Welcome.... NEWTRIMENT ....F&R Summer Event

**heretic** · 08-19-2008, 09:25 AM

Re: Welcome.... *NEWTRIMENT* ....F&R Summer Event

Nutribun neva get di memo?

**Diplomat** · 08-19-2008, 10:05 AM

Re: Welcome.... *NEWTRIMENT* ....F&R Summer Event

Yes, he did. Got a PM from him on Sunday night and expected to see him yesterday. He had been away, so he's probably getting caught up on other things We'll give him another day to show up.

**Compry** · 08-20-2008, 03:12 PM

Re: Welcome.... *NEWTRIMENT* ....F&R Summer Event

Hi Newtral...

**Bizzy** · 08-20-2008, 06:54 PM

Re: Welcome.... *NEWTRIMENT* ....F&R Summer Event

looks like a no show

**neutral** · 08-21-2008, 05:51 AM

Re: Welcome.... *NEWTRIMENT* ....F&R Summer Event

Sorry everyone,I do apologise,I did agree to participate but unfortunately I went cruising around the mediterranean and has returned to a ton of work so was unable to log on to the dot com.

I`ll answer Cew`s questions but I dont think I`ll be able to give much time for questions and answers,..I do apologise and hope it doesnt spoil things much.

**neutral** · 08-21-2008, 06:43 AM

Re: Welcome.... *NEWTRIMENT* ....F&R Summer Event

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CEW</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'">…<span style="font-size: 11pt"> <span style="color: #CC0000"> The F&R Mods welcome our 4th guest in our summer series -- Newtriment! He has graciously agreed to be a part of this event, and we are honored to have him as one of our guests. Without any further ado… NEWTRIMENT!!!!!!</span> </span>

<span style="color: #000099"> <span style="font-size: 17pt"> WELCOME NEWT!! </span></span></span>

<span style="font-style: italic">....<span style="font-size: 11pt">To get things started, and while our members are thinking of their own questions, take it away, Newt!! </span> </span>

<span style="font-size: 11pt">1)Did you grow up with religious beliefs, and if so, at what point/age did you start to question them?

<span style="font-weight: bold">I grew up with very very strong religious beliefs,my granny made me and my siblings go to church religiously (no pun intended)every sunday,first sunday school,which I really enjoyed, then on to the main service,which admittedly I did find very boring most of the times,except for when it was maas roamie`s turn to take sermons,...he always finished off the service bawling his eyes out,...all the kids would just be sitting there with their hands over their mouths stifling laugh while this big man on the pulpit put down the loudest cow bawling you ever heard. </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold"> there was never really a point I can pinpoint when I started questioning my beliefs,it was more a question of reading more and understanding more about the world,and trying to come to terms with the idea of a "god" and the reality of the state of the world with regards to poverty,wars,and inequality,.....and also a most profound turning point for me was when I had to read a ton of books on slavery as part of my course at university,..the realisation that the church actualy justified slavery went against everything I was taught as a boy in sunday schol.</span>

2) Was there someone within your circle (family or friend) who influenced and helped shape you in your current belief (or lack thereof)? If not, who inspired the most in your current beliefs (or lack thereof)

<span style="font-weight: bold"> there is no one person that influenced my non belief,although I was fortunate that my wife also felt the same about religion as I do,..although admittedly she is not as passionate as I in bunning fyah on it.</span>

3.Do you get turned off completely if you were chatting amiably with someone, and then you found out they were a Christian/religious?

<span style="font-weight: bold">Oh no,...not at all,I would never do that,despite my stance on here I am not a rabid foaming at the mouth anti religious nut who harangue every religious believer I meet,I have had religious discussions with believers but always amicable ones,I suppose most people that I know are all believers,my whole family believe in god,...but I dont discuss religion with them,....my mother goes to church regularly,....although she doesnt know I am not a non believer,....she would probably tan my hide...lol. </span>

4) Do you find yourself intolerant of people who believe in God?

<span style="font-weight: bold">no,..I`m just very very amazed and astonished that people can actually believe in a god given that religion is the biggest cause of war and hostility in the world,despite what it is suposed to represent </span>

5) Given that you do not believe in God, do you think that His presumed non-existence is self-evident, and if so, in what ways?

<span style="font-weight: bold">lets just say his non existence is proof to me that he doesnt exist </span>

6) In the absence of a religious/spiritual frame of reference, how do you motivate/inspire yourself (and others) during those difficult times in your life? </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">despite my lack of belief in a "god" I am still a very spiritual person,I dont believe in a god coming back to "punish" anyone,but I do believe in karma,things are happening right here on earth all the time,we dont need to look to some higher being to come at some point and punish the bad guys and reward the good guys</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold"> It still amazes me how beautiful the world is,the flowers bloom in the summer,the moon lights up the night,and the sun lights up the day,everything seems to have a place,and everything seems to just fit,...except man.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold"> Admittedly I dont use spirituality or any higher being as inspiration,I draw on my own strength, one of my brothers in Jamaica informed me a few weeks ago that he`s got an incurable disease,I am still coming to terms with it,....and although he himself is a believer it didnt enter my head to give him strength by asking him to pray,I have accepted that there is simply no god,no one out there,or up there,as one who doesnt believe its much much easier for me accept that and live my life accordingly.</span>
</div></div>

**neutral** · 08-21-2008, 06:49 AM

Re: Welcome.... *NEWTRIMENT* ....F&R Summer Event

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Compray</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hi Newtral... </div></div>

Hi cus Compray.

