religion thread

[cdf50]

I made this thread once again because my other thread had the title spelled wrong so nobody was really taking it seriously. ok but basically i made this thread because of the posts i saw in the thread Jews. so this thread is where you can post questions and anwsers you have about any religions or you can leave comments about religions anything about religion basically. hope this works this time.:P :D



questions and anwsers.

why do muslims kill people? by Monster Hunter King
anwser:All religions like to kill people, for the most part. *cough* Crusades *cough*. I mean, in comparison to the Crusades, the muslims don't kill anyone at all! Religious war is a part of life. It'd easy to point fingers at the muslims, but it's not the religion you idiot. It's the stupid people who think they need to enforce their beliefs on the world who belong to the religion. by citron.

whats the difference between christian and catholic? by

answer:A christian is a person who believes in Christ. A catholic is a certain group of Christians.

Catholics were the only group of Christians, till when the 16th century? Certain movements arised out of disgust of the hypocray that started to arise in the Catholic church. So, Protestants started to go on their way(key word of protestants is Protest. Hehe.), only to reach alot of critisism. Also known as death.

Back then, though, keep in mind people had no choice in their religions. They converted to the religion of whoever the king was in order to keep themselves from prosecution. So Christianity started to deconstruct.

And we all know about Henry and the beginning of the Anglicans.

The Puritans, Calvanists and Quakers also developed.They looked at the Anglicans (which was basicly a new basterdized version of Catholics at the time) and the Catholics and pointed their fingers at them. They drank! they partied! That wasn't the way to Christ! I don't know much about the Calvanists other than they were strict. The Quakers and Puritans took different routs. Quakers decided to take a very peacefull, hard working path. Puritans wanted a hard working path too, only they wern't very nice. Eye for an eye- if you sinned, you were killed or banished. You couldn't rest- you must always be either working or in prayer.

So the Puritans decided that they hated England. So they moved to the New Land, to create a place where morals were everything. But Alas, they were too strict, and all died out.

So thats the difference. With a ranting history lesson to boot. by citron

Why do Christians believe that Wiccans are Satanists, when they have, like, nothing to do with Satan? by Jimbimanim II

answer:Christians only like Christians. If you don't believe in baby Jesus and that he DIED FOR US and accept baby Jesus as the ONLY FORM OF SALVATION, you ARE A SATANIST.

In all fairness, not all Christians believe that. Again, it's not the religion. It's the indiduals within the religion who don't know what they are talking about.


by Anonymousia de Bergerac-Fleur
Why do right wing Christians frequently bring up the "Thou shalt not lie with another man" quote from the Bible as a way to support that people who commit homosexual acts are sinning, but completely ignore the little tidbit about stoning disobedient children that's in the next chapter?

answer: The law teaches that you should not commit homosexual acts. However, Jesus teaches us to not to take the law into our own hands concerning others, and let God deal with it (However, we are permitted to warn them of the consequences).

There are many "Christians" who do not know their faith's beliefs, and thus Christianity is often viewed as hypocritical because of it
by vagrant

mmkay mmkay mmkay.... Why are there extremists? and Why/how do people think that killing thousands of people is there ticket to salvation? by moster hunter king

answer: Good question, and I think I had a debate with Desynth at some point on where you define an extremist; whether it's a relative term or not. I don't think it's a relative term.

I think extremists originate when people start to think they should act as God might. They believe they know God's will better than God, and start killing people, in hopes that God will reward them for doing his work for him. Which makes totally no sense, considering that Jesus pretty much stated that God doesn't need anybody to do it for him.

[Joest]

Roman Catholic.

[cdf50]

.. what?

[Joest]

You know those silly people who follow the pope? That's us.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Church

[Anonymous]

Why do right wing Christians frequently bring up the "Thou shalt not lie with another man" quote from the Bible as a way to support that people who commit homosexual acts are sinning, but completely ignore the little tidbit about stoning disobedient children that's in the next chapter?

[Joest]

I'm not sure if I should convert to Atheism though...

[Jimbimanim II]

I'm not sure if I should convert to Atheism though...
Convert to paganism (...or whatever) or wiccan. It's better. I just CBF with religion right now.

[Espo Mk. II]

what is the difference from

catholic
and
christian?

[Monster Hunter King]

I made this thread once again because my other thread had the title spelled wrong so nobody was really taking it seriously. ok but basically i made this thread because of the posts i saw in the thread Jews. so this thread is where you can post questions and anwsers you have about any religions or you can leave comments about religions anything about religion basically. hope this works this time.:P :D

current question: Why do right wing Christians frequently bring up the "Thou shalt not lie with another man" quote from the Bible as a way to support that people who commit homosexual acts are sinning, but completely ignore the little tidbit about stoning diobedient children that's in the next chapter? by Anonymousia de Bergerac-Fleur
Why do muslims like to kill people?

[Jimbimanim II]

Why do Christians believe that Wiccans are Satanists, when they have, like, nothing to do with Satan?

[Anonymous]

Freakin' Grammar Nazi.
http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/399/thegrammarnazird1.jpg

[Screech]

A christian is a person who believes in Christ. A catholic is a certain group of Christians.

Catholics were the only group of Christians, till when the 16th century? Certain movements arised out of disgust of the hypocray that started to arise in the Catholic church. So, Protestants started to go on their way(key word of protestants is Protest. Hehe.), only to reach alot of critisism. Also known as death.

Back then, though, keep in mind people had no choice in their religions. They converted to the religion of whoever the king was in order to keep themselves from prosecution. So Christianity started to deconstruct.

And we all know about Henry and the beginning of the Anglicans.

The Puritans, Calvanists and Quakers also developed.They looked at the Anglicans (which was basicly a new basterdized version of Catholics at the time) and the Catholics and pointed their fingers at them. They drank! they partied! That wasn't the way to Christ! I don't know much about the Calvanists other than they were strict. The Quakers and Puritans took different routs. Quakers decided to take a very peacefull, hard working path. Puritans wanted a hard working path too, only they wern't very nice. Eye for an eye- if you sinned, you were killed or banished. You couldn't rest- you must always be either working or in prayer.

So the Puritans decided that they hated England. So they moved to the New Land, to create a place where morals were everything. But Alas, they were too strict, and all died out.

So thats the difference. With a ranting history lesson to boot.

Why do muslims like to kill people?

All religions like to kill people, for the most part. *cough* Crusades *cough*. I mean, in comparison to the Crusades, the muslims don't kill anyone at all! Religious war is a part of life. It'd easy to point fingers at the muslims, but it's not the religion you idiot. It's the stupid people who think they need to enforce their beliefs on the world who belong to the religion.

Why do Christians believe that Wiccans are Satanists, when they have, like, nothing to do with Satan?

Christians only like Christians. If you don't believe in baby Jesus and that he DIED FOR US and accept baby Jesus as the ONLY FORM OF SALVATION, you ARE A SATANIST.

In all fairness, not all Christians believe that. Again, it's not the religion. It's the indiduals within the religion who don't know what they are talking about.

[cdf50]

Why do muslims like to kill people?


i dont like that question. its good that you asked it but i dont like how people believe this. muslims dont like to kill people. its like taking a serial killer thats christian and states that he kills in the name of god and saying christians like to kill people.

ps: under current question the grammar is wrong but i didnt write that

[Karl]

Screech basically said this, but, to reiterate:

All the problems with religion are with certain people who believe in it. They either take it too seriously, or try to force it on other people, and that's wrong.

That's what I believe. I have nothing further to add to this thread.

[Un-Mediocre]

My religion has never caused, or has never been involved in any wars. It is actually the religion with the second most people. There are three names, LDS, Latter-Day Saints, and Mormons. Here is a link to the LDS website and the Wikipedia definition of Mormonism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism
Theres the Wikipedia definition. Here is the LDS website.
www.lds.org

[Karl]

My religion has never caused, or has never been involved in any wars. It is actually the religion with the second most people. There are three names, LDS, Latter-Day Saints, and Mormons. Here is a link to the LDS website and the Wikipedia definition of Mormonism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism
Theres the Wikipedia definition. Here is the LDS website.
www.lds.org (http://www.lds.org)


LDS? LSD?

Coincidence?

I think not.

[Screech]

My religion has never caused, or has never been involved in any wars. It is actually the religion with the second most people. There are three names, LDS, Latter-Day Saints, and Mormons. Here is a link to the LDS website and the Wikipedia definition of Mormonism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism
Theres the Wikipedia definition. Here is the LDS website.
www.lds.org

Man, I knew a Latter Day Saint, she was my best friend growing up.

Don't claim your religion is perfect. Please, don't get me started on the issues presented in the LDS church.

[Un-Mediocre]

I didn't say my religion is perfect. And I don't even KNOW the issues in the LDS church. All I know is that President Gordon B. Hinckley is like, 97 and he has a guess he will pass away soon. :(

[Screech]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1505997,00.html

Also, accoring to mormons, women cannot see God. That bothers me.

Mind you, I am aware that not all mormons have these beliefs. I'm just saying, your religion is not perfect.

[Un-Mediocre]

Dude, that site tells lies. I saw something there that said Bush plays Runescape.

[.Valhalla.]

Religions are never perfect, otherwise we would all believe it.

[Un-Mediocre]

It depends on which religion is in fact true. I think that my religion is true, because I believe it. Oh, and I think there was a thread like this a while back, and it got closed, and started a flame war.

[.Valhalla.]

A flame war? That seems natural for this discussion. lol
Anyways The only real believe I have is in myself, so far existenalism has fit that bill. Its not a religion but I would like to comment on its ability for anyone to pretty much believe in anything as long as its something you would what others to will as well as yourself.

[Vagrant]

Why do right wing Christians frequently bring up the "Thou shalt not lie with another man" quote from the Bible as a way to support that people who commit homosexual acts are sinning, but completely ignore the little tidbit about stoning disobedient children that's in the next chapter?

The law teaches that you should not commit homosexual acts. However, Jesus teaches us to not to take the law into our own hands concerning others, and let God deal with it (However, we are permitted to warn them of the consequences).

There are many "Christians" who do not know their faith's beliefs, and thus Christianity is often viewed as hypocritical because of it.

[Homer43]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1505997,00.html

FLDS is not the same as LDS... completely different religion with only some of the same basic beliefs.

That site does not speak lies, it just does not speak about my religion.

[Vagrant]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1505997,00.html

Also, accoring to mormons, women cannot see God. That bothers me.

Mind you, I am aware that not all mormons have these beliefs. I'm just saying, your religion is not perfect.

