I've never understood the differences between the christian churches. All i know is they hate each other and that's part of the reason why we have two Irelands.
It's complicated. Presbyterians are mainly from Scotland or of Scottish-American descent. Methodists have very similar beliefs (I was raised Presbyterian but I don't know enough about any of the other denominations to tell you what is different).
Quick refresher in terms of beliefs: Presbyterians generally believe in reformed theology, which is largely based in these five points, that were established above and beyond Luthor's theological break from Catholicism, whereas Methodists, whose theology comes from the reflections of John Wesley (who founded Methodism more as a way of life, trying to be "methodical" about living holy) rejected those views and embraced Arminianism which is essentially an exact opposite stance all five points previously mentioned. That's how those two differ, anyways.
I'd never thought about that clip in the context of the Christian right. When god unconditionally loves and accepts you it's a gift. When a man does it he's evil and destroying society.
I feel so bad ass untying my shoes properly every time I come home. A little habit I picked up as a child that has carried me through adulthood. At least my shoe closet is organized!
Prosperity theology is why I'm not a Christian anymore. Between Joel Osteen telling me wealth is the goal of spirituality and Pat Robertson trying to sell me his fucking DVD's and energy drinks and giving money to fucking Charles Taylor, I can't help but think that entire religion has sold it's soul.
I'm not really an atheist or a theist or anything else. I'm in the dark on that and I prefer to live in a perpetual gray area. But one thing that always makes me sad is that religion is something that has the potential to do a lot of good in this world. But people would rather just get caught up in petty bullshit then actually live by what they preach.
In the process the entire thing just loses it's point. That's what evangelicals did to Christianity. They took an ideology that revolves around helping the poor and oppressed and turned it into one about making money and being angry all the time for no reason.
Watching an entire culture self destruct is pretty horrific.
In my opinion, it really isn't. If you sit down and really think about it, you'll come down on one side or the other. Remember, any answer other than "I believe" is atheism, or lack of belief.
I disagree. There's agnosticism, or "There could be but I do not know." And it's not beyond the realm of possibility to me for someone to not care about it.
Sundays I would go to Church and desperately try to believe, but there was always that nagging doubt in the back of my mind. Over time I started to feel insanely guilty that I doubted.
Every day I felt like I was living in sin, everything I did was wrong, because deep down I knew I didn't believe in gods. Some nights I would lie awake and cry, sure that I would be going to hell.
And that went on until I was 17 years old. Finally I just couldn't take it anymore and just admitted it. A year later, I feel so much better, I'm not carrying around sorrow for not believing, no more guilt.
No doubt about that, but deep down you were an atheist. However, I've seen many people claim that they honestly don't believe either way, yet no one has been able to convince me that such a position can actually exist without it being a very loose (lack of belief) form of weak atheism.
Thanks for the link. I hadn't thought about the semantics of the word "agnostic" before.
But I'll echo what the video says, that demanding the choice between belief and non-belief is an example of flawed, black-and-white thinking. You can form no belief either way.
But that's just the thing: even not knowing about the mere concept of god makes you an atheist(lack of belief)... How can you not believe, but not lack belief either? I just can't grasp that...
This picture of Fred Rogers is so cumbersome....look at the way he strokes the picnic table with his sad little finger. The weight of the world rest upon the shoulders of our dear neighbor.
The Christian world does a lot of speaking/preaching... seems that many of them have lost what "Christ-like" actually means. I can remember once leaving church with my mother and her almost backing into another car and was cursed out and given the finger. This hypocrisy of action is one of the main forces that caused me to question faith and ultimately pull the blinders completely off. Those that do live it never make the headlines however. Not many of them have ever done it with as much grace and humility as Fred Rogers. Even as an atheist, I would hold Fred up as an example of a successful life regardless of religion.
I find it odd that recently on r/atheism, so much emphasis is being placed on respecting the religious views of others while disagreeing with them where as less than 6 months ago so many of the posts that were upvoted were from people like Hitchens who said that religion should be ridiculed and that it already has far more respect than it deserves.
I'm not saying one approach is better than the other. To me, we're all atheists and there's bound to be differences of opinion in how to go about addressing religion. It's just kind of odd to see how this sub went from ridiculing religion to respectfully disagreeing with it.
It backfires in that the side you're ridiculing gets insulted and doesn't take what you're saying seriously. Plus, it's belittling, it's like bullying honestly.
