Religion among Premeds

[deleted407021]

And the best way to not get ill is to live inside a sterile bubble, but I don't see very many bubble boys walking around.

Are you correlating alcohol consumption with a high quality of life? You're a beer ad?

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[Lambda Phage]

No?

Never mind. Not worth chasing this down the rabbit hole...

 

[deleted407021]

No?

Never mind. Not worth chasing this down the rabbit hole...

Agreed.

 

[touchpause13]

Everything in moderation. Even moderation

 

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

Did someone say something negative about alcohol....I don't understand. The internet is so weird.

 

[Reckoner]

The internet is so weird.

Indeed

 

[WillburCobb]

Indeed

That's the weirdest YTMND you could come up with?

Edit - on further inspection most of the ones that come to mind would probably get reported to the mods.

 

[Reckoner]

That's the weirdest YTMND you could come up with?

The only one whose name I could remember off the top of my head. I used to have a bookmarks folder of weird sites that I would spam friends with. Alas, I can't find it now. superbad.com is another that comes to mind.

 

[WillburCobb]

The only one whose name I could remember off the top of my head. I used to have a bookmarks folder of weird sites that I would spam friends with. Alas, I can't find it now. superbad.com is another that comes to mind.

Alas, the golden days of YTMND have since passed.

 

[chelseamapp]

God (a white guy) created the Universe and everything in it in 6 days. He made all the animals (no mention of bacteria btw) and plants and humans (super duper special) between 6 and 10000 years ago. And a worldwide flood explains plate tectonics. That is blatantly irrational, I'm sorry.

Why a white guy? Lol please explain

 

[deleted407021]

Why a white guy? Lol please explain

That's my description of the Southern Baptist account of creation. I grew up in and attend such a church and that is legitimately what they believe (Anglo Saxon Protestant God, etc). Highly anthropocentric, but it is religion, after all.

 

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

That's my description of the Southern Baptist account of creation. I grew up in and attend such a church and that is legitimately what they believe (Anglo Saxon Protestant God, etc). Highly anthropocentric, but it is religion, after all.

Oh the baptists...lots of jokes to be told.
"Take two baptists fishing and they'll have a great time, take one baptist fishing and he'll drink all your beer"

 

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

Why use them, even causally, when they just make you sick and don't help with any of your problems.

You're doing it wrong.

 

[worfndata]

thx worf and data are the best.

 

[Lucca]

Alcohol has been nothing but a positive influence on my life.

 

[box1]

i am an atheist.

once i went to a few third world countries and saw the real relgion ("might makes right"), i became an athiest. that, and reading human history, a pathetic hopeless species.

so yeah, i was a devout religious zealot "back then."

i certainly have regrets in believing in god because all i did was fool myself because i didn't want to accept that life is "harsh, nasty, brutish, solitary and short" in the words of thomas hobbes. i accept that now and also that i have weaknesses and cannot turn to a magical sky fairy any longer to address them. this is actually somewhat akin to what brad pitt had said when he left religion.

 

[Reckoner]

i am an atheist.

once i went to a few third world countries and saw the real relgion ("might makes right"), i became an athiest. that, and reading human history, a pathetic hopeless species.

so yeah, i was a devout religious zealot "back then."

i certainly have regrets in believing in god because all i did was fool myself because i didn't want to accept that life is "harsh, nasty, brutish, solitary and short" in the words of thomas hobbes. i accept that now and also that i have weaknesses and cannot turn to a magical sky fairy any longer to address them. this is actually somewhat akin to what brad pitt had said when he left religion.

 

[Mad Jack]

Alcohol has been nothing but a positive influence on my life.

Same here. On my liver, not so much.

 

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

thx worf and data are the best.

I know I'm on the internet when this statement doesn't draw ridicule but a conversion to atheism story does.

 

[Mad Jack]

Are you correlating alcohol consumption with a high quality of life? You're a beer ad?

Numerous studios have shown that moderate alcohol consumption does, in fact, correlate with an increased quality of life.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/25/alcohol-quality-of-life-moderate-consumption_n_1620104.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4053968

http://metro.co.uk/2010/05/19/drinking-wine-makes-you-happier-says-study-319871/

 

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

Numerous studios have shown that moderate alcohol consumption does, in fact, correlate with an increased quality of life.

Not sure if typo or brilliant. (Beer ads)

 

[Roxas]

I'm surprised no one has said mormon. Maybe that's just on the DO side?

Sorry I'm late to the party

I would imagine some of us are more reserved due to the spread of misinformation about our beliefs (and as already seen, SDN isn't always the most tolerant place of religious people). Hopefully any of the SDNers I've met irl could vouch that I'm not too weird As with any other organization you have a spectrum of attitudes, both positive and negative.

