It saddens me how few 'pro-Christians' there are here. More so on how many more are willing to bash Christianity rather than respectfully responding. I won't laugh... it saddens me when atheists disrespect Christianity without understanding first what the bible actually says, as though they know exactly what Christianity is all about.
The true basis for Christianity preaches love, forgiveness, and respect for your fellow man... even if you're not a follower, I think these are points that everyone can agree with.
I can't say I agree with 'bible-thumping' Christians who try to forcibly shove the bible down peoples throats, hoping they'll convert or something, but that goes the same for anyone trying to force their beliefs on someone else. If you should disagree with someone, do it in a respectful conversation and discussion, don't come out all up in arms trying to tell them they are wrong; they do not believe they are wrong, and you will not get them to change their minds. It is only when a person is looking for another way that they hearts might be open to another's words.
This thread however, is not respectful to anyone's beliefs, and therefor undeserving of a true discussion.
This is going with the assumption that religion deserves some type of special treatment or respect. There is absolutely no evidence to support the claims that there is a God, yet religion assumes it deserves to be treated with respect and put up on a pedestal. This is the one thing that all religious people have wrong.
I do agree that you guys should stop trying to force your opinions down other people's throats. What you should do is go and read the bible...then when you're done go and read the origin of species. After you're done make a decision based on the information you've just been given.
I couldn't possibly agree more. I am tired of Christians telling me I need to "respect" their beliefs...why? Their "beliefs" dictate that I'm going to be punished for all of eternity. Not only that, but VERY FEW ever even attempt to respect my beliefs...the instant one tells me that I'm going to hell for not believing in Jesus, they are disrespecting my LACK of Christianity. Respect has to be earned...
That being said, I see the usual "you're trying to take away my right to worship" nonsense from a few posters here. NO ONE is trying to take away your right to believe as you see fit...but when you vote for politicians who want to end abortion based on religious belief, who want to discriminate against gays based on religious belief, and who want to force creationism into science class based on religious belief, then you are essentially trying to take away MY right to believe as I see fit by forcing your religion onto me.
For me, it always comes back down to The Golden Rule...don't do it to me if you don't want me to do it to you. 8)
Get rid of religion and you'd still have that pesky thing called society.
We're pretty much in a big social cul de sac, don't worry we'll never get anywhere.
Humanists are pretty nice though, so naive, so hopeful. Just get rid of all the people and the problem is solved. You're all hopeful of ideals that aren't human, go make some robots and live amongst them. I sure as hell would if I could.
The only "constant" you'll see--outside of mindless perpetuation of the gene--is that all social constructs inevitably fall.
Religion, I have no problem with it. I'm between atheist and agnostic. No belief in a higher power, no qualms with others believing in such.
However... When someone like this is allowed to teach young impressionable minds to ignore modern science, one of the foundations that everything is built on, it is just over the line for me.
I mean jeebus, he teaches these kids that if they are asked for proof of how it happened, to point to the bible and call it the history of the universe...
I was trying to find the continuation of the video (it gets worse), but meh you get the idea.
OK OK OK i got it :D
Lets keep Religion where it belongs.... In a church. I dont want people to tell me what to do in my house and a church is the house it belongs in, in there no one can tell you what to do or believe. religion belongs there and anti-religion belongs in the street, not because its more right. Because church is the place where religion is practiced. not in a church (everywhere else) is where anti- religion belongs. We dont go into your church and say "god is not real" so dont come outside and tell us that "god is real". TBH if i wanted to know i would go to the church :D
OK OK OK i got it :D
Lets keep Religion where it belongs.... In a church. I dont want people to tell me what to do in my house and a church is the house it belongs in, in there no one can tell you what to do or believe. religion belongs there and anti-religion belongs in the street, not because its more right. Because church is the place where religion is practiced. not in a church (everywhere else) is where anti- religion belongs. We dont go into your church and say "god is not real" so dont come outside and tell us that "god is real". TBH if i wanted to know i would go to the church :D
So you want to censor out a group of the public view? Because that's what your saying with the statement of don't bring your views out of your 'area'. If we start to do that I'd hate to see what will happen when we're done with religion and start censoring the rest of the heated topics, and no I'm not arguing the right and wrong of any religion. That statement attacks freedom of speech. If you don't like it don't listen. They have a right to say whatever they want on the street just as much as anyone else.
