DISQUS

Atheists And Christians Community Blog : Considering another tattoo

  • Doubting Foo · 1 year ago
    LOL...
  • Mike aka MonolithTMA · 1 year ago
    Hmmm...is that "LOL, what a stupid idea?" or "LOL, that's awesome!"? ;-)
  • Doubting Foo · 1 year ago
    Sorry, I thought you were being satirical by having so many beliefs represented by a single tat. I meant no offense. I don't think it is "funny looking" I just thought you were being sarcastic.
  • Mike aka MonolithTMA · 1 year ago
    Oh, no problem. I'm not saying I believe any of those beliefs. I just started with the coexist idea and ran with it.
  • Mike aka MonolithTMA · 1 year ago
    It started with this idea: <img src="http://merelyadequate.net/linkedpics/coexist_AI_BW.1.jpg" alt="coexist" width="400">
  • Dad1939 · 1 year ago
    That looks like a lot of religions and beliefs represented. Bare skin is shared by everyone on the face of the earth;-)
  • Mike aka MonolithTMA · 1 year ago
    Yep!
  • Doubting Foo · 1 year ago
    *smacks forehead* I totally didn't see "COEXIST" when I first saw this. I see it now. OK, I'm stupid... Maybe if it was rotated clockwise a little bit more? Not sure why I didn't see the letters at first...
  • Mike aka MonolithTMA · 1 year ago
    I changed it again. Clearer?
  • Doubting Foo · 1 year ago
    That works!
  • Mike aka MonolithTMA · 1 year ago
    Cool! Thanks! I checked with my Dad and he didn't see the word Coexist either. I'm glad you guys caught that.
  • Cyberkitten · 1 year ago
    Cool idea. I'm working myself up to getting a tat done for my 50th. Nothing so elaborate though!
  • Mike aka MonolithTMA · 1 year ago
    Cool!
  • beowulfs_kin · 1 year ago
    As a Christian (as you know since I am BK from the Christain CADRE), I don't know anyone in Christianity who argues that we shouldn't co-exist. No one is talking about murdering or wiping out those of different faiths. And the people who display this bumper sticker aren't really interested in co-existence (unless they are trying to convince radical Islamists to not kiill people who don't share their faith).

    What the bumper sticker is really contending for is not co-existence but absolute equality of value for each religion.

    Thus, I think that this is only a more difficult rendering of an already flawed piece of bumper-sticker philosophy.
  • Mike aka MonolithTMA · 1 year ago
    Hi, BK, I had guessed that BK didn't stand for Burger King or Bad Karma, but I would have never guessed Beowulf's Kin. Cool name.

    As to the coexist symbol, it is only flawed philosophy if you believe you have the One True Faithâ„¢ and that it is exclusive. To an atheist all religions are equal in their validity, since they are all based on sincere believers experiences. Partially I think many who display this bumper sticker are wanting radical Islamists to not kill people who don't share their faith, but also to stop other faiths from discriminating against other faiths, period.
  • beowulfs_kin · 1 year ago
    Fair enough on your last point. But why is it that it is only in religion where people are expected to co-exist? Certainly, no one seems to mind a vigorous debate about what is the best answer in politics. Sure, there are people who want compromise to make things go forward, but people who advocate this don't want their essential beliefs compromised.

    And I still contend that no one on the Christian side is trying to not co-exist -- just advocate for the position that they think is truth.
  • Mike aka MonolithTMA · 1 year ago
    Who's against vigorous debate? People can coexist and still debate, coexistence isn't about merging all the theologies into one or something like that. People in political parties do coexist, though they can be just as ignorant as many fundamentalists sometimes, just look at all the lies that are spread during presidential campaigns, by folks on both sides.

    As far as your statement that "no one on the Christian side is trying to not co-exist -- just advocate for the position that they think is truth." pick up a newspaper, turn on your television. The religious right wants to do all sorts of unconstitutional things here in the USA. Bush's faith based initiatives go mainly, if not completely to Christian organizations. So I would say that Christians who are trying to push their pro-Christian ideas on other people are in fact doing their best to not Coexist. If you do not fall into that category then bless you. :-)
  • Elisabeth · 1 year ago
    I hope you're kidding. This is way too busy for a tat.

    Honestly, unless religion became so watered down that people really didn't believe in it - like most Catholics, for example - I don't think it's even possible for religions to coexist. Other religions are anathema to fundamentalists.
  • Mike aka MonolithTMA · 1 year ago
    Yeah, I agree about fundamentalists. I like the concept, but as a tattoo it's too dense and, as you said, too busy.
  • Dan · 1 year ago
    Sure they can all coexist all the way up to Judgement Day. Then there will be a separation of saved from the unsaved.

    Ultimately there are only two ways to look at this: a person is either for Christ or against Him. That person walks in light or darkness.

    So, there are two religions in conflict: one which is based on the authoritative Word of God and one built on man's fallible ideas/opinions.

    How many doors to salvation are there? Only One!

    Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
  • Mike aka MonolithTMA · 1 year ago
    Yes Dan, that is what you believe. There are many, who use the same book, who believe otherwise.
  • Dan · 1 year ago
    Doesn't matter what you believe what matters is the truth. You can tell by the fruit. If you are a liberal Christian and slowly become an atheist, like yourself, then you you can plainly see the fruit.

    Remember Jesus Christ quoted from Genesis when He talked about the origin and foundation for marriage. So He took Genesis literally.

    Also, Paul cited Genesis when writing about the first Adam and the last Adam (Jesus) and so he took Genesis literally. That's because Genesis was written as history. It's typical of Jewish "historical narrative"

    When Jesus is obviously talking parables then we don't take it literally. Psalms, for example, says the trees "clap their hands" Now, of course they don't, but we understand what the passage means, because Psalms are poetic songs.

    Remember the Bible is to be taken Literally unless it is obvious a hyperbole or a parable or a song.

    I say all of this as a shot in the dark to maybe pinpoint the moment when you lost your faith. That liberal "compromise" devastated your salvation. I hope you see that as truth instead of a 'brick wall' I care about you that's all.
  • Mike aka MonolithTMA · 1 year ago
    Yep, Dan, please just keep attacking me, then I'll see how much Jesus loves me. My fruit would be that I keep being patient and kind with people like you who insist on constantly mocking and attacking atheists.

    There are many liberal Christians with faith that is just as vibrant and alive as yours is. In fact there are millions of people who aren't Christians with faith that is just as vibrant and alive as yours is.

    Maybe when you've lived your long life, and it's come to an end, you'll end up in one of their hells, though the bulk of the world's religions don't believe in hell.
  • Dan · 1 year ago
    A loving concern for a fellow human is attacking you? You call my good sound advice to help save your soul an attack? I just don't understand.

    One of two things has happened to you: Either you were saved and has a tremendous amount of remorse for your behavior. Or you were never saved and you just brushed it off as "who cares"

    We get to a place where we are repenting, our repentance is, in itself, an evidence of the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit. The test is not: are you sinning and feeling rejected by God? The test is whether you want to be forgiven. If you commit an unpardonable sin, you have utterly and completely rejected the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and you can't care about it - you will have a complete disdain and revulsion to the things of the gospel. If you are worried that you are beyond God's grace, if you fear God's judgment, if you desire to be saved, the Holy Spirit is still working in you and you cannot have utterly and completely rejected God or have blasphemed the Holy Spirit.

    Are you lost forever? Do you care? If you do not I will give you my word that I will leave you alone. If you care about truth and seek it and fell remorse of any kind then the Holy Spirit is working in you.

    It all boils down if you were ever a Christian or not. The chance is that you were never a Christian if you don't care. Read Hebrews 6:4-8

    It's never too late if you care...do you?
  • Mike aka MonolithTMA · 1 year ago
    I say you are attacking me because you keep acting like I wanted to walk away from God, I did not. I served Christ for around 20 years, that may be the longest false conversion ever. I truly do not believe in God currently. If I did, I would be back to doing all the things that I did in his name. I've told you before that a lot of my friends and family are Christians. Now I am an outsider, do you think I wanted that? I love my friends and family dearly, and they still love me, but I no longer am a brother in Christ. I'm not sure if you are familiar with the blasphemy challenge. I have not taken it and do not plan to, simply because I don't feel the need to make a profession about something I don't believe in. Am I lost forever? If God exists, only he knows if it's even possible for one to be lost. Do I care? Since I don't believe in God or Hell, I would say no.

    If you feel I am a lost cause that is fine. I know where you stand, I know what you profess. You are welcome to comment here whenever you like, and I may peruse your site from time to time, but my goal is to get along with Christians, not to fight with them, so most of your posts, I won't comment on because I know it truly wouldn't matter what I said.

    As to Hebrews 6:4-8 I didn't get the impression that you believed one could lose their salvation. I never believed that. I was in the once-saved-always-saved boat. I believed that anyone who appeared to fall away was never really a Christian to begin with. I truly could not understand how someone could walk away from the wonders of Christ. I felt it was impossible.

    Oh, the irony of my beliefs now. ;-)
  • FrScott · 1 year ago
    Mind if I steal your "clearer" version for my next one? Or at least the central idea of it? (It's going to be a full sleeve on the right arm.)

    Best...
  • Mike aka MonolithTMA · 1 year ago
    Go for it! I'd love to see it when it's done.
  • James · 11 months ago
    Wow, I like the designs a lot. There is another great symbol grouping at Universal Life Church Monastery (link in the signature below). They're one of those new age, interfaith, internet churches.
  • Mike aka MonolithTMA · 11 months ago
    Thanks James. In my tests I've run into too many people that couldn't see the word "coexist", but I too like the designs. I'm not sure who the concept originated with, but I like it. I've been an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church Monastery since march of 2008. I have the certificate framed and hanging on my wall. It's a funny thing for an atheist to do. ;-)