(October 13, 2012 at 8:39 pm)Polaris Wrote: Well you do know that Separation of Church and State was first coined by a theologian right? Playing pick or choose are we?

Uh. Yeah. A theologian. Someone who studies religion. STUDIES it. Doesn't mean PRACTICES. STUDIES. I have to all-caps this so you pay attention cuz you sometimes go out of your way to not do so.

And someone who studies religion penned the separation of church and state.

I wonder why.

Ya know CoH, the "studies religion" aspect you mention puts a whole new light onto the theistic admonition that atheists should study their fairy story.

Sorry if I'm not making much sense. new set of drugs

(October 14, 2012 at 12:01 am)Creed of Heresy Wrote:

(October 13, 2012 at 8:39 pm)Polaris Wrote: Well you do know that Separation of Church and State was first coined by a theologian right? Playing pick or choose are we?

Uh. Yeah. A theologian. Someone who studies religion. STUDIES it. Doesn't mean PRACTICES. STUDIES. I have to all-caps this so you pay attention cuz you sometimes go out of your way to not do so.

And someone who studies religion penned the separation of church and state.

I wonder why.

He started the first Baptist church in the United States. It seems someone who you know starts a church likely practices the religion, but I doubt you know enough about American history to know anything about Roger Williams.

(October 12, 2012 at 10:35 am)ronedee Wrote: I started w/ the Trinity but got bashed immediately. At that point I was thinking I needed to intergrate more by earning "some" respect....it spiraled out of control.

Mind you, why are you feeling bashed over some online text? Can you discern a user intent just from text? You can't. Objections made to that ridiculous concept (Trinity) should never be taken as offense. If your faith is offended by someones words, could it possibly be that there is something wrong with your religion?

Quote:I'm sorry, but I have a little pride...and it's hard to articulate ideas when I'm being lambasted from every direction! Especially frustrating is being taken out of context, and my words twisted into new meanings that are untrue!

You should be sorry, as pride is one of those deadly sins, at least from the catholic doctrine I know (as an ex-catholic I know quite a bit from it). Alas, despite my poking, perhaps you could be precise in your wording, so context problems can't arise?

Quote:That's why I haven't been able to continue my points! With the exception of you, and maybe one other...everyone just doesn't care. And saying: "Yeah sure tell us your shit!"...isn't very compelling reasons for conversations!

Perhaps because your points have been done to death in this forum? I am the first to say that listening to those old religious arguments many times over is quite frustrating. You talked too much about how you feel, have you thought about how we feel?

Quote:Do I blame them? No, not fundamentally! I personally wouldn't want someone "new" coming in my house to rattle my foundations!

What foundations? Atheist is someone that rejects the claims made by theists, namely the claim that god exists. You are possessing the burden of proof. You are also being less than humble, to claim that you have something we have never heard before.

Quote:I would need to trust that a person is at least sane who is potentially going to try and dismantle my belief system...or lack there-of!

I'm thinking the time will present itself to open "it" up! You will be the first to know...for your "somewhat" welcoming manner.

I really don't have anything earth-shattering to offer...just some common sense, food for thought ideas.

Perhaps you should realize that, instead of just saying. You are too hanged up on your pride, how can you be objective. This forum has alot to offer intelectually, but your pride will blind you from seing it. WTTW: Grow a thicker skin, dumbass <--- see what I did there?

(October 12, 2012 at 1:02 am)Lion IRC Wrote: Who? Where?
This is what I have said

"No religion/Religion Not Stated''
2006 - 30.6%
2011 - 22.3%

Total # Christians in 2011 up 3.6% from 2006

Total # Catholics up 6.1% from 2006

I have studied the results very closely.

That's interesting, because the link you provided gives entirely different numbers.

(October 14, 2012 at 4:50 pm)System of Solace Wrote:

(October 12, 2012 at 1:02 am)Lion IRC Wrote: Who? Where?
This is what I have said

"No religion/Religion Not Stated''
2006 - 30.6%
2011 - 22.3%

Total # Christians in 2011 up 3.6% from 2006

Total # Catholics up 6.1% from 2006

I have studied the results very closely.

That's interesting, because the link you provided gives entirely different numbers.

The link I provided was to the ABS AUSSTATS - Aust Govt. Look at table S7.5.

I'm not afraid of being proven wrong but thanks nonetheless for not going into any actual statistical details in your *cough* rebuttal post.

According to the link, christianity has decreased from 73% to 63.9% between 1968 and 2006. No religion has increased from 12.7% to 18.7% over that same time period. I don't see statistics for 2011.

(October 14, 2012 at 8:47 pm)Lion IRC Wrote: The link I provided[/color][/url] was to the ABS AUSSTATS - Aust Govt. Look at table S7.5.

I'm not afraid of being proven wrong but thanks nonetheless for not going into any actual statistical details in your *cough* rebuttal post.

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/...02012-2013

^Link you provided earlier.




This http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/...E2%80%9310
(different) link you just provided:



Like I said before, you're lying.

(October 14, 2012 at 2:39 pm)Polaris Wrote: He started the first Baptist church in the United States. It seems someone who you know starts a church likely practices the religion, but I doubt you know enough about American history to know anything about Roger Williams.

Nice. Assumptions, and poorly-placed ones, at that. I would say I expected better, but I'd be lying.

You kind of went for the face value of my reply and didn't bother to spend much more than the most minimal amount of time thinking about it, so let me delve a bit deeper, here.

He studied theology. He studied the practices of the churches all across Europe, and he saw what happens when a church was sponsored by the state; war. Lots and lots of bloody war. Why is that, I wonder? Why is it you can force a nation of people to be educated and literate and nothing happens? No conflict resulting from it? Why is it when you force a nation of people to believe in religion suddenly wars break out?

Mr. Williams was a fairly intelligent individual, but he stopped short of understanding what it was exactly that caused wars to break out because of nationalized religion, namely that ignorance fosters contempt, and contempt breeds conflict, and religion induces ignorance.

He was starting to come to a conclusion many today are starting to realize to be truth; religion is the greatest catalyst and pettiest reason for war...and moreover that religion is little more than opinion. And when you try to force an opinion on someone else who does not share that opinion, conflict will always arise.

So, to summarize: He studied religion, and advocated it not being something that had any place in the affairs of government and vice versa based on his findings and research. He saw what happened when you tried to force religion on people. He also saw Christianity for what has been since damn-near day one: An excuse to grab for power. Though he never came to that latter conclusion.

(October 14, 2012 at 11:33 pm)Creed of Heresy Wrote: ... what happens when a church was sponsored by the state...

Crusades