How about regulate neither? Especially since it's (in the US) unconstitutional to do so?
I don't care if you believe in invisible pink unicorns, or whatever, or if you don't even believe the earth is real, but giving the government the power to decide what's OK for you to believe or not believe? That's messed up.
OK OK OK i got it :D
Lets keep Religion where it belongs.... In a church. I dont want people to tell me what to do in my house and a church is the house it belongs in, in there no one can tell you what to do or believe. religion belongs there and anti-religion belongs in the street, not because its more right. Because church is the place where religion is practiced. not in a church (everywhere else) is where anti- religion belongs. We dont go into your church and say "god is not real" so dont come outside and tell us that "god is real". TBH if i wanted to know i would go to the church :D
So you want to censor out a group of the public view? Because that's what your saying with the statement of don't bring your views out of your 'area'. If we start to do that I'd hate to see what will happen when we're done with religion and start censoring the rest of the heated topics, and no I'm not arguing the right and wrong of any religion. That statement attacks freedom of speech. If you don't like it don't listen. They have a right to say whatever they want on the street just as much as anyone else.
religion and racism the same in your eyes then? I know you didnt say that but to take your statement then apply it to all things under the free speech column and thats up there right under religion. Its okay to force your beliefs (out loud in a public forum) about one thing or another even tho it can cause people to feel scared. There is no such thing as free speech, everything you say costs you something. You say the wrong thing you can get fired, jailed, killed or forgotten. Oh and i hate people like you who cant see that everything needs an opposite to be defined. You cant have only right or nothing is right everything is the same. So im all for free speech, I served my country and i bleed for it. Wtf did you do to protect your free speech other than sit there and attempt to belittle me with your tone as if you are better then me or more worthy or maybe you are just smarter than me too. Free speech is a good and bad thing. As long as we dont take away the freedom of speech then the world is a better place? No my unfriend you are wrong. Sometimes not all the time but just sometimes some people need to know when to STFU. BUT no one can tell you what to do in your house. SO in a house of God talk about god all you would like. But stfu on my block or ill use my right to bare arms :D
There is difference in a mob wanting to bring fear to people and a group of people PEACEFULLY expressing their belief in a public setting. Bare arms away in the end you're the one that would look like an extremist. If people don't want to stfu that's their right too. Don't listen if you don't like it. Now when you try to get involved physically, IE with expressing your right to bare arms against the unarmed, that's when you go over the line. Thought on another note, thank you for your services for our country, even if I don't agree with you making personal attacks on me I still respect the fact you served as have all the men in my family, The reason I do not is because the military do not want a body that has 20/200 vision.
Believe in god or you'll burn in hell for eternity doesn't really sound peaceful to me. And what if the KKK was peacfully protesting blacks? No burning crosses on someone's front lawn. Just peaceful gatherings expressing their dislike for blacks publicly. That'd be fine with you?
People will always find differences. Take away religion, they'll segregate based on something else. FFS, that's all we do is run to groups to try to identify with something when really we're all a bunch of lost little dogs with no clue as to what the hell we really want out of life, we just think we do.
No matter what, people will find something, anything, to make an issue out of. If we all looked, dressed, spoke, lived identically, we'd be at odds with the people who weren't as enthusiastic about the sameness, or if everyone was enthusiastic, we'd single out the people that were a tad bit fatter, or had a slightly different shade of hair color, or eye color.
