A small thanks to the resident Theists..

[Mystical]

I started this AF.org profile because I heard about Drichs' posts on the subject of murder, and how if god decrees it then murder is moral. I thought, surely this man isn't a Christian, I sure as hell have never heard this standpoint stated by a single Christian in my entire life! The more I talked to Drich, and JohnV, and GodsChild, the more I realized: They're sure as shit right. The Bible dOes say that, and as Christians they're perfectly justified in believing such misogynistic, racist, evil, punitive, condemnatory beliefs that they hold dear because: THEIR BIBLE TEACHES IT.
Note I didn't say they were justified in believing in the Bible. This understanding of god and his nature along with the contradictions to what I was taught about the all loving god I'd worshiped willingly my entire life--led me to believe the Bible itself was a crock of shit. After that, the blocks kept tumblin. Every piece of information I held to be truth based upon the Bible has been re-examined, RESEARCHED, and found to be false.

I suggest all Christians do the same. It literally breaks my heart to know you see life through such a limited and contradictory-to-your-nature- beliefs. Unless that is, you are fine with bashing babies' heads up against rocks and cutting peoples' hands off, killing people for their sexual orientation, and enslaving and raping people for your benefit..

[Walking Void]

Just like the Justin Bieber fanbase, the Nicki Minaj fanbase, or the Twilight fanbase... I am pestered at how people live absolutist lives based on entertainment. I am a gamer, but I never let my hobby become my life. It bewilders me. It is a book, people. Get over it.

[Ryantology]

I wonder, when you see our theists talking about how mass murder and other atrocities are not only acceptable but deserving of praise, how much of that is believing this because the Bible says so, and how much is a mindset which would believe this in spite of the Bible. Either way, it's a declaration that we have people who would be absolutely willing to commit any kind of atrocities if they heard a voice telling them to do it. People like that are a potential danger to society.

[Minimalist]

Just like the Justin Bieber fanbase, the Nicki Minaj fanbase, or the Twilight fanbase... I am pestered at how people live absolutist lives based on entertainment. I am a gamer, but I never let my hobby become my life. It bewilders me. It is a book, people. Get over it.

It's a badly written book, at that.

[Mystical]

Well, yeah, I concluded that the first encounter I had with Drich. See I personally don't think most Christians are well read in the Bible enough to know what it is they're submitting their lives to. They just take the positivity the book has to offer and roll with it. Which is fine. There's positive benefits to abstaining from alcohol, for instance, if you have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. The Bible provides a coping method through prayer, but there are untold amounts of coping methods. That's why people religious and non religious alike are able to get clean.
The problem is that the leaders of their faith HAVE read the Bible in its whole entirety and are the ones dictating the policies their followers must abide by. Followers in all walks of life who have jobs that affect our society.

When it comes down to it, I concluded that the Old testament may write about another time period, but existential rights never change. The fact that the god of the Bible did pander to 'the times' proves that either :
A. a man wrote that shit, or
B. god is evil.
Therefore in the New testament when Jesus says he doesn't come to abolish the law of the Old Testament, then he too is guilty of such atrocities and cannot possibly be who he says he is. Yet again, written by man to fortify the beliefs of it's Creed.
I think it's only once someone such as Drich or JohnV have been made aware of these facts and choose to back the tucked up doctrine of their god despite this: that mental illness comes into effect. I can't imagine that Drich would actually bash a babies head across a rock and be happy about it, but the fact that he'd do it and feel justified in doing so because a Book says so is pushing past the borders of sanity.

[catfish]

All that just to call Christians mentally ill?

[Mystical]

if you read it, then you'd know I wasn't calling all Christians that, just ones who are aware enough to justify harmful acts to soceity in the name of god based on the words of a highly fallible book written by man.

[Bad Writer]

All that just to call Christians mentally ill?

Butt hurt alert.

[Heir Apparent]

In my perception of the average believer is pretty much what you've hit upon. Most just take the good messages and cut out the bits where god goes homicidal or decrees that unruly children die.

I have a problem when you try to tell me that two men or two women who love each other can't get married because you have a bronze age definition of marriage that you refuse to let go of. Or if you insist that you must teach kids that evolution is false because you refuse to look at the evidence for it.

Like you said, I would bet most believers aren't well-read in their supposed "holy" book and have not taken the time to examine the negative points of it. Or inconsistencies, of which there are many.

And of course there are the FSTDT regulars who know full well what they believe in and try to impose it on the masses for whatever reason. My favorites are the Rapture Ready loons. Saw one on FSTDT the other day that said they were glad the planet is disposable. I guess that's a perfect example of not being well-read in their bible because god clearly says to be "shepherds to the Earth" or something along those lines.

They probably just interpret that differently, of course.

Done sidetracking now

[Godscreated]

In my perception of the average believer is pretty much what you've hit upon. Most just take the good messages and cut out the bits where god goes homicidal or decrees that unruly children die.

The scriptures do not call for little kids to be killed because they are unruly.

I have a problem when you try to tell me that two men or two women who love each other can't get married because you have a bronze age definition of marriage that you refuse to let go of. Or if you insist that you must teach kids that evolution is false because you refuse to look at the evidence for it.

Funny how what you call a bronze age definition lasted into the 20th century. That's a definition that has stood for well over 3000 years.

Like you said, I would bet most believers aren't well-read in their supposed "holy" book and have not taken the time to examine the negative points of it. Or inconsistencies, of which there are many.

Seeing how you said,"I bet," means you do not know, guessing does not make your statement true. I've read scriptures for many years and just finished a chronological read of the OT and have found no inconsistencies in it.

GC

By the way to the forum.