Let's start a new discussion, what say you all?
It seems to me that the more we discover in our world, the more we can explain, the less necessary the gods become. If one looks at the reason for religiosity and supernatural belief, it is easy to see why it has been and still is, so popular.
So, here is my topic. How would our country differ if religion was truly placed in the background, becoming the minority of the citizenry, rather than the majority?
24 comments:
The answer may lie in the Nordic countries: Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark: They have one of the highest GDPs on this planet, and they rank consistently high on human rights rankings and happiness quotas.
Beast
I look at it like this, we see the God haters removing the Bible and God from schools, only to make room for more cops, metal detectors and kids going on school rampages.
the two kids left evidence in the Columbine high school killings that they, hated christians, and they killed a girl telling her renouce Christ or die, she would not, so they killed her, and they claimed God did not exist. so much for removing religion and making things better. rick b
This statement was takin from Wiki,
At 11:19 a.m., a witness heard Eric Harris yell "Go! Go!" At that moment the gunmen pulled out their shotguns and began shooting at Rachel Scott and Richard Castaldo, who were sitting on a grassy knoll to their left (next to the West Entrance of the school), eating lunch. Scott was killed instantly, hit 4 times; Castaldo was critically wounded, hit 8 times.[4] It is unclear who shot first and who killed Scott. Many rumors swirled regarding the causes of the rampage, including the possible targeting of Christians. One such rumor was that the shooters first asked Scott if she believed in God, then killed her after she answered "you know I do."
Go atheists GO, they never do stuff like this, only us religious nuts. rick b
Rick I found this site today with an interesting article. You might read it, just for fun.
http://metacrock.blogspot.com/2008/01/is-there-empirical-evidence-of.html
Lol
Wouldn't it be a supreme irony, that they Christians who were shot to death didn't have their Gawd's protection to go along with???
Beast
Rick
When the Inquisidators were massacring the Cathars of Southern France, one pious inquisidator asked the pope how he should differentiate Catholics from Cathars. Guess what was the pope's answer?
"Kill them all. God will know his own."
If you want to talk about Christian killers I have plenty of examples, the olden times and the modern times.
Beast
Beast I do think you have a point about the nordic countries. They seem to have it all together until the Muslims complained about their cartoons!
Rick I have been as nice about this as possible but please stop with the preachy stuff. You do not know what I feel or who I hate.
As for the Columbine school killings; I'm just not sure. Maybe they did hate Christians, maybe they were atheist but I don't think either of those things were the cause of what happened. It was a tragedy for everyone involved and for society as a whole.
Do you think that when children are raised in a Christian home it prevents this kind of event? I don't think so. It is possible, and even probable, that angry, troubled children cross all religious, non religious, economic and cultural lines. I spent many years in public schools and I will tell you from experience that kids have a tough time growing up, whatever their religious background.
In my personal experience I have seen many kids from Christian homes who were confused and troubled due to the guilt piled on them by well-meaning parents.
I have also seen children from atheist homes who were well-adjusted, happy kids. That proves nothing, except that kids can be troubled or happy in either circumstance.
I know how strongly you fell about your belief; I respect that. However, trying to blame the ills of the world on those of us who profess non-belief is ridiculous.
Interested, you asked a question and I answered it. one thing we all agree on is, we all will die one day.
Lets say your right and God is not real, then I have lost nothing by being a nicer person and not trying to kill or use people because I believe God exists.
because once I am dead, it is over and I will never know, but if I am correct and your wrong, then you guys are in for a world of hurt. but you will be remined then that you choose it and wanted it. rick b
Rick you are speaking of Pascal's Wager. Well my answer is the Atheist Wager;;
"You should live your life and try to make the world a better place for your being in it, whether or not you believe in god. If there is no god, you have lost nothing and will be remembered fondly by those you left behind. If there is a benevolent god, he will judge you on your merits and not just on whether or not you believed in him."
"You should live your life and try to make the world a better place for your being in it, whether or not you believe in god. If there is no god, you have lost nothing and will be remembered fondly by those you left behind. If there is a benevolent god, he will judge you on your merits and not just on whether or not you believed in him."
I find nothing wrong with this statement. I think its a good attitude to adopt, even if it sounds a little too deistic for my liking.
Beast FCD
"because once I am dead, it is over and I will never know, but if I am correct and your wrong, then you guys are in for a world of hurt. but you will be remined then that you choose it and wanted it."
Well, Rick, certainly us atheists are no masochists, most of us do not wish to deign over eternal damnation!
Frankly, your reference to Pascal's wager is understandable, although it must be said that the parameters for the wager itself is inherently flawed; Pascal himself even admitted it, pious though he was.
Beast FCD
beast and interested, I know you guys will not believe me, and beast will say, I'm simply talking doomsday type stuff, but thats ok, I expect you guys to believe lies and refuse to hear the truth.
