Quote Originally Posted by NeedSomeAnswers
... This is the one thing i object to the most !!, i have no problem with people believing anything they want i mean its their life, what i do object to is them trying to force it on to me !
I am agnostic (a fence sitter) leaning towards atheism.

People that shout their beliefs are not forcing anything on you or me. You are not being tied down and brainwashed. You could very easily just ignore them or walk in a different direction. Same scenario if a parade was marching down main street. You can stop, look and listen or take a different route.

What would you have society do? Tell religious fanatics that shouting from their soap boxes is illegal and cannot be done? Then stop where, dictating to all colleges exactly what they can teach? Telling all scientists exactly what they can research? Dictating exactly what gets printed/aired in every possible medium? The world has been there from time to time, wasn't a pretty time then and wouldn't be now either.

When all TV and radio stations you receive are shouting the same religious beliefs, when newspapers, books and magazines pages are all printed with the same religious beliefs, when you are required to attend daily prayers or go to jail, then those beliefs are being forced on you. The book 1984 comes to mind.

As a non-believer myself, listening/hearing to others' arguments/beliefs has never truly bothered me. Whether you are a believer that refuses to listen to other religions/atheists arguments or whether you are a non-believer that refuses to listen to religious arguments, I categorize all of you as the same: close minded and biased, regardless of religious beliefs.