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25 21

Just a thought I had from one that I dearly call 'friend'.

My buddy Walt is one of those genuine whole hearted nice and caring people.
To farther. He owns hos own shipping company, and he's worth millions.
But to him, That is not enough. He takes off easily 4 months of the year to come to Clearwater FL, (where I live) and does volunteer work at the same place I do. That's how I met him.

Over the years we've become great friends. We've worked together to help build many things for the homeless, as well as working on getting donations of food, and all of the amenities people may need.

The thing, and I have to be honest here. Is that while I am an Atheist, He is a firm believer in Jesus.

To farther on that, neither of us ever try to force our beliefs, or non beliefs on each other, or any one else.
Granted we will offer our thoughts, and respond when asked.
He and I have had more than I can count conversation about the topic of religion, or God, Jesus etc.

Sorry this came to be a lot more long winded than I had hoped, but I'm almost done.
regardless of either of our beliefs, or non-beliefs, at the end of the day we both have a, desire, for lack of a better word, a want to help people..

We may come at it in a slightly different manor. But I have to say. Religion or not. I am very proud to Have walt as a friend. And I enjoy working with him helping others.

That is one of the reasons I may retort to some that will post about Atheists, vrs Agnostics. or the religious are stupid, with a touch of disdain sometimes.

To me, A good person, is a good person.
Yes, I am not a fan of religion. Well to be more apt, not a fan of those whom of which that will use religion to dump on others.
But I have to give all the props to those who really give a shit about others.

TristanNuvo 8 Feb 21
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4

My views are quite different than most, because I generally do not think as locally as most people.
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If you live in a residential neighborhood, you have kids, and some clown comes barreling down the street at 90 mph, even if he is your friend, you are going to get pissed off an call him out for his bad behavior . . . That does not necessarily guarantee an end to your friendship, but it certainly has that potential.
This analogy is just as relevant to other forms of dangerous behavior. Granted, it is possible that a friend may just not see that what they are doing is destructive, but it sure is not acceptable to me to let someone going on being destructive . . . What I see on a world-wide scale, (and there are pretty large majority of American ostriches sticking their heads in the sand on this issue) is people who are supporting "patriotism", wars, illegal actions in other countries, for example the bombing of the Libyan water supply, the use of depleted uranium in weapons, white phosphorous, promotion of unjustified wars, support for Israel, which is one of the most racist countries in the world, and have you ever noticed how whenever the USA is bombing a country, it is never a country with people who have white skin and always a different culture? Iraq . . . . roughly one million people killed . . . . and much suffering afterward as a result of depleted uranium use in weapons. And who is it that votes these crazy, war-loving christians into office, and how many times have you seen a major church leader stand up against all the illegal wars?
Unfortunately, to the vast majority of Americans, these things . . . are things that they seem to think are nothing more significant than watching a war movie, with just as much indifference and nonchalance. Add to this, the belief that many of these people hold with regard to "end times", where many believe that they can actually instigate the second coming via helping Israel to the point of rebuilding the temple and also by war, their complete disregard for the environment, and you can bet that if I have a friend, s/he is going to get tested on these things, because as I see it, it is worse than the idiot driving through your neighborhood at 90 mph. Just the other day, I saw an article about how in Syria, an American military vehicle attempted to run a Russian military vehicle off the road . . . . the USA has no business whatsoever in Syria, they were not invited in, they invaded, and if you look up the UN reports on the so-called poison gas claims, you will not find one sliver of substantiation of the claim that Assad used poisonous gas . . . it was all an excuse for the US to interfere, just like country after country that can be named, and what most people fail to see is that if they do not stop this out-of-control terrorist organization in Washington, they are going to wake up to a day . . . . when we are entering into a new world war . . . . and if that is not driving at 90 mph down a dead end street, I do not know what is . . . . . people are not thinking of their children's future, they think all the wars will end, they will then go back to what they were doing beforehand, but most likely scenario is that if it comes to all-out war, . . . . it will end in multiple huge nuclear blasts . . . followed by a very long silence.
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Who my friends are is my business, and I have every right to know where they stand on such issues. I refuse be a friend of someone (christian, agnostic, atheist or other) who clearly has blood on their hands, and is perpetuating it all, and if that means I have less friends, then so be it.

4

A friend is a friend... Period.. friends are important wherever you find them...

my thoughts exactly!

4

Of course you are correct in everything you say, People should be judged not on the religious labels they or others attach to them, but on their character as human beings. Kindness and empathy bypasses all other beliefs and reaches out person to person, even when there is a language barrier. I’m glad to hear your friend is giving something back and not being selfish with his wealth and good fortune, he sounds like a great guy.

He really is. I am very picky on whom I will call 'friend". And thank you very much for your insight. 🙂

@TristanNuvo my pleasure.

3

Thanks for this. There are Christian, Hindu, Atheist,Agnostic,Buddhist, Muslim,and Druid assholes as well as saints. Many have learned this lesson regarding races, Now we need to learn it in other ways as well. I firmly believe it is what people do more than what they say.

Exactly. 🙂

3

Everyone has the right to their beliefs and opinions. The rub comes in when anyone believes everyone should think as they do.

Well. I mostly agree. But what if the rub is that one thinks that every one should be helpful, or at least try. I don't see anything wrong with that.

@TristanNuvo I see nothing wrong with being helpful

@TristanNuvo being helpful is nothing to do with religion, altruism is a prove evolutionary survival trait.

@TristanNuvo, @Bioldguy Everyone has the right to their beliefs and opinions. true, but you also those same people have no right to demand they be excused the consequences of those beliefs and opinions because "god" told them so.

@LenHazell53 exactly right

3

Good equals happiness. Delusion does not stop one doing good.