This is human, that's all we are, we're ***, we're screwed up, we're miserable and falling apart, with all of our psychological, physical, and social problems; the perpetual peddling of hopeless fantasies that can never be realized is all we can ever have that's beyond any of this.
Just realize they're just dreams and the reality of it is that all of these 'solutions' and all of this human pseudo-progressive *** is exactly that: nothing more than the cries of people who can't handle that the world is shitty.
Haruhiism is a religion based around a high school student living in Japan named Haruhi Suzumiya. Even though there is some disagreement between whether Haruhi is the one god or not , there is not one bit of doubt among all sects of Haruhiism that Haruhi becoming bored is a very bad idea.
I couldn't possibly agree more. I am tired of Christians telling me I need to "respect" their beliefs...why? Their "beliefs" dictate that I'm going to be punished for all of eternity. Not only that, but VERY FEW ever even attempt to respect my beliefs...the instant one tells me that I'm going to hell for not believing in Jesus, they are disrespecting my LACK of Christianity. Respect has to be earned...
You should take your own advice. Respect has to be earned, yes, but how do we start the cycle of respect unless someone respects someone else first? What makes you think your beliefs are so special that you don't have to be the one dishing out respect first? Because your beliefs aren't mainstream? Go grab a guitar and write a crappy song about being misunderstood, but don't demand respect from people when you clearly are't giving them any.
People complaining about religion in this thread make it sound like they are being ambushed everywhere they go by someone trying to convert them. :| I'm sure everyone here gets their share of Jehovah Witnesses,Mormons, and others knocking at their door but a simple "no thank you, I'm not interested" works wonders.
It's really quite sad that people feel the need to berate others for having beliefs different than their own. So far in this thread it's mostly been hating on the christian folk, but it does go both ways. Why is it so difficult to just let others believe in what they want?
Believe in god or you'll burn in hell for eternity doesn't really sound peaceful to me.
wait... omg… u mean to tell me...
I give to the needy, volunteer at the senior citizens home, sponsor a peruvian orphan, always throw pocket change in the "tip" jars, help little old ladies cross the street, salute veteran soldiers, become a member of p.e.t.a, become a food server at my local soup kitchen during my off time, never did drugs or drink any illegal substance, basically do EVERYTHING in my life almost perfect, but I dont believe in god... i'll burn in hell, the place of never ending torture?!?
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WTF... (what a wasted life)
People complaining about religion in this thread make it sound like they are being ambushed everywhere they go by someone trying to convert them. :| I'm sure everyone here gets their share of Jehovah Witnesses,Mormons, and others knocking at their door but a simple "no thank you, I'm not interested" works wonders.
It's really quite sad that people feel the need to berate others for having beliefs different than their own. So far in this thread it's mostly been hating on the christian folk, but it does go both ways. Why is it so difficult to just let others believe in what they want?
o and yea im like practically ambushed daily (living in new york damn near 2 blocks away from 3 churchs dosnt help >.>)... why do people feel the need to push religion on me /sigh idk (same f'n people btw, which makes it worse)... it happens so much its not even a surprise thing. IN FACT, i'll be more surprised if someone actually pushed/handed me a science pamphlet that explained the universe to some degree. (new idea) <.<
I'm curious to know what you people do to be constantly picked on by Christians. I'm not a Christian, but I don't get "ambushed" on a daily basis by people trying to convert me. And I lived in Georgia. And I currently live in Pennsylvania. I've never had a situation of random strangers coming up to me trying to convert me, or instill the fear of God in me, other than the occassional Jehova's Witness, but who hasn't had that? This is coming from someone who grew up in a very Polish Catholic home. If you don't know, they're pretty hardcore believers.
So I guess the question is, are they really ambushing you, or are you taking it just a wee bit too seriously?
Haruhiism is a religion based around a high school student living in Japan named Haruhi Suzumiya. Even though there is some disagreement between whether Haruhi is the one god or not , there is not one bit of doubt among all sects of Haruhiism that Haruhi becoming bored is a very bad idea.
