I'm kind of lost as to why religious people join agnostic.com?
I'm not suggesting they shouldn't be allowed, I'm just curious as to why a religious person wants someone who doesn't believe in God/s.
Are there no dating sites that focus on getting people together based on their religion?
I think that people that are in religions, primarily monotheism are born under the cape of fear, especially christians, when they encounter athiests/agnostics, it must amaze them that we're normal and not afraid to believe or not believe what they have been taught since birth. For some they can't deal with it, and eventually run away. As a witch, I dealt with that alot. People we're amazed that I didn't burst into flames upon entering churches for weddings or funerals. We're free of fear and open to live our lives the way we feel.
From my own personal experience (as a once religious person), they do it for two reasons.
To help: they honestly want to save people from Hell
They think they're fighting evil (if you're not for God you're for Satan in their minds)
Probably an extension of your first point is that they see us as 'broken' and many people, religious or not, try to fix what they perceive to be broke, in this case it's based on religion.
This is pretty much my own experience as well. There does seem to be this undercurrent of fear that if they cannot get everyone else to follow in line there maybe, just maybe, they could possibly be wrong. I think that scares some of them since they put so darn much of themselves into living it. If they are wrong they might think they wasted a lot of their life with it and for some people that just isn't acceptable.
There are plenty of faith based dating sites and faith based community sites.
Many join for the same reason Mormons knock on your door.
Some are actually curious enough to engage their understanding to the positions held by AnA.
I have good friends who are religious and they never ever try to change me in any way although I have had experiences of being 'converted' my worst was getting on the wrong train -non stop to sevenoaks from London croded so we were squashed into the corridor with a holy man preaching at me non stop and telling me he would pray for me . Basically I think they like the idea/job of converting souls. I was a lecturer in person centred counselling I did my initial training with two priests, a vicar ,two nuns and a deaconess and they were pretty good fun
I'm a questioning Christian and I'm here to get answers that I have been condemned to ask in church. I love answers that use logic though the basis of christianity is to dismiss logic to understand God. If anything I'm being converted to apostate. I appreciate the patience and responses I get from this site.
Logic is the enemy of all religions and cults, Anyone who questions what they are told to believe or attempts to apply logic to it is a heretic. You must "take it on faith". "you can't know god's plan" is a standard response when they are called out.
@Tendix, with that sort of attitude, as far as I'm concerned you're welcome here. Asking questions, listening to answers, and then thinking things through for yourself is what skepticism is all about. Some people approach this subject matter and eventually decide to discard their outward faith; others find ways to reconcile the thoughts and ideas they encounter with their faith. What will happen with you no one can say just yet; either way, please accept my best wishes for your journey.
I might feel differently about an apologetic or an evangelist, but a seeker ought to be welcome, IMO.