Christian Missionary deconverted by tribe

[tavarish]

I don't know if it's a repost, but it's pretty interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr3q6Cid1po

[Tiberius]

It's a sad story for the linguist involved, but it does show there is an exception to the rule that "every civilisation has some concept of God" that many theists like to use as some kind of "evidence".

[chatpilot]

This video makes several important points that I find very interesting and have always believed myself.
1. Not everyone believes in a deity
2. They live in the here and now
3. And they demonstrate through example that you don't need a god to be happy and live a fruitful life

Thanks for posting this tavarish I truly enjoyed it.

[fr0d0]

"While the Pirahã have no concept of a supreme spirit or god they do believe in spirits and that they can sometimes take on the shape of things in the environment. These spirits can be jaguars, trees, or other visible, tangible things including people.[5] Everett reported one incident where the Pirahã said that “Xigagaí, one of the beings that lives above the clouds, was standing on a beach yelling at us, telling us that he would kill us if we go into the jungle.” Everett and his daughter could see nothing and yet the Pirahã insisted that Xigagaí was still on the beach.[6]
Pirahãs take naps of 15 minutes to two hours at the extremes throughout the day and night, and rarely sleep through the night."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirah%C3%A3_people#Culture

The Pirahas have a basic spirituality. I don't see why the formulation of a God concept is necessary in all stages of spiritual development. This is the human trait we commonly see in all peoples.

Living for the here and now is central to faith too.

[downbeatplumb]

Living for the here and now is central to faith too.
[/quote]

No it isn't.

The reward/punishment part of many belief systems happens post mortem and you know it Frodo.
As is the waiting for the 'end times' that is rather a big part of the christian faith.
I was forced to go to a christening at a christian church, were in the insipid sermon they banged on about being 'left behind' when the rapture happened.

Thought I'd been transported to to the stupid belt in America for a second.

The here and now is what happens while your waiting for all those magical things to happen

[christian585]

This video makes several important points that I find very interesting and have always believed myself.
1. Not everyone believes in a deity
2. They live in the here and now
3. And they demonstrate through example that you don't need a god to be happy and live a fruitful life

Thanks for posting this tavarish I truly enjoyed it.

Same as me!

[Watson]

Living for the here and now is central to faith too.

No it isn't.

The reward/punishment part of many belief systems happens post mortem and you know it Frodo.
As is the waiting for the 'end times' that is rather a big part of the christian faith.

*Buzzer noise!* Wrong! Going by the interpretion I've found to make most sense, Heaven and Hell are both states of mind which, although do continue on past this life, can also be achieved to some degree in this life.

I was forced to go to a christening at a christian church, were in the insipid sermon they banged on about being 'left behind' when the rapture happened.

Stupid teaching does not mean incorrect teaching...I have no thoughts one way or the other[yet] on the Rapture.

Thought I'd been transported to to the stupid belt in America for a second.

The here and now is what happens while your waiting for all those magical things to happen

The magical things can and do happen in the here and now.

[tavarish]

*Buzzer noise!* Wrong! Going by the interpretion I've found to make most sense, Heaven and Hell are both states of mind which, although do continue on past this life, can also be achieved to some degree in this life.

Cherry picking is fun, isn't it? Interpretation's kind of mandatory at this point, because it's silly to think most of those stories are literal. You can think anything you want, just don't expect people to take you seriously if you say some parts of the bible are literal when others are symbolic.

Stupid teaching does not mean incorrect teaching...I have no thoughts one way or the other[yet] on the Rapture.

You better get your spam ready!

http://www.raptureready.com

The magical things can and do happen in the here and now.

Would you care to provide an example?

[Zhalentine]

This is a pretty cool story if it is true.

I'm putting this in the holster for the next time someone mentions that morals only come from God.

[Dotard]

Excellent video posting.

The Pilot of Chat has spoken my thoughts.