Certain Mormons also believe black people are black because of sins they committed, and thus it is also believed it is harder for black people to enter heaven.

Oh, and apparently Native Americans are supposed to be Jewish. Which blood testing says is untrue.

[Homer43]

Certain Mormons also believe black people are black because of sins they committed, and thus it is also believed it is harder for black people to enter heaven.

"Certain Mormons" are wrong.

[Monster Hunter King]

mmkay mmkay mmkay.... Why are there extremists? and Why/how do people think that killing thousands of people is there ticket to salvation?

[Vagrant]

mmkay mmkay mmkay.... Why are there extremists? and Why/how do people think that killing thousands of people is there ticket to salvation?

Good question, and I think I had a debate with Desynth at some point on where you define an extremist; whether it's a relative term or not. I don't think it's a relative term.

I think extremists originate when people start to think they should act as God might. They believe they know God's will better than God, and start killing people, in hopes that God will reward them for doing his work for him. Which makes totally no sense, considering that Jesus pretty much stated that God doesn't need anybody to do it for him.

[WaterZoma]

I always assumed it was more than that. Like they force kids to learn of God and and more.

[Vagrant]

I always assumed it was more than that. Like they force kids to learn of God and and more.

Many parents do that, and aren't extremist. XD

Extremists believe that they must do anything, even kill, in order to convert people to their faith, or to "earn" their place in heaven. Heaven is not earned, according to what I believe.

[.Valhalla.]

mmkay mmkay mmkay.... Why are there extremists? and Why/how do people think that killing thousands of people is there ticket to salvation?
When people think that there acts are sanctioned by divine standards they think themselves better then others. Religion has always had more to it then plain teachings, people in power use religion for means of personal gain, or they simply think they know whats better for you.
The Crusades were an attempt to stop the fighting in Europe and redirect it to Muslims because they were different, didn't believe in christian god, they had money, and they controlled trade.
Valhalla (hey that's me!!!) is created because Norse culture was centred around warriors, they were important for trade and plunder which kept the family happy at home. So they made a place that honored them and assured them that death from there job wasn't a bad thing and that extra chances could be taken.

[Monster Hunter King]

Hmmm.... But I still haven't gotten a straight answer.

[Homer43]

There's never only one way to define a word.

[Toshiki]

IMO, Religion is just a way to keep people scared. You fear Hell, or a bad afterlife so you act good to please god, which there is NO proof of his existence. Oh, there may be the bible, but over many years of translating it, the true meaning has been lost, and there are actually 3 different accounts of the bible written by 3 different people which brings up many questions about the bible and the acts of Jesus Christ. The bible leaves many questions unanswered which has lead me to atheism. You can agree or not, but until someone can prove without a shadow of a doubt that there is a Heaven and Hell, then i will stay on my current course of though and not worry myself with pleasing God.

On a side note to Catholics... What kind of person can go, commit a lot of sins, and goto confession the next day and be forgiven. To get forgiveness one must be TRULY sorry. I think thats one of the worst idea's ever.

Again, this is all just my opinion and i don't mean to offend anyone.

[Soon to be flash master]

Religion does scare people into being good but I don't bieleve that is what it is intended to do.

[DarkReality]

LDS? LSD?

Coincidence?

I think not.

I actually read LSD first. Which made be reread the post twice. Just to make sure.

Also, accoring to mormons, women cannot see God. That bothers me.

According to christians, women aren't equal either and should obey their husband dutifully. And muslim women were sort of brutally kicked in the shins and held down by the koran. So it's not really a mormon thing. More of a "men need the power so they invented rules that have nothing to do with religion but claimed they did" thing.

[quote]It depends on which religion is in fact true. I think that my religion is true, because I believe it. Oh, and I think there was a thread like this a while back, and it got closed, and started a flame war.

And this is why your religion closes your mind and prevents you from seeing that it's absolutely irrelevant which religion is true, as you can't be forced to believe something. Meaning if you disagree with a religion, it's completely irrelevant whether it's true or not, you won't go into heaven anyway. Thinking that any religion is absolutely true will catapult you into unhappiness.

IMO, Religion is just a way to keep people scared. You fear Hell, or a bad afterlife so you act good to please god, which there is NO proof of his existence

There's no proof that we'll disappear tommorrow for no apparent reason. Or because god no longer wants us to exist. Yet it's nonsense to believe so.

Religion does scare people into being good but I don't bieleve that is what it is intended to do.

It's what it was misused for.

[Woolfenstien]

Kweztion: Why are many Hollywood Stars followers of Buddhism, other than the fact that it's different?

[Tanktunker]

Publicity.

[Jimbimanim II]

<Some random pap>
Christians only like Christians. If you don't believe in baby Jesus and that he DIED FOR US and accept baby Jesus as the ONLY FORM OF SALVATION, you ARE A SATANIST.

In all fairness, not all Christians believe that. Again, it's not the religion. It's the indiduals within the religion who don't know what they are talking about.Hmm. Sounds good to me.
IMO, Jesus was just a fancy magician/illusionist, and he was only one of the many self proclaimed messiahs of that era.

OMG! SATANIST!

[Woolfenstien]

Jim, you do know that pap is a medieval word for a breast?
As in booby breasts, not breast area?

[Jimbimanim II]

Jim, you do know that pap is a medieval word for a breast?
As in booby breasts, not breast area?Hmm. Nice info.

[cdf50]

thanks for uh.. that useful peice of information now everybody.. knows what the word pap means... yay!!

[Chimpy]

Freakin' Grammar Nazi.
http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/399/thegrammarnazird1.jpg

Much love for that picture <3 <3.

[Monster Hunter King]

Why is there so much religous crap going on? I mean, why can't we all just get along (at the risk of sounding cliche)?

[Karl]

Why is there so much religous crap going on? I mean, why can't we all just get along (at the risk of sounding cliche)?
Because that's against human nature.

Humans inherently do what they think will benefit themselves, and if they think using religion as a means of gaining popularity or power will work, they'll do it.

[Vagrant]

IMO, Religion is just a way to keep people scared. You fear Hell, or a bad afterlife so you act good to please god, which there is NO proof of his existence.

There is also no proof against his existence. It's a matter of faith. Religion was never intended to keep people scared. However, sometimes corrupt people would end up in leadership positions, much like any government gets them. They would abuse their powers, since people have a tendency to be more concerned about their afterlife than a 2% raise in taxes.

but until someone can prove without a shadow of a doubt that there is a Heaven and Hell, then i will stay on my current course of though and not worry myself with pleasing God.

So basically, you're gonna be like that for the rest of your life. There is no way to "prove' Heaven and Hell. I can claim there is evidence, but never prove it.

John 20:29 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2020:29;&version=31;): Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

[cdf50]

religion began when people were smart enough to think.. why am i alive? how did i get here? what are these things around me? but instead of being fascinanted with the questions humans became afraid so they searched and searched for something to save them from their fear and what did they find? religion. humans are afraid of what they dont know.

[e p]

Or envision an entity that created everything they see.

On the subject of religion: Even though I get confirmed as a Catholic in 3 months, I consider myself agnostic. I believe in God, but I'm not absolutely positive a god exists.

[highwatermark]

I believe in God, but I'm not absolutely positive a god exists.

Well, we're all not. However, if you believe, you both psychologically and religiously get more "relaxed" and you move through your life with more vigor and more stamina than you can do otherwise.

[Tanktunker]

religion began when people were smart enough to think.. why am i alive? how did i get here? what are these things around me? but instead of being fascinanted with the questions humans became afraid so they searched and searched for something to save them from their fear and what did they find?
Philosophy?
Lies?
Denial?
Sex?
Food?
A monetery system that forces them to focus their energies on monotonous work and thus distracts them from the philosophy thing?

Ithere is NO proof of his existence.
Yeah, except for, you know, sacred documents.
Although those are more clues than solid evidence.

[DarkReality]

There is also no proof against his existence. It's a matter of faith. Religion was never intended to keep people scared. However, sometimes corrupt people would end up in leadership positions, much like any government gets them. They would abuse their powers, since people have a tendency to be more concerned about their afterlife than a 2% raise in taxes.

Sometimes? Try "most churches use or have used religion as a form of control". Although said control isn't a bad thing. Interesting is that every advanced culture before the industrial revolution had very important religious ceremonies that played a central role. I think. Sounded good though, right?

Anyway, there is also no proof against the notion that there is alien life on mars. They're just plaing tricks with us so that we don't get the information proving their existence. There is also no proof against the idea of a giant teacup flying between earth and mars (woohoo for idea stealing!). Just because there is no proof AGAINST something doesn't make it a plausible posibility. After all, I don't treat you like a terrorist. I have no proof telling me that you're not a terrorist. So I should insult you and call you names, insisting that you are a plague to the world and that your mother must have been on drugs when she raised you.

But I don't do that :-)

Yeah, except for, you know, sacred documents.
Although those are more clues than solid evidence.

...

So I write down some hocuspokus and in 1000 years, I shall be the savior of the world when people find my 1000 year old and therefor undeniably sacred and correct work? And don't tell me the bible, the torah or the koran are anything different. Even if they DO date back to their respective beginnings, it still doesn't qualify them as "sacred documents" just because you believe in them.

[Tanktunker]

I use sacred in a lenient fashion.
Also, the Bible and all that shizzle isn't proof, but it's still a "clue".
Although some clues are red herrings, and herrings are delicious.

[.Valhalla.]

Is it reason enough that someone wrote the bible a hundreds of years ago? How about someone that wrote the Koran years before us? Or the Torah?

All religions are going to claim that they are true, how does that mean its true? How could you pick from the others?

[Anonymous]

You can't. Considering all of them use faith as a means of supporting their claims of God, jesus, etc., there's no way to actually prove if one is correct. Most people choose which one appeals to them more or stick with whatever they were raised as. "faith (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/faith)", as they say, is on a completely different playing field than facts and science. (I personally think it's a bunch of rubbish)

[I.Like.Red]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedi

See the black guy. That's me Yeah - I'm Mace Windu.

[cdf50]

Is it reason enough that someone wrote the bible a hundreds of years ago? How about someone that wrote the Koran years before us? Or the Torah?

All religions are going to claim that they are true, how does that mean its true? How could you pick from the others?


ummm the bible was written before the quran

[Tanktunker]

And the Old Testament was written before the Bible, what's your point?

[Chimpy]

Can someone tell me where in the bible it says anything against gay people? I argued with this totally devout-up-your-ass-christian today (not saying all christians are like that) about homophoebic people.

An exact quote would be greeeeat.

[Anonymous]

Lev 18: 22-30 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

Lev 20:13: If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
There you go.