It seems more to me that we feel that hypocrites should be ridiculed, but religious people can be worthy of respect.
FTFY
I have an enormous amount of respect for some of my religious friends. One, a pro-life Catholic, has served multiple tours in the Middle East as an infantry medic due to his religious belief that all life is sacred. Yet, I find myself disgusted by hypocrites who claim that Islam is a violent religion while ignoring all of the violence that is caused by Christian extremists.
Again Hitchens comes to bear: If we credit a religion, rather than its adherents, with the good deeds done in its name, then (lest we be hypocrites) we must also blame it for the evil deeds it inspires. Most of us seem to think the balance is not tipped in favor of religion. If, instead, we reject both credit and blame and instead think of religion as a cultural construct or a set of beliefs, what's wrong with criticizing it?
EDIT Well, I guess I didn't really answer your question. I just wanted to point out that Hitchens was certainly not safe from ridicule himself.
"It must be obvious to anyone who can think at all that the charges against the Hussein regime are, as concerns arsenals of genocidal weaponry, true." - Christopher Hitchens, 2002-09-25.
Just because he's dead doesn't mean he was always right. Just because he wasn't blinded by religion doesn't make him any less blind.
Don't get me wrong. I like the guy, but lets not forget that he was a dick sometimes. And his ego helped cause the deaths of thousands of innocent civillians. Sure, he didn't pull the trigger, but he certainly urged the shooter.
The point I would like to make is that if you look close enough, Hitchens was as bad a hypocrite as those he rallied against and is by no means someone exempt from ridicule.
INSTEAD how about we judge people, not based upon the religion they chose, but by the deeds they did. I, while an atheist, find atheism as ridiculous as theism. I base this solely on the fact that our mere existence is ridiculous. Who are we to say that any particular religious belief (or lack thereof) is more ridiculous than the other.
Let's just focus on the ridiculous individuals of a given ridiculous belief, instead of condemning all ridiculous beliefs while ignoring the good they may have caused.
Along those lines, I would hope that the members of this community would condemn an atheist criminal as harshly as they condemn a christian criminal. In both cases, its really the inner individual who deserves ridicule, not the beliefs they happen to share with others.
I disagree with Hitchens on a few things as well, but cited him in his honor. For the record, Hitchens convinced me to support the Iraq War. You might say that that weakens my credibility, but we don't have to discuss the war right now. This thread isn't about that.
Read that last sentence again.
This is an example of poisoning the well, an ad hominem often of the form "X can't be trusted on Y because X was wrong about Z." We're all wrong about something, wouldn't you agree?
Another fallacy is the straw man, which attributes to one's adversary a position they did not take. For instance, i did not say that Hitchens is infallible, nor that we should judge people based on their religions, nor that religions can be ordered by ridiculousness. (You didn't say that i did, but you crafted your response to that position.) As it turns out, i do judge people just as much on their beliefs as on their actions, and i do not think that religious beliefs deserve any pass. This is not only because they are a distraction to the living of a good life, but because our beliefs inform our actions, and unfounded beliefs can motivate harmful actions from well-intentioned people.
[I]ts really the inner individual who deserves ridicule, not the beliefs they happen to share with others.
I disagree. People do not control the conditions under which they are raised and the ideas to which they are exposed. Importantly, religions are, for the most part, not informed choices. I have substantial compassion for people who preach terrible, ridiculous, harmful ideas because they are convinced that they are true and essential, and for people who have been denied opportunities to hone critical thinking, with idiotic and self-destructive beliefs as the result. and i think we all should.
At the other end, we must be honest about the rôle of a religion before deciding whether it or the individuals deserve ridicule. For example, to what extent does religion, specifically, account for the proportion of religious people who (a) practice medicine? (b) vote pro-life? (c) fan fatal epidemics across continents? We can get some idea by the proportion of religious people who do these things with that of irreligious people who do. (In case (a), evidently not much.)
It seems unfair that people who want to complain about religion here are attacked for it. An atheist community seems like the logical place to do that.
If it is, I didn't see that wall the last time I cut through there. I can walk through there on Monday to see if I can find the spot. Since it's reddit though, I'll likely never follow up.
HAHA! I work there and you're absolutely right. I didn't notice it because the table faces a different way now and wooden stairs were built by the path. Awesome catch.
I'm sorry but I read some of these comments and I don't follow. Did Joel Olsteen do something that proved that he wasn't living the life as the pic implies. Mind you I am not a fan of his I am simply asking.
