When I was a child, being raised around Sunni Muslims (In Syria) wasn’t an easy task. After being indoctrinated as a child at home and in school, it became a total pain in the ass.

Praying 5 times a day (Constant work)
Ramadan (Starve all day)
The points system (Which means every deed is being recorded)

It was just a big mind fuck, I was always paranoid because of my bad behavior as kid and at one point in life I lost my motivation for the future because I was sure that I was going to hell. When I migrated to the states at 12, religion got even harder. Now I am seeing kids eat during my fasting in ramadan, now I am eating peanut butter at school because lunch contained pork, now I am seeing kids make out and have relationships while I can’t because I have to be married.When I was 22 ( I was an agnostic) I dated a christian girl and was intensely exposed to christianity. I realized there is hardly any effort needed to be a christian. Here I am with this christian girl drinking, having sex (and anal sex), no need for prayers, christmas was full of gifts and good food, and when it came to worship? We went to the local church where we sat on CHAIRS and sang songs about God AS HE WILL FORGIVE US FOR OUR SINS!Of course the conversion failed and I later converted to REALITY. Looking back at everything, it’s pretty obvious that religions age and weaken their grip on society as people demand rights and freedom. Here you have it, a religion that hardly requires any effort but to believe in something, that is a sign of near extinction. Islam needs more work but it’s catching up thanks to the internet.

100% correct, it's easy to be a Christian...because of Secular Society, if we lived in a theocracy (which some xians want) it'd be a lot different.

I like your story and background on your life, but it has nothing to do with what's in your sub-title of extinction. I especially love the part of your story pointing out the hypocrisy of Christian girls breaking commandments, but then again so do the men. Most Christians are Cafeteria Christians and will do hypocritical things like getting religious tattoo's even though the bible speaks against it. In relation to your sub-title, I think Christianity as a theology is not only open to our own extinction (the rapture, the second coming) but they are actively seeking to work towards our extinction (climate change denial, or religious nuclear war etc).

I don't even believe there are religious people. They're all faking it because if they truly believed in a god that can drown every living thing on the planet, kill all the firstborn of Egypt, send plagues and infestations, send his own son to be tortured and killed, well, these so-called believers would be so frightened they'd be praying fervently 24 hours a day.

(April 18, 2014 at 4:04 pm)Jiggerj Wrote: I don't even believe there are religious people. They're all faking it because if they truly believed in a god that can drown every living thing on the planet, kill all the firstborn of Egypt, send plagues and infestations, send his own son to be tortured and killed, well, these so-called believers would be so frightened they'd be praying fervently 24 hours a day.

CONTROL.. AAAAHHHH..

(April 18, 2014 at 4:04 pm)Jiggerj Wrote: I don't even believe there are religious people. They're all faking it because if they truly believed in a god that can drown every living thing on the planet, kill all the firstborn of Egypt, send plagues and infestations, send his own son to be tortured and killed, well, these so-called believers would be so frightened they'd be praying fervently 24 hours a day.

I tend to think the same way. I don't think most people reaaaaaly believe in a god. They believe in belief.

However, to state that is utmost arrogance. It's the same as a xian tell me I really do believe. It's unfair to put words in someones else's mouth...or ideas in their heads, so to speak.

So, I just smile and wave lol

(April 18, 2014 at 4:31 pm)ThePinsir Wrote:

(April 18, 2014 at 4:04 pm)Jiggerj Wrote: I don't even believe there are religious people. They're all faking it because if they truly believed in a god that can drown every living thing on the planet, kill all the firstborn of Egypt, send plagues and infestations, send his own son to be tortured and killed, well, these so-called believers would be so frightened they'd be praying fervently 24 hours a day.

I tend to think the same way. I don't think most people reaaaaaly believe in a god. They believe in belief.

However, to state that is utmost arrogance. It's the same as a xian tell me I really do believe. It's unfair to put words in someones else's mouth...or ideas in their heads, so to speak.

So, I just smile and wave lol

I suspect that a majority of people who claim belief in a deity really do genuinely believe in that deity. We look at things like the Heaven's Gate cult -- 39 people killed themselves thinking that they would catch a ride on comet by doing so. Completely irrational thing to believe without a spot of evidence to suggest that it might even be possible, but they believed it 100% -- if there were anything short of absolute certainty -- they would still be alive.

I think the problem lies in believing in belief. They seem to be of the opinion that adamant dogmatic insistence is the same as evidence. "I really, really, really believe this shit, therefore -- it's true."

You can't make something true by dogmatically insisting that it's true. When a person comes to this realization then they are usually on their way to abandoning whatever faith they are being imprisoned by.

(April 18, 2014 at 3:54 pm)Quantum Theorist Wrote: 100% correct, it's easy to be a Christian...because of Secular Society, if we lived in a theocracy (which some xians want) it'd be a lot different.