 

[Mad Jack]

Not sure if typo or brilliant. (Beer ad)

 

[touchpause13]

Sorry I'm late to the party

I would imagine some of us are more reserved due to the spread of misinformation about our beliefs (and as already seen, SDN isn't always the most tolerant place of religious people). Hopefully any of the SDNers I've met irl could vouch that I'm not too weird As with any other organization you have a spectrum of attitudes, both positive and negative.

Sooo are you going to be okay if I ask you mormon questions? You can totally say no. I'm just really curious about people's religions

 

[Roxas]

Sooo are you going to be okay if I ask you mormon questions? You can totally say no. I'm just really curious about people's religions

Absolutely. As long as it's not in a manner of hostility I'm down to discuss whatever you want.

 

[Jabbed]

Agnostic theist

 

[NorthernMav]

I'm convinced that people of a religious affiliation have neither taken the time to read their holy book in its entirety nor investigate their choice of religion with the same intensity and diligence as they would with their academics. If they had, I don't think there would be a single individual in here that claims themself to be a man or woman of God.

 

[WillburCobb]

I'm convinced that people of a religious affiliation have neither taken the time to read their holy book in its entirety nor investigate their choice of religion with the same intensity and diligence as they would with their academics. If they had, I don't think there would be a single individual in here that claims themself to be a man or woman of God.

You'd be surprised. Existential anxieties and cognitive dissonance have a HUGE impact on behavior and perception.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

Believing in something bigger than yourself and having faith is not necessarily a bad thing. It is a good way to get through difficult or stressful times (better than alcohol, drugs, treating people poorly etc.)

There's a saying: "There are no atheists in foxholes."

 

[touchpause13]

I'm convinced that people of a religious affiliation have neither taken the time to read their holy book in its entirety nor investigate their choice of religion with the same intensity and diligence as they would with their academics. If they had, I don't think there would be a single individual in here that claims themself to be a man or woman of God.

Eh different strokes for different folks. But i know a lot of people who have become decidedly less religious after taking an intro to Christianity or church history course. Catholic School strongly influenced my atheism.

 

[NorthernMav]

You'd be surprised. Existential anxieties and cognitive dissonance have a HUGE impact on behavior and perception.

That's understandable. But for God's sake (excuse the pun), take the time to think it through rather than hastily adopting such a constraining and nonsensical doctrine.

 

[Roxas]

I'm typically not one to delve into these kinds or arguments, mostly because I'm not fond of the animosity associated with it, and many here clearly have some strong convictions for their beliefs. That's totally fine. My hope is just to shed some light on my thoughts as a crazy, irrational, judgmental, (or whatever insult you want to hurl) religious person.

I think people tend to quickly get sidetracked with less significant details to a religion (i.e. evolution, age of the earth, etc), and forget what the point was to begin with: kindness, love, and respect. Before I get attacked about the OT, just realize that from my experiences we don't preach to live like in OT times. While we believe in the Bible (assuming it is even remotely translated correctly), the current teachings of the Mormon church emphasize family, service, kindness, and a belief that we are accountable for our own actions. Is this such a bad thing? Anytime there is a natural disaster somewhere, one of the first groups on site to help is the Mormon church. I myself have been one of them.

Religion is often accused in general as being judgemental. I agree that people can be very judgemental, but that's not what we're being instructed to do. As a small anecdote I had a friend growing up who was mormon, and is now an atheist. He was a judgmental douche both before and after his conversion. If anything I would argue that he's worse now, but that's not my point. From what I've seen, people are going to act however they are inclined and I would argue that their personality in general has a larger influence than their religion (or lack thereof).

Keep in mind that as you insult someone for possibly not believing in evolution, or believing in an absurd age of the earth (neither of which I'm guilty of), just realize that you are attacking a human being who has their convictions for a reason. You haven't lived their life and likely don't understand their motives, just like I don't pretend to understand yours. As such I will always be respectful of others choices, lifestyles, and beliefs (as long as it doesn't negatively affect myself or my family). So your attacks on religion, whether intentional or not, are aimed at some people of religion like myself who are just trying to do the best they can and truly trying to do some good in the world. I'm not saying everyone needs religion to do good, but it personally helps me be a better person. There's no need to act aggressively against that.

 

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

I'm convinced that people of a religious affiliation have neither taken the time to read their holy book in its entirety nor investigate their choice of religion with the same intensity and diligence as they would with their academics. If they had, I don't think there would be a single individual in here that claims themself to be a man or woman of God.

Could you explain what you mean by this sentence?

 

[NorthernMav]

Could you explain what you mean by this sentence?

