1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Religion = Bad?

Discussion in 'Religion and Spirituality' started by danmarino, Apr 23, 2019.

  1. Ohiophinphan

    Ohiophinphan Chaplain Staff Member Luxury Box

    I'm going to nitpick a little here. First off, like my disagreement with Dol-Fan, you and me are being a bit pedantic in how fine we slice an opinion. I admit I was being specifically pointed in my argument with you in that I think it has some rhetorical failings but that is beyond this thread.

    One point I do want to stay with however is the issue of "judgement". The word for judgement in the Bible is a technical word in both Hebrew and Greek. What Jews and Christians are forbidden to do by scripture is to announce their opinion that someone, by their actions/inactions, is condemned. That we understand to be God's right alone! HOWEVER and it is a big HOWEVER we are called to "bear one another's burdens". That may entail telling someone that their actions may be harming themselves and/or others. That is a fine line and the person being told may not see the distinction. Where people of faith often fail and sometimes fail spectacularly, is that in making that observation we are mandated to assist the other person in the correction and "walk with them".

    Again at the risk of bringing abortion too far into this discussion, if you believe abortion is infanticide and should be banned but then do not do everything in your power to absolutely minimize the conditions which often lead to abortion AND do not fully support the best possible conditions for "unwanted" children you are then not following scriptural mandate you see yourself as promoting.
     
    AGuyNamedAlex likes this.
  2. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

    3,582
    2,579
    113
    Sep 12, 2015
    I have no issue with people going through the correct means to petition abortion. That is how the world should work. We should have conversations not condemn one another.

    The problem is when, like by my house, they stand outside screaming and belittling the people going in. That helps NOONE.

    Lastly...I'd say the best way to prevent abortion isnt by condemning the act. It's by creating a more positive society where rapes, low income and poor adoption practices dont make people choose it to begin with.
     
  3. Ohiophinphan

    Ohiophinphan Chaplain Staff Member Luxury Box

    Like earlier, we are using the word "judge" in different ways and with different meanings. Earthly judgement is actually a way of loving your neighbor by correcting or separating out those who might harm another.
     
    danmarino likes this.
  4. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

    15,360
    20,983
    113
    Sep 4, 2014
    Exactly... I judge my kids because I love them and want them to do right.
     
    PhinFan1968 and Ohiophinphan like this.
  5. AGuyNamedAlex

    AGuyNamedAlex Well-Known Member

    3,582
    2,579
    113
    Sep 12, 2015
    I also want to add, I hope I haven't offended you in any way because you haven't offended me. I think you're a seemingly good guy from what I see on the site and I think the world needs to get rid of this idea of "We disagree so we must be enemies".
     
    Ohiophinphan and danmarino like this.
  6. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

    15,360
    20,983
    113
    Sep 4, 2014
    Oh, I agree. Screaming at people will accomplish nothing.
     
    Ohiophinphan and AGuyNamedAlex like this.
  7. Ohiophinphan

    Ohiophinphan Chaplain Staff Member Luxury Box

    Gentlemen, I have not been offended by anyone or anything in this thread. I am particularly appreciative of danmarino for starting this and for Alex and D-fan for the debate.
     
    Dol-Fan Dupree and danmarino like this.
  8. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

    72,252
    43,684
    113
    Nov 27, 2007
    I can do you one better as an atheist and....gasp....a vegan!!!!!!!!! Talk about conflicted on what Alex said and what you said!!!!!

    I agree with Alex, that the only time I have a problem with religion is when they try to influence others with their religion, but on the flip side, even though I'm 100% pro choice, i understand the desire to end abortion, just as I want to end animal suffrage.

    I know from the outside looking in, it appears I'm trying square a circle, but I feel like there's a significant difference that I cling too....trying to convert someone or make their religion mandated, is wrong because adults should decide for themselves what they believe or don't. bu trying to stop abortion or ending animal suffering is defending the defenseless.

    If a person approaches their anti-abortionism from a standpoint that is wrong because it a life, fine. If they they approach because they believe their holy book says its wrong, then, to me, not fine.
     
    Ohiophinphan likes this.
  9. Dol-Fan Dupree

    Dol-Fan Dupree Tank? Who is Tank? I am Guy Incognito.

    40,533
    33,035
    113
    Dec 11, 2007
    All you need is to have invested in bitcoin and do cross fit to get a line in the most annoying people on the planet bingo
     
    PhinFan1968 likes this.
  10. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

    72,252
    43,684
    113
    Nov 27, 2007
    Funny.
     
  11. Ohiophinphan

    Ohiophinphan Chaplain Staff Member Luxury Box

    In my case my "Holy Book" is what compels me to see life as beginning at conception.

    That's my squared circle. Having said that and upon examination, my understanding of biology brings me to the same place.

    With all of us humans, we are complex and cross wired. It is difficult or perhaps impossible to eliminate one portion of a thought process or decision making process. It is all intertwined.
     
