(January 9, 2012 at 7:35 pm)rubikscube Wrote: As an anti-theist, it might be assumed that I'm against freedom of religion, although this is completely untrue. I happen to believe that religion is dangerous, immoral, and corrosive, but that doesn't mean I'm against people choosing to believe bullshit.

Well this seems to me to be an over-reaction to the very concept of "religion". Although certainly a justifiable one especially in the western world that where religion basically implies the "Abrahamic Religions".

The Abrahamic religions are the ones that are the most dangerous, immoral, and corrosive. They support far too many negative ideals.

For example, this God supports horrific punishments as a means of solving his problems if only by his own behavior and choices in these fables.

That's sick in and of itself right off the bat. If God condones violence and being cruel to people as a valid means to solve his problems, then surely that must be a good way for us to solve our problems too. That's the sick message that these Abrahamic-based religions convey.

They also support male-chauvinism, religious bigotry to the hilt, and an ideal that God hates homosexuality, etc.

In fact, they even use this God as justification to put down each other simply because they all have different views on what this God supposedly stands for. So this is indeed a highly hateful religion that actually hates itself more than anyone else via it's myriad of contorted and opposing factions.

So in light of the Abrahamic religions and all of its offshoots, (i.e. Judaism, Islam, Catholicism, and the myriad of protesting Protestants), it's no wonder that "religion" in general is viewed as a source of hateful immoral concepts that are indeed quite dangerous.

That's quite sad actually because there are religious and spiritual philosophies in the world today that don't support such hateful concepts in the name of a violent egotistical God who is chomping at the bit to be extremely cruel to everyone and anyone who fails to believe in him via a particular faction of a highly fragmented and self-hating religion.

I think Doubting Thomas made a really good point on this:

(January 11, 2012 at 7:07 pm)Doubting Thomas Wrote: I, too, totally despise religion and think humanity would be better off without it, but I still believe very strongly in the right of everyone to believe in whatever religion they want or none at all. I think atheists tend to be stronger supporters of the First Amendment than most Christians are, because it seems like most Christians buy into the "this is a Christian nation" bullshit and would like very much to have laws passed which would make Christianity the official state religion. I find this horrific, and the idea that it may not be their own version of Christianity which would be the law of the land is totally lost on them.

That last statement most certainly is lost on the Christians entirely. The Protestants would become extremely irate if Catholicism were to be proclaimed as the "State Religion" and we all had to worship the decisions of the Pope as the "Word of God".

They wouldn't stand for that for one second.

Moreover, which protesting camp of Protestantism would be accepted with open arms by all Protestants. Basically none. There doesn't even exist a single solitary form of "Christianity" that even all so-called "Christians" would embrace. Some believe in Hell, some don't. Some believe that it's important to accept Jesus as your personal "Lord and Savior" others believe that to simply be like Jesus in moral values is enough. Etc, etc, etc.

Some don't believe that God hates homosexuality, others do.

Christianity is truly a joke. There is no such thing actually.

All that exists are a myriad of opposing little sects that are all in disagreement with each other.

If the entire world were converted to "Christianity" tomorrow that would only be the beginning of the real "Holy Wars".

Once they got the whole world focused on Jesus, they would instantly turn on each other proclaiming that only their views of Jesus are correct, etc.

It's a hopeless religion that has no future. It can only turn on itself. It really has not other option available.

And so is it any wonder that more an more people are beginning to believe that "religion" in general is dangerous, immoral, and corrosive. They look at the behavior and extreme religious bigotry of the Abrahamic religions and conclude that this is what religion is.

That's a real shame. These Abrahamic religions are actually driving people to reject any form of "spirituality" altogether because they view the whole concept as being nothing more than fodder for hatred and religious bigotry.

That's a shame.

(January 31, 2012 at 3:18 pm)Mitja Wrote: ok need to re post this-
we need an new state that forbids religion .
If we are going to act like some pussies we arent going to achieve atheism on this world.

LOL...what? Atheism is something people should WANT to go to, not be FORCED to go to.

This just isnt my anarchist anti-authoritarian attitude coming out, because I havent called you a fucking fascist pig yet.

This is my intellectual side coming out. If you were to say "We need to keep religion out of biology class" I would 100% agree with you. What you are suggesting is to remove freedoms from the people. Who knows, one day I might decide to become a Christian. YOU might decide to become a Muslim.

YOU - DONT - KNOW

So how about I give you some advice:

Dont burn bridges.

We already see this happening in the Middle East, with Sunni & Shiite Muslims always fighting each other over which denomination of Islam is correct.

(January 31, 2012 at 4:21 pm)Doubting Thomas Wrote: We already see this happening in the Middle East, with Sunni & Shiite Muslims always fighting each other over which denomination of Islam is correct.

That's all the Abrahamic religions ever did.

Any religious mythology that is based on a "jealous God", is going to incite hateful religious bigotry. It's inevitable.