-wiki
Kyon'ism > Haruhi'ism
There is plenty of proof in the novels to support this idea. =O
(Puts down the popcorn and decides to contribute...)
What can I say, I love a good rant, and a collection of them is like getting it Supersized.
Anyway, I'm an atheist and also a corsair, though I don't bring my 75 ATH to Dynamis, so I thought I'd comment on a few things said up to now.
1.
Bahamut.Stanflame said:
Quote:
Darwin evolution crap can kiss my sorry ***, oh and I did not evolve from a monkey. Because I know so...
You're right, you didn't evolve from a monkey. But you and the monkey probably evolved from the same thing a long *** time ago. Since you clearly didn't do the research, here ya go, made it easy for ya. You're wrong. Deal with it.
2. There seems to be a lot of defense about bashing people who are religious, which always seemed hypocritical to me. Part of what I dislike about organized religions is how exclusionary they are, with a lot of them stating a policy of not fraternizing with outsiders (note, that's some, not all). But a lot of my friends, family, and students are religious and we've come to respect our differences, even if I wonder how, or even if, they've reconciled their beliefs with their personal feelings and experiences. Nonetheless, these are good people and it bothers me when they get lumped in with the haters and the bigots and the extremists who often get taken as representatives. Having religion does not make you a bad person.
3. Isn't this
a bit like basing an opinion on Christians on this?
Aaaaaand finally
4. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a fun enough series but it's *** overrated and overhyped. Go watch something else!
I'm curious to know what you people do to be constantly picked on by Christians. I'm not a Christian, but I don't get "ambushed" on a daily basis by people trying to convert me. And I lived in Georgia. And I currently live in Pennsylvania. I've never had a situation of random strangers coming up to me trying to convert me, or instill the fear of God in me, other than the occassional Jehova's Witness, but who hasn't had that? This is coming from someone who grew up in a very Polish Catholic home. If you don't know, they're pretty hardcore believers.
So I guess the question is, are they really ambushing you, or are you taking it just a wee bit too seriously?
I don't think people understand the difference between sharing religious thoughts and pushing religion on you. Couple of guys came to the house offering their services and sharing their view on god. Talked about it for a few then declined their church offer, yeah they persisted on going "Well you should really think about it" and handed their card. Didn't really think of it as pushy but many others would have been applauded. Then they offered a nice "godly" snow shovel in honor of the church. lol
I don't really care when someone's talking about religion or even sharing their views. There is no way someone could convert me or even try to just by talking about it or even suggesting I should be that way. Who are they to judge? No one.
Why are people so insecure about their views and personal thoughts? If someone's "opinion" mind you, bothers you so much then don't talk to them? No one says answer the door to church people. No one says stand there listening to someone blab about something you'd rather not talk about. I'm sure if you sat there throwing "there's not god" in their face they'd feel the same about you.
A lot of the people in this world believe we need to regulate drugs and guns to make this a safer place. I have a different insight. I think if you're going to regulate one thing that has the most potential to cause death and destruction, it should be religion. Religion is dangerous, and I don't say this out of bitterness. I was raised catholic. I was never molested, but.. Meh i'm a little insulted lol. I was attractive, so hey it was their loss.
What I have against religion is... They start you when you are so defensless. I was 3 years old when they started pumping this BS into my head. I believed in Santa Clause and the Fairy Godmother, ofcourse I believed in virgin birth, a guy that lived in a whale, and a woman came from a rib. But then, something very important happened to me that made me doubt all of it. I graduated the 6th grade :)
What is so hard about saying "I don't know" !?
Ofcourse there are questions that plaque all of us...
How did we get here?
What happens when we die?
Is there a heaven?
Am I on the list?
Who let the dogs out?
So why would you believe some other human being (Who's brain "I promise you is no bigger or better than your own") when he tells you he knows what happens when you die?
