Worst atheistic argument?

[Minimalist]

That religion does nothing good in the world. It's a gross over generalization and the evils of religion are not so cut and dry as that. Religion has a great monopoly on charity

But to what end? Sure, they'll give you a bowl of soup and while you're eating they use the time to pour a load of jesus shit into your ears. They may do ""charity" but they have a self-interest in doing so.


For that matter back when I was a catholic ( a dark time in my life!) I recall lot of "special" collections for "the poor" or "the missions" or "building funds" or "pensions for priests/nuns" etc. They were real big on collecting MY money to spread out for their little pet projects but how much of THEIR money did they spend?

[Eilonnwy]

Doesn't matter if they have a self interest in doing it. A lot of religions, especially communities have done a lot of charitable works. It's silly to deny that, because it's simply not true. Yes, giving a homeless guy a sandwich without giving them a church ceremony would be idealistic, but I can tell you that homeless guy who gets the sandwich doesn't mind so much.

[Meatball]

But to what end? Sure, they'll give you a bowl of soup and while you're eating they use the time to pour a load of jesus shit into your ears. They may do ""charity" but they have a self-interest in doing so.

Are you saying that no good comes out of religious charity? A bowl of soup in exchange for a sermon is a bad deed?

[chatpilot]

"Are you saying that no good comes out of religious charity? A bowl of soup in exchange for a sermon is a bad deed?"

I feel that anything the church does has ulterior motives behind them.The main Christian churches function is to evangelize the world for Christ. Doing charitable deeds is a small sacrifice in the long run as long as it gains another convert who they may help with a job and housing so that he can turn around and put it all right back in the churches coffers.

I think that any good deed not done out of the kindness and goodness of ones heart is nothing but hypocrisy.In 1989 I was once homeless and I saw a flier inviting everyone to this local church for Thanksgiving dinner.I attended that function and although I was not a Christian at the time I still believed in the God of the bible.That day the preacher preached on for about 3 hours and all the homeless guys including myself were grumbling "when are they going to serve the food".When you are hungry you shouldn't have to sit through a three hour sermon just to get a meal.

[Violet]

Philanthropy is the only form of charity that truly exists... all other forms of 'charity' serve their own ends. Cp truly said all that need be said.

[Minimalist]

Doesn't matter if they have a self interest in doing it.

I disagree. Ulterior motives always matter.

"Are you saying that no good comes out of religious charity? A bowl of soup in exchange for a sermon is a bad deed?"

You're confusing charity with proselytizing. The bowl of soup is good. The sermon tarnishes the motivation. Would they still give the soup if they were barred from sprinkling jesus dust on the recipient?

Some years ago after lunch I had half of my sandwich left over and got it boxed to go. On the way out I handed it to a homeless guy I'd noted sitting on the side of the building. I handed it to him and said "here you go." I didn't say "here you go....remember it was me who gave this to you and not fucking jesus."

To his credit the homeless guy just said "thank you." He didn't pull any of the 'god bless you' shit.

[chatpilot]

Minimalist I know what you mean I have done good deeds just because it was the right thing to do.And nothing feels better at least to me when I help a blind person cross the street or feed someone less fortunate than myself.

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As far as bad atheist arguments go try this one on for size:"God doesn't exist because I said so and that settles it!" LOL

[fr0d0]

Isn't it what motivates the good deed as well? If nothing motivates me then I do nothing. CP is overly cynical > destructive. I think CP's view is very negative and warped. It's very easy to be cynical. Harder to accept good for what it is. What percentage of Christians are inspired to act with no cost? How would you know how anyone has helped you if they didn't publicise the fact? Yet this is the biblical tenet is it not CP?

[Meatball]

Would the world be better off if religious charity didn't exist?

Would that homeless man be better off if he had his 3 hours back in exchange for an empty stomach?

The fact of the matter is this, charity(feeding the homeless, distributing medical supplies or food to the impoverished, building homes, etc) is good. It doesn't matter who's doing it, or why. If, at the end of the day, some family now how clean water for a week, or antibiotics to treat an infection, I couldn't care less if it was the Pope or Adolf Hitler giving to them.

Edit: Even further, if that family, or that homeless man, converted to Mormonism for the rest of their lives in exchange, it would still be a net gain, and a little less suffering in the world. I can't oppose that.

[Edwardo Piet]

@ Padriac. Negative proof is a fallacy. You can't absolutely prove the non-existence of something. Falsifiability is different, to falsify something is not the same as to prove it absolutely doesn't exist. It is merely to show that something isn't true. It's not absolutely proving non-existence.

Ok, as for a bad argument. I agree with Sae that there is no single one worst argument, there are many terrible ones!

I happened to think of one myself when I was thinking to myself earlier. One I made up lol.

It's an argument against Christ being in any way "God" or 'the Lord Jesus Christ', so it's an argument against Christianity. Hopefully it's terrible enough. It's meant to be fucking dreadful, horrifically fallacious, and so ridiculous that it makes you say "What the fuck, that isn't even an argument!!".

Here it is:

1. Christ has no limits, or in other words he's bottomless.

2. If Christ is bottomless then Christ has no bottom.

3. Therefore he has no arse (or for you Americans, "ass").

4. Therefore he doesn't have a leg to stand on.

5. Therefore Christ lacks support.

6. ...Or in other words, Christ lacks supporting evidence, Christianity lacks evidential foundations.

7. Therefore the hypothesis of Christ being God is debunked, as is the Christian God because Christ is key to Christianity.

QED

Hope that was terrible enough.

EvF