Am I an athiest?

[James Vaught]

Katelyn:

With regard to your: "No, I did not read it. And I wasn't saying anyone on here considers me a 'bad guy'. I'm just saying that's how the world see's Christians. It's funny, b/c Christians started the USA. We all were so better off back then. I wonder why?..."

Actually, Christians did NOT start the USA, at least not all of it. I believe you're thinking of the Puritans and the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The original settlers of the colony of Virginia, who predate the Puritans, established the colony primarily for economic reasons. The same holds true for most of the other original colonies.

[Interbane]

No, I did not read it. And I wasn't saying anyone on here considers me a 'bad guy'. I'm just saying that's how the world see's Christians. It's funny, b/c Christians started the USA. We all were so better off back then. I wonder why?

Before I respond, I want you to know that you are free to believe as you wish. I also want you to understand that the same applies to myself. I'm a loving father who has BBQ's on Sunday. I work at a YMCA(the C stands for "Christian"). I also follow a moral code very similar to the Ten Commandments, so you won't see me in jail for shoplifting simply because I thought I could get away with it. I abide by my morals even when no one is looking.

Our founding fathers were fast to make sure religion and our government didn't mix. In fact, it's the very first Amendment. The reason is easily seen, if you take a lesson from history. Witch hunts and crusades and holy wars and inquisitions have hurt and killed countless people. Even if Christianity were true, we are not worthy to wield it alongside our governments. We've proven as much. With the separation of church and state within the first amendment, we've still managed to become the most powerful nation on Earth. That doesn't mean we're the happiest, or the most moral.


Also, I have a question I thought up in another post. Do you know what a variable is? In mathematics, a variable represents a number. It's a way of saying "this number could be anything". It's a placeholder for something you don't know yet. Well, variables can play the same role in other areas. For example, we could say that "It's daytime right now" to be represented by X. If it's 12 midnight, X is false. If it's 12 noon, X is true. See what I mean?

Here's the question, but it will take some thinking. I want you to tell me if you should believe "A" or not. Here is the belief that "A" represents:

A = "If you don't believe "A", you will be put in prison for the rest of your life. But if you believe "A", you will live a free life as long as you pay taxes and tell as many other people as you can about this belief."

So, should you believe A, or not believe A? I can rephrase it if need be if it's confusing. The complicated part is that the belief has something to say about itself.

Now I'll give you some background information. You learned of belief "A" just after moving to a new country, which was ruled by a ruthless dictatorship. A man who said he was from the government(part of the dictatorship) told you about the belief. You have no way to prove that he's from the government or not. But he demands your answer anyways, without giving you any additional information. You've heard no stories about others being put in prison.

What is your answer now?

Let's add one last thing. Let's say that A also means "Little green men live under the surface of Mars." You can't separate the different parts of the belief. You must believe them all, or the person from the government won't be satisfied.

Here is a recap of what A represents: "Little green men live under the surface of Mars. If you believe this and tell other people about this and pay your taxes, you won't go to prison. If you don't believe this, you will go to prison for the rest of your life."

Same answer?

[Interbane]

I made Tolerance for others my religion.

I like this. But I wonder, where do you draw the line? Anti-abortion? Anti-global warming? Westboro Baptist Church? Nazism?

Over-tolerance can be as problematic as under-tolerance. Balance is key, if that is what you worship.

[(author) Katelyn]

Really, if your trying to help ME 'understand', your not doing a very good job. I may only be a 12-almost-13-girl, but I am set in my ways. And, no, I was not thinking of the puritans. Sorry, but I am a History fanatic, and I know it inside out. You must have went to public school, where they poison the mind. Laugh all you want. We all come from gorilla's. Gorilla, my foot! I am a human, y'all can be monkeys if you want, but God made me. Not some stupid chimp! Back to the previous subject, the Christians started USA. They got sick of the king bossing them around, and telling them what to do. They didn't want the church of England. They wanted to be able to serve the Living God, not the king. I am really tired of this. I really want to leave. But I still keep getting E-mails!

[Robert Tulip]

Hello Katelyn, I'm so sorry for mocking you for being a redneck hillbilly before. I understand now that you are home-schooled, so you are protected from the evil Satanic ways of the modern world. I am surprised that your parents allow you to talk to adults on the Internet, as you could easily come into contact with ideas you have not heard before. But it sounds like your defenses are strong. As the Apostle Paul said in 1Thessalonians 5:8 "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation." No way them Cheese-eating surrender monkeys gonna get you.

