(October 10, 2011 at 12:26 am)BethK Wrote:(October 7, 2011 at 10:01 am)R-e-n-n-a-t Wrote: Mehmet, I think that you are biased for believing that humanity is a menace to itself. There's no proof of that. (No more than the proof that religion causes harm, at least)
Religion is one thing that is part of the human condition and part of human society, whether or not a given individual accepts or rejects it.
Humanity is, indeed, the menace. Religion is probably humans most successful invention in order to increase harm, damage, and menace to ourselves and other things (animals, plants, perhaps even the planet itsself)
(October 9, 2011 at 3:06 pm)Godschild Wrote: You sure can see the bad in others, why don't you look at the good others do, if you did you sure would not come across as a sour person. Christians do more humanitarian relief than any other organization and no there are no strings attached. If you were to actually look into what christians do for others you would be surprized, I work with young people and try and help them through their every day problems to drug addiction and ask for nothing in return. Yes I do use my christian belief in helping them and the reason I do is I see the success of christian principles. I personally know of two drug rehab programs that are a year long and totally free and have the best results of any programs going. The people that attend are given a bus ticket back home, they are free to leave when ever they want. Disaster relief by christians is outstanding and no one is paid a penny in helping those in need and no we do not use this to have an opportunity to evangelize, we do it because people need help, this is the teachings of Christ. I could go on and on but I think you see what I'm saying. You should stop trying to demonize christians and see the good that we do. By the way check this out for your self, the christian church spends more money helping others than we would ever pay in taxes, so take your choice pay more taxes for the goverment to help others or get off our backs and let us help others without having to listen to your rants.
So? I teach literacy. I don't use my atheistic nonbelief to do that. Does that make it less worthwhile?
During Hurricane Katrina, the first people on the scene giving aid was the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation - a secular organization.
I've read numerous things on drug and alcohol rehabilitation. I've found that the religious-based programs, including Alcoholics Anonymous, have a lower success rate than secular programs, or even lower than someone just deciding to stop drinking or using drugs.
Christianity is the #1 destroyer of families in rural areas of India with Christian missionaries who give food, medicine, schooling, community help (e.g., building a safe water supply). It's "free" but has a price: You must give up your traditional or Hindu ways, and moreover, avoid anyone who is not Christian because they might tempt you to renounce our newfound Christianity and go back to the religion (or lack of it) in your family. I've heard this from numerous people who came from different areas.
There are secular relief organizations, who give food, medicine, schooling, community development help. Some are connected with a government, like the Peace Corps, and others are nongovernmental, such as Doctors Without Borders.
If you don't want to hear (read) my rants against Christians, you might want to refrain from reading atheist boards. In the mean time, keep your superstitions out of schools, out of science, and out of my pocketbook. If you want your Church, YOU pay for it.
We do pay for it and without your help, blindness of the mind and anger toward christians must be a requirement to be atheist. You guys spout that christians only do things for money and never for love, your inability to see the truth always astounds me, you judge the many by the few yet you do not want that done to you. So practice what you preach. By the way christian schools do not put out illiterate children, so much for the secular schools, and I think that what you do for those who can not read is a wonderful thing, keep up the good work BethK. To compare what you do to what I do is like comparing apples to oranges both are good things in their own ways and each is as important as the other. No one stands higher than another when it comes to helping people, there is an exception to this, those who help others for attention do not have a leg to stand on, they do not truly have the need of others as their interest.
God loves those who believe and those who do not and the same goes for me, you have no choice in this matter. That puts the matter of total free will to rest.
