(July 17, 2016 at 8:00 pm)Maelstrom Wrote: It is the church's job, sadly.

Well fortunately I have been seeing a subtle change in these sort of things. The church is starting to be more empathetic to crucial topics such as mental illness. I'm waiting to see how far they will push it with their new website specialized for just that. Maybe just another point for manipulation in the future and try to make depression the blame for lack of belief in God because you "can't feel him when depressed." But maybe depression just has some logical inclination and manifestations. Might as well listen to them.

Touching over into Scientology territory there.

(July 17, 2016 at 8:06 pm)Maelstrom Wrote: Touching over into Scientology territory there.

What do you mean?

Scientology has a propensity toward not trusting psychology, due to the fact that psychology veritably describes schientologists as lunatics of the highest order (which they are).

If mormonism is stating that people do not believe due to mental illness...oh, nevermind, did not think that one through entirely.

My apologies, it happens sometimes.

(July 17, 2016 at 8:11 pm)Maelstrom Wrote: Scientology has a propensity toward not trusting psychology, due to the fact that psychology veritably describes schientologists as lunatics of the highest order (which they are).  

If mormonism is stating that people do not believe due to mental illness...oh, nevermind, did not think that one through entirely.  

My apologies, it happens sometimes.

Wow...I did not know that! Scientology...ugh. I don't understand why people believe in something so outlandish, even after knowing that the founder was a science fiction writer.

I've yet to hear of one thing that can be done under the guise of religion that can't be done just as well, if not better, without it.

Churches can help their communities in times of need.
But I'd say in many cases the opposite is true as helping often means spending money in my experience most churches don't like doing that.

Hi guys 
I'm new here, in fact, although I've been an atheist for most of the last 50 years, I have only just now reached out in any way to fellow non-believers...didn't see the point, to be honest. I've recently joined a couple of forums though, and have been fascinated to learn others feel the same way I do about some things. I'd never really thought about it.

One of the points I have made over the years when debating with a religious person is this. 

If I took a child, literally from birth, and began indoctrinating him in a particular system, forced him to attend lectures, chant and sing about the system weekly, join with other children of the system to discuss the system, pledge a percentage of his income to the system, and count on the system to solve all of his problems for him- although when it didn't he was to believe that it was either through some fault of his own or simply for reasons "beyond his understanding", and further, if I threatened this child with being burned by fire forever if he did not comply with the rules of the system...well, they'd put me in jail, and take the child away.

Interesting. Just change "System" to "Religion" and most folks find it not only acceptable, but mandatory. 

I find it amazing that we have survived as a species. This is plain and simple brainwashing, on a scale the CIA can only dream about. The priests and preachers have had millennia to hone their techniques to a razor edge. It's not surprising that average Joe doesn't stand a chance. Between guilt and fear and peer pressure...he's hosed.

Alternative is evolution or "survival of the strongest". When economy gets weak, leaders order their citizens to attack and plunder weaker economies. Iraq, for example, got sent to hell for fake reasons. As well as many other countries.

Alternative to religion is a society of intelligent animals who very often will kill and torture when their comfy lifestyle is at danger.


Pre WW2 Germany went full retard after its economy got bled dry by reparations from WW1.

Neither of those things seem like alternatives to religion.  They seem like things that religious people are thoroughly engaged in.  Sheer force of demographics.