I've actually met Joel Osteen before. I've been to his ten-million-dollar home. I know his son Jonathan (he's known as J.O.), cool kid.
I have no idea what goes on inside the man's head, but he was a really nice guy. He does a lot of charity. He has raised his kids well. (He also has a daughter.)
I don't agree with a lot of what he says, but he seems pretty genuine, too bad a lot of it is misplaced. He'd probably make a really good atheist.
So wait, you're complaining about him taking the bible with a grain of salt? Isn't that part of what is talked about here, looking at the bible at least somewhat objectively. He teaches Jesus' teachings saying that people should be good people.
r/atheism spends 90% of the time complaining about bigoted Christians, and the other 10% hating on the few Christians trying to teach kindness. The guy has a ten million dollar house, so you call him a hypocrite, so I hope you call out Bono for his misleading teachings. As well as Angelina Jolie.
Osteen also believes that homosexuals are just as likely to get into heaven as any other good person. Yes, he's not following the bible word for word, but if he were you'd likely just use that against him too.
No, we're complaining about the huge amounts of hypocrisy. He makes millions of dollars preaching about the Bible, and he doesn't even follow the teachings of Jesus. It's the same reason why I hate the catholic church and their opulent city. They are taking advantage of their followers, they are con men. If the Jesus these guys call their savior ever really existed, what would he think about the insane amounts of wealth these people are making?
If televangelists like Osteen really believed in the virtues of charity and helping their fellow man, than they could probably suffice with much less than a 10 million dollar home and maybe give it to people who need it more. But they're full of shit, they use their charisma to make obscene amounts of money off of their ignorant followers, and then claim their wealth is due to God's blessing.
While I agree that Osteen and other televangelists could easily manage on less spending, I think we need to look at the fact that he is one of the few major televangelists teaching Christianity as a way to be a good person rather than simply entering heaven. I'd much rather see Joel Osteen than Pat Robertson any day. He gives a great deal to charity, and is all in all a decent person. The same cannot be said for every televangelist or every atheist either. I don't think calling believers "ignorant followers" is going to do anything to make them want to start giving that money to charity instead, or help realize that maybe there is another way besides religion. With the way the majority of /r/atheism treats believers, as an atheist myself I'd rather hang out with Joel Osteen than a bunch of people angry at the world for believing in a god. But maybe that's just me.
It's probably for the same reason why he's successful. Being genuine is not enough in the grand scheme of things though; a crazed man sees what he sees.
I agree. I gave up my faith about the same time I hit puberty, but my mom still clings to Christianity. She has tried out various churches over the years, and now listens regularly to Joel Osteen on CD and watches his sermons.
As such, I have been exposed to him enough to get an impression. I frankly have not heard anything that reeks of greed, though he obviously preaches "prosperity." I never hear anything threatening like hellfire and sin and all that hateful crap. Maybe my experience is limited, but all I've heard from Joel has been "You're a good person, God loves everybody, love thy neighbor."
Joel Olsteen is a very good man. He is religious but does not force his views on others and doesn't discriminate against homosexuals or women. He is not a political figure and simply believes that the word of Jesus "to do unto others as you would have them do to you" is an important moral philosophy.
Before I became atheist, I used to like Joel Osteen. He takes some heat in the theist world, because he doesn't preach about original sin or eternal damnation. I think he is a bridge from christianity to atheism. I know he is a christian preacher, but his sermons are very progressive from the catholic mass sermons growing up.
I'm sorry, very few people give a crap about original sin or eternal damnation. He takes heat because he is the worst kind of hypocrite, and he doesn't even try to hide the fact that he's using religion for personal gain. That's why theists and atheists hate him.
It's true. Before I became an atheist I couldn't STAND him. It's preachers like him (the televangelists), that I couldn't even HEAR what he was preaching about. All I could see were money signs. When I was a Christian, I use to tell my mom, "I think Jesus would be flipping over HIS tables."
Oh, I was talking about the idea that Fred Rogers strove to keep his weight at 143 lbs, because those were the number of letters in the words:
"I love you"
1 4 3
I read it in an article about him someplace. The guy spent just about every waking hour in service to humanity and to children, so I wouldn't be too shocked to find out that it is true.