  12. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

    15,360
    20,983
    113
    Sep 4, 2014
    Being an atheist, IMO, is also believing in something that can't be proven. Correct? Is essence, atheism is a religion. :tongue2: lol

    Also, I think everyone believes that all Christians are standing on the corner screaming Hell fire and brimstone stuff...That's not how this works. I teach my children that kindness is the best possible thing that they can learn and show. If anyone asked my kid's teachers about them the first thing they'd say is, "She is friends with everyone!" I teach my kids no bullying and to be friends with everyone. Especially the kids that don't seem to be making friends. Why? Well, "Do unto others"...I get that a person doesn't need to be a Christian to be kind, but in order to be a Christian a person must be kind. And that's the part that is missing. And yes, everyone makes mistakes and are not kind from time to time.

    There is nothing wrong with being a vegan. My 8 year old daughter, since she was about 4, refuses to eat meat or eggs. She will drink milk and eat yogurt and cheese. It all started when the little boy at her school told her that bacon came from dead pigs. So, now every time I put food down in front of her she asks, "Is this a dead animal?" She eats pasta, fruits, veggies, yogurt, cheese, nuts, and the occasional steak or burger when I grill out. I might be an ******* for this, but I tell her it's a soy burger and a soy steak. However, we don't always have time to fix different meals for 5 different kids so they eat what we make. The only exception is that she will get extra helpings of the veggies, fruits, etc. when we have "real" meat and my wife will not add any meat to her spaghetti.

    But, and maybe this will make you feel better...We only eat free range chicken eggs. And we buy beef from a local ranch where they are also free range and grass fed. Believe me, I hate the thought of any animal suffering. I love animals.
     
    Ohiophinphan likes this.
  13. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

    72,252
    43,684
    113
    Nov 27, 2007
    lol, no.

    There is no believing with atheism. Atheism is living a life without belief in a higher power, full stop. "Not believing" in something is not a belief. It is the absence of it.

    A belief cannot be a fact. Belief, by its very nature is having faith in something that is NOT a fact. You either know something or believe in it. Trying to make a belief a fact means the person has weak to no faith. It is like red and blue. Something can't be red and blue at the same time. It can red or blue and if you mix them it is purple, which is still neither blue or red.

    I don't think all or even most christians are like that btw. I think a few are, and sadly they are the ones that get the most press.....just like the terrible vegans and atheists color peoples' views of those groups.

    FTR for anyone in general:

    Vegan - is not a diet. It is an ethical way of life dedicated to causing the least amount of harm possible. What a person eats, wears, consumes, uses, etc. are all part of it. So a person is either vegan or they aren't. There's no eating plant based food while buying leather products and being vegan. Or being vegan at home but will eat meat or dairy when out.

    Vegetarian - is diet based. Vegetarian means a person doesn't eat meat. They still eat dairy and eggs and wear leather and wool, etc.

    Plant-based diet - is a diet and is not vegan. Vegans and plant based diet people eat the same, but whereas vegans carry that over to other parts of life, plant based dieters do not. Plant-based dieters are basically like anyone else on a diet, like Paleo, Keto, Adkins, Weight Watchers, etc. They often claim they are eating vegan, which is a major part in the confusion for others.

    Pescatarian - is identical to vegetarian with the exception that they will still eat seafood and/or sometimes fowl.

    Raw vegan - can get jumbled. Theoretically it is the same as vegan with he exception that they only eat non cooked or non processed plant based food. I really believe it should be switched to 2 categories "raw vegan" or "raw plant based diet".

    I'm only making these distinctions because I want people to understand what they are because I find that most people that want to discuss, argue, confront, belittle or just have a rational conversation about this stuff, think a lot of these are interchangeable when they aren't. It just causes confusion to not be clear.
     
  14. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

    15,360
    20,983
    113
    Sep 4, 2014

    About to get all philosophically around here...lol


    Deciding not to believe in something that is not provable is also a belief. Atheism is not based on science, it is based on faith. I think it's closer to a religion than some atheists would like to admit. :)

    Thanks for the explanations...I didn't know it was so complicated.
     
    Ohiophinphan likes this.
  15. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

    72,252
    43,684
    113
    Nov 27, 2007
    You are still conflating faith with fact and believing with knowing.

    Again, it is the absence of belief. I don't believe there's a god or higher power. I don't have faith that there is a god, I don't have faith that there isn't one. There isn't one, because there's no proof there is one. Belief doesn't enter into it. Everything on a grand scale, for me, is either things I know or I don't know.

    I know my hand won't turn into an apple. I don't have faith that it won't happen. I know it won't happen as there is no evidence it will or can. It is the same with a higher power. If one day, people's hands started turning into apples, then at that point there is evidence that it is possible. Unless that day happens though, it is not belief it won't.

