First of all, Id like to make it perfectly clear that this post is not meant to attack anybody, but only to voice my opinion on some recent activity.
I do realize that this post will most likely be either misunderstood, and/or just removed by the moderators, for reasons Ill mention in the body of my post. Ill also confirm that it was not an accident that I cross-posted this in two topics.
I have been a lurker in this group for over 2 years, and I absolutely love the hunting and firearm forums. For entertainment, I have occasionally looked at the not-hunting-or-firearms type forums. To attempt to find some light during hard times, I have even tried out the religious forums against my better judgment. This is where I feel the need to make a comment, hopefully to inspire a few people to ease up a little.
Stroll through the religious forums and youll see an amazing pattern. Im right, youre wrong, Im speaking for God, if you dont agree with me, youre going to hell. And anyone who offers an opinion that might be different from the mainstream Christian, well, theyre just a close-minded troublemaker. BS! Moderators and Graybeard, maybe you should change the name of these forums to Christians who only think the way I want them to. Even those who are mainstream cant seem to agree on a darn thing. Almost every thread turns into a my religion is better than yours war. These forums speak nothing but hate, masked by religious gibberish from people who claim to be speaking for God. After looking for answers in these forums, I have nothing but more questions regarding the existence of God and reason for religion. The only thing these forums have accomplished is proving that every denomination of every religion is just as wrong as the next, despite that each is apparently the right one according to the believers.
This second part, related to the first, is for the paranormal-believer folks. One word: Gullible. I say this because Ive been on these BF, UFO, and ghost sites. Ive made up stories, created simple photos, and posted them on those sites just to see the reaction. Each and every time, my information was accepted as further evidence for the existence of the object, despite being a simple fabrication. I cant criticize anyone for believing in something that I cant say for sure doesnt exist, but come on people, use your damn heads a little. Not every story, picture, or suspicion is proof of what youre trying to find. Whats even more ridiculous is that anything proving a story or picture is false must be a cover-up or a conspiracy. It seems awfully weird that its the same people who have all these encounters, yet their proof is just as sneaky as the creature.
The point Im trying to make in both threads is that it isnt the skeptics in this group that are close-minded. Its the believers who cant so much as respect another persons beliefs or opinions. So many people here say that proof isnt necessary. I disagree. Without proof, the only evidence is within the human mind, which is undoubtedly one of the most unreliable sources in the universe. Show me something I can believe that doesn't involve trusting a human, and I might just give it a try.