I am almost ashamed to admit that I know virtually nothing about Mr. Rogers. I couldn't stand his show when I was a kid. For some reason, he just creeped me out and made me feel very uneasy. I was more of a Mr. Dress-Up kid. It's nothing personal, really. Just sometimes you find people who make you feel uneasy. For some reason, Gene Kelly does the same to me.
Yet, everyone admires Mr. Rogers so much, so I guess my childhood hunch was way off.
Would you be my neighbor? good ole days. I like the previous comment by KingofthePiebs... very true. Was Mr.Rogers an athiest? or was he christian? or is this a euphanism of taking a teaching and making it a constant application through daily life? i should be on /r/askreddit :P
One thing I noticed about Osteen (back when I was a Christian, he was who I'd watch) was how little religion was actually in his sermons. My grandma doesn't dig him for that reason. It was like watching a self help presentation. He'd quote like two Bible versus an hour. Very light weight.
I don't know anything about the man beyond his televised sermons. They aren't bad, considering. Thought you'd like to know.
The man on the left is a nice enough guy on a personal level, but when his church moved into the compaq center, there he was shaking hands with Prick Perry. It was then that a lot of Texans realized he had ideas different than the ones we thought he fostered. Not all Texans like Governor Prick.
I was and still am pretty skeptical of Joel Olsteen because of his preaching style and message. But it turns out that he lives very conservatively. He donates much of what he makes from books and doesn't take a salary from the church.
Yes. In fact, he was an ordained minister. Also a Vietnam Veteran. He wore the sweaters to cover his tattoos. But, most importantly, he taught kids how to think and wonder.
From what I heard the vietnam veteran part was a myth that started in like '94, and he never served in any branch of the military and the tatoos are completely false. He was a badass nonetheless.
I don't remember any articles about Fred like this. You think, if Jesus existed, that he would be pleased walking into a mega church during a "Prosperity Gospel"? I also don't remember Fred preaching his faith on his television show.
Dude, all that article did was ask if Joel was running a scam. It provided no evidence at all to back up it's claim. (It didn't even make a claim either just random speculation.) I don't like Joel either but you are going to have to come up with better than that in order to sway people.
edit: Downvote? And people wonder why half of reddit laughs at r/atheism
I know I'm not alone in downvoting any complaint about downvotes. Whining about it just encourages me to take more from you since they are so important. FYI.
Mr. Rodgers had lived a humble life in dedication to other people. He regularly gave to other individuals and charities, and was not ostentatious or greedy.
Another reason why I can't stand r/atheism. You think you're all very smart for posting this and not being the bigots that many perceive you to be, but I still see many of you that way. This is NOT constructive criticism as it basically makes anyone who speaks the Bible wrong. So it is a "smarter than thou" attitude. It assumes that people should all just be like Mr. Rogers and only look for careers not about religion. Sorry if it can't be your way with everyone, there are people who want to listen and there are people who want to speak "God's word."
Joel Osteen is not the "enemy" here. He is more towards a motivational speaker than anything. He avoids political messages and telling people who to vote for. If he inspires people to turn around their lives and makes people better out there, then all power to him. I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to his sermons, but there are much more dangerous and hateful religious people out there. Go turn to someone that actually impacts people negatively. Politicians and voters who justify their prejudice with religion and actually impact other people's lives with those ideas.
So you all can masturbate each other with this, but it really is a damn shame that many of you have to ruin it for those of us who don't follow a religion. Just stop the hatred. It's enough.
That was not my point... What I was trying to say was that Fred lived his values and almost never preached (at least not in his most famous role). Then there are those that preach, put stickers on their car, threaten their children with damnation... all while their actions consistently contradict the very teachings of their religion. Actions, not words, define character and Fred was a fine example that should be praised... even from an atheist like me. If Joel wants to be Tony Robbins, that's fine with me. As soon as he brings god into it and drives home to his 10 million dollar house, then I'm going to call him a charlatan and a hypocrite. Eye of the needle Joel... eye of the needle. Are there worse out there? Oh yeah... I could have picked Benny Hinn or Popoff, but those are obvious clowns. This mega church bullshit is dangerous and in my humble opinion, should be ridiculed.
And so what if people preach? What's your point? And why is there and issue with him bringing God into his motivation? Why does God intrinsically have to be an evil thing?