I like your story and background on your life, but it has nothing to do with what's in your sub-title of extinction. I especially love the part of your story pointing out the hypocrisy of Christian girls breaking commandments, but then again so do the men. Most Christians are Cafeteria Christians and will do hypocritical things like getting religious tattoo's even though the bible speaks against it. In relation to your sub-title, I think Christianity as a theology is not only open to our own extinction (the rapture, the second coming) but they are actively seeking to work towards our extinction (climate change denial, or religious nuclear war etc).

The Bible states not to cut your body or get tattoos as a way of worshiping that which is not God. The closest the Christians can come up with not getting tattoos is a passage about the human body being a temple.

(April 18, 2014 at 4:04 pm)Jiggerj Wrote: I don't even believe there are religious people. They're all faking it because if they truly believed in a god that can drown every living thing on the planet, kill all the firstborn of Egypt, send plagues and infestations, send his own son to be tortured and killed, well, these so-called believers would be so frightened they'd be praying fervently 24 hours a day.

Oh, I think they believe alright, I just think that they haven't thought too hard about the implications of the holy book they've hitched their wagon to, is all. See, if you believe christian theology then once you've embraced the savior the hard part is kind of over; what happens to you on earth doesn't matter, because eternity in heaven awaits, and being a christian guarantees you a place there... no more thought required.

Because they've reached the safe zone they don't have to consider the implications of their wrathful god, because it won't be happening to them, now will it? They don't have to behave as though hell is a real place, because they aren't going and those who do deserve it; that's why we don't see a constant, 100 percent push toward saving everyone on the planet, all the time from the evangelical side. Hell might be a real place to them, but it's not a real place; it's not something they'll ever have to consider, and so the true horror of the concept can safely be skipped over.

That's why christianity cultivates and prizes faith: it gets you into the safe zone by hook or by crook and then strives to keep you there by devaluing the idea of looking too deeply into this stuff, and telling you that intellectual curiosity about these ideas is only of any worth when you're coming to the faith, not when you're within it, or traveling away from it.

(April 18, 2014 at 5:35 pm)Polaris Wrote:

(April 18, 2014 at 3:54 pm)Quantum Theorist Wrote: 100% correct, it's easy to be a Christian...because of Secular Society, if we lived in a theocracy (which some xians want) it'd be a lot different.

I like your story and background on your life, but it has nothing to do with what's in your sub-title of extinction. I especially love the part of your story pointing out the hypocrisy of Christian girls breaking commandments, but then again so do the men. Most Christians are Cafeteria Christians and will do hypocritical things like getting religious tattoo's even though the bible speaks against it. In relation to your sub-title, I think Christianity as a theology is not only open to our own extinction (the rapture, the second coming) but they are actively seeking to work towards our extinction (climate change denial, or religious nuclear war etc).

The Bible states not to cut your body or get tattoos as a way of worshiping that which is not God. The closest the Christians can come up with not getting tattoos is a passage about the human body being a temple.

Hard to tell if you're agreeing with me or not

(April 17, 2014 at 6:27 pm)Vegamo Wrote: When I was a child, being raised around Sunni Muslims (In Syria) wasn’t an easy task. After being indoctrinated as a child at home and in school, it became a total pain in the ass.

Praying 5 times a day (Constant work)
Ramadan (Starve all day)
The points system (Which means every deed is being recorded)

It was just a big mind fuck, I was always paranoid because of my bad behavior as kid and at one point in life I lost my motivation for the future because I was sure that I was going to hell. When I migrated to the states at 12, religion got even harder. Now I am seeing kids eat during my fasting in ramadan, now I am eating peanut butter at school because lunch contained pork, now I am seeing kids make out and have relationships while I can’t because I have to be married.When I was 22 ( I was an agnostic) I dated a christian girl and was intensely exposed to christianity. I realized there is hardly any effort needed to be a christian. Here I am with this christian girl drinking, having sex (and anal sex), no need for prayers, christmas was full of gifts and good food, and when it came to worship? We went to the local church where we sat on CHAIRS and sang songs about God AS HE WILL FORGIVE US FOR OUR SINS!Of course the conversion failed and I later converted to REALITY. Looking back at everything, it’s pretty obvious that religions age and weaken their grip on society as people demand rights and freedom. Here you have it, a religion that hardly requires any effort but to believe in something, that is a sign of near extinction. Islam needs more work but it’s catching up thanks to the internet.

The biggest problem with your understanding of christianity is that it doesn't appear that you were exposed to christianity. Sex outside of marriage and drunkeness are both condemmed in the bible and Jesus told us to pray to the God the Father regularly. I can't judge you're girlfriend's state of faith, but it sure didn't show in her actions. I will say that everyone who claims to be a christian is not necessarily a christian.