Christianity

[dvergur]

So you're saying I have to sugarcoat it?

 

[McBell]

So you're saying I have to sugarcoat it?

Nope.
Sugar coating, IMO, does not help anything.
However one does not have to present things in the most possible insulting manner either.

 

[gnomon]

So you're saying I have to sugarcoat it?

This is a religious forum. If you make your first post in a forum for debating religious concepts with what amounts to nothing more than ridicule...than expect that in kind. Quite frankly, others have been immediately banned for such things.

Debating a religious topic is one thing. Pointing your finger and saying "Ha Ha, look at them" is rather pointless and speaks more of you than any religion.

Just so you know, I'm an ... atheist. Yes, I've taken the term back on.

 

[dvergur]

Yes, I know. I have not presented any arguments, but I wasn't planning to with this thread. But how do you debate something like this? I'm sorry, I'll just read other threads for a while. Only thing I have now is ridicule.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Yeah, I'll go with that, not that I see much of a difference. Maybe I should define evidence... something that can be verified by scientific methods or follows laws and theories accepted by most of the scientific community? It's not bulletproof yet but I'll work on it =)
And I don't believe I did say that all religious types were unintelligent because it seems as amazingly some of them aren't... which baffles me. I suppose they have their reasons.

Are you asking for scientific evidence for a religion?

 

[dvergur]

No, I'm saying you shouldn't believe something without it, I'm quite satisfied not having any =)

 

[Shadow Wolf]

They only do if you let them. That's how you can let only the positive ones affect you.

You have no idea how far from the truth that is. An ill person who carriers a highly contagious disease will probably effect whether you want them to or not. Also, if something is repeated enough, the human psyche will begin to accept it. One of the first rules of brainwashing is "people will believe anything if you talk about it long enough." Propaganda, indoctrination, domination, and other such tactics all start with that simple rule. Girls who are abducted and forced to work as sex slaves are threatened and told time after time they can't escape, or they or there loved ones will be killed if they try to escape, and over time the abducted girl will believe it. Some will hold out longer than others, but it is just a matter of time and the skills of the person talking.

No, I'm saying you shouldn't believe something without it, I'm quite satisfied not having any =)

Some of the greatest discoveries inventions, and movements took some degree of faith. Di Vinci conceived the idea of man being able to fly centuries before the Wright brothers first took flight. Martin Luther King had a dream. And not one scientist on the Manhattan Project knew what would happen when the first experimental nuclear bomb was detonated.

 

[dvergur]

I'm not talking about physical things, obviously, that is just twisting my words. There is way too much of this on this forum. And I suppose your other examples, a bit over the top for me, are valid although I've never experienced any of 'em.
On the latter, I think we are not on the same page here. If the scientists would have made some predictions without any evidence to back it up it would be comparable.
I'd like to point out this letter, I've only read about half of it but so far so great. Explains very well how I'm feeling.
Good And Bad Reasons For Believing : Richard Dawkins

 

[Shadow Wolf]

There is way too much of this on this forum. And I suppose your other examples, a bit over the top for me, are valid although I've never experienced any of 'em.

I do apologize for that. Since on a forum we have only what is specifically stated to go on. Being more specific is something you pick up over time.

 

[Bishka]

I'd love to hear more stories about funny religious "ceremonies". I bet there are some juicy Islamic ones.

How 'bout those atheists who think it's funny to make fun of other people and act like an adolescent in puberty?

 

[sojourner]

Howdy.
This is my only outlet for these types of discussion so here we go.
I was at a baptism the other day and I realized how hilarious this religion is. First off, everybody was chanting together, a room full of people singing the same thing is chanting in my books. As if this wasn't bad enough afterwards the priest starts talking real formal like about stuff from the bible I suppose, I haven't gotten through the whole thing yet... Well at least it's pretty humorous, had a hard time keeping from laughing out loud and I would have had it not been my niece's child. And to top it all off, at the end everybody touched the kid. I mean, alright, if you want to act wacky go ahead but don't do it under these silly pretenses. I'd love to hear more stories about funny religious "ceremonies". I bet there are some juicy Islamic ones.

I wonder what the mathematical formula is for finding meaning in one's life and determining one's worth? What is the mathematical formula for determining the value of love, self-sacrifice, forgiveness, and self-discipline? What is the mathematical formula for determining ethical and moral behavior?

Or are meaning, self-worth, love, self-sacrifice, forgiveness, self-discipline, etc. silly and laughable -- and not worth addressing in some manner that helps us integrate these ineffable qualities and states into our physical bodies? Should humanity be reduced to mathematical formulae?

 

[dvergur]

No, but I think you should be able to find all of those without these "manners" and believing in some improbable being "up there". And who says there has to meaning anyways? I don't know if there is any but if there is I'm pretty sure it's not wasting your life praying into thin air.

 

[dvergur]

How 'bout those atheists who think it's funny to make fun of other people and act like an adolescent in puberty?

I don't think it's funny but if you do, go wild

 

[Muffled]

Howdy.
This is my only outlet for these types of discussion so here we go.
I was at a baptism the other day and I realized how hilarious this religion is. First off, everybody was chanting together, a room full of people singing the same thing is chanting in my books. As if this wasn't bad enough afterwards the priest starts talking real formal like about stuff from the bible I suppose, I haven't gotten through the whole thing yet... Well at least it's pretty humorous, had a hard time keeping from laughing out loud and I would have had it not been my niece's child. And to top it all off, at the end everybody touched the kid. I mean, alright, if you want to act wacky go ahead but don't do it under these silly pretenses. I'd love to hear more stories about funny religious "ceremonies". I bet there are some juicy Islamic ones.

I am reminded of God having a good laugh at those who were worshipping wooden idols. Can that piece of wood heal your illness? Can that piece of wood bring the rain for your crops to grow? Can that piece of wood show you the best way to live? NO! All it can do is sit and look stupid.

Of course I see an analogy to the OP. All you could do was sit and laugh stupidly because you have no idea what works and what doesn't.

 

[dvergur]

That is hilarious. Too bad I haven't seen it yet =) And in my opinion only thing that works is us, that is, we make our own luck. Take some responsibility.

 

[Muffled]

That is hilarious. Too bad I haven't seen it yet =) And in my opinion only thing that works is us, that is, we make our own luck. Take some responsibility.

Try getting a river to part so you can walk across on dry land and tell me how well you do.

 

[Aasimar]

This is a religious forum. If you make your first post in a forum for debating religious concepts with what amounts to nothing more than ridicule...than expect that in kind. Quite frankly, others have been immediately banned for such things.

Debating a religious topic is one thing. Pointing your finger and saying "Ha Ha, look at them" is rather pointless and speaks more of you than any religion.

Just so you know, I'm an ... atheist. Yes, I've taken the term back on.

I thought you were an asterisk.

 

[Rioku]

Failing that, you could simply remain attached to your shallow, dim view of the faith and delight in being ignorantly amused @ what you don't comprehend.

Mod must like you, I was warned for far less.

 

[Rioku]

what works and what doesn't.

Prayer does not work, nice try though.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/31/health/31pray.html

 

[dvergur]

Try getting a river to part so you can walk across on dry land and tell me how well you do.

I don't have the knowledge to that, I'll check with some engineers. Don't see the point though. And lastly, I'm not going to argue with something written in Curious George and I won't do so with the Bible either.