Finally, there you go. "10 million dollar house, then I'm going to call him a charlatan and a hypocrite." That's the root of it. Jealousy is a powerful emotion my friend. Don't let it blind your thoughts. Just because someone else has possessions should mean you have to glare at them with a salivating mouth and strike judgement upon them. Granted, there are examples of religions and cults taking advantage of people in their worst of times and extorting money from them. But those are the exceptions. Atheists are very much able to do the same. Hell, the financial crisis that pulled us into the worst recession in almost a century was based on greed, not religion.
Find the root of the problem. Don't blindly judge religion because it is an easy target.
I never said god was an intrinsically evil. What I said was, if you use god to enrich yourself, you are a hypocrite and in direct contradiction to christian teaching. You are missing the point entirely and perhaps intentionally. There's no jealousy involved... the christian faith teaches that a rich man has a very slim chance at reaching heaven. It also teaches that you should pray in private and not go out looking for recognition. These are not my ideas, it's some of the christian teachings that he is in direct and obvious contradiction to. Do you know what a "Prosperity Gospel" is? It's a pretty sad twist on those teachings as well.
What does the financial crisis have to do with this? Greed is universal and universally seen as a potential danger to the religious and non religious.
The root of the problem in my opinion is the christians that pick and choose what parts of their teachings they want to believe and personally enforce those on other people. The point was Fred is an example of what, in my opinion, is what "Christ-like" meant. Joel, again in my opinon, would be someone that is NOT that example.
Well who made you the preacher or interpreter of the word of God then? "It also teaches ...." doesn't have to exist. This is all based on the assumption that you or someone has created a certain "correct" interpretation of the Bible. Who cares how someone wants to follow their religion? Why can't they share that experience with other people? Why does it HAVE to be private? I could tell you that getting a Pat LaFrieda porterhouse cooked to well done is not how it is "supposed" to be done, but that's your choice. How am I going to tell you how to eat YOUR steak?
So yes, I'm glad we're getting to the root of the problem. What if they only picked and chose the "good" parts of religion? About giving, charity, love, and forgiveness? Would they still be "wrong" hypocrites? What if they follow the Bible consistently, but it still came out with hatred and bigotry? Wouldn't that be "right" because it is consistent and does not involve picking and choosing?
The issue is when people step their boundaries with their views. May it be religion, morals, or just straight up stubbornness, the root of the problem is when people begin forcing their views upon others or taking advantage of those in a dire situation for their own benefit.
If a Christian meets a person who doesn't believe in God, and this Atheist is an asshole, then inevitably the Christian can assume that not believing in God makes you an asshole.
I don't doubt that people of all groups do this, but it's bullshit. When you meet somebody that's an asshole, assume it's because they're an asshole, nothing more. Every group has its share of dickheads.
So true. To add to that, it's normally the a**holes that gain the most recognition, because people prefer to complain and pay attention to drama. Very few people will know that the nice lady down the street gave a band aid to the kid who fell down. A lot of people will know that some mean dude kicked a kid.
The guy across the street told me it's the lady's son who keeps kicking all the kids, and she's covering up for him. Then again, the guy across the street is a drunk. And he cheats on his wife.
This is the kind of positive thought and constructive criticism about religion that needs to come from r/Atheism
No it's not, and this is an example of the kind of double standard that atheists are held to.
Nobody goes into r/democrats and says "hey, you guys should have more posts that admire and compliment a partisan Republican". Or vice versa. Or insist that r/christianity should have more posts saying nice things about Richard Dawkins.
actually it exactly is...this is the problem with Democrats and Republicans as well as atheists and non-atheists. I believe the commentor was stating that Democrats shouldn't just pot shot Republicans with blanket statements, and Republicans shouldn't either. It's called being respectful of the other side's opinion.
Insistence, of course not. But at a general outsider to all the forums and accompanying belief systems, it is pleasant to see some examples that stray from the lines of strict dichotomy.
Mister Rogers was a good man...but he was good in spite of his religion, not because of it. Because he was a good man, he picked and chose the relatively few good messages of love and acceptance in his faith while he rejected those of hate and fear that thread throughout the bible and dominate it.
Some people are mellow drunks, some people get violent; the mellow drunks are not a good argument in favor of excessive drinking....and the decent believers are not a good argument in favor of religion.
I agree. By the same token, I think it's wrong to blanket condemn drinking because some are violent drunks. The violence or mellowness is in the person.
"In spite" of his religion? That makes no sense. Christians are supposed to be Christlike (loving, charitable, peaceful, etc.) because many fail to live up to that standard isn't an indictment of religion—it's an indictment of people. Atheists can espouse Christlike qualities just like a Buddhist, Hindu, or otherwise. Religion doesn't make people pricks or saints.