**Diplomat** · 08-21-2008, 10:28 AM

Re: Welcome.... *NEWTRIMENT* ....F&R Summer Event

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Newtriment</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
2) Was there someone within your circle (family or friend) who influenced and helped shape you in your current belief (or lack thereof)? If not, who inspired the most in your current beliefs (or lack thereof)

<span style="font-weight: bold"> there is no one person that influenced my non belief,although I was fortunate that my wife also felt the same about religion as I do,..although admittedly she is not as passionate as I in bunning fyah on it.</span></div></div>
<span style="color: #000099">Does that mean your kids do not have a religious frame of reference, and if they don't, how would you and your wife react if they decided to believe in God/a diety?</span>

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">4) Do you find yourself intolerant of people who believe in God?

<span style="font-weight: bold">no,..I`m just very very amazed and astonished that people can actually believe in a god given that religion is the biggest cause of war and hostility in the world, despite what it is suposed to represent </span></div></div>
<span style="color: #000099">While we can agree that practitioners of a religion may not be the most faithful of adherents, do you think it is fair to "judge" Christianity, or any other religion, by the actions of its practitioners instead of it's core principles? </span>

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">5) Given that you do not believe in God, do you think that His presumed non-existence is self-evident, and if so, in what ways?

<span style="font-weight: bold">lets just say his non existence is proof to me that he doesnt exist </span></div></div>
<span style="color: #000099">You and I know that response is circular I'll come back to it later.</span>

**neutral** · 08-21-2008, 10:50 AM

Re: Welcome.... *NEWTRIMENT* ....F&R Summer Event

Does that mean your kids do not have a religious frame of reference, and if they don't, how would you and your wife react if they decided to believe in God/a diety?

<span style="font-weight: bold">my eldest daughter who has left school is not a non believer,but she is not an adherent of religion. </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">my youngest who is 15 has always attended a catholic school,they are very strict but she doesnt seem to have been influenced by it,neither was she influenced by me or my wife,she knows our views on religion but we have never told her either way what to believe in or not to believe in,....but has made it clear she doesnt believe in god. </span>

While we can agree that practitioners of a religion may not be the most faithful of adherents, do you think it is fair to "judge" Christianity, or any other religion, by the actions of its practitioners instead of it's core principles?

<span style="font-weight: bold">thats a difficult question for me,if I was being honest i would say yes it is fair to judge christianity,..whats the point of having core principles when hardly any of its adherents seem able to adhere to them. </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">if the actions of its practioners were the only yardstick on which to judge christianity then yes I am afraid that it doesnt look good,...however, admittedly there are some decent core principles,but you dont have to believe in a god to follow those.</span>

**Diplomat** · 08-21-2008, 11:18 AM

Re: Welcome.... *NEWTRIMENT* ....F&R Summer Event

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Newtriment</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
<span style="color: #000099">While we can agree that practitioners of a religion may not be the most faithful of adherents, do you think it is fair to "judge" Christianity, or any other religion, by the actions of its practitioners instead of it's core principles?</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">thats a difficult question for me,if I was being honest i would say yes it is fair to judge christianity,..whats the point of having core principles when hardly any of its adherents seem able to adhere to them. </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">if the actions of its practioners were the only yardstick on which to judge christianity then yes I am afraid that it doesnt look good,...however, admittedly there are some decent core principles,but you dont have to believe in a god to follow those.</span></div></div>
So, for example, if Chrisitanity teaches to "love thy neighbour as thyself" and a professed believer goes out and paint racial slurs on his neighbour's fence, or worse yet, bed his neighbour's wife, is it the religion that is at fault or it is the failure of the believer to adhere to its principles? It seems to me that in admitting that there are "decent core principles", you nevertheless arbitrarily "judge" the belief instead of the believer's failure to live up to the core principles of that belief. Isn't that a cop-out?

**neutral** · 08-21-2008, 12:24 PM

Re: Welcome.... *NEWTRIMENT* ....F&R Summer Event

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CEW</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
So, for example, if Chrisitanity teaches to "love thy neighbour as thyself" and a professed believer goes out and paint racial slurs on his neighbour's fence, or worse yet, bed his neighbour's wife, is it the religion that is at fault or it is the failure of the believer to adhere to its principles? </div></div>

I would say in that case that the religion has failed,in the example you gave many believers has done exactly the same thing .......in defense of religion,..I tend to see it in terms of a believer painting "love thy neighbor" on his neighbor`s crisp new fence,..the message gets lost in the action,and the core principles loses credibility....you`ve only got to take the murderous rampage of the crusaders as an example of what I mean,or the church of england justifying slavery.

**f0rTyLeGz** · 08-21-2008, 04:00 PM

Re: Welcome.... *NEWTRIMENT* ....F&R Summer Event

Im very sorry to hear about your brother's health struggle.

**neutral** · 08-21-2008, 07:01 PM

Re: Welcome.... *NEWTRIMENT* ....F&R Summer Event

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: f0rTyLeGz</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Im very sorry to hear about your brother's health struggle. </div></div>

Thanks.

**rudemonk** · 08-22-2008, 03:18 AM

Re: Welcome.... *NEWTRIMENT* ....F&R Summer Event

Newt- out of curiousity, why Catholic School, and what is that like these days curriculum wise?

Welcome.... NEWTRIMENT ....F&R Summer Event

Welcome.... NEWTRIMENT ....F&R Summer Event

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