[Tanktunker]

You know, you could argue that since gay guys don't have sex with women, the only way they could commit an abomination is by not having sex with guys, since the quotes say (In simple language) "Don't do with men what you do with women", so if you're punching women, don't punch men, and if you're not having sex with women, have sex with guys.
So bisexuals, Eunichs and people who aren't having sex at all are going to hell, but heterosexuals and homosexuals are fine.

And don't accuse me of being a smartass, I could get you hundreds of rules "derived" from the bible that are, in fact, only interpretations, and that if you take it at face value, you wouldn't get that message.

[cdf50]

And the Old Testament was written before the Bible, what's your point?


he just said kkoran before us meaning before bible so i just said that bible is older

[Tanktunker]

No, he said that the Quoran was written before us, before we were born.

[cdf50]

oooooh, my bad

[.Valhalla.]

My point was people who think the bible (or any other religious scripture) is reason enough that god is real have a problem of picking from all the others and that just because a scripture says its true, it doesn't mean its true.

I was not particularly listing them by age before btw, because I don't really know the dates off the top of my head.

Lev 18: 22-30 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.The bible is not the standard for peoples lives. The bible is a attempt of what it thinks is right. People create their own moral standards, they grow out of them as they learn more things. That's why laws lose their purpose after new morals are discovered.

[ManUpstairs]

Good to see you spelled it right this time.

[theryman]

^ Hey look, it's God! ^

[Vagrant]

But I don't do that :-)You don't, but many people might. ;) But, again, the question of proof is also another matter of faith. Because, again, according to any modern philosophy, you really can't prove anything at all, even that you exist. So just because there is no proof for or against something should not immediately discredit it.

All religions are going to claim that they are true, how does that mean its true? How could you pick from the others?And that's what it all comes down to. Atheism is a set of beliefs as well. It claims to be truth. Agnosticism is the only real "middle" ground, but many people don't like agnostics just for that. XD

Can someone tell me where in the bible it says anything against gay people? I argued with this totally devout-up-your-ass-christian today (not saying all christians are like that) about homophoebic people.See Geowge's post on the previous page. Also, as a side note, I know the Leviticus 18 one is listed among other sexual sins, including bestiality and incest.

That's why laws lose their purpose after new morals are discovered.New morals? Haha, that's a good one. Humans have had the same damn morals for thousands of years, it just depended on the culture. Cannibalism is still around. Sacrifice is still around (although more obscure). It's part of why I hate literature trying to reveal something about human nature: There is nothing new about human nature. There hasn't been for at least 5000 years!

Ecclesiates 1:9 : What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

"Don't do with men what you do with women", so if you're punching women, don't punch men, and if you're not having sex with women, have sex with guys.That's simply ignoring both of the verses together.

[Anonymous]

And that's what it all comes down to. Atheism is a set of beliefs as well. It claims to be truth. Agnosticism is the only real "middle" ground, but many people don't like agnostics just for that. XD
Atheism is the lack in belief in God. That's it. (at least for me) I don't have any other beliefs, aside from basic morals.


See Geowge's post above me. Also, as a side note, I know the Leviticus 18 one is listed among other sexual sins, including bestiality and incest.

Yeah. It's at the beginning of a paragraph with those.

[Vagrant]

Atheism is the lack in belief in God. That's it. (at least for me) I don't have any other beliefs, aside from basic morals.A "religion" according to dictionary.com (http://www.dictionary.com/) is:

1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.
3. the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.1, 2, and 3 all fit fairly well to atheism, the only exception is that 1 mentions rituals and a specific code (but doesn't require them).





And although I don't mean to force anybody to read, Ecclesiastes (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes;&version=31;) is a wonderful book to read, even if you are atheist. It's written by Solomon, supposedly the wisest of kings. It's very easy to read, and easy to understand, whether you're Christian, Jewish, atheist, etc. And it contains a lot of hardcore stuff. Many of the main complaints people have against religion are mentioned in this book.

Some quotes:

1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. 2 Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
and you are on earth,
so let your words be few.1 Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:
I saw the tears of the oppressed—
and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
and they have no comforter.15 Naked a man comes from his mother's womb,
and as he comes, so he departs.
He takes nothing from his labor
that he can carry in his hand. 16 This too is a grievous evil:
As a man comes, so he departs,
and what does he gain,
since he toils for the wind?
17 All his days he eats in darkness,
with great frustration, affliction and anger.
18 Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot.1 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men: 2 God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.

3 A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. 5 Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man- 6 even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place? 14 When times are good, be happy;
but when times are bad, consider:
God has made the one
as well as the other.
Therefore, a man cannot discover
anything about his future.
15 In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:
a righteous man perishing in his righteousness,
and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.
16 Do not be overrighteous,
neither be overwise—
why destroy yourself?
17 Do not be overwicked,
and do not be a fool—
why die before your time?


14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. 15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.


16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe man's labor on earth—his eyes not seeing sleep day or night- 17 then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.

[Anonymous]

Atheism is not a religion.

http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/ath/blathm_rel_religion.htm

[.Valhalla.]

Similar morals may be recycled, there is universal laws that can be withheld by other people because they "wouldn't want it to happen to themselves", but things do change. Human natures only nature is to define itself, the predetermined sense of responsibility in you, there is not guidance besides your own. When your a little kid, you don't think, "hey that's wrong that I hit the other kid" You don't know any better, and you haven't come across the situation before.

[CagedinSanity]

Atheism is not a religion.

http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/ath/blathm_rel_religion.htm

but it's still considered a "religious preference" or something.

I'm Agnostic by the way, but i'll probably be completely atheist soon. I'm pretty sure I'll just wake up one morning and go "ya know what? I'm gonna stop thinking that there may be a possibility.. Screw it!"

[Mara]

Atheism is above the subclass of religion. All religion is under the theism class, and atheism is parallel with that.

But you're bickering over semantics; atheism is a religion.

[DarkReality]

A religion based around a lack of a divine figure. Dunno how much of a religion that is, but whatever.

[Anonymous]

I have a couple of questions:

1. How do you know Allah, Zeus, Thor, Aphrodite, Santa and the tooth fairy don’t exist? Keeping this in mind, how am I arrogant to believe the same about Yahweh?

2. Isn’t the ritual of the Lords supper just symbolic cannibalism?

3. If god created us, why do men have nipples?

4. Who created god and if you say he always existed then how do you know god is eternal?

5. How do you know the bible is right?

6. Why did god create the devil?

7. If Adam and eve didn't know good and evil before they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil so why does god punish them when they didn't know what they were doing?

8. If incest causes genetic problems which there is proof that it does how can we all come from just two people?

9. Why are all prophecies in old testament about Jesus vague and taken out of context (if you don’t believe me look them up and read the whole chapter that contains the "prophetic" verse you‘ll see that the verse applies to that chapter alone and its time not the future or Jesus and is very vague even if it were a prophecy)

10, Why don’t Jews convert if the prophecies are so convincing?

11. Why do the genealogies of Jesus contradict in Luke and Mathew (Luke does not use Mary’s line because it clearly says Joseph SON of Heli)?

12. If the bible is gods word why do the psalms say things like, “oh god thou art holy and great”, is god that vain that he should praise himself?

13. What scientific evidence is there for a virgin birth involving a male baby?

14. Why does it need to be a virgin birth to begin with is sex evil?

15. Why does the bible say not to kill in the ten commandments, and then turn around and command people to do just that like in 1 Samuel 15:1-3?

16. If the god of the bible is all-good why does he create evil (see Isa. 45:5-7)

17. Where is proof of Jesus’ resurrection besides the gospels and why do they contradict in almost every detail on this fact (don’t believe me read the Easter story in each gospel and contrast them)

18. Why is it wrong to want proof, if so how does one determine which religion is right?

19. what scientific evidence shows how god created the universe?

20. If the universe is only 6,000 to 10,000 years old as creationists claim, then how can we see stars that are millions of light years away?

21. Since you believe the bible word for word, why does god offer proof to some and not others (examples include the 400 prophets of Baal who saw the altar of Elijah and Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus and good ol' doubting Thomas and by the way, why was he wrong to be skeptical?

22. Why does god choose to torture people forever instead of just snuffing them out of existence?

23. Why does the bible say that god is not the author of confusion (I Corinthians 14:33) but then says he uses the foolish to confound the wise (I Corinthians 1:27)?

24. Since god can do whatever he wants why doesn’t he just show up or do a big miracle and end all doubt?

25. If you believe god or his angels watch over you, why do little kids get raped and killed, is god/the angel having an off day?

26. Why does god protect some and not others if he is not a respecter of persons for instance protecting someone from a burglar but not protecting someone else?

27. If god really healed Joe blow of cancer, why then do others die from cancer even if they pray, does god not like these people as much?

28. why is it that when a bad thing such as a potential robbery is averted, god gets the credit, but when the robbery is successful freewill is to blame?

29. How is god love when he demands our servitude or be burned in hell, and how does this play into the freewill argument?

30. Why does god need to bribe us with heaven and threaten us with hell if he is so concerned with our freewill choice?

31. If you believe the bible word for word, why does he kill two people for lying to peter and yet won’t smite a child rapist?

32. Since Jews don’t believe in Jesus they are going to hell, now Hitler on the other hand could have converted on his death bed and went to heaven while the
s he killed went to hell no matter how good they were, so isn’t god infinitely worse than Hitler? Also in Thessalonians 2:13-15 god apparently agrees with Hitler.

33. Why didn’t god smite Hitler but did smite a guy in the bible just for touching a box? (see 2 Samuel 6:6 7)

34. If you think god isn’t happy about casting people into hell why does he say in proverbs that he will laugh at you while he does it? (first chapter start around the 2oth verse and read on)

35. if Adam and eve were perfect before the fall, than how come they sinned, did god create imperfect beings, what about the devil, wasn't he perfect, how did he fall, did god mess up with him too?

36. As an atheist I simply don't realize your god is real so how is it right to torment me for all eternity for an honest mistake?

37. How does the soul interact with the brain, what scientific evidence is there that shows how it happens and where it happens.

38. What is a soul made out of?

39. Do retarded people have retarded souls?

40. Why does a righteous god think virgin women are war booty (numbers 31:17-18)

41. If god can do anything and loves us, why is there evil?

42. Why can’t we just skip this step and go straight to heaven?

43. Why does god need to test us if he already knows the answer?

44. If heaven is all great and yet has freewill why can’t the same be true here, and what about the still born that goes straight to heaven that would have been the next Hitler has he been born, will he ruin heaven for the rest of us?

