The Power of Belief

[Drich]

What we believe to be true colors everything which we see. For instance, if you have a hypothetical 30-something guy who is given to conspiracy theories, everywhere this guy looks he is going to see conspiracies. He'll probably think that there was a plot of some kind to kill JFK,

If there had not been a plot to kill JFK he would not have been Shot by Lee Harvey. (It only takes one to plot.)

that the moon landings were faked, that economic problems are caused by some vast government/banker conspiracy,

There was. it is called greed. Greed is what allowed the banks and the goverment/Fanny mae and freddy mac, to make one bad loan after another in a real estate bubble, to people who could not ever hope to pay back what they had borrowed.

and be concerned about the Muslims conspiring to take over the US, with Obama as their head guy who is going to take away our guns, lock up true Xtian NRA members and institute Sharia law.

Maybe not take over, but Mr. Obama has loosened this country's policys enough to allow attacks by radical muslims to be carried out against the US once again. Not saying this is an all bad thing as there needs to be an over all ying to the pervious adminstrations yang, but one can not argue that we are more vurnable than we were 8 years ago.

And he will believe this as strongly as I believe that the sky is overcast as I write this.

As you can see anti conspircy theroists can also turn a blind eye to the truth, in an effort to perserve their ideal world where everyone and every source of information can be taken as it is persented. This is the core of that 'iron age' wisdom you are trying to shun here. It is to seek truth and prize it above all else. Even if it means going against popular beliefs and social manidates.

Here's the deal- as you believe, so you will behave. So, if you believe that God has a plan, that is going to influence all of your decisions, actions, etc.

Then you do not understand the nature of God's plan. 'God's Plan" as outlined in scripture is to give us the ablity to choose. (He did this with the planting of the tree of knoweledge in the Garden) and to redeem us from the bad choices we make/sin (Christ did this on the cross.) The final part of that plan is for us to seek and save the lost, once the last person who is to be saved has been saved, He is to end the reign of man.

Or so says the bible. Now if you're privy to some other plan then feel free to share.

It's up to the creator what happens. If bad things happen to you then you start thinking that God is angry with you and you deserve this.

Uh, no. If bad things happen then bad things happen and it is up to you to live and learn from it or to let it turn your heart cold to God, because you did not get your way.

To a very large extent you cease to think for yourself.

The irony. Do you know how many times in 8 years of doing this I have answered this exact line of thought? To which none have ever been able to go line by line and refute every point I bring up. Why? Because most of you never thought about God or the bible in the way I am sharing with you.

It's like you guys were all programed in some big institution to all think the same way and call it 'thinking for yourself.'

It's your life to live but you keep trying to live it for some imaginary being instead of living it for yourself. Whose life is it anyway?

...and if the being is not imaginary?

That is one of the things I most have against the continuation of religious belief.

So if it were up to you. the religious need to be placed in camps and made to stay there until re-educated? forced to think as you do? Some sort of Camp that forces them to Concentrate on being an approved citizen...

The only one 'final question' is what to do with those who will not yeild their beliefs?

What they are doing is taking people's lives away from them with their ridiculous fairy tales.

So, This is why your so anti conspiricy! You wanted to set up a peer pressure dynamic so when someone argues this point you can fall back on your orginal dismissal of God and religion you established in your opening statement. Thus allowing you the option to mock those who do not think as you do.

They frighten small children with graphic descriptions of hell.

If you think the descriptions are terriable, wait to you see it for yourself.

They tell girls that they must spend their lives subordinate to first their father, and then their husband.

"They" also tell the boys to be subordinate to their fathers, and to love their wives to the point of giving their own lives for them, as Christ did for the Chruch. Or do you not care about the whole context of that passage as it speaks against the point you were trying to make.

They endlessly promote obedience over using one's brain and thinking for themselves.

We are talking about Christianity right? For the stated purpose of Christianity is to attone for all of the DISobedience one is privy to in his/her life time. Meaning God's knows we can not truly be obediant, so He sacrificed His Son so you have a way to be found righteous in His eyes, without having to be 'obediant' to all of His law.

But it is all done with love so that makes it OK.

As apposed to what. Hating the religious because they do not want to live for self? Demanding the banishment of all who do not think as you do? From where do you demand these decrees in this manifesto? It's obvious, your thread here was not written from a place of 'love.' Does that mean anger, hate and intollerance is ok so long as it is done in the name of 'logic and reason?'

If you believe that being Gay (as if you had a choice in such things) is wrong,

Being Gay is a sin.

then you can discriminate against such people and you are being righteous in doing so.

Actually no you can not. for all sin.
Being Gay is a sin like any other and all are born unto sin. Meaning we are all 'wrong' and ALL were born to be 'wrong.' So no 'wrong' person can say he is better than another. What Makes us right before God is the sacrifice Christ made. Nothing else. He did this so no man could boast about his own 'rightness.'

If you believe that your religion is the only right and proper way for a person to live their life, then it is OK for you to do all kinds of things:

Are we still talking about Christianity? For the Christ tells us the religion in of itself is meaningless.

Do all in your power to take away a woman's right to choose, without actually outlawing it outright, being those nasty feminists got that Roe v Wade decision on their side. But that isn't going to stop us doing what is right, dammit!

You are aware killing a baby is killing a baby, and if you do it yourself or simply support such a desision then it kinda takes you out of the realm to judge a God who would do the same...

Meaning if you support the murder of a child then you loose any legitmate claim you may have had to judge so one who does not support the murder of a baby.

Let a woman die rather than terminate her pregnancy, because that's what God wants. What's right is right.

So of the 3500 +/- abortions that happened yesterday just in the US, 3500 women lives were saved?
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_abort...aily_in_US

Are you familiar with the term logical fallacy?

Deny adolescents proper sex education because it would be improper to teach them anything other than abstain until you are married.

Again are you speaking of Christianity? This is the Christian section of the website is it not?

Because Christians in general do not discourage sexual education. They simply think that it is not something the state should decide for them. after all if a religious person should decide their 5 years old is too young to be exposed to sex, then the State should not force their children to be apart of a sex education class.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/edu...nesco.html

Preach anti-gay hate messages from your pulpits, make gay kids being dragged to your services by their fundie parents hate themselves as sinners and perverts and sick deviants with your intolerant “abomination before the lord” crapola.

Do you have an biblical passage mandating this behavior?

Do your damnedest to fight the light of science and progress because you know that your iron-age ignorant “wisdom” is the true light of God's wisdom and love which will be the salvation of humankind.

What is the alternitive? To become someone who HATES all who does not think as he does? To force people to give up their beliefs so you can feel comfortable about your life choices?

How about this: Grow up, and own up to how you live your life. If you want redemption, seek it. if you want to live for self then simply do so, and leave those who do not want to live for self the freedom to inturn live the way they want to live.

Amen.