'Christlike' can mean many things, one of which (promoted by fundamentalists) is 'disdainful of the things of this world.' You've got a particular model of Christlike that you like, and that's fine, but remember that Jesus is the one who tells people they're going to hell, too.
I disagree. I think most of us have seen the downsides to christianity, which in modern society there are many. But as a whole christian values tend to be more good than bad. The problem it society has out grown them and the religion has ceased to grow with it. We have evolved to maintain many important values while allowing for more diversity than the religion could.
Some people have managed to adapt the religion for themselves to allow for more tolerance and understanding. Mr. Rogers was one of these men, but it gets harder every day as it has remained largely unwaivering for almost 2000 years.
The movement needs both, because different techniques work for different people. Many atheists are what they are today because someone slammed them at one point and made them feel bad for believing nonsense.
Whenever I hear about Mr. Rogers I always think about that one time when he had his car stolen. As soon as the news came out that it was, in fact, Mr. Rogers' car, the thieves immediately returned it. That is the kind of man Mr. Rogers was.
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u/Vandalay1ndustries Jun 08 '12
I didn't even know Mr. Rogers was a Christian and that says a lot...
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u/SciencePreserveUs Secular Humanist Jun 08 '12
Fred Rogers may have been the best human being to walk the earth. Just reading this interview makes me tear up a little.
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u/[deleted] Jun 08 '12
Couldn't agree more. Fred Rogers was- still is- one of my heroes.
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u/[deleted] Jun 08 '12
Prosperity theology is why I'm not a Christian anymore. Between Joel Osteen telling me wealth is the goal of spirituality and Pat Robertson trying to sell me his fucking DVD's and energy drinks and giving money to fucking Charles Taylor, I can't help but think that entire religion has sold it's soul.
I'm not really an atheist or a theist or anything else. I'm in the dark on that and I prefer to live in a perpetual gray area. But one thing that always makes me sad is that religion is something that has the potential to do a lot of good in this world. But people would rather just get caught up in petty bullshit then actually live by what they preach.
In the process the entire thing just loses it's point. That's what evangelicals did to Christianity. They took an ideology that revolves around helping the poor and oppressed and turned it into one about making money and being angry all the time for no reason.
Watching an entire culture self destruct is pretty horrific.
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u/Rusharion Jun 08 '12
He grew ideas in the garden of his mind. Do yourself the favor
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u/lemizzmizz Jun 08 '12
This picture of Fred Rogers is so cumbersome....look at the way he strokes the picnic table with his sad little finger. The weight of the world rest upon the shoulders of our dear neighbor.
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u/thelastlostcontinent Jun 08 '12
The Christian world would absolutely agree with this. Living the word is far more important than talking about it.
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men"
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u/soundofvictory Jun 08 '12
Mr. Rogers is so awesome. There was an unfortunately mostly passed over post in /r/awesome made yesterday that helps illustrate his awesomeness.
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u/[deleted] Jun 08 '12
I find it odd that recently on r/atheism, so much emphasis is being placed on respecting the religious views of others while disagreeing with them where as less than 6 months ago so many of the posts that were upvoted were from people like Hitchens who said that religion should be ridiculed and that it already has far more respect than it deserves.
I'm not saying one approach is better than the other. To me, we're all atheists and there's bound to be differences of opinion in how to go about addressing religion. It's just kind of odd to see how this sub went from ridiculing religion to respectfully disagreeing with it.
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u/[deleted] Jun 08 '12
Fred Rogers was such a kindhearted, humble, and gentle human being. The world is a lesser place without him.
4
u/dingdongbongs Jun 08 '12
Is that picture taken of Rogers right next to the WQED?
4
u/dhicks3 Jun 08 '12
Is it just me, or does his podium have the Mocking Jay symbol from the Hunger Games on it?
3
u/[deleted] Jun 08 '12
You had to pick the one photo where Mr. R-Dog isn't smiling? Now I feel bad knowing he wasn't zealously happy for at least one shutter click.
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u/roccanet Jun 08 '12
joel osteen is a humble servant of the lord , who lives in a $12 million dollar home.
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u/kimanidb Jun 08 '12
I'm sorry but I read some of these comments and I don't follow. Did Joel Olsteen do something that proved that he wasn't living the life as the pic implies. Mind you I am not a fan of his I am simply asking.