45. If nobody can sin in heaven then how did the devil do it?

46. Why does god let the devil tempt people?

47. How is Jesus the son of god if Jesus is supposed to be eternal?

48. If God is a God of light why does he require blind faith?

49. Do you feel lucky you happened to believe in the One True Religion™ ?

50. Why isn't the One True Religion™ as obvious as gravity that way nobody would have the "wrong" religion?

51. If you think the rest of the world is deceived or mistaken, even though they think their right, then what makes you any different?

52. if we are designed so perfectly as intelligent design suggests, than why are there disabled people, retarded, blind, crippled etc.

53. If your answer to the last question was sin, then why did god make me blind at birth, I hadn’t done anything yet?

54. Why does god need us to kill animals then his son to forgive us, why couldn’t he just choose not to hold this incredible grudge?

55. Since god wanted to kill Jesus to forgive us, why didn't he do it right after Adam ate the apple, that way the Jews wouldn't have to live under the oppression of the old testament?

56. Why would a loving god create Parasites and Ebola and rabies or design animals to rip other animals apart and eat them?

57. Why is a first cause necessary, why not an infinite regression of causes?

58. isn't it such a coincidence that folks tend to believe the religion of their parents?

59. If God has such a tremendous problem with uncircumcised penises, why did he make man with foreskin in the first place?

60. It says in genesis that the sons of god saw the daughters of men that they were fair... now since these "angels were able to copulate does this indicate that angels have a gender and are not spiritual beings. how did angel chromosomes work with the human genome.

61. did god have sex with Mary, if not then isn't Jesus just gods creation, or is Adam also god’s son thus contradicting john 3:16?

62. Why pray if god only does his will , he will do what he wants anyway won't he?

63. Christians will tell you that if a baby dies it goes to heaven. Why then are they so against abortion? All the child is being deprived of is the opportunity to go to hell. Either that or god expects unborn fetuses to accept Jesus?

64. People still think Elvis is alive, how is Jesus’ resurrection story any different?

65. How will Christians enjoy heaven with loved ones in hell?

66. Why did god regret that he had created man at the flood since he knows the future?

67. Why does God entrust the spreading of 'His' word to sinners? Why doesn't he do it himself?

68. if god knows the future how can he have freewill?

69. The universe has over 150 billion galaxies, each galaxy containing 400 billions of star, and I am to believe that god made all of that just for us on this remote speck of dust we call earth?

70. If heaven is spiritual why are the physical mansions and physical streets of gold waiting for us?

71. Why does God care if he is praised? Does he have low self esteem

72. Yes, we have free will, but God already knows who will sin, who will accept Him, etc, for all eternity (since he has perfect knowledge of the future). Why then, are we here? Why not just send our souls to Heaven or Hell, depending on what he knows we'll do?

73. What is the purpose of prayer? What can a finite being on Earth possibly tell an omnipotent, omniscient deity that he doesn't know already?

74. I hear Christians all the time speaking of a spiritual war between Heaven and Hell, if this is true does God have limitations of power? Man only conducts wars because of our limitations of power and foresight. God has both all-power and all-knowledge, no reason for war of any kind?

75. Why didn’t god kill Adam and eve and start over right then instead of waiting until Noah came along?

76. If god is all powerful why can’t god fight against iron chariots? (See Judges 1:19)

77. Why would a loving god order the death sentence for picking up sticks on Saturday? (Numbers 15:32-36)

78. 1 Samuel 15:1-3 has god ordering king Saul to kill the Amalek, even babies and women and even the animals for something the Amalek’s ancestors did to the Jews when they came from Egypt, explain to me how this is even remotely just?

79. Leviticus 21:16-23 forbids any person with a handicap such as blindness for coming to church, why would god punish people for inflictions that according to Exodus 4:11, he gave them?

80. In 2 Kings 2:23-24 god kills 42 little children for teasing a preacher, yet he doesn’t send bears after child molesters, what does that tell you?

81. Why did Jesus say, “spread the gospel“, does this mean anyone that doesn’t hear about it goes to hell, if not then why spread the gospel, and if so, how is that fair to the Indians and remote jungle tribes that never get a chance to hear about Jesus?

82. If you are so sure about heaven why are you afraid to die?

83. If a sperm and egg can evolve into a human why is evolution impossible and if god molds in the womb how do you account for genetic defects?

84, why does the devil (the most evil creature ever) get free reign sinning and tempting folks for thousands of years before he goes to hell, while a good twenty year old goes straight to hell after only sinning for twenty years?

85. If god has a right and a left, a front and back, then he is limited, for god to be everywhere he cannot have a right or a left as his boundaries would not end, therefore how can Jesus be seated at god right and how did god show Moses his back parts?

86. If god is supposed to be everywhere how can he be shaped like a human (the bible often mentions gods feet, hands, face, back parts, nostrils, etc)?

87. If god knows everything, why would he need a rainbow to remind him not to flood the world again?

88. Why would an all-powerful god feel the need to stop people from building a tower to heaven because “nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do”? and if this story is true why does god NASA to exist?

89. Why don’t we see amazing miracles today like the ones in the bible such as the sun standing still, and seas splitting in half and fire and hail falling from the sky?

90. If the feeding of the five thousand is true then why are there starving people today, why doesn’t god feed them?

91. Why do Christians fight science at every turn, everything from lightning rods, discovery of vacuums, and the world being round, to stem cells and evolution Christians have opposed, why do you feel so threatened by science?

92. Science through the discovery of vaccines and antibiotics, has either found a prevention or a cure for smallpox, polio, anthrax, rabies, bubonic plague, tuberculosis, and many other diseases, how many diseases has Jesus or Christianity eradicated or even offered prevention for?

93. If you contend that god inspired the above discoveries then why did he wait so long, he could have saved billions of lives if he had given Adam all the cures and vaccines and other science we now know about?

94. The bible says in Psa. 37:25: " ... Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed BEGGING BREAD” so why did Lazarus go to heaven since he was a beggar (see parable of rich man and Lazarus)

95. Why is it a sin to see someone naked, if god doesn’t like the way we look then why didn’t he make us different and if it is because we know shame, then why do jungle tribes run around naked?

96. Why is insulting the holy ghost unforgivable (mark 3:28-30) meanwhile killing six million Jews and child rape are forgivable?

97. If faith is all you need then isn’t every religion right?

98. Why do we need faith, why can‘t we just have the proof and that way we will know for sure it is true and which religion is true?

99. Jesus is reported as telling Thomas that “blessed is he that doesn’t see yet believes, why would god find honor in people just blindly believing what they are told with out facts and proof to back it up.

100. The bible says stuff like if a roman soldier tells you to carry his stuff one mile, carry it two, render unto Caesar what is Caesars, and in the book of Romans where it says to obey the government as it was placed in power by god, it is also known that a roman emperor made Christianity the official religion of the empire and he and some regents voted on what books would be in the bible, so isn’t it at least possible that Christianity was created by the roman empire to control the populace, and any and all proofs for Jesus’ existence such as Josephus’ writings and stories of martyrdom, are nothing but fabrications?

101. how do you tell when to take the bible literally or metaphorically? Isn’t that rather subjective?

102. Why does Heaven have wars according too the bible, god could just snap his finger and save Michael the archangel trouble, but according to the myth he doesn’t. why not. Is he weak or just likes blood?

103. Why did god plant the tree in the garden, was it a trap?

104. Why punish all snakes because of one snake,”, (who was either, Satan, or possessed by him, or was a snake acting of his own accord, but still the only snake that caused the fall?

105. What was god doing for eternity before he made the universe?

106. Why did god ask Abraham to sacrifice his son? Was it a test? If so then why, since god is all knowing and didn’t need to test Abraham, and if it wasn’t a test then why does it say it was?

[Vagrant]

Is that copied and pasted? Because that is a ridiculous amount of questions.

[Tanktunker]

I have a couple of questions:

1. How do you know Allah, Zeus, Thor, Aphrodite, Santa and the tooth fairy don’t exist? Keeping this in mind, how am I arrogant to believe the same about Yahweh?

2. Isn’t the ritual of the Lords supper just symbolic cannibalism?

3. If god created us, why do men have nipples?

4. Who created god and if you say he always existed then how do you know god is eternal?

5. How do you know the bible is right?

6. Why did god create the devil?

7. If Adam and eve didn't know good and evil before they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil so why does god punish them when they didn't know what they were doing?

8. If incest causes genetic problems which there is proof that it does how can we all come from just two people?

9. Why are all prophecies in old testament about Jesus vague and taken out of context (if you don’t believe me look them up and read the whole chapter that contains the "prophetic" verse you‘ll see that the verse applies to that chapter alone and its time not the future or Jesus and is very vague even if it were a prophecy)

10, Why don’t Jews convert if the prophecies are so convincing?

11. Why do the genealogies of Jesus contradict in Luke and Mathew (Luke does not use Mary’s line because it clearly says Joseph SON of Heli)?

12. If the bible is gods word why do the psalms say things like, “oh god thou art holy and great”, is god that vain that he should praise himself?

13. What scientific evidence is there for a virgin birth involving a male baby?

14. Why does it need to be a virgin birth to begin with is sex evil?

15. Why does the bible say not to kill in the ten commandments, and then turn around and command people to do just that like in 1 Samuel 15:1-3?

16. If the god of the bible is all-good why does he create evil (see Isa. 45:5-7)

17. Where is proof of Jesus’ resurrection besides the gospels and why do they contradict in almost every detail on this fact (don’t believe me read the Easter story in each gospel and contrast them)

18. Why is it wrong to want proof, if so how does one determine which religion is right?

19. what scientific evidence shows how god created the universe?

20. If the universe is only 6,000 to 10,000 years old as creationists claim, then how can we see stars that are millions of light years away?

21. Since you believe the bible word for word, why does god offer proof to some and not others (examples include the 400 prophets of Baal who saw the altar of Elijah and Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus and good ol' doubting Thomas and by the way, why was he wrong to be skeptical?

22. Why does god choose to torture people forever instead of just snuffing them out of existence?

23. Why does the bible say that god is not the author of confusion (I Corinthians 14:33) but then says he uses the foolish to confound the wise (I Corinthians 1:27)?

24. Since god can do whatever he wants why doesn’t he just show up or do a big miracle and end all doubt?

25. If you believe god or his angels watch over you, why do little kids get raped and killed, is god/the angel having an off day?

26. Why does god protect some and not others if he is not a respecter of persons for instance protecting someone from a burglar but not protecting someone else?

27. If god really healed Joe blow of cancer, why then do others die from cancer even if they pray, does god not like these people as much?

