Cognitive Dissonance for dummies

[ignoramus]

This is an offshoot of Rob's :Telling fact from Fiction" thread.

We know that a lot of mental gymnastics are needed to reconcile and believe a lot of the religious shite.

I think we can summarise the most popular points which are necessary for religious people to teach kids at school / or their own kids as a matter of practicality/survival.

#1: If you don't feel well, kids, do not quietly pray to God. Remember, God may be busy. Must tell an adult to take you to a doctor instead.
#2: If kids are bullying you at school, do not turn the other cheek! Try to protect yourself first and tell your teacher/parents straight away.
#3: Don't be suicidal just because God hates gays. Maybe he misunderstood them! It's OK to tell your parents how you feel. This is the modern world ... people change.
#4: Please don't cry over going to hell ... it's not a real place like heaven is... but just try to be good anyway because it feels good to help others.
#5: Yes, of course God made us. God gave us all free will. If you like learning science stuff at school, he won't be angry with you.
#6: ???
#7: ???
#8: ???
#9: ???
#10:???

[robvalue]

#6: Yes, I know it says you can buy slaves. But slavery is just the same as indentured servitude (don't research this to check). Which is basically just a way to pay back debts (don't research this either). So what it really means is you should pay back debts. Not that you should ever have any, Jesus said so.

[drfuzzy]

#7: Yes, the priest did say that the Eucharist becomes the "actual" body and blood of Christ. What he meant to say was that we are using the symbol of the bread and wine to take in Jesus' spirit, so that we act more like Jesus. So no, it's not related to cannibalism. How did you ever get that idea?

[chimp3]

#8 : Yes , it is good that we are washed in the blood of Jesus but it is not good to take a bath in real blood.

[vorlon13]

. . . and another thing about gays, Jesus didn't say a thing about it. Zero, nada zilch. If there was anything important on his mind about it, He would have said something. OTOH, he did forbid divorce and remarriage. So if you're in a 'blended' family, you're fucked. Go look in medicine cabinet for pills or razor blades, you'll know what to do . . . .

[robvalue]

And remember, Jesus came to destroy the Old Testament or something. So we can ignore all the obvious immoral stuff in it. God has improved a lot since then.

[vorlon13]

And remember, Jesus came to destroy the Old Testament or something. So we can ignore all the obvious immoral stuff in it. God has improved a lot since then.

How the fuck does an Eternal and Unchanging Deity change, BTW ??

[robvalue]

Because he isn't bound by primitive human logic or something.

[vorlon13]

Not bound by the essence of His divinity either.

[brewer]

What number are we up to? #73: If you smoke, you need to come to terms with the idea that you have a death wish.


(guess what, I still smoke)