It means that the doctrines, texts, and overall architecture of all religion are so obviously man made. Believe in our God, and only our God, or suffer an eternity in [insert worst place imaginable here]. Just forfit your mental faculties and provide us with your silent, obedient consent and you will be granted an eternity in [insert best place imaginable here]. Not to mention the ten commandments seem like they are written by a jealous, chauvanistic, megalomaniacal fifth grader; and missing some very important "should be" rules. And why did God present himself in only one random location? If you created the entire cosmos (for only us by the way), why not present yourself to every major city in every civilization at once?

The more you read into religion, the more you see it for what it truly is; a fantastical story. No thinking person can honesly believe this when freed from social and political pressure to do so.

 

[1John418]

I'm also a Christian (bet you'd never have guessed ) and I am another one of those crazies who takes the Bible at face value and actually believes that it is the words of God. I've been lurking on this thread for a while and didn't really want to get too involved, but I'm just going to leave this comic here. I stumbled upon it this morning and I thought of some of the folks on here who have made the understandable statement that they struggle to believe in a God who would allow evil.
http://adam4d.com/love/

 

[touchpause13]

I'm also a Christian (bet you'd never have guessed ) and I am another one of those crazies who takes the Bible at face value and actually believes that it is the words of God. I've been lurking on this thread for a while and didn't really want to get too involved, but I'm just going to leave this comic here. I stumbled upon it this morning and I thought of some of the folks on here who have made the understandable statement that they struggle to believe in a God who would allow evil.
http://adam4d.com/love/

The comic doesn't answer the question of why bad things happen to good people. All it says is pick up a bible and learn about god. I've done that. I got an A in every single religion course I ever took (8 years of Catholic School, that's a lot)

Honestly though, that's kinda tied for the biggest reason why I left the church. I couldn't deal with the obsession over genitals. Which genitals allowed you to have what positions in the hierarchy. Why god would give a **** about what people do with their genitals. Ugh, drove me mad.

 

[Mad Jack]

I'm convinced that people of a religious affiliation have neither taken the time to read their holy book in its entirety nor investigate their choice of religion with the same intensity and diligence as they would with their academics. If they had, I don't think there would be a single individual in here that claims themself to be a man or woman of God.

Books were written and translated by man, not god. Therefore reading them is not a reflection upon the flaws of god, but rather the self-interest and flaws of man. If they are read as allegory and lessons in morality, rather than taken literally, holy books have a great deal of value, even for the nonreligious.

 

[Mad Jack]

The comic doesn't answer the question of why bad things happen to good people. All it says is pick up a bible and learn about god. I've done that. I got an A in every single religion course I ever took (8 years of Catholic School, that's a lot)

Honestly though, that's kinda tied for the biggest reason why I left the church. I couldn't deal with the obsession over genitals. Which genitals allowed you to have what positions in the hierarchy. Why god would give a **** about what people do with their genitals. Ugh, drove me mad.

I just can't imagine that an all-seeing, all-knowing, infinitely wise being would really care all that much about creatures with a comparatively infantile level of intelligence putting their genitals in the wrong place enough to condemn them to hell for all eternity.

 

[deleted407021]

I'm also a Christian (bet you'd never have guessed ) and I am another one of those crazies who takes the Bible at face value and actually believes that it is the words of God. I've been lurking on this thread for a while and didn't really want to get too involved, but I'm just going to leave this comic here. I stumbled upon it this morning and I thought of some of the folks on here who have made the understandable statement that they struggle to believe in a God who would allow evil.
http://adam4d.com/love/

I don't understand why people, even while knowing better, still believe this way.

I can detail why, if you like, when I'm not on a phone.

 

[Jabbed]

*sharpens pitchfork*

 

[WillburCobb]

The comic doesn't answer the question of why bad things happen to good people.

Well god's only son turned out to be an ass, so I don't have much hope that he'd be able to stop bad things from happening to good people.

 

[Womb Raider]

 

[NorthernMav]

Books were written and translated by man, not god. Therefore reading them is not a reflection upon the flaws of god, but rather the self-interest and flaws of man. If they are read as allegory and lessons in morality, rather than taken literally, holy books have a great deal of value, even for the nonreligious.

So it is not a holy text. That is a good start. However, you still have to address the shockingly grotesque, racist, chauvanistic, and down-right morally deficient nature of that allegorical text which consumes the lion's share of the book. I am sorry, but you can find a better sense of morality from inside a cracker-jack box.

 

[Mad Jack]

So it is not a holy text. That is a good start. However, you still have to address the shockingly grotesque, racist, chauvanistic, and down-right morally deficient nature of that allegorical text which consumes the lion's share of the book. I am sorry, but you can find a better sense of morality from inside a cracker-jack box.