28. why is it that when a bad thing such as a potential robbery is averted, god gets the credit, but when the robbery is successful freewill is to blame?

29. How is god love when he demands our servitude or be burned in hell, and how does this play into the freewill argument?

30. Why does god need to bribe us with heaven and threaten us with hell if he is so concerned with our freewill choice?

31. If you believe the bible word for word, why does he kill two people for lying to peter and yet won’t smite a child rapist?

32. Since Jews don’t believe in Jesus they are going to hell, now Hitler on the other hand could have converted on his death bed and went to heaven while the
s he killed went to hell no matter how good they were, so isn’t god infinitely worse than Hitler? Also in Thessalonians 2:13-15 god apparently agrees with Hitler.

33. Why didn’t god smite Hitler but did smite a guy in the bible just for touching a box? (see 2 Samuel 6:6 7)

34. If you think god isn’t happy about casting people into hell why does he say in proverbs that he will laugh at you while he does it? (first chapter start around the 2oth verse and read on)

35. if Adam and eve were perfect before the fall, than how come they sinned, did god create imperfect beings, what about the devil, wasn't he perfect, how did he fall, did god mess up with him too?

36. As an atheist I simply don't realize your god is real so how is it right to torment me for all eternity for an honest mistake?

37. How does the soul interact with the brain, what scientific evidence is there that shows how it happens and where it happens.

38. What is a soul made out of?

39. Do retarded people have retarded souls?

40. Why does a righteous god think virgin women are war booty (numbers 31:17-18)

41. If god can do anything and loves us, why is there evil?

42. Why can’t we just skip this step and go straight to heaven?

43. Why does god need to test us if he already knows the answer?

44. If heaven is all great and yet has freewill why can’t the same be true here, and what about the still born that goes straight to heaven that would have been the next Hitler has he been born, will he ruin heaven for the rest of us?

45. If nobody can sin in heaven then how did the devil do it?

46. Why does god let the devil tempt people?

47. How is Jesus the son of god if Jesus is supposed to be eternal?

48. If God is a God of light why does he require blind faith?

49. Do you feel lucky you happened to believe in the One True Religion™ ?

50. Why isn't the One True Religion™ as obvious as gravity that way nobody would have the "wrong" religion?

51. If you think the rest of the world is deceived or mistaken, even though they think their right, then what makes you any different?

52. if we are designed so perfectly as intelligent design suggests, than why are there disabled people, retarded, blind, crippled etc.

53. If your answer to the last question was sin, then why did god make me blind at birth, I hadn’t done anything yet?

54. Why does god need us to kill animals then his son to forgive us, why couldn’t he just choose not to hold this incredible grudge?

55. Since god wanted to kill Jesus to forgive us, why didn't he do it right after Adam ate the apple, that way the Jews wouldn't have to live under the oppression of the old testament?

56. Why would a loving god create Parasites and Ebola and rabies or design animals to rip other animals apart and eat them?

57. Why is a first cause necessary, why not an infinite regression of causes?

58. isn't it such a coincidence that folks tend to believe the religion of their parents?

59. If God has such a tremendous problem with uncircumcised penises, why did he make man with foreskin in the first place?

60. It says in genesis that the sons of god saw the daughters of men that they were fair... now since these "angels were able to copulate does this indicate that angels have a gender and are not spiritual beings. how did angel chromosomes work with the human genome.

61. did god have sex with Mary, if not then isn't Jesus just gods creation, or is Adam also god’s son thus contradicting john 3:16?

62. Why pray if god only does his will , he will do what he wants anyway won't he?

63. Christians will tell you that if a baby dies it goes to heaven. Why then are they so against abortion? All the child is being deprived of is the opportunity to go to hell. Either that or god expects unborn fetuses to accept Jesus?

64. People still think Elvis is alive, how is Jesus’ resurrection story any different?

65. How will Christians enjoy heaven with loved ones in hell?

66. Why did god regret that he had created man at the flood since he knows the future?

67. Why does God entrust the spreading of 'His' word to sinners? Why doesn't he do it himself?

68. if god knows the future how can he have freewill?

69. The universe has over 150 billion galaxies, each galaxy containing 400 billions of star, and I am to believe that god made all of that just for us on this remote speck of dust we call earth?

70. If heaven is spiritual why are the physical mansions and physical streets of gold waiting for us?

71. Why does God care if he is praised? Does he have low self esteem

72. Yes, we have free will, but God already knows who will sin, who will accept Him, etc, for all eternity (since he has perfect knowledge of the future). Why then, are we here? Why not just send our souls to Heaven or Hell, depending on what he knows we'll do?

73. What is the purpose of prayer? What can a finite being on Earth possibly tell an omnipotent, omniscient deity that he doesn't know already?

74. I hear Christians all the time speaking of a spiritual war between Heaven and Hell, if this is true does God have limitations of power? Man only conducts wars because of our limitations of power and foresight. God has both all-power and all-knowledge, no reason for war of any kind?

75. Why didn’t god kill Adam and eve and start over right then instead of waiting until Noah came along?

76. If god is all powerful why can’t god fight against iron chariots? (See Judges 1:19)

77. Why would a loving god order the death sentence for picking up sticks on Saturday? (Numbers 15:32-36)

78. 1 Samuel 15:1-3 has god ordering king Saul to kill the Amalek, even babies and women and even the animals for something the Amalek’s ancestors did to the Jews when they came from Egypt, explain to me how this is even remotely just?

79. Leviticus 21:16-23 forbids any person with a handicap such as blindness for coming to church, why would god punish people for inflictions that according to Exodus 4:11, he gave them?

80. In 2 Kings 2:23-24 god kills 42 little children for teasing a preacher, yet he doesn’t send bears after child molesters, what does that tell you?

81. Why did Jesus say, “spread the gospel“, does this mean anyone that doesn’t hear about it goes to hell, if not then why spread the gospel, and if so, how is that fair to the Indians and remote jungle tribes that never get a chance to hear about Jesus?

82. If you are so sure about heaven why are you afraid to die?

83. If a sperm and egg can evolve into a human why is evolution impossible and if god molds in the womb how do you account for genetic defects?

84, why does the devil (the most evil creature ever) get free reign sinning and tempting folks for thousands of years before he goes to hell, while a good twenty year old goes straight to hell after only sinning for twenty years?

85. If god has a right and a left, a front and back, then he is limited, for god to be everywhere he cannot have a right or a left as his boundaries would not end, therefore how can Jesus be seated at god right and how did god show Moses his back parts?

86. If god is supposed to be everywhere how can he be shaped like a human (the bible often mentions gods feet, hands, face, back parts, nostrils, etc)?

87. If god knows everything, why would he need a rainbow to remind him not to flood the world again?

88. Why would an all-powerful god feel the need to stop people from building a tower to heaven because “nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do”? and if this story is true why does god NASA to exist?

89. Why don’t we see amazing miracles today like the ones in the bible such as the sun standing still, and seas splitting in half and fire and hail falling from the sky?

90. If the feeding of the five thousand is true then why are there starving people today, why doesn’t god feed them?

91. Why do Christians fight science at every turn, everything from lightning rods, discovery of vacuums, and the world being round, to stem cells and evolution Christians have opposed, why do you feel so threatened by science?

92. Science through the discovery of vaccines and antibiotics, has either found a prevention or a cure for smallpox, polio, anthrax, rabies, bubonic plague, tuberculosis, and many other diseases, how many diseases has Jesus or Christianity eradicated or even offered prevention for?

93. If you contend that god inspired the above discoveries then why did he wait so long, he could have saved billions of lives if he had given Adam all the cures and vaccines and other science we now know about?

94. The bible says in Psa. 37:25: " ... Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed BEGGING BREAD” so why did Lazarus go to heaven since he was a beggar (see parable of rich man and Lazarus)

95. Why is it a sin to see someone naked, if god doesn’t like the way we look then why didn’t he make us different and if it is because we know shame, then why do jungle tribes run around naked?

96. Why is insulting the holy ghost unforgivable (mark 3:28-30) meanwhile killing six million Jews and child rape are forgivable?

97. If faith is all you need then isn’t every religion right?

98. Why do we need faith, why can‘t we just have the proof and that way we will know for sure it is true and which religion is true?

99. Jesus is reported as telling Thomas that “blessed is he that doesn’t see yet believes, why would god find honor in people just blindly believing what they are told with out facts and proof to back it up.

100. The bible says stuff like if a roman soldier tells you to carry his stuff one mile, carry it two, render unto Caesar what is Caesars, and in the book of Romans where it says to obey the government as it was placed in power by god, it is also known that a roman emperor made Christianity the official religion of the empire and he and some regents voted on what books would be in the bible, so isn’t it at least possible that Christianity was created by the roman empire to control the populace, and any and all proofs for Jesus’ existence such as Josephus’ writings and stories of martyrdom, are nothing but fabrications?

101. how do you tell when to take the bible literally or metaphorically? Isn’t that rather subjective?

102. Why does Heaven have wars according too the bible, god could just snap his finger and save Michael the archangel trouble, but according to the myth he doesn’t. why not. Is he weak or just likes blood?

103. Why did god plant the tree in the garden, was it a trap?

104. Why punish all snakes because of one snake,”, (who was either, Satan, or possessed by him, or was a snake acting of his own accord, but still the only snake that caused the fall?

105. What was god doing for eternity before he made the universe?

106. Why did god ask Abraham to sacrifice his son? Was it a test? If so then why, since god is all knowing and didn’t need to test Abraham, and if it wasn’t a test then why does it say it was?
Because god works in mysterious ways.
Next time you see an orphanage on fire, remember that it's all part of his divine plan.

[darkfalcon62]

god doesnt exist....

[Tanktunker]

lol yes he dux it sez so in da bible lol

[Karl]

lol yes he dux it sez so in da bible lol
omG liek right? lol

I doubt anyone will answer Geowge's post.

[Jesus is my homie]

1. How do you know Allah, Zeus, Thor, Aphrodite, Santa and the tooth fairy don’t exist? Keeping this in mind, how am I arrogant to believe the same about Yahweh?

They do. It is stated in Genisis that God is a jealous god, and that you should have no God before him.

2. Isn’t the ritual of the Lords supper just symbolic cannibalism?

Yes. Key word being symbolic. And Jesus willed it.

3. If god created us, why do men have nipples?

Man is created in God's image. Woman is created from the rib of man. God has nipples, man has nipples, woman has nipples.

4. Who created god and if you say he always existed then how do you know god is eternal?

God created himself, along with everything else. God doesn't die until he wants to.