I love to sit back and watch all that is going on in the global market. the whole world is starting to panic, nit just a few people in the US.
This is prophecy being fulfilled before our eyes.
Were getting ready for Russia and China to march upon Israel, Russia is so poor and just spent something like 35 billion to bail out the banks, then one country is looking to borrow 5 billion from them.
Then I suspect Israel will find oil or gold or something and then russia will march.
Then were being set up to have a ONE WORLD govermant and one world money system tied into a cashless society. I really suspect Barac O, who could not run the US will get elected and run us into the ground, helping to further things along.
Say I am crazy all you want, but the Bible says this will happen and we see it being set up to happen, I for one am looking forward to it happing so when it does, and you know I was correct, then when you weasel out of it, you will be shown to be the liar you really are. Rick b
Rick:
I think I have said what I have to say with regards to Russia and the stock market, so I won't comment any further.
With regards to Obama, I think you should watch the debates and see who is making any cow sense. Mc Cain lost it when he said "the fundamentals of our economy is strong." And then you have this stupid woman who thinks her foreign diplomacy experience stems from the fact that she can see Russia from her house, and her shallowness means that she has nothing to talk about besides her hockey mum status and all this talk about going to war over Russia.
I think the Democrats must win. I can't imagine another 8 more years of Republican crap.
Beast FCD
Below is a quote about the orgin of the bible. There is much to be learned by reading 'about the bible' rather than the bible itself.
"As he delves further into the intricacies of the construction of the
Bible, our visitor perceives that the Old Testament gradually evolved
from the tenth century to the second century B.C., and in its present
form is mainly a fifth century compilation, so distorting the facts
that it has taken scholars one hundred and fifty years to get them
straight. "It may rightly be said that there is not a single book in the
Bible which is original in the sense of having been written by one man,
for all the books are made up of older documents or pre-existing sources
which were combined with later materials, undergoing, in this way,
several revisions and editions at the hands of different scribes or
compilers. Deep traces have therefore been left upon the text of the
Bible by these several stages of expansions, additions, modifications,
revisions, and incorporations--they appear to the scholar of biblical
literature much like the striations grooved in the rocks by large
glaciers to the student of Geology." (_Trattner, "Unravelling the Book
of Books._")
Rick, I know you are into cooking...let me ask you a question... Do you use receipes by someone other that yourself? I'd bet that you don't just start cooking without some research. You, as a good cook, want to know who wrote it, how were the ingredients obtained, has it been tested, are the ingredients even available now and who ate it? Did is pass muster so to speak? I seriously doubt that you would waste your talent, time and money on an untested, uninvestigated receipe if you were planning a dinner party for a new boss or someone that could be instrumental in changing your life. That is my attitude toward all written word. I must investigate all involved in order to accept it as written.
Interested,
You can say what you want, and no matter how much evidence is given or no matter how good or solid the evidence is, many will still reject it.
Look at the debate over weather men really landed on the moon or not. We know they did, but still many reject it.
Then I keep talking about the end times and russia, Because the Bible says it will happen I believe it, plus we see the stage being set.
Now I knew and know you guys reject this, but the best part is, once it happens, then I want to see how you talk your self out of it, as I know you will.
Rick
You remind me of the months before Year 2000 hit. I have lots of Christian friends telling the end was nigh, that the Y2K computer virus will trigger mayhem and destroy the world........
Guess what. WE are still here. The only thing predictable about prophecies that they inevitably screw up.
Beast
Rick can you answer the question? Would you try that receipe without investigation?
It is strange that people are more careful about trusting their cars to a mechanic or their clothing to a laundry or cleaners than they are about putting their trust in an unseen being.
Simple, Interested.
Cars don't run on faith. They run on petrol, and cars cost money.
Faith's cheap. You can have lots of it simply by not thinking rationally.
Beast FCD
My faith is not blind, it comes with massive amounts of evidence, you guys are blind and willing reject the evidence.
As far as recipes go, I make things all the time and trust the person telling me it works. I have faith they are telling me the truth and evidence by seeing it done from others. Then I also play around and work on making my own. I was one who never bought into Y2K, And that was not and is not in the Bible.
Russia going after Israel is in the Bible. Rick b
From the Oxford's Dictionary:
faith
• noun 1 complete trust or confidence. 2 strong belief in a religion. 3 a system of religious belief.
— ORIGIN Old French feid, from Latin fides.
When faith is invoked, no evidence is necessary.
As for Russia attacking Israel in the bible, can you get me the actual quote that the Russia juggernaut is marching its Red Army into Haifa?
Beast FCD
http://forerunner.com/predvestnik/X0058_Russia__Israel.html
Check this out.
LOL.
http://atheisthaven.blogspot.com/2008/10/all-those-herbivorious-tyrannosauruses.html
Read this and laugh.........remember to go to the link at Answers in Genesis as well.
Beast FCD
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