Religion kills

[BizB]

Incest is best; put your sister to the test!

[ivan]

Ok, to qualify as proof that God exists, you have to meet the following criteria:

• Have a non-slip surface.
• Have a perforated wrapper.
• Have an intuitive ripeness indicator.
• Fit well in our hands.
• Have an easy-access tab.

So there you go.

I am proof that God exists.

[reimero]

Ok, to qualify as proof that God exists, you have to meet the following criteria:

• Have a non-slip surface.
• Have a perforated wrapper.
• Have an intuitive ripeness indicator.
• Fit well in our hands.
• Have an easy-access tab.

So there you go.

I am proof that God exists.

I am intrigued by your theology.  Do you offer an intro course?

[BizB]

I like what you have to say.  Can I subscribe to your newsletter?

[ivan]

why wouldn't i deny it?
but then if you believe every thing in the bible do you believe in incest?? it's clearly in there!!
and if this apparent "god" is so wonderful why banish satan to hell for not wanting to love us, only him?

The Bible as an historical document is fascinating, isn't it? People were sure weird 3,000 years ago.

We know better now.

And who knows? Maybe if God could do it all over again, he'd go easier on Lucifer, seeing as banishing him created more problems for God than maybe it was worth.

Look, you can hate religion if you want. It's ok. But there's a hell of a lot more to it than the simplistic issues you brought up. Like it or not, your personal culture as a Westerner is inextricably bound to Christian tradition. The very fact that you take a moral stand on anything, even against religion, makes you an inheritor of values that were shaped in a Christian culture.

Have you read the Bible? Not as a sacred artifact, but, you know, like a novel?

A lot of it is monotonous, but some of it kicks ass. And it helps to know a little about the things you publicly denounce.

For instance, here is a hint: The God-banished-Lucifer argument isn't really effective. Most people don't take that bit litterally. Use the millions-have-been-killed-in-the-name-of-religion argument, or the religion-fosters-intollerance argument instead.

Do you believe that man-caused climate change is an imminent catastrophe?

[xolik]

RELIGION FUCKING SUCKS!!
not only does it kill but makes people bloody mental.
plus christianity is the worst

not trying to offend anyone here

If your 'god' is so powerful can he make a rock he can't lift? Heh. Check and mate, theist.

[ivan]

If your 'god' is so powerful can he make a rock he can't lift? Heh. Check and mate, theist.

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

--Epicurus

[xolik]

A long time ago, I had a response to each of those remarks that was something beyond the knee-jerk 'because we don't know His will' and the other trite cop-outs used by beginner theists, but as I grow older I've come to this conclusion:

Fuck it.

Seriously, fuck it.

I'm pretty sure we, as intelligent humans, can agree that one guiding principle in life should be "Don't be a dick to other people". Where you get reinforcement for that idea from is none of my damn business. Be it The Bible, Torah, that one book that I can't spell used by folks over in the MidEast, or "Bill Nye's Guide to Not Being A Raging Dick" (I would TOTALLY read that) just go out there and the best person you can be to as many people as you can.

If, by the time you've hit your mid 20s, you've decided you want no part of that religion\God\FSM thing, then bless ya, I ain't gonna argue with you over it.

[ivan]

Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes.

[xolik]

Do you believe that man-caused climate change is an imminent catastrophe?

Now, speaking of religions....

No, I don't. But it's OK, because if I sin against the Environment, I can always buy some indulgences carbon credits from Pope Leo IX Al Gore and I'll be good again.

[Clear_Runway]

Christianity is the worst? did Christianity blow up the WTC?

[ivan]

Christianity is the worst? did Christianity blow up the WTC?

You just don't get it. Christianity caused those poor people to feel really bad. They were just expressing themselves.

[h4wt_b3t4]

They were just expressing themselves.

You sound like a kindergarten class teacher.

[ivan]

Sending Jihadists to kindergarten to learn the golden rule, sip some juice and have a nice nap would probably work wonders.

[xolik]

Sending Jihadists to kindergarten to learn the golden rule, sip some juice and have a nice nap would probably work wonders.

I want juice and a nice nap.

[xolik]

Muslims are pissed off at the mayor of Lancaster because the mayor said in an address that Lancaster is 'a growing Christian community.'

One of the outraged Muslims was quoted as saying 'no elected official should force his religion on others' thus effectively burying the irony needle.

[FragMagnet]

I'm pretty sure we, as intelligent humans, can agree that one guiding principle in life should be "Don't be a dick to other people". Where you get reinforcement for that idea from is none of my damn business. Be it The Bible, Torah, that one book that I can't spell used by folks over in the MidEast, or "Bill Nye's Guide to Not Being A Raging Dick" (I would TOTALLY read that) just go out there and the best person you can be to as many people as you can.

Muslims are pissed off at the mayor of Lancaster because the mayor said in an address that Lancaster is 'a growing Christian community.'

One of the outraged Muslims was quoted as saying 'no elected official should force his religion on others' thus effectively burying the irony needle.

I'm not going to get into specifics; but unfortunately and, as you mentioned, ironically, those who take Religion (or lack thereof) too seriously tend to* be the first people to forget this golden rule.

I personally tend to consider myself agnostic, so I'm almost always the person on the other side of the religious argument - when involved with theists or atheists alike. Having been subjected to both sides of the argument, this subject is one of the most pointless and/or fruitless you could ever try to argue about. "Don't be a dick" are indeed words to live by. If only it were that simple.



*Based on personal experience which is obviously biased.

[ivan]

Having been subjected to both sides of the argument, this subject is one of the most pointless and/or fruitless you could ever try to argue about.

The theist/atheist debate is a stalemate. I haven't seriously argued with a theist in decades.

However, I argue a lot with agnostics.

Sure, the bulk of the argument is over semantics, but still, it's an interesting argument.

One telling aspect: agnostics and atheists have more to argue about than agnostics and theists.

[xolik]

Both parties involved, the mayor of Lancaster and the contingent of Angry Muslims, should have known better than to say what they did. I'm starting to suspect the only thing these two religions are really good for nowadays are just trolling the ever lovin' bejeezus out of each other. 

[Lacerda]

Religion? Pfft. Pssht. Thhhppppbbblll. 

[Clear_Runway]

Both parties involved, the mayor of Lancaster and the contingent of Angry Muslims, should have known better than to say what they did. I'm starting to suspect the only thing these two religions are really good for nowadays are just trolling the ever lovin' bejeezus out of each other. 

religion doesn't kill people. religious people kill people.

[BizB]

If you outlaw religion, only the religious guns outlaws will have outlaws abortion guns religion!


errr... something.

[Wunderkind]

religion doesn't kill people. religious people kill people.

Religious people don't kill people. Religious people kill infidels.

[LuciferSam]

Religious people don't kill infidels, God kills infidels through the hand of the religious man.

That's right, MAN. Toots.

[Wunderkind]

Touche and point taken.