5. How do you know the bible is right?

Because it was written and compiled by prominent scholars and historians around the world.

6. Why did god create the devil?

God did not create Satan, Satan is a fallen angel. Satan attempted a rebellion and was damned to hell, along with 1/3 of the angels in heaven.

[highwatermark]

1. How do you know Allah, Zeus, Thor, Aphrodite, Santa and the tooth fairy don’t exist? Keeping this in mind, how am I arrogant to believe the same about Yahweh?

They do. It is stated in Genisis that God is a jealous god, and that you should have no God before him.

2. Isn’t the ritual of the Lords supper just symbolic cannibalism?

Yes. Key word being symbolic. And Jesus willed it.

3. If god created us, why do men have nipples?

Man is created in God's image. Woman is created from the rib of man. God has nipples, man has nipples, woman has nipples.

4. Who created god and if you say he always existed then how do you know god is eternal?

God created himself, along with everything else. God doesn't die until he wants to.

5. How do you know the bible is right?

Because it was written and compiled by prominent scholars and historians around the world.

6. Why did god create the devil?

God did not create Satan, Satan is a fallen angel. Satan attempted a rebellion and was damned to hell, along with 1/3 of the angels in heaven.

Good use of color in presentation.

[The Prodigal]

god doesnt exist....

For your own safety, and protection, please refrain from crawling out of the pit of eternal darkness known as Stick Arena forum.

Because right now you're looking very flammable.

[Doug05257]

George, your list of copied and pasted questions are extremely ignorant. Shame on you for posting that nonsense. Emphasis on question 48.

[Tanktunker]

God created himself, along with everything else. God doesn't die until he wants to.
God wasn't around to create himself before he was created.

[Anonymous]

NOTE: Blue ? sarcasm

1. How do you know Allah, Zeus, Thor, Aphrodite, Santa and the tooth fairy don’t exist? Keeping this in mind, how am I arrogant to believe the same about Yahweh?

They do. It is stated in Genisis that God is a jealous god, and that you should have no God before him.

So Thor exists, but you shouldn't believe in him because God might get jealous?

2. Isn’t the ritual of the Lords supper just symbolic cannibalism?

Yes. Key word being symbolic. And Jesus willed it.

So if Jesus wills Canibalism, then it's ok?

3. If god created us, why do men have nipples?

Man is created in God's image. Woman is created from the rib of man. God has nipples, man has nipples, woman has nipples.


Seems completely logical.

If you're a complete psychopath.

4. Who created god and if you say he always existed then how do you know god is eternal?

God created himself, along with everything else. God doesn't die until he wants to.


How can something create itself? Wouldn't it already have to exist to even perform the act in the first place? I thought he was "eternal".

5. How do you know the bible is right?

Because it was written and compiled by prominent scholars and historians around the world.

Lol.

6. Why did god create the devil?

God did not create Satan, Satan is a fallen angel. Satan attempted a rebellion and was damned to hell, along with 1/3 of the angels in heaven.

God knows everything, mmkay? God KNEW that Lucifer (Satan) would fall. Why did he create Lucifer if he knew that?

[Alphaniner]

7. If Adam and eve didn't know good and evil before they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil so why does god punish them when they didn't know what they were doing?
They had been commanded not to eat of the fruit, but they did anyway. Somewhat like a small child.
8. If incest causes genetic problems which there is proof that it does how can we all come from just two people?
Having enough kids so that there are a few that don't have problems, I guess?
9. Why are all prophecies in old testament about Jesus vague and taken out of context (if you don’t believe me look them up and read the whole chapter that contains the "prophetic" verse you‘ll see that the verse applies to that chapter alone and its time not the future or Jesus and is very vague even if it were a prophecy)
I don't understand what this question is asking. It is worded very poorly.
10, Why don’t Jews convert if the prophecies are so convincing?
They believe that Jesus was in fact a person, but that he wasn't the savior, I think.
11. Why do the genealogies of Jesus contradict in Luke and Mathew (Luke does not use Mary’s line because it clearly says Joseph SON of Heli)?

12. If the bible is gods word why do the psalms say things like, “oh god thou art holy and great”, is god that vain that he should praise himself?
The Bible is not written by God.
13. What scientific evidence is there for a virgin birth involving a male baby?
A work of God. A miracle. If you don't believe it, then whatever.
14. Why does it need to be a virgin birth to begin with is sex evil?
I believe her virginity symbolizes purity and all that.
15. Why does the bible say not to kill in the ten commandments, and then turn around and command people to do just that like in 1 Samuel 15:1-3?
Revenge. Fire and Brimstone 'n all that. Kill the non-believers and the like.
16. If the god of the bible is all-good why does he create evil (see Isa. 45:5-7)
God never claims to be all-good. At least, I don't believe him to be an all-good type of God. He did cause the flood, after all. See Fire 'n Brimstone. Perhaps to give good a run for its money?


Perhaps those others for a later day(s)

[Vagrant]

George, your list of copied and pasted questions are extremely ignorant. Shame on you for posting that nonsense. Emphasis on question 48.

Agreed. I don't like answering copied and pasted crap, as well as the fact that many of those questions are both ignorant and worded in a misguiding way.

[Dances`]

NOTE: Blue ? sarcasm

1. How do you know Allah, Zeus, Thor, Aphrodite, Santa and the tooth fairy don’t exist? Keeping this in mind, how am I arrogant to believe the same about Yahweh?

They do. It is stated in Genisis that God is a jealous god, and that you should have no God before him.

So Thor exists, but you shouldn't believe in him because God might get jealous?

Jealous. It's not jealous as you think of the word. It's jealous more like jealous love of marriage. You should lust after no other than your wife or husband. Tradition also tells us that anything that does works when you pray to it and is not God is a demon. They do exist and should be avoided.

2. Isn’t the ritual of the Lords supper just symbolic cannibalism?

Yes. Key word being symbolic. And Jesus willed it.

So if Jesus wills Cannibalism, then it's ok?

Jesus's body is more than just flesh and blood. It's eternal salvation. It's not symbolic. It's transformed into the body and blood of Christ. We see it as bread and wine so that it is edible.
Like just about everything in the Catholic church, most things are good in the right context. Sex is great within the context of marriage, just as eating Christ is great within the context of grace. Just as sex out of marriage is eternal damnation, eating the body of Christ while not in a state of grace (That is, not having a soul free of mortal sin) is literally eating damnation.

3. If god created us, why do men have nipples?

Man is created in God's image. Woman is created from the rib of man. God has nipples, man has nipples, woman has nipples.


Seems completely logical.

If you're a complete psychopath.

Not many people, including most Christians don't really understand the meaning of Genesis and Revelations. Genesis is not a chronological set of events that happened. It's mostly symbolic. If it weren't, then why would there be 3 different creation stories right there in the first three chapters of Genesis. I couldn't tell you why men have nipples.

4. Who created god and if you say he always existed then how do you know god is eternal?

God created himself, along with everything else. God doesn't die until he wants to.


How can something create itself? Wouldn't it already have to exist to even perform the act in the first place? I thought he was "eternal".

He is eternal. He didn't create himself. He lives outside of the realm of time as we think of it. I AM WHO AM. He says this because he always is. There is no past or future. He just always exists.

5. How do you know the bible is right?

Because it was written and compiled by prominent scholars and historians around the world.

Lol.

The Bible was divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. I can't prove it, but sometimes faith is needed.

6. Why did god create the devil?

God did not create Satan, Satan is a fallen angel. Satan attempted a rebellion and was damned to hell, along with 1/3 of the angels in heaven.

God knows everything, mmkay? God KNEW that Lucifer (Satan) would fall. Why did he create Lucifer if he knew that?

God creates everything and will always create everything with free will. He knows that we will do wrong but he creates us out of his own undying love.
He could have stopped it easily, just as he could force all of us to love him.
He would rather you choose. Just think about it. It's the difference between rape and freely given sex. Rape is forced sex, freely given sex is just that... freely given. It's basically the same thing, but rape is obviously looked down upon as compared to sex.

[Anonymous]

7. If Adam and eve didn't know good and evil before they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil so why does god punish them when they didn't know what they were doing?

They had been commanded not to eat of the fruit, but they did anyway. Somewhat like a small child.

It is exactly like a small child, except for the fact that a small child knows what is right and wrong. God simply told them to not eat from the tree that he planted and then tested them. No "If you disobey me there will be a consequence" at all. (I assume it was a test. Why would he let the devil (snake) tempt them otherwise?)


8. If incest causes genetic problems which there is proof that it does how can we all come from just two people?

Having enough kids so that there are a few that don't have problems, I guess?

No.


9. Why are all prophecies in old testament about Jesus vague and taken out
of context (if you don’t believe me look them up and read the whole chapter that contains the "prophetic" verse you‘ll see that the verse applies to that chapter alone and its time not the future or Jesus and is very vague even if it were a prophecy)

I don't understand what this question is asking. It is worded very poorly.

10, Why don’t Jews convert if the prophecies are so convincing?

They believe that Jesus was in fact a person, but that he wasn't the savior, I think.

I'm not going to respond to something that A) Ends in "I think" and B) doesn't answer the question fully.

11. Why do the genealogies of Jesus contradict in Luke and Mathew (Luke does not use Mary’s line because it clearly says Joseph SON of Heli)?

No response?

12. If the bible is gods word why do the psalms say things like, “oh god thou art holy and great”, is god that vain that he should praise himself?

The Bible is not written by God.

I'm reasonably sure that there's a general consensus that the Bible is the word of God. Whether he had to tell the people who wrote it (through jesus or "visions") or the "holy spirit" possesed them is irrelevant. Christians wouldn't be stupid enough to follow some book of compiled stories that just claimed to be the word of God. That would be enough! Who in their right mind would do something so stupid!

Wait.....:D

13. What scientific evidence is there for a virgin birth involving a male baby?

A work of God. A miracle. If you don't believe it, then whatever.

So there's no scientific evidence? You sure? Does God leave behind some invisible residue after he performs miracles or something? I guess I do have to believe it when it has nothing to support it. And I thought I was beginning to understand the concept of being "preggers" too. :(

14. Why does it need to be a virgin birth to begin with is sex evil?

I believe her virginity symbolizes purity and all that.

So....you don't know?

15. Why does the bible say not to kill in the ten commandments, and then turn around and command people to do just that like in 1 Samuel 15:1-3?

Revenge. Fire and Brimstone 'n all that. Kill the non-believers and the like.

You're not being serious anymore, are you?