3

Good people exist with or without god. Good people show empathy and kindness with or without god. I've got friends from all walks in life regardless of their religious following. We're all human beings and that's first and foremost. ...just don't pounce your religion on me and expect me to agree. You guys think beyond that and share what you have with those that don't and that is great.

3

Ditto!!! I fully agree with you on this. Not all religious people are stupid and closed minded. Good people are good people and that's it.

3

Neither of you puts your beliefs or non-beliefs before your friendship and the things you enjoy doing together. That's what matters. There are good decent people everywhere.

2

Perhaps he should be asked if he would feel and do the same things if he did not believe? Many of the religious act out of a future goal which is their own salvation.

I think that in my friends case, he would be just the same if he didn't 'believe" so to speak. He has always been glad to help if the other person is religious or not.

@TristanNuvo So what does he need religion for??? Maybe I should ask, what does anyone need religion for???

2

Well said.
About the Agnostic 'versus' Atheist squabble, it's all good. I love my atheist friends, AND my Christian friends.
Just because they're wrong doesn't make them bad people.
In person-to-person interactions, we don't sit around debating about it; there is so much more to friendships than that.
Being a sports fan, that's always a good topic.
Right now, I'm much more interested in talking to my Christian handyman friend about how to construct my new pond with a fountain in the middle.
I gave him a copy of the Desiderata...he liked it.
So I'm not going to ruin good friendships by pouring salt in wounds and punching sore shoulders.
It's just on a site like this we have the liberty to discuss the fine points of all these disagreements at arm's length. In depth. Ad nauseum. Without permanently hurting most people's feelings.
There's value in that.

Ugh. I can't agree more about the 'Atheist VS 'Agnostic" debate. I can only surmise that to a great deal of people, conflict is the only thing that makes them happy, or maybe the thing that keeps them interested. I could be wrong about that, but I've seen it in quite a few people.

@TristanNuvo I argue it here but never would in person!

2

With you all the way.

I don't see why religion has to be a barrier to friendship. Why not put sporting affiliation or dietary preferences in the same context. I don't care if someone supports Manchester United, or if someone eats meat or if they are a Christian. (okay the Man Utd thing may be a stretch!)

If they are my friend I'll support them.

There are great Christians and fucked atheists. Its people at the end of the day not the label!

I couldn't agree more.

2

Absolutely correct I have many thesist friends

bobwjr Level 10 Feb 22, 2020

Agreed.

Yes but they tend to not be as rational as Atheists. Atheists tend to be my best friends. I have more in common with them.

2

If I may offer , Jimmy Carter , in his 90's , is still helping to build homes for the poor , with Habitat for Humanity . There are indeed many who are good and decent people , who don't have to throw their religious beliefs at everyone else .

Jimmy has always been one of my heros. many talk the talk, he really walks the walk. I remember back in his day, he was very supportive of education as well. Just a great person.

2

That is a very heartwarming story. I like that you both model what it means to value friendships and kindness above differences and disagreement.

Well done! Cheers to you and Walt.

Thank you very much. 🙂

2

Wholeheartedly Agree!

2

You don't have to justify your relationship with anyone to anybody. There are decent believers that deserve to be recognized for their humanism. However, when the line is blurred b/t good works & religion, then one should take a position. Good without a god.

1

Saints vs assholes.
Most of us are somewhere in between.

1

You can be a good person despite your religion or lack thereof.
The main difference is that atheists do not believe that theists deserve to be tortured forever because they disagree.

Many theists will say they don't believe that, but will still worship a god that hold that as a just doctrine and abnegate themselves from all responsibility by claiming they cannot know the mind of god, while still claiming a relation ship with said god.

So I am sorry, you friend maybe a good man, but if he is a Christian he is either an ignorant sheep or a fucking monster, like his god

1

Hear, hear.

1

My religious friend is rational on most things. It's just that he has no rationality at all when it comes to Jesus. He even views world events by comparing them to what he finds in the book of Revelation. It never enters his mind that this biblical book was not the only choice when the bible was compiled and assembled. Some people have a near fit when they hear you tell them things like this. They want a bible that was present in Jesus time and not one that came about in the 4th century.

1

Glad to share a name with someone like that.I am an atheist, but I agree, he is a good person.

0

My best friend is very devoutly fundamentalist Christian. Baptist, I believe. She is one of the kindest and most compassionate people I know. We each know the other's beliefs, or lack thereof, but it doesn't cloud our friendship. Character is what matters.

Deb57 Level 8 Feb 25, 2020
0

The reason many gravitste towards religion is that they want to be better people and think religion will help them to do so. What they don't realize is that they are already good people and don't need religion to be good people at all.

There are others that are good people that get bad ideas from religion. They also want to be good people. They want to do the ultimate good sometimes according to religion the ultimate good invloves little things like genocide or simple witch burning, beheadings etc.

These two types of "good" people are easily distinguished. In either case they would be better off being good without god.

0

Not sure what your point is? There are stupid people anywhere and everywhere. While non believers tend to be smarter, this is not a superiority complex or belief but a fact proven by many pieces of research [m.huffpost.com], the reality is that you can't cure stupid, they are as I said everywhere, the only christian people I've seen being called stupid are those trumper hypocrites and those idiots who enrich yokel pastors to the level of getting them airplanes and luxury. So I would say these christians ARE stupid. But there are smart people also everywhere. That's why I don't get the point you're trying to make.

@SanDiegoAirport don't want any diplomstic good will with stupid people and yes, I only speak from my personal pov, can't speak from any other person's, could I? Never been banned from anywhere and I always do get my point across by telling the truth as I see it, without degrading anybody.

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