I would personally vote to ban "Jealous God" religions as being unethical and highly immoral. That would do away with all the Abrahamic religions altogether.

Kind of makes you wonder why a perfect god would have the trait of jealousy, which is itself a useless emotion.

Abracadabra Wrote:It's a hopeless religion that has no future. It can only turn on itself. It really has not other option available.

I think an equally likely scenario is that Christians will band together when they start to drown in secularization. It's the concept of giving two opposing groups a common enemy and they will work together as touched upon in 'Watchmen.' As unlikely as Chriistians working together as a whole sounds, people will take to desperate measures when their lives are threathened, and to many Christians, Christianity is their life.

Let's hope, however, that it does implode.

(January 31, 2012 at 4:59 pm)Faith No More Wrote: Let's hope, however, that it does implode.

I'm convinced that it already has imploded to a very large degree. Christianity as a viable religion is already basically dead. I mean, sure there are radical fundamentalists and evangelists trying hard to resurrect it, but their efforts will indeed meet with failure to be sure.

With every passing generation people are wising up. Believe it or not.

One thing that keeps Christianity afloat is indeed Islam. Since Islam is basically based on the same God and is still a quite powerful political force in Arab countries this stimulates die-hard Christian fundies to work hard against that facet of the religion. So until the Arab countries start to wise up, Christianity will remain stimulated.

And of course, it works the other way around too. Vociferous Christian fundies in this country serve to incite and stimulate Muslims in the Arab countries. So that "Holy War" will continue until everyone wises up.

I often wonder what effect it might have had on the Arab countries if the Western world would have wised up already and basically renounced Christianity as having no more merit than Greek mythology.

Because actually, while believers in Christianity may not realize it, their continued belief in Christianity actually loans merit and support to Islam. Because after all, they are both based on the same foundational doctrines.

So when Christians support Christianity they are actually supporting the God of Islam at the same time without even realizing it.

The thing that really cracks me up is that cultures like the Taliban behave much like the ancient Hebrews were instructed to behave by the biblical God. Yet Christians find that male-chauvinistic behavior to be despicable.

In other words, Christians basically view the God of the Old Testament as being a despicable God. Yet they continue to support those ancient texts as being a correct description of what God is supposedly like.

It's insanity beyond insanity. Truly.

That modern day Christians can't see through this nonsense is the true mystery.

A hateful male-chauvinistic vengeful jealous God has his son butchered on a pole, by humans, so that he can forgive humans for their sins?

The fact that this makes sense to any human being at all is truly beyond my comprehension.

Back in the days when I was a "Christian" it was only because I was born into that religion and I was told that all this "nonsense" somehow makes sense to God in ways that we simply can't understand and that we simply need to have faith that God has reasons for all this baloney.

What an asinine belief system.

It's a system that is so screwed up you need to believe on pure faith that this God can somehow justify all this utter stupidity because he supposedly knows something that's not revealed in the stories.

How utterly stupid is that?

I mean truly. How did this religion ever gain anymore respect than Greek Mythology? It's not the slightest bit more credible. On the contrary, in many ways it's even more absurd.

Quote:ok need to re post this-
we need an new state that forbids religion .
If we are going to act like some pussies we arent going to achieve atheism on this world.

You're taking the piss,having a laugh,in'tcha?

Mitja Wrote:ok need to re post this-we need an new state that forbids religion .
If we are going to act like some pussies we arent going to achieve atheism on this world. WARNING: If you arent an atheist you will not be tolerated by this user

Oh Dear!

Well it looks like we have our first red-neck Atheist.... Had to happen I suppose

(January 30, 2012 at 2:14 pm)5thHorseman Wrote: Everyone is a hypocrite in some sense and on multiple occasions throughout their lives,.....

case in point

(January 31, 2012 at 4:42 pm)Abracadabra Wrote: That's all the Abrahamic religions ever did.

Any religious mythology that is based on a "jealous God", is going to incite hateful religious bigotry. It's inevitable.

I would personally vote to ban "Jealous God" religions as being unethical and highly immoral. That would do away with all the Abrahamic religions altogether.

So you're all for freedom of speech when it reflects your views... not to mention, when has outright banning of a percieved personal privilege (drugs, alcohol, sex, etc.) ever succeded in bettering society?
as far as the next drivel, I'm content to let you keep your delusions and I'll just comment on one thing

(January 31, 2012 at 5:29 pm)Abracadabra Wrote: Because actually, while believers in Christianity may not realize it, their continued belief in Christianity actually loans merit and support to Islam. Because after all, they are both based on the same foundational doctrines.

So when Christians support Christianity they are actually supporting the God of Islam at the same time without even realizing it.

By Definition Christians follow Christ Jesus and predominantly trinitarian, Muslims do not follow Jesus, nor do Jews. Jehovah's witnesses aren't trinitarian so they could be considered fringe Christian on that doctrine alone. I think your understanding of the Abrahamic religions is infantile and incomplete. I welcome your opinion, but you know they say opinions are like ...