 

[ABCGas76]

I am Orthodox Christian. I believe the Bible is a mix of literal and symbolic teachings, and that Jesus is the Son of God and part of the Holy Trinity. I've read a lot of apologetics from many sides (Christian/Muslim/Atheist/Agnostic) and wasn't sold on other beliefs. Even though our main focus is on patient treatment, I think there is a lot to learn about healing, love, mercy, empathy, etc. from a God who is believed to have those qualities.
Here's a verse for all you aspiring docs out there:

"Give doctors the honor they deserve, for the Lord gave them their work to do. Their skill came from the Most High, and kings reward them for it. Their knowledge gives them a position of importance, and powerful people hold them in high regard. The Lord created medicines from the earth, and a sensible person will not hesitate to use them. Didn't a tree once make bitter water fit to drink, so that the Lord's power might be known? He gave medical knowledge to human beings, so that we would praise him for the miracles he performs. The druggist mixes these medicines, and the doctor will use them to cure diseases and ease pain. There is no end to the activities of the Lord, who gives health to the people of the world. My child, when you get sick, don't ignore it. Pray to the Lord, and he will make you well. Confess all your sins and determine that in the future you will live a righteous life. Offer incense and a grain offering, as fine as you can afford. Then call the doctor—for the Lord created him—and keep him at your side; you need him. There are times when you have to depend on his skill. The doctor's prayer is that the Lord will make him able to ease his patients' pain and make them well again."
- Sirach 38: 1-14

 

[Patros]

The comic doesn't answer the question of why bad things happen to good people. All it says is pick up a bible and learn about god. I've done that. I got an A in every single religion course I ever took (8 years of Catholic School, that's a lot)

Honestly though, that's kinda tied for the biggest reason why I left the church. I couldn't deal with the obsession over genitals. Which genitals allowed you to have what positions in the hierarchy. Why god would give a **** about what people do with their genitals. Ugh, drove me mad.

To be fair, the comic does address why bad things happen. The argument is like this: You have a conception of what Good is, and of what Love is. There are certain rules in your mind which govern these concepts. However, God is not defined by your rules, because that would make him a passive force of nature. No, God is an active being like yourself, and can act in ways that shatter your conceptions. This argument goes back to CS Lewis (maybe further), who wrote that God is "iconoclastic."

However, you might have had a hunch thinking "who cares?" And you would be right. After all it doesn't matter what God is doing up there, fact remains that life has suffering even with God's goodness. So if God's goodness brings suffering here, why should I believe that things will be different in Heaven?

Also, if God's omnipotent, can't he do Good and make himself understandable at the same time?...

 

[WillburCobb]

I've always figured that if there really is a god he probably approaches humanity like playing the Sims. Some people he likes to make really talented, succesful, wealthy, and popular and makes them work for it. Sometimes he get bored, uses a cheat instead, builds the person a HUGE mansion and gives them a ton of money. The person who had to work for everything is going to see that and be like, "WTF!!!" Sometimes he gets bored and just starts antagonizing people for no reason. And sometime he wonders, "Man that guy is a douche! Why did I even bother making him? Guess I'll just build some walls around him and watch him complain, cry, and piss himself until he dies." So if there is a god, unexplainable bad things happen to good people, and unexplainable good things happen to bad people solely for god's own entertainment. I'm pretty sure this is why sometimes I have to take a **** right after taking a shower. God saw my bladder meter was running on empty, but decided to have me shower first just so he could laugh at my misery. dingus.

Edit - Per my fiancé, I have to give her some kudos for this theory on god so she can receive her share of the royalties.

 

[ABCGas76]

Underu, that's a good point. I think that's where a belief in Jesus could fill that gap. One can make an argument that God has done good (i.e. miracles, healing, raising those from the dead) and has made Himself understandable by manifesting Himself as a human being (after all, what better way to relate to human beings than to become a human being and suffer like one?)

If one were to ask "Why doesn't he continuously do miracles today for me right here, right now?" Here's an example: a math teacher, who clearly states he is a math teacher, does a complex problem on a whiteboard in front of a group of students. The students ask him to solve another one, and he correctly does so. The students ask him to do it a 3rd time, and he does so. Even after he completes all these complex problems and gives a clear solution on how to do the problems, would it make sense for the students to continuously ask for more proof that he is a math teacher?

 

[touchpause13]

I think if there's one thing we can all agree on, it's that after shower poops are the worst

 

[Roxas]

The whole part of this discussion that I have the hardest time with, is as a religious person I am held under a microscope and asked to be respectful of everyone's beliefs (which I try very hard to do).

In return I seem to get the attitude that "I disagree with you, and you are stupid because of it." What happened to respect and open-mindedness?