16. If the god of the bible is all-good why does he create evil (see Isa. 45:5-7)

God never claims to be all-good. At least, I don't believe him to be an all-good type of God. He did cause the flood, after all. See
Fire 'n Brimstone. Perhaps to give good a run for its money?

He's not all-good? Sorry. I must have made the mistake of thinking he was perfect and therefore could perform every action without having to do anything "evil". That's what I would do if I knew everything.


Arguing over this is trivial. I mainly posted it as a joke. I thought it was pretty funny. :/

[Dances`]

7. If Adam and eve didn't know good and evil before they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil so why does god punish them when they didn't know what they were doing?

They had been commanded not to eat of the fruit, but they did anyway. Somewhat like a small child.

It is exactly like a small child, except for the fact that a small child knows what is right and wrong. God simply told them to not eat from the tree that he planted and then tested them. No "If you disobey me there will be a consequence" at all. (I assume it was a test. Why would he let the devil (snake) tempt them otherwise?)


8. If incest causes genetic problems which there is proof that it does how can we all come from just two people?


Who says that we aren't some genetic problem. (Plus it's just symbolic anyway)


9. Why are all prophecies in old testament about Jesus vague and taken out
of context (if you don’t believe me look them up and read the whole chapter that contains the "prophetic" verse you‘ll see that the verse applies to that chapter alone and its time not the future or Jesus and is very vague even if it were a prophecy)

I don't understand what this question is asking. It is worded very poorly.

Quite.

10, Why don’t Jews convert if the prophecies are so convincing?

They believe that Jesus was in fact a person, but that he wasn't the savior, I think.

I'm not going to respond to something that A) Ends in "I think" and B) doesn't answer the question fully.

Why not? For the same reason you aren't converting. Convincing, yes, but not to everyone. Some people, such as yourself, choose not to believe.
Other people...well.
Off topic time. (Trust me, we'll get somewhere)
Think of a vaccine. How does it work? You inject a weak or dead amount of the virus into your system so that your body can learn to fight against it when the real virus comes.

Switch this over to Christianity. Many people are "vaccinated" to religions because they were encountered with someone who either didn't convince them, or completely turned them away. As my religion teacher says, most people don't know Christianity they know the Christian. Many people (including myself, don't get me wrong) don't fully exemplify the meaning of true Christian, and it turns a lot of people away.

11. Why do the genealogies of Jesus contradict in Luke and Mathew (Luke does not use Mary’s line because it clearly says Joseph SON of Heli)?

Can you link me chapter and verse, I'll read them before getting back to you.

12. If the bible is gods word why do the psalms say things like, “oh god thou art holy and great”, is god that vain that he should praise himself?

The Bible is not written by God.

I'm reasonably sure that there's a general consensus that the Bible is the word of God. Whether he had to tell the people who wrote it (through jesus or "visions") or the "holy spirit" possesed them is irrelevant. Christians wouldn't be stupid enough to follow some book of compiled stories that just claimed to be the word of God. That would be enough! Who in their right mind would do something so stupid!

Har har really funny. God did write the bible. Human authors also wrote the bible. David wrote many psalms purely in praise of God. Sure he was inspired, but he also had a say in things. He could write however he wanted, and he wanted to write to people telling them how to praise God. Just think about it. If someone from the newspaper wanted to write a great column outlining how you did great things and giving you praises, would you stop them? Just as you wouldn't, God wouldn't.

13. What scientific evidence is there for a virgin birth involving a male baby?

A work of God. A miracle. If you don't believe it, then whatever.

So there's no scientific evidence? You sure? Does God leave behind some invisible residue after he performs miracles or something? I guess I do have to believe it when it has nothing to support it. And I thought I was beginning to understand the concept of being "preggers" too.

Nope, no scientific proof.

14. Why does it need to be a virgin birth to begin with is sex evil?

I believe her virginity symbolizes purity and all that.

So....you don't know?

Yes. He knows.

15. Why does the bible say not to kill in the ten commandments, and then turn around and command people to do just that like in 1 Samuel 15:1-3?

Revenge. Fire and Brimstone 'n all that. Kill the non-believers and the like.

You're not being serious anymore, are you?

God is just. He repeatedly says that if there be even one man just inside the city, then he will not destroy it. His is killing of men without redemption, who are already dead in spirit.

16. If the god of the bible is all-good why does he create evil (see Isa. 45:5-7)

God never claims to be all-good. At least, I don't believe him to be an all-good type of God. He did cause the flood, after all. See
Fire 'n Brimstone. Perhaps to give good a run for its money?

He's not all-good? Sorry. I must have made the mistake of thinking he was perfect and therefore could perform every action without having to do anything "evil". That's what I would do if I knew everything.

He is just. He doesn't create evil. He creates everything with the intent of being good. Only we can turn ourselves evil.

[Karl]

Why does the argument of 'there's no scientific proof' come up so often in a religious debate?

Isn't the nature of religion to have faith beyond the need for proof?

[Dances`]

That's what I always want to say, but thats not good enough for most arguers.

I really just wanna say "If you want scientific proof for everything, then don't try to argue with me. It's obvious that I will never convince you of anything since you want proof, and you will never convince me or most religious people because they already realize that you can't prove many things and they have already accepted that fact.

If all you want is scientific proof, then no religious argument can go either way.

Bergerac, I very much respect your opinion, but I think you're wrong.
As Jesus said "Be hot or cold, if you're lukewarm I'll spit you out."

Cold for you?

[Vagrant]

Arguing over this is trivial. I mainly posted it as a joke. I thought it was pretty funny. :/

You should know, religion isn't a light topic. ;) Most people will take it seriously. I just don't bother to answer copied & pasted stuff because if people won't waste their time to make their own statement, I won't bother to take the time to make mine.

Why does the argument of 'there's no scientific proof' come up so often in a religious debate?

Isn't the nature of religion to have faith beyond the need for proof?

I don't know why either. Isn't science almost completely out of the idea of religion? The only place it applies is archeology, in the historical aspects of the Bible and other religious books. And from what I understand, the history of most of the Bible is pretty accurate, and describes historical events recorded by other sources too.

[Mara]

Then bring up Russel's Teapot. Religion has about the same amount of substance as that (from a scientific view). The 'reasoning', is that God is beyond nature.

Then he's not provable. Even the few errors in the Bible (it saying different things in different parts) can be overlooked if you throw in faith.

If you say he's 'Beyond Science', then there's really no reason to even talk about him. You can believe in him, but any orthodox prorogation of him is the propagation of an idea that can't be proved.

Believing in 'something out there', is a lot different then believing the Earth is 6,000 years old. And picking what parts of the Bible you believe in is pretty pandy-mandery.

I've nothing wrong with personal beliefs of 'something out there', I just don't like orthodox religion (to be clear).

[Dances`]

You must not know what orthodox religion is.

The Catholic religion doesn't say the earth is 6000 years old, only strict fundamentalist that believe everything in the bible word for word and don't look past into a more symbolic meaning.

Religion works just fine with science, but religion can't be proven by science.

*Religion being Catholicism, the only one I really know about.

[DarkReality]

Why does the argument of 'there's no scientific proof' come up so often in a religious debate?

Isn't the nature of religion to have faith beyond the need for proof?

Because religions (or rather churches) demand on pushing science aside rather than coexisting (see Kansas). It's apparently impossible to believe in Creationism, God, Evolution, the Big Bang and advanced quantum Physics at the same time, or so. Which isn't the case. But as long as religions attempt to be an equal to science, they will have to argue with science. As soon as the mass of people realizes that faith and science have nothing to do with one another, that the bible might not be a literal depiction but only a symbolic exaggeration of actual events (keyword MIGHT), and that god does not condemn Darwin, then we might actually be able to debate on a religious level.

[Vagrant]

Mm. I think God intentionally left us these things to discover, not revile. :)

[DarkReality]

It would be a bit odd for an omniscient being do to something accidentally :-)

[Karl]

Because religions (or rather churches) demand on pushing science aside rather than coexisting (see Kansas). It's apparently impossible to believe in Creationism, God, Evolution, the Big Bang and advanced quantum Physics at the same time, or so. Which isn't the case. But as long as religions attempt to be an equal to science, they will have to argue with science. As soon as the mass of people realizes that faith and science have nothing to do with one another, that the bible might not be a literal depiction but only a symbolic exaggeration of actual events (keyword MIGHT), and that god does not condemn Darwin, then we might actually be able to debate on a religious level.
I agree. I can't think of it right now, but there's a prominent scientist, who worked on the human genome project, that believes science and religion can co-exist. I really want to read his book. He was on the Colbert Report, I believe.

EDIT: His name is Francis Collins. He was featured in a Discover Interview in my last issue.

[Mara]

You must not know what orthodox religion is.

The Catholic religion doesn't say the earth is 6000 years old, only strict fundamentalist that believe everything in the bible word for word and don't look past into a more symbolic meaning.

Religion works just fine with science, but religion can't be proven by science.

*Religion being Catholicism, the only one I really know about.

Orthodox religion makes a lot of claims that aren't provable. And I don't know Catholicism, but I know even a while ago they were saying the Earth was only 6000 years old.

The belief in something 'out there', or some 'guiding force' is fine, and I most certainly believe in 'something'. I just think orthodox religion is a bit much, and I wasn't using the word 'orthodox' in describing the word, but simply in differentiating between a general 'out there', compared to scriptures, Church, etc.

Edit: You bring up Collins, I'll bring up Dawkins. I Dawkins is undobtedly a very radical athiest, and in his words (not mine), he thinks the propogation of 'fairy tales' has absolutely no place as being real anywhere. Quoting Douglas Adams, "Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?"

I think that's pretty extreme, but the names Dawkins and Collins go hand in hand.

[Jesus is my homie]

15. Why does the bible say not to kill in the ten commandments, and then turn around and command people to do just that like in 1 Samuel 15:1-3?
It's sort of like the supremacy clause in the Constitution. Thou Shalt Not Kill is like having a local law that says blacks can't vote. Go kill the Caananites is like ammendment 13.

[Vagrant]

15. Why does the bible say not to kill in the ten commandments, and then turn around and command people to do just that like in 1 Samuel 15:1-3?
It's sort of like the supremacy clause in the Constitution. Thou Shalt Not Kill is like having a local law that says blacks can't vote. Go kill the Caananites is like ammendment 13.

...

Umm... no.

The answer is that people misinterpret "murder" to mean "kill." The words are very similar, but the connotation difference is huge. The reason people think "kill", is because in Old English (which was what the KJ Bible was translated to), kill is the equivalent of murder. But in today's context, "kill "generally implies manslaughter, whereas "murder" implies assassination.

