I guess the roof or wherever can be a kind of church if you’re indicating the structure. Are you singing or something?
I think many times, posters are looking through New threads and don't realize which forum the thread is in. On the other hand, some simply like to interject their own opinions unsolicited. (Guilty!!)
Religious people practice their religion in one way or another do they not? I do not practice my non belief in any fashion. I live and let live is all.
There are many things you “practice” but sadly, mere practicing doesn’t make anyone anything. To quote the verse, “why dost thou kick against the pricks”? By definition, Humanism, the belief system you have stated that you endorse (and practice) is a religion just as Atheism is. You can argue with me and others until you are too old to argue but the facts, by definition are the facts. Now, just because I dislike the term, “I’m religious” doesn’t mean that you, dear Lon, aren’t religious. Just as your opinions do not change the facts, my dislikes do not change them either. I guess we both just have to suck it up. You and I....are religious. Gimme a hug brother.....
Yes, one can have great chats with believers but some can't take different opinions; they feel threatened and became aggressive. No, I don't victimize myself (LOL) but a lady almost made one out of me with her attempt to slap me.
I don't practice Humanism----There is nothing to practice This question is simple to frame but surprisingly difficult to answer, for Humanism doesn’t easily fit into any category of things which are normally “practiced.”. Humanism is not a game or set of skills, for instance, which one can practice as one practices playing the piano
No amount of perfection is achieved without practice. Now, if you wish to augment the word practice into experience then be my guest. In the world of humanism, all living beings are considered to be unquestionably valuable but there are times when one mentally values one over another which takes practice to defeat.
I do not have to manipulate words but I definitely am a student of semantics. Is it that you have a set way of thinking of things that cannot be influenced by the truth? Now, if you study the realm of humanism, you can’t just make up your own rules because that would be Lonism would it not? In your spare time, do a little studying and then come back and we can discuss the realm of humanism and all the faith based and psychological / philosophical ramifications of that belief system. One of the results of study means it will improve the amount of information you have on a particular subject and how much of that study you absorb and can readily work with. All of that depends on how much practice your brain has had in doing so. Human thought is never perfect. It is inherently flawed and to put a thought into action perfectly it has to be practiced but alas, even when heavily practiced a thought rarely translates into an exact duplicate when it is put into action.
I've encountered many atheists in my life, and here is what it means (even though I think it is senseless) An atheist is one who believes that there is no absolute morality, and that a deity is not needed to have a happy and fulfilled life. They believe in only the physical universe, and all laws that exist are the ones that are provable with the scientifically established ones. So, morality is a built-in facet that has evolved from eons for survival of the species; therefore there is no a need for a moral lawgiver. In fact the ideas of soul, spirit, and afterlife are nonexistent. Right and wrong are innate, rational, and self-evident. Consequently, there is no ultimate authority to give account to except oneself. The idea of a “god” is extraneous. They think that at death, there is "nothingness" - no life, no spirit, no soul. Just as Lon said in one of his posts, he believes the sun will rise tomorrow morning, but he can't prove it. Well, I know that the soul continues after death (just as I know the sun will come up). No, I can't prove it either, but I look deep within myself, contemplate my existence, and it tells me I will continue to exist, after I leave this "tent" as the bible refers to it.
To be an Atheist is to be proactive. One must make an effort to be Atheist,which makes it,while maybe not a religion is a belief system. An agnostic is not religious or even a belief system. Takes no effort, has no rules.