"Don't masturbate now, or you won't get to hang out with Jesus in heaven! How do I know!? I've got a pointy hat! I have a hat, and a robe, I have smoke and a wand!"... It's so gay.
Every Sunday is like a pageant with the costumes, the wands, the goblets, the smoke, and the men kneeling down in front of other men with their mouths open.. Nothing gay about that!
Religion, easily has the greatest bullshit story ever told. Think about it. Religion has actually convinced people that there is an invisible man living in the sky, who watches everything you do every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of 10 things He does not want you to do. And if you do any of these 10 things, he has a special place full of fire, and smoke, and burning, and torture, and anguish, where he will send you to live to burn, and suffer, and choke, and scream, and cry forever and ever untill the end of time. BuT He LoVeS YoU <3 <3 <3 <3
He loves you and he always needs MONEY! He's all powerful, all perfect, all knowing, and all wise, but somehow he just can't handle money o.O!! Religion takes in billions of dollars, they pay no taxes, and they always need a little more $$$$$ Talk about a good bullshit story.. Holyshit!
This is Sincere: When it came to believing in god, I really tried. I wanted to believe that there was a god who created us in his own image, loves us very much, and keeps a close eye on things. I tried, but the longer you live, the more you look around, and the more you realize that something is ????d up:
(War Disease Death Destruction Hunger Filth Poverty Torture Crime)
This is not good work. If this is the best god can do, I am not impressed. A results like these do not belong on the resume of a supreme being. These are the results you would expect from an office temp with a bad attitude.
Between you and me... In any feasibly ran universe, this guy would have been out on his all powerful ass a long time ago. I say guy, because if there really is a god he has to be a man. No woman could or would ever ???? things up like this ^.^
If there is a god, I think that most reasonable people would agree that he is atleast incompetent, and maybe.. Just maybe.. He doesn't give a shit. Which I admire in a person, and it would explain a lot of these bad results. So instead of being just another mindless-religious robot, mindlessly.. Aimlessly.. Blindly believing that all of this is in the hands of some spooky incompitent father figure who doesn't give a shit, I decided to find something else to worship. Something I could actually count on...
I immidiatly thought of the sun. Overnight, just like that. I became a sun worshipper, but not overnight because you can't see the sun at night. But first thing the next morning....
Several reasons...
First of all, I can see the sun. (Unlike a few other gods I know). I'm big on that, if I can see something it kind of helps the credibility. So everyday I can see the sun as it gives me everything I need: Light, Heat, Food, Flowers in the Park, Reflections in the Lake, the occasional skin cancer but hey.. Atleast there are no crucifixions and setting people on fire simply because they don't agree with us.
Sun worshipping is simple. There are no mysteries, no miracles, no pageantry, noone asks for money, no songs to learn, and we don't have a building we gather together in once a week to compare clothing.
Suppose your prayers aren't answered. What do you say? Its god's will~? It will be done. Fine, but if it's god's will, he is going to do what he wants to anyway... Why the hell pray for it in the first place? Couldn't you just skip the paying, and just go straight to god's will?
I do believe prayers are answered though.. Maybe at a 50% rate! Half the time I get what I want. Half of the time I don't. Same as the four leaf clover, the horse shoe, the wishing well, the rabbit's foot, the mojo man, same as the voodoo lady that tells you fortune by squeezing a goat's testicle. It's all the same.. 50/50... So just pick your superstition, make a wish, and sit back and enjoy yourself.
And for those of you who look to the bible for moral lessons, and literary qualities... I'll suggest a few other stories for you... You might want to look at:
~The Three Little Pigs (It has a nice happy ending)
~Little Red Riding Hood (Although it has that X-rated part where the wolf actually eats the grandmother)
~Humpty Dumpty (All the king's horses, and all the king's men couldn't put humpty dumpty back together again. That's because there is no Humpty Dumpty, and there is no God.)
