If you are devout in your own faith/belief in your god, does that make you an atheist toward someone elses's god?
by 
EvangelineOFire
ANSWERS: 7
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Yeah...I guess it pretty much does. That does not mean that you should hold their beliefs in contempt and have a "holier than thou" attitude. Whose to say which one is actually right? I hold fast to my own beliefs, but that does not mean I expect everyone else to share them.
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Anyone who thinks they have a God is really not getting God at all. God is God. We choose to worship God in our particular manner, but when we start getting all egomaniacal, God disappears from our sight. But God is still there. God is Alive, Magic is afoot. Look up the lyrics to Leonard Cohen's song. Its gorgeous.
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Yes it does. If you believe in the Christian god, you are an atheist regarding Zeus and Ra.
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Yes. And the greatest cause of humankind's suffering = proving that *your* Gawd is the 'correct and only' one, teachin' all them 'heathens' who just won't listen! ;-)
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I don't think it does unless one believes it does. The great Christian theologian, mystic and philosopher Meister Eckhart, who lived in the 13th and 14th centuries said: "Divinity is an Underground river that no one can stop and no one can dam up." Commenting on this, the Reverend Matthew Fox, a modern priest and theologian said: "There is one underground river—but there are many wells into that river: an African well, a Taoist well, a Buddhist well, a Jewish well, a Muslim well, a goddess well, a Christian well, and aboriginal wells. Many wells but one river. To go down a well is to practice a tradition but we would make a grave mistake (an idolatrous one) if we confused the well itself with the flowing waters of the underground river. Many wells, one river." I am in complete agreement with both gentlemen.
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Some faiths give leeway - so you can worship your particular God but not have to see others as necessarily false. Most, however, are just as you say - brainwashing their believers, demanding exclusive support, and even persecuting non-believers or people of other faiths who worship "heathen Gods" or "false Idols". This is one point which many theists either ignore or simply don't understand...they have the exact same perception on other Gods as the atheist! They just forsake the standard or proof which they apply to other religions, when it comes to their own. Here's an excellent quote on the matter (said from an atheist to a theist): "I contend we are both atheists, I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours."
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No. By definition. The word "atheist" has a very specific meaning. It means that you do not believe in any god. So if you believe in "your" god then you are a theist, not an atheist. It doesn't matter if someone else's god is the same or different than yours.
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