[(author) Katelyn]

Well, its fine. My feeling were not hurt, really I was just angry. I am definatley not a redneck or hillbilly. I am in high school, AHS online homeschool. I'm not sure 'protected' is the word to use. All I have to do is turn on the TV and a cuss word will float out, or really anything could. No one is proteccted from satanic ways. They are everywhere. Yes, my defenses are strong. They have to be in a world like this. If they weren't I would easily slip into something I shouldn't. Even with my defenses I could. But with God's help, I won't. With God's help I will be an author. Oneday, when I am around 16-20 I will have a book published. Maybe not by then. But oneday the book I'm writing will be published. But only with God's help. You wait and see. If my book gets published oneday, you know there is a God. b/c a smalltown girl like me would never get published without some divine help.

[(author) Katelyn]

Oneday, in about 10 years, look for a book titled Endangered. By Katelyn _ _ _ _ _
If its there, there is a God, if its not, then there still is a God, My book just wasn't in his plan 4 me.

[johnson1010]

It's funny, b/c Christians started the USA. We all were so better off back then. I wonder why?

The US was founded by deists and they very specifically set the united states up as irreligious precisely to avoid the pitfalls inherent to theocracies.
I provided you a link to an extensive list of quotations from founding fathers as referenced to religion.

Really, if your trying to help ME 'understand', your not doing a very good job. I may only be a 12-almost-13-girl, but I am set in my ways.

You have just announced your plans to ignore the advice of others without consideration because of a closed mind, and not because of the merit of that advice.

Sorry, but I am a History fanatic, and I know it inside out. You must have went to public school, where they poison the mind.

I am sure you do know your selected version of history inside and out. But what you need to do is actually look at the materials you claim to know something about, and see if they match your version. If your version of history doesn’t match with the contemporary writings of the times, guess what? It isn’t history which is at fault, but your version of it which is.

“We all come from gorilla's. Gorilla, my foot! I am a human, y'all can be monkeys if you want, but God made me. Not some stupid chimp!

No scientist says we came from gorillas. We came from a basal primate form ancestral to both humans and gorillas and chimps. That basal ancestor was inside the infer order catarhinni, which does make it a monkey, however, and as descendants of that lineage you, as a human being AKA homo sapiens sapien are indeed a monkey.

Back to the previous subject, the Christians started USA. They got sick of the king bossing them around, and telling them what to do. They didn't want the church of England. They wanted to be able to serve the Living God, not the king.

You are talking about some colonial settlers. That is a far different thing than the founders of this country. You should visit the public library and check into these things. I can tell you are passionate about history, Katelyn. Go dig into it.

If you think you will disagree with what you find, so what? Does that mean you shouldn’t read it? How do you know you disagree with them, if you don’t know what they say?

I am really tired of this. I really want to leave. But I still keep getting E-mails!

I will bring this to Chris’s attention. If you are really not interested in these discussions, it would be easy enough to mark these messages as spam, or just refuse to come back here.

Oneday, when I am around 16-20 I will have a book published. Maybe not by then. But oneday the book I'm writing will be published. But only with God's help. You wait and see. If my book gets published oneday, you know there is a God. b/c a smalltown girl like me would never get published without some divine help.
Oneday, in about 10 years, look for a book titled Endangered. By Katelyn _ _ _ _ _
If its there, there is a God, if its not, then there still is a God, My book just wasn't in his plan 4 me.

You can publish now, if you want. Look into digital publishing.

Who wrote your book, Katelyn? Was it you? Did you actually sit at a keyboard and hit those buttons? Did you make sure all the content made sense together? Did you spell check, and edit so that there were no errors? Did you spend hours and maybe even days of your life putting that set of symbols together? Was that your hard work, effort and determination which turned a blank file into a cohesive narrative?

If you get published from an established house and enjoy success as an author, it will be because of your own efforts, Katelyn. And if you fail to do so, that will also have a little something to do with you.

God will have had nothing to do with it.

[James Vaught]

Katelyn:

A "history fanatic" you may be, but your knowledge of American history is sketchy at best. The Massachusetts colony WAS established by the Puritans who were seeking religious freedom. Virginia, as one example, was not. There is nothing inherently wrong with either motive. And, talking about religious freedom, are you familiar with the story of Anne Hutchinson, and how she was expelled from Massachusetts because SHE wanted religious freedom? The Puritans believed in religious freedom as long as you believed the same dogma as they did.

You say you are "set in my ways" as if that's a desirable thing in all instances. Sorry, but it's not, in my opinion.

[johnson1010]

yeah.

It was really only a matter of who gets to be in charge of the religious oppression.

They were outnumbered in england, so they came here to set up their own persecutions and witch-burnings.