I’m with Will Rogers: “If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.”
[QUOTE=msj;7099415]
Churches like that are the reason I stopped attending when I was 19 yrs old. :sigh:[/QUOTE]
I only made it to 2nd grade. When my dog died, I asked if I would see him in heaven and the religious education instructor said “Dogs have no soul. So, no.” (who says this to a 7 year old?) Well, that was it for me. I quit, and never went back. I think by then my parents were having a hard time with “religion” too, because they didn’t argue.
I’m with Will Rogers - I want to go where the animals go, too. 
[QUOTE=S1969;7101213]
I only made it to 2nd grade. When my dog died, I asked if I would see him in heaven and the religious education instructor said “Dogs have no soul. So, no.” (who says this to a 7 year old?) Well, that was it for me. I quit, and never went back. I think by then my parents were having a hard time with “religion” too, because they didn’t argue.
I’m with Will Rogers - I want to go where the animals go, too. :)[/QUOTE]
You were luckier than I was. I had to go to church and Sunday school till I left home at 19 and my Mother was fed up with our church long before that BUT was raised to believe you HAD to go to church, no matter what. :sigh:
I might have felt different about church in general but the church we attended was very much a ‘social’ church. You went to see not just what the other people’s new hats were but their furs! :eek: And talk about hypocrites-all those lovely Mothers and Dads cheating on each other, their taxes and figuring out new and different ways to screw the next person. Lovely bunch-NOT!
Yep, Will Rogers had the right idea!
Dogs are not stupid enough to believe there is a heaven. It makes life and death a lot easier.
[QUOTE=Equibrit;7101274]
Dogs are not stupid enough to believe there is a heaven. It makes life and death a lot easier.[/QUOTE]
Dogs are not judgmental enough to care what someone else believes.
StG
Why would ANYBODY care what somebody else believes, least of all a dog. They are what they are. No “beliefs” required.
[QUOTE=csaper58;7100029]
If dogs, cats, horses and all our other loved animals don’t go there, is it really heaven?[/QUOTE]
Precisely-- and conversely-- the only heaven worth finding is the one that (re) unites us with our beloved animals.
[QUOTE=Equibrit;7101407]
Why would ANYBODY care what somebody else believes, least of all a dog. They are what they are. No “beliefs” required.[/QUOTE]
I was referring to the fact that you apparently believe that people of faith are “stupid”. Atheists often talk about the intolerance of religious people, while being at least as judgmental and prejudiced against those who believe differently.
I don’t care if you’re an atheist. I don’t think less of you for it. I ask for the same respect, courtesy and tolerance from you.
StG
You are saying that YOU care what I believe ? Why is that ?
I would remind you that “prejudice” is a preconceived opinion not based on reason or experience. “Judgement” is the utterance of an opinion.
Yes, indeed, I have uttered an opinion, based on experience and reason.
Why would you care ? Religious beliefs have very little to do with judgement, reason, or logic.
Equibrit - Well, I like to actually respect people and enjoy the respect of others. I give people the benefit of the doubt and like them until proven otherwise. However, when they prove to be bigots, like you, they lose my respect. But your good or bad opinion of me doesn’t impact me at all, as my opinion of you doesn’t really impact you. We can agree to ignore each other.
StG
[QUOTE=StGermain;7101717]
Equibrit - Well, I like to actually respect people and enjoy the respect of others. I give people the benefit of the doubt and like them until proven otherwise. However, when they prove to be bigots, like you, they lose my respect. But your good or bad opinion of me doesn’t impact me at all, as my opinion of you doesn’t really impact you. We can agree to ignore each other.
StG[/QUOTE]
I’m not seeing what you’re hearing. The way I’m reading it, Equibrit thinks you are entitled to your beliefs and she to her non-beliefs. I don’t see any bigotry in that.
And she’s right, religious beliefs do have very little to do with judgement, reason or logic. That doesn’t mean you are wrong or stupid to have your beliefs…you are only wrong when you attempt to impose them on someone else.
[QUOTE=StGermain;7101717]
Equibrit - Well, I like to actually respect people and enjoy the respect of others. I give people the benefit of the doubt and like them until proven otherwise. However, when they prove to be bigots, like you, they lose my respect. But your good or bad opinion of me doesn’t impact me at all, as my opinion of you doesn’t really impact you. We can agree to ignore each other.
StG[/QUOTE]
I have no opinion of you.
[QUOTE=LauraKY;7102177]
I’m not seeing what you’re hearing. The way I’m reading it, Equibrit thinks you are entitled to your beliefs and she to her non-beliefs. I don’t see any bigotry in that.[/QUOTE]
Actually no, merely by phrasing it as she did (“dogs aren’t stupid enough to believe in heaven”) she made a judgement, belief in heaven is stupid. Yes, she’s entitled to opinion that faith makes people stupid, just as I’m entitled to my opinion most atheists I’ve encountered are egotistical ***holes prone to imposing their nonbelief on others via their pathological need to suppress or demean all public expression of religious faith (an opinion I base on observation of the outspoken atheists I know.) Sure, she’s entitled to that opinion, she’s just not entitled to be a snide beyotch about it without being called on it.
[QUOTE=danceronice;7103076]
Actually no, merely by phrasing it as she did (“dogs aren’t stupid enough to believe in heaven”) she made a judgement, belief in heaven is stupid. Yes, she’s entitled to opinion that faith makes people stupid, just as I’m entitled to my opinion most atheists I’ve encountered are egotistical ***holes prone to imposing their nonbelief on others via their pathological need to suppress or demean all public expression of religious faith (an opinion I base on observation of the outspoken atheists I know.) Sure, she’s entitled to that opinion, she’s just not entitled to be a snide beyotch about it without being called on it.[/QUOTE]
Bravo!
Ummm…ok…anyway… I have never found an appropriate moment to post this, but in the Rainbow Bridge poem, which I believe starts out, “Just this side of Heaven…” isn’t the point that the deceased animals wait for their owners on THIS side, and then it beautifully describes the long lost pet’s eyes and ears focusing on you, recognizing you, and running and tumbling to greet you, and then you cross over together?
So when people say “He’s gone over the Rainbow Bridge,” I want to say, “No, according to the source, he’s waiting for you on just THIS side of the bridge,” but usually when people are talking about it, it’s not the right time to bring it up.
Yeah, I realize it doesn’t really matter…I won’t complain if my old cattle dog greets my dad someday and heads across with him – I’ll catch up later, hopefully :sadsmile:
Given the religion/nonreligion arguments, above, perhaps I will catalyze a schism between “Bridge Crossers” and “Bridge Waiters” – sorry!
