Original post by AnonymousIt's factual that the senior authorities of the Catholic church covered up peadophillia many times. We've seen many scandals from other organisations, but this really is the lowest of the low, and sadly it's no exception in the history of the Catholic Church. What I learnt is that many religious conservative types care more about appearance than truth.
Well obviously I don't know all the details on how atoms are formed, the greatest minds don't, but that doesn't mean we should just accept superstition, we've answered many great questions and we will answer more. But note I don't have a problem with belief, deism and the like, just organised religion. No matter how it's portrayed, atheism does not mean being 100% certain there's no God or any force of any kind (even Richard Dawkins said he can't be 100% certain), it just means you don't believe in God.
It's not just about love, it's about compatability. Sometimes you just have to accept that there are important differences between you, that love alone can't reconcile. These people would also probably want to raise children Christian. For me, if I have children, a secular upbringing is completely non-negotiable. Wanking is not the same as sex, that's like saying why do you feel the need to travel, you can just watch travel shows on tv? Contraception is also free.
How is it a sign of love for her, when it's something you wanted before you met her? Putting your wishes over hers is an odd way to define love. It sounds like she's making the sacrifice, not you. And going part of the way... that's what other Christians I've known have done. It just sounds like you're tormenting yourselves to be honest. I'm not going to have a go at you for doing that- I don't think you can honestly expect people to go this long without sexual contact. I knew a Christian girl at uni, she was such a nice girl, and she waited for so long, and then just ended up doing it. I know she felt so **** about it, and it just pisses me off. We're human beings, we like ****ing each other. It's nature. She was more honest than most people, yet she gets all that crap because she followed a religion.
I didn't say happiness is the most important thing in life, I said it's one of the most important. Again, it's worrying you don't see human happiness as important. That's another problem I have with religion. I think it's more important we are happy than we follow some ancient rules. As you say, happiness isn't an entitlement, you earn it. I found rejecting the Church really helpful for that. No Gods, no masters, just humanity.
You should be able to learn how to control yourself without abstaining from sex. Divorce chances reflect finding the right partner more than sexual choice. But I know a lot of religious people stay in unhappy marriages because their God forbids it, or their community will ostracise them. I don't think low divorce figures are necessarily a good thing. Saudi Arabia's are presumably very low. It's a bit odd you say you're thinking of your partner, when they've explicitely told you they want to have sex.
Of course it isn't essential to be healthy, I never claimed that. I'm just saying, we shouldn't ignore the fact that regular, safe sex is good for you.