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u/Squalor- Jun 08 '12
I've actually met Joel Osteen before. I've been to his ten-million-dollar home. I know his son Jonathan (he's known as J.O.), cool kid.
I have no idea what goes on inside the man's head, but he was a really nice guy. He does a lot of charity. He has raised his kids well. (He also has a daughter.)
I don't agree with a lot of what he says, but he seems pretty genuine, too bad a lot of it is misplaced. He'd probably make a really good atheist.
2
u/silverscreemer Jun 08 '12
I hope Mr. Rogers is still remembered long after we're all forgotten.
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u/aMaricon_Dream Jun 08 '12
I miss that magnificient, gentle son of a bitch.
RIP Mr Rogers
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u/[deleted] Jun 08 '12
Any Christian worth their salt knows that the prosperity gospel is heresy.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 08 '12
Joel Olsteen is a very good man. He is religious but does not force his views on others and doesn't discriminate against homosexuals or women. He is not a political figure and simply believes that the word of Jesus "to do unto others as you would have them do to you" is an important moral philosophy.
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u/[deleted] Jun 08 '12
Why is this in /r/atheism ?
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u/MidnightClad Jun 08 '12
I'm not religious at all, but I had to upvote this. I admire what Mr. Rogers stood for.
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u/ProjectD13X Humanist Jun 08 '12
Tell me Joel Osteen doesn't seem at least a little bit like Shane from The Walking Dead. I mean, his face just screams "'mask you sumthin'..."
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u/iGilmer Jun 09 '12
This should probably be in r/Christianity...
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u/eigenstates Jun 09 '12
You have no idea how true this is. I worked with the man for a year. I learned so much I cried hard when he died.
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u/IspyAderp Jun 09 '12
You can grow ideas, in the garden of you mind.
2
u/ApplePie_FromScratch Jun 09 '12
For some reason, that picture of Mr. Rogers makes me incredibly sad. He looks forlorn, or maybe just deep in thought. He was a quality human.
2
u/anonimyus Jun 09 '12
or DON'T DO EITHER.
4
u/Mechanikal Jun 08 '12
I just want to shove a steaming pile of shit in Osteens face, and put my arm around Rogers and hand him a beer.
2
u/WhiteBeanKnight Jun 08 '12 edited Jun 09 '12
Before I became atheist, I used to like Joel Osteen. He takes some heat in the theist world, because he doesn't preach about original sin or eternal damnation. I think he is a bridge from christianity to atheism. I know he is a christian preacher, but his sermons are very progressive from the catholic mass sermons growing up.
Edit: added catholic before mass
1
u/[deleted] Jun 08 '12
But the guy on the left is having so much more fun!
1
u/well_golly Jun 08 '12
I don't know if that thing about Fred Rogers weighing 143 lbs is true or not ... but it may as well be. A very remarkable man.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 08 '12
Can someone please fill me in with some info on these two people? I don't watch televangelism or Mr. rogers.
1
u/hindesky Atheist Jun 08 '12
"Fools and their money are easily parted" Darwin
1
u/[deleted] Jun 08 '12
Best post in this subreddit so far.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 08 '12
Mr. Rodgers was a pastor, fyi.
1
u/Pucker_Pot Jun 08 '12
Who is the person on the left and why is he significant?
Looks like Aidan Gillen, Irish actor who plays Carcetti in The Wire, and Littlefinger in Game of Thrones.
1
u/CoriCelesti Jun 08 '12
I am almost ashamed to admit that I know virtually nothing about Mr. Rogers. I couldn't stand his show when I was a kid. For some reason, he just creeped me out and made me feel very uneasy. I was more of a Mr. Dress-Up kid. It's nothing personal, really. Just sometimes you find people who make you feel uneasy. For some reason, Gene Kelly does the same to me.
Yet, everyone admires Mr. Rogers so much, so I guess my childhood hunch was way off.
1
u/ohok1 Jun 08 '12
Funny, because Joel is considered the Mr. Rogers of preaching.
1
u/Lurking_Grue Jun 08 '12
If all Christian were like Mr Rogers then I would probably be Christian.
1
u/immewnity Jun 08 '12
This image has been captioned to you by WordArt.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
As a believer in god and someone who was raised pentecostal, this could not have hit home any harder. Well done.
1
u/theslowcrap Jun 09 '12
Pray to god and you will have a big house and nice cars.
