouldn't be anything else), I always find things like this profoundly troubling and, frankly, depressing. It's bad enough that some people will use their religion as an excuse to promote hatred and violence, but not only are they hurting those they specifically target, they are also hurting anyone who professes to hold even a passing belief in some form of a higher power.

Those who oppose religion in all of its forms latch onto stories like these and use them as "proof" that all believers are evil, hypocrites, bigots, etc, never once taking into consideration the fact that this is just a very small, fringe sect of a much broader collection of believers and faithful. It's hard enough trying to stay faithful to a particular belief system in this day and age, and people like the members of the Westboro Baptist Church only make it that much more difficult.

I know that I believe many things other people will disagree with, and I'm okay with that, because everyone is free to believe what they wish. However, I am also not the type of person to force my beliefs on someone else. If you truly believe in something, then it should inform who you are as a person, your every decision, your every action. The best way to share your faith with someone else is to live it to the best of your ability every day of your life.

Damning every person who disagrees with you, or even someone who is actually guilty of some serious sin (murder, for instance), will get you nowhere, and it is not what God would want. There's a difference between "brotherly correction" and outright condemnation. Unfortunately, too many people, not the least of which being the Westboro Baptist Church, forget this.

It's like the old adage: "Love the sinner, hate the sin."

[Shadow Stalker]

As a deeply religious person (I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Roman Catholic, and if I weren't, I probably wouldn't be anything else), I always find things like this profoundly troubling and, frankly, depressing. It's bad enough that some people will use their religion as an excuse to promote hatred and violence, but not only are they hurting those they specifically target, they are also hurting anyone who professes to hold even a passing belief in some form of a higher power.

Those who oppose religion in all of its forms latch onto stories like these and use them as "proof" that all believers are evil, hypocrites, bigots, etc, never once taking into consideration the fact that this is just a very small, fringe sect of a much broader collection of believers and faithful. It's hard enough trying to stay faithful to a particular belief system in this day and age, and people like the members of the Westboro Baptist Church only make it that much more difficult.

I know that I believe many things other people will disagree with, and I'm okay with that, because everyone is free to believe what they wish. However, I am also not the type of person to force my beliefs on someone else. If you truly believe in something, then it should inform who you are as a person, your every decision, your every action. The best way to share your faith with someone else is to live it to the best of your ability every day of your life.

Damning every person who disagrees with you, or even someone who is actually guilty of some serious sin (murder, for instance), will get you nowhere, and it is not what God would want. There's a difference between "brotherly correction" and outright condemnation. Unfortunately, too many people, not the least of which being the Westboro Baptist Church, forget this.

It's like the old adage: "Love the sinner, hate the sin."

There should be more people like you, mate.

[Darkmoon]

I do love the irony of those who are fanatically against religion, never realising that they put as much effort and belief into believing nothing at all and trying to convince everyone else they're right to end the 'delusion of God' that, for all intents and purposes, they might as well be a religion themself.

But yes, these idiots are just that - idiots. Just because they worship in such a ridiculous way with such odd beliefs, the rest of us should not be tarred with the same brush...

[Shadow Stalker]

I do love the irony of those who are fanatically against religion, never realising that they put as much effort and belief into believing nothing at all and trying to convince everyone else they're right to end the 'delusion of God' that, for all intents and purposes, they might as well be a religion themself.

But yes, these idiots are just that - idiots. Just because they worship in such a ridiculous way with such odd beliefs, the rest of us should not be tarred with the same brush...

You must be referring to people like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, am i right?

[Darkmoon]

Dawkins in paticular. 'Without religion, good people do good things and bad people do bad things. But it takes religion to make good people do bad things.' Yes Richard. You saying it does not actually make it so, I'm afraid. Good people do bad things from nessecity as well. And religion might also make bad people do good things.

[Shadow Stalker]

^ That is a good point, mate.

EDIT: Check this video of the Westboro Baptist Church, feat. Micheal Moore.
Michael Moore vs Westboro Baptist Church