So, in reality, that question would be ignored because murder is the more appropriate word in today's context.

(Keep in mind, the Bible does actually say there are times to kill. One example somewhere is a thief (I don't recall the exact passage, so don't kill me). If a thief enters your house at night, you have every right to kill him, according to the Bible. If a thief enters your house during the day, and armed, you should warrant him off, and if he does not leave, you have every right to kill him. If a thief enters your house during the day, unarmed, do not harm him. Give him some things to help him out, like food, clothes, and some money. The reason should be obvious -- an armed man is dangerous, and you should protect your life. If a man is stealing and armed, there is a high risk that you will be attacked. During the night, because there is uncertainty, defense takes precedence. During the day and unarmed means the man is desperate. It means he needs help and this was probably his last resort. Also, attacking an unarmed man is dishonorable, and definitely murder, regardless if he was on your property without permission)

[DarkReality]

The answer is that people misinterpret "murder" to mean "kill." The words are very similar, but the connotation difference is huge. The reason people think "kill", is because in Old English (which was what the KJ Bible was translated to), kill is the equivalent of murder. But in today's context, "kill "generally implies manslaughter, whereas "murder" implies assassination.

So we're not even SURE what the ten commandments tell us?

That's lovely -_-

However, I cannot imagine the bible claims that people have to be killed. I believe it said something along the lines of "take what's yours, god is on your side." The killing may simply have been inevitable because people really dislike being chased away from home.

[.Valhalla.]

Unless it was part of a divine plan, you can pull anything out for a divine plan.

Edit for being a little more on topic- Doesn't that whole turn the other cheek thing enforce tho shall not kill?

[Karl]

I believe that when it says, "Thou shalt not murder" it means you shouldn't take another's life without good reason. Now, normally, there's no reason to take a life, ever.

But in the time when the Bible was written, killing others for crimes or in the context of 'an eye for an eye', was justified.

[Anonymous]

I believe that when it says, "Thou shalt not murder" it means you shouldn't take another's life without good reason. Now, normally, there's no reason to take a life, ever.

This reminds me of something I highlighted in "The God Delusion":
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/2803/scan10001zq9.th.jpg (http://img441.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scan10001zq9.jpg)

Middle paragraph.

[Tanktunker]

I need that book.
So I can burn it.
J/K.
So I can read it, then eat it, so that it'll be inside of me, I want that book inside of me.

[Karl]

We live in a time when the Richard Dawkins crowd says religion is silly, and other people say evolution is silly. Most people don't agree with either extreme. The dominant position in the past for most working scientists was a middle ground: You use the tools of science to understand how nature works, but you also recognize that there are things outside of nature, namely God, for which the tools of science are not well designed to derive truth. The middle ground position is that there is more than one way to find truth, and a fully formed effort to try and answer the most important questions would not limit you to the kinds of questions that science can answer, especially the eternal one: Why are we all here, anyway?

Quote irrelevant to your post, except I wanted to show my view on your Richard Dawkins. He's no better than a religious extremist.

One must always take the Bible with a pinch of salt. It was written in a much different time, and thus many of the "truths" it provides are not applicable or even acceptable in the modern world. However, for some, including myself, it can provide a spiritual and moral guideline when life troubles you.

[np v2.0]

Arguing over this is trivial. I mainly posted it as a joke. I thought it was pretty funny. :/That's great you thought it was funny, but there are many members here who are offended by people who are constantly assaulting their religion. By now, most everyone knows that you don't want to have anything to do with Christianity, so why not give it a rest and stop posting so many anti-Christianity messages; because they're starting to piss a lot of people off, mmk?

[Mr. Anderson]

Agreed. I don't read this because of that; I honestly don't feel like getting into an argument over something as major as religion, as I know it plays a major part in some people's lives. I mean, it was a bit funny at first, but now...it just portrays the message of "Hate Christians" whether it is meant to or not.

[DarkReality]

That's great you thought it was funny, but there are many members here who are offended by people who are constantly assaulting their religion. By now, most everyone knows that you don't want to have anything to do with Christianity, so why not give it a rest and stop posting so many anti-Christianity messages; because they're starting to piss a lot of people off, mmk?

You gonna cry a river now?

How about you not take things so seriously so that it doesn't piss you off. Or are you that insecure about your belief?

[Hero of Time]

I could absoultely care less if you ban me for posting for another member.




Hey RdD, why don't you back of of np. I'm pretty sure he was posting on behalf of me. Some people don't like it when someone defiles their religion for no real reason. I ####ing get it that Geowge doesn't like religion. He can have his belief, but he really needs to stop making fun of mine just because its different from his. How can I not take things so seriously if hes assaulting the thing that guides my life. Insecure? How would getting pissed off about someone attacking your core beliefs not get old after a while? It's not even just here. He does it everywhere. Quoting the bible and then making fun of it and I'm sick of it. Stop pretending like you're more macho than everyone else. Just because you don't get offended at something doesn't mean you shouldn't be. If he was insecure about it, he wouldn't put himself out there to tell Geowge to stop. This is religion, not some menial thing.

[DarkReality]

I don't care if anyone attacks my beliefs. Why? Because they're MY beliefs. I believe what I believe and that's all that matters. People think atheists will go to hell like all jews and homosexuals? Fine. Feel free to tell me that, if it makes you feel any better. But I'm not going to let it bother me.

Moral of the story? If you believe something, then there's no need to be offended if someone insults what you believe. If you ARE offended, you quite obviously have a problem with people telling you what they think about your belief and that makes you insecure.

Np wasn't even posting about Geowge's post. He answered (and even quoted) the flowery frenchman. If you had to use my possibly uncalled for remark as an opportunity to flame someone completely different, then maybe you should shut the #### up and stay banned.

Trevor, I could care less if you go play in traffic and die. See? If you're going to break the rules, don't go and make some macho post about how you think you're above the rules -_-

[np v2.0]

You gonna cry a river now?

How about you not take things so seriously so that it doesn't piss you off. Or are you that insecure about your belief?I probably should have pointed out that a couple weeks ago Geowge posted a pornographic image of Jesus masturbating; Which I could have permabanned him for, by the way. (Geowge is Anonymousia de Bergerac-Fleur, if it isn't clear.) I usually don't take things so seriously here, but posting that image went too far, and makes everything else he posts seem much more offending. I'm not insecure about my religion; It's pretty obvious that I rarely post anything about Christianity/retaliate against those who defile it, but again, the image he posted crossed the line and has caused me to get somewhat ticked off when I see a constant bombardment of anti-Christian posts day after day after day.

[Lumeh]

I'm an atheist on a slow treadmil to oblivion!

[DarkReality]

(Geowge is Anonymousia de Bergerac-Fleur, if it isn't clear.)

That makes a lot of sense. Thank you.

What was it Jesus taught you again? Forgive and forget? Turn the other cheek, something like that? Love thy neighbor? I keep forgetting if it's about holding grudges or forgiving and praying that god will show them the right path :-)

[Matt]

I'm an atheist 100% and always well be.
To me religion is nothing more then something for the weak minded to look up to trying to answer impossible questions with fairy tales.


Science has proven so many holes that are not explainable in the bible (juts for example, not just focusing on christens)

[DarkReality]

Yep. You fail. Go away.

The theory of gravity is not proven. We don't really know why gravity works. We know so little, that we can't even assume it exists everywhere in space. We don't know if gravity is even a constant. There's a theory which claims that the gravitational "constant" is in fact a variable.

In short, we know just as little about gravity than god. Maybe a bit more due to our ability to observe gravity in our vicinity. But not a significant amount more, really. Yet we firmly believe that gravity will always exist here and everywhere. No one assumes that one day, we could very well be pushed AWAY from mass rather than be attracted by it.

Speaking of which, you can most likely not explain how an electron circles the protons and neutrons and despite giving of electromagnetic waves and energy, still manages to keep an apparently constant speed (=not fall towards the proton's due to attractive forces). So essentially, you blindly believe what science tells you WITHOUT HAVING SEEN PROOF OF IT.

I commend science and atheists because instead of claiming "god did it" and being happy with the explanation, we search for an answer. We don't think "hey, we have no answer, god must have done it!" we think "we have no answer, that doesn't mean we'll never have one." But you go and claim that religion is something for weak minded people to believe in. YOU on the other hand are a despicable example on an atheist. You do just as little to search for answers to "impossible questions." Alone claiming that there are impossible question puts you in the same boat as conservative religious fanatics.

Apart from all that, the bible was never meant to answer questions. It was meant to guide us to finding answers. Just because it was misused to deter science in favor of religious propaganda in the past doesn't make it a bad book. Nowhere, for example, does the bible explicitly claim the earth is flat. It describes it somewhere as a disc when seen from the sky (or something) which only supports the idea that the earth is a sphere as a flat disc would only look like a disc when looked at exactly 90 degrees.

Would you claim Einstein was weak minded because he believed in god? Do you think Heisenberg (one of the grandfathers of quantum physics) was weak minded? Both had a firm belief in god and the existence of something we simply cannot explain with what we will ever know. Do you think Martin Luther was weak minded, when he set the first stone that would free Europe from the church's iron grasp? Or maybe Martin Luther King when he set the stone for civil rights? Or maybe Gandhi, who spent the latter half of his life to free India? How about the founding fathers of the United States (and Canada, technically speaking)? They left the security of europe to start anew in the wilderness. Why? Freedom of religion, among other things.

Do us all a favor and shut the #### up. You know nothing and you think just as little. You're a sheep who heard something and now repeats it without thinking. Religion has very dark sides, yes. Churches have even darker sides. But only concentrating on those and ignoring the good that religion has done would be like condemning you for screwing over Native Americans and cheating them out of their land, ignoring that you gave nearly just as many people the chance to live in freedom by taking the land. Generalizing every religious person and every religion into something like "only weak people believe in god" makes you just as ignorant.

And yes, native americans lived in Canada as well.

[Vagrant]

Will you have my babies RdD?

[DarkReality]

Get in Line.

>_>

[Karl]

That was the single greatest thing I've read in a very long time.

[denacioust]

And yes, native americans lived in Canada as well.


Wouldn't that make them native Canadians?


But, yeah, geat post, Dark.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Wouldn't that make them native Canadians?

America (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mundus.ac.uk/images/americas.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.mundus.ac.uk/americas.html&h=398&w=286&sz=22&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=Np3SBtHgkOmmkM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=89&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAmericas%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr% 3D%26client%3Dopera%26rls%3Den%26sa%3DG)

[denacioust]

It was a joke.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

So was mine, except not.
I <3 you anyways.

[denacioust]

I feel the same way about me.