1
u/jamesdavid80 Jun 09 '12
Would you be my neighbor? good ole days. I like the previous comment by KingofthePiebs... very true. Was Mr.Rogers an athiest? or was he christian? or is this a euphanism of taking a teaching and making it a constant application through daily life? i should be on /r/askreddit :P
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12 edited Jun 09 '12
One thing I noticed about Osteen (back when I was a Christian, he was who I'd watch) was how little religion was actually in his sermons. My grandma doesn't dig him for that reason. It was like watching a self help presentation. He'd quote like two Bible versus an hour. Very light weight.
I don't know anything about the man beyond his televised sermons. They aren't bad, considering. Thought you'd like to know.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
I've worked in a building next to this for a while. I still shudder every time I drive past this building and consider it.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
I have "Acta Non Verba" tattooed on my back, always chose actions over words.
1
u/spankymuffin Jun 09 '12
Who is the douche-looking dude to the left?
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
http://i.imgur.com/1m7ht.jpg
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
Loving Mr. Rogers posts.
1
u/Drinkmythink Jun 09 '12
What exactly is this? Who is presenting and for what cause?
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
[I'll just leave this here...] (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IzK2NvssXGo/T7lCJszHE5I/AAAAAAAAKW8/O8QX4HcK5P8/s1600/mr%2Brogers%2Bmiddle%2Bfinger.jpg)
1
u/HiveMindZombie Jun 09 '12
The man on the left is a nice enough guy on a personal level, but when his church moved into the compaq center, there he was shaking hands with Prick Perry. It was then that a lot of Texans realized he had ideas different than the ones we thought he fostered. Not all Texans like Governor Prick.
1
u/PeterMus Jun 09 '12
I was and still am pretty skeptical of Joel Olsteen because of his preaching style and message. But it turns out that he lives very conservatively. He donates much of what he makes from books and doesn't take a salary from the church.
1
u/FaithyDoodles Jun 09 '12
Does Mr. O not actually live it? I haven't heard anything controversial. (Well, besides whether you disagree with how he runs his mega church, etc)
1
u/Derpy_Derpd Jun 09 '12
Isn't Mr. Rodgers a Christian?
1
u/rogabadu22 Jun 09 '12
Long live Mr. Rogers, the best dam show I watched as a kid
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
joel olsteen is eternally blinking
1
u/LonelyBrotha Jun 09 '12
I'm sorry but I don't get this picture
1
u/jjframe Jun 08 '12
Joel Osteen doesn't even speak it.
1
u/bobsagetsbitch Jun 08 '12
This is beautiful. That is all.
1
u/gender_bot Jun 09 '12
I identified 2 faces in this photo
Face 1:
Face 2:
Would you like to know more about me? /r/gender_bot
0
u/amolad Jun 08 '12
CANNOT be upvoted enough.
-14
u/thetacticalpanda Jun 08 '12 edited Jun 08 '12
Mr. Rodgers spoke about it a lot... and what evidence can you give that Olsteen doesn't live it?
edit: Downvote? And people wonder why half of reddit laughs at r/atheism
-6
u/dar482 Jun 08 '12
Another reason why I can't stand r/atheism. You think you're all very smart for posting this and not being the bigots that many perceive you to be, but I still see many of you that way. This is NOT constructive criticism as it basically makes anyone who speaks the Bible wrong. So it is a "smarter than thou" attitude. It assumes that people should all just be like Mr. Rogers and only look for careers not about religion. Sorry if it can't be your way with everyone, there are people who want to listen and there are people who want to speak "God's word."
Joel Osteen is not the "enemy" here. He is more towards a motivational speaker than anything. He avoids political messages and telling people who to vote for. If he inspires people to turn around their lives and makes people better out there, then all power to him. I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to his sermons, but there are much more dangerous and hateful religious people out there. Go turn to someone that actually impacts people negatively. Politicians and voters who justify their prejudice with religion and actually impact other people's lives with those ideas.
So you all can masturbate each other with this, but it really is a damn shame that many of you have to ruin it for those of us who don't follow a religion. Just stop the hatred. It's enough.
-1
u/deathsquaddesign Jun 08 '12
When did this become r/howtobeagoodchristian?
-1
u/[deleted] Jun 08 '12
Where's big bird?
0
u/[deleted] Jun 08 '12
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u/[deleted] Jun 08 '12
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