(November 19, 2012 at 11:32 pm)apophenia Wrote:

Quote:...For these reasons, any numbers estimating the size of the secular demographic are going to be generalizations that fail to fully capture the country's religious diversity. But even the conservative estimate of Secular Americans – 15 percent – represents almost fifty million people, a noteworthy demographic bloc. This is a group that outnumbers the combined populations of American Methodists (about eleven million), Lutherans (nine million), Pentecostals (eight million), Presbyterians (five million), Jews (three million), Episcopalians (three million), Mormons (three million), and Muslims (1.4 million). All of these religious groups together would not outnumber a conservative estimate of America's secular population!

— by David Niose

What they lack in numbers they make up for in ferocity born of desperation. Whether or what a god may be is not high on my priorities but to a true believer there is hardly anything more important. They don't make the best neighbors.

(November 19, 2012 at 3:13 pm)Creed of Heresy Wrote: It's like if someone came up to you and started saying "1+1 = 11. This is very true; prove to me it isn't." What would your reaction be?

I'd ignore them and walk away because they wouldn't be worth my time. Depending on my mood, the day of the week, my current level of hunger and the positions of the Sun, Moon and Neptune I may or may not point them in the direction of a source that "disproves" what they are saying without taking my time or killing an excess of my brain cells.

(November 20, 2012 at 7:57 am)Darnem Wrote:

(November 19, 2012 at 3:13 pm)Creed of Heresy Wrote: It's like if someone came up to you and started saying "1+1 = 11. This is very true; prove to me it isn't." What would your reaction be?

I'd ignore them and walk away because they wouldn't be worth my time. Depending on my mood, the day of the week, my current level of hunger and the positions of the Sun, Moon and Neptune I may or may not point them in the direction of a source that "disproves" what they are saying without taking my time or killing an excess of my brain cells.

You're on the Atheist Forums... You came here to start shit, to convert people (hahahahaha)... You can't kick the atheists off of our own forum... That's akin to us going to a church and telling everyone, "Get the fuck out, nothing to see here!"

(November 19, 2012 at 9:49 am)Rhythm Wrote: Yes, Daniel..they are. They're just christians with whom you disagree.

No they're not. And not just because they have a false prophet, they reject the deity of Christ and they practise excommunication among other things. They believe that "only they" know the truth and that every other "Christian" is wrong, thus either they are the only "true Christians" or they're not Christians.

Also they're only allowed to read specific translations of the Bible. The one they presently use - the NWT - is rejected by every Christian denomination for its bias in translation.

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(November 19, 2012 at 3:13 pm)Creed of Heresy Wrote: Yeah, and according to Protestants, Catholics aren't Christians. And according to Catholics, Protestants aren't Christians.

Correct. Roman Catholics, generally speaking, are not Christians. They may be if they reject all extra-biblical incorrect teachings that the RCC impose (praying to "saints", assumption of Mary, etc).

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PS: How can I believe that somebody who distorts and yokes the word of God is a Christian?

Quote:they reject the deity of Christ

As did the Arians. They were Christians. Indeed, they existed before the First Council of Nicea (convened by Contastantine, a non-Christian) declared the divine nature of Jesus.

Quote: They believe that "only they" know the truth

Just like each and every one Christian sect. Need I remind you the Catholic "extra ecclesiam nulla salus" doctrine? Or aren't Catholic Christians either? To say nothing about the Orthodox church.

Thr only Christian Churches who even sympathize with other Christian Churches (and not all of them) are the Protestant ones. And even in those cases the large majority of Protestant sects believe that they discovered the "real truth" about the Bible.

Quote:hus either they are the only "true Christians"

What is your definition of Christianity? You have given us no logical grounds to reject or refute their claim, just like they have no logical bases to prove it.

Quick edit: I see now that you don't consider Catholic Christians. They are the majority of Christians in the world. Each and every philosopher of religion considers them Christians. Your definition of Christianity is frankly a quite bizarre one.

(November 20, 2012 at 8:25 am)festive1 Wrote:

(November 20, 2012 at 7:57 am)Darnem Wrote: I'd ignore them and walk away because they wouldn't be worth my time. Depending on my mood, the day of the week, my current level of hunger and the positions of the Sun, Moon and Neptune I may or may not point them in the direction of a source that "disproves" what they are saying without taking my time or killing an excess of my brain cells.

You're on the Atheist Forums... You came here to start shit, to convert people (hahahahaha)... You can't kick the atheists off of our own forum... That's akin to us going to a church and telling everyone, "Get the fuck out, nothing to see here!"

How, from my previous post, do you manage to make that reply?
The 1+1=11 shit was metaphor for me coming here and "starting shit"
My response is what any half smart human being would do. Yet here we are, 20 pages later.

I shouldn't be surprised though. This is an Atheist forum after all...[/b]

Quote:How can I believe that somebody who distorts and yokes the word of God is a Christian?

It's what you do as well, Daniel. Unless you believe in the literal meaning of the Bible (and nobody, not even the most extreme fundamentalists do that, because the literal interpretation of the Bible is full of contradictions) you are "distorting and yoking" (i.e. interpreting) the word of your god to suit your beliefs.

(November 20, 2012 at 9:00 am)Darnem Wrote:

(November 20, 2012 at 8:25 am)festive1 Wrote: You're on the Atheist Forums... You came here to start shit, to convert people (hahahahaha)... You can't kick the atheists off of our own forum... That's akin to us going to a church and telling everyone, "Get the fuck out, nothing to see here!"

How, from my previous post, do you manage to make that reply?
The 1+1=11 shit was metaphor for me coming here and "starting shit"
My response is what any half smart human being would do. Yet here we are, 20 pages later.

I shouldn't be surprised though. This is an Atheist forum after all...[/b]

You (a Christian) came to an atheist forum. You started a thread entitled: Questions For You Non Believers. You asked, "Why do you push your religion of Atheism on others when there is no evidence that God doesn't exist?" If this wasn't an obvious troll, an obvious attempt to start shit, then what is?
What chutzpah. It's not like you were coming here to attempt to see any other point of view, just to peddle your godswollop.

(November 20, 2012 at 9:00 am)Darnem Wrote: Yet here we are, 20 pages later.

I shouldn't be surprised though. This is an Atheist forum after all...[/b]

So what you're essentially saying is, you came here to make some kind of point?

Way to prove exactly what festive was saying. Jesus would be proud.

(November 20, 2012 at 8:42 am)Daniel Wrote:

(November 19, 2012 at 9:49 am)Rhythm Wrote: Yes, Daniel..they are. They're just christians with whom you disagree.

No they're not. And not just because they have a false prophet, they reject the deity of Christ and they practise excommunication among other things. They believe that "only they" know the truth and that every other "Christian" is wrong, thus either they are the only "true Christians" or they're not Christians.

Also they're only allowed to read specific translations of the Bible. The one they presently use - the NWT - is rejected by every Christian denomination for its bias in translation.

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(November 19, 2012 at 3:13 pm)Creed of Heresy Wrote: Yeah, and according to Protestants, Catholics aren't Christians. And according to Catholics, Protestants aren't Christians.

Correct. Roman Catholics, generally speaking, are not Christians. They may be if they reject all extra-biblical incorrect teachings that the RCC impose (praying to "saints", assumption of Mary, etc).

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PS: How can I believe that somebody who distorts and yokes the word of God is a Christian?

I think everyone should defer to Daniel's expertise. Since he is an "Anglican", he is the only one here qualified to determine who is and who is not a True Christian.[/sarcasm]