    You and others believe in a higher power, but you don't know there is one. You have faith there is. You have that faith because there's no actual proof there is one. If you knew there was a higher power, you wouldn't have faith in it anymore. I mean you know there is gravity so you don't have faith in gravity because you know it exists.
     
    danmarino and Ohiophinphan like this.
  16. cdz12250

    cdz12250 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    10,265
    7,907
    113
    Nov 28, 2007
    Coconut Grove
    In light of the totality of the evidence after seven decades of life, I have a reasonable suspicion that there is an intelligence guiding the universe. I will call it God for short. I am not persuaded that any religion has definite knowledge of the nature of God, but I am persuaded that they are searching for that knowledge. To the extent that they are normative and promote the qualities that enable humanity to live peacefully, cooperatively and with a minimum of suffering, I think they are good. When they arrogate to themselves authority and temporal power over the society of believers, I reserve the right to dissent. If dissenting puts me outside a religious community, that religion is not for me.
     
    Last edited: May 11, 2019
    danmarino and Ohiophinphan like this.
  17. Ohiophinphan

    Ohiophinphan Chaplain Staff Member Luxury Box

    I think you and dm are using your words with different meanings. I understand both of you. dm is saying that the lack of a belief, in philosophy, is itself a belief system. I am not sure you guys are actually in disagreement.
     
    danmarino likes this.
  18. Ohiophinphan

    Ohiophinphan Chaplain Staff Member Luxury Box

    While it should not happen it almost always does. When religious systems become secular governments they forget what we Christians call the inherent nature of original sin. I can not think of a theocracy which has been benevolent and peaceful for any extended length of time from any religious tradition.
     
    danmarino likes this.
  19. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

    15,360
    20,983
    113
    Sep 4, 2014
    Not really.

    I realize that my faith isn't fact, but neither is the non-belief of an atheist.

    What you're implying is that nothing exists unless it has been proven or seen. A 2 year old may never believe in a horse is they never see one. Doesn't mean that horses aren't real.

    Yes, I believe that there is a God. And my beliefs are as much rooted in fact as those who don't believe in a God. Which really means that none of us have facts and are believing in something. Ergo...a religion. :)

    Now, I know some atheists at this point will bring up things like "Trolls" and "Unicorns". I get it...I do. However, my faith in God is based upon something. Unlike unicorns and trolls. There is actually evidence of a higher power all around us. There is not one shred of evidence of unicorns and trolls.
     
    Ohiophinphan likes this.
  20. Two Tacos

    Two Tacos Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    11,121
    5,828
    113
    Nov 24, 2007
    That goes both ways. Atheism is a belief, not a science, not a fact. No one can prove that there isn't/wasn't a creator. We cannot even prove that this isn't all a gaint simulation. Atheism is a belief that I hold as well, but it is a belief. It's not fair to hold others to a different standard.

    Your analogy isn't a fair one. Ones hand not turning into an apple isn't close to the same thing. We can prove that hands aren't apples, and haven't turned into apples. We cannot prove what started existence. We cannot prove what was before the big bang, we cannot prove what caused the bang to bang. It'd be like not understanding what an apple or a hand is, or what they've been in the past, and trying to make your analogy. How could we even compare the two to find differences?

    If you want to reject a specific creation story, that is fine. Atheism is the rejection of all possible Devine creator stories. Even ones that don't or won't exist. To many of us atheists don't recognize how profound our beliefs are.

    Edited for clarity
     
    Last edited: May 11, 2019
    danmarino and Ohiophinphan like this.
  21. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

    72,252
    43,684
    113
    Nov 27, 2007
    Atheism means a lack of belief in god(s).

    Not having faith is not faith. Just like the absence of heat is not also heat.

    You also cannot prove a negative.

    What is happening here is that you both are arguing definitions of words that you are, WADR, not defining properly. When I say I'm an atheist I am saying I'm atheist by definition. I am not saying I'm like Richard Dawkins or a humanist or whatever perception you may have of atheism and atheists.

    Cats have no concept of the internet. That doesn't mean their lack of faith in a real thing called the internet is faith. In the same regard, cats have no concept of teleportation. That doesn't mean their lack of faith in not a real thing called teleportation is faith either.

    My analogy is fair. Hands turning into apples has as much fact behind it as a creator. In fact, if there was an omnipotent creator they could turn my hand into an apple. I mean if everything exists or is possible until we do the impossible of proving that thing can't happen or exist, then it is just as much faith that your hand won't turn into an apple as gravity exists. If there was actually evidence and proof of a creator, no one would have faith there was a creator, because they'd know there was one for a fact. So that wouldn't be a faith either then.
     
  22. danmarino

    danmarino Tua is H1M! Club Member

    15,360
    20,983
    113
    Sep 4, 2014
    You most definitely can prove a negative, but that's for another thread.

    Let me ask you, will the Sun come up tomorrow? Most would say yes, but why? Well, because they are going by what has happened in the past. No one, not one single person, can prove the future. This includes proving that the Sun will come up tomorrow. We all BELIEVE that the Sun will rise tomorrow because of faith and past experience.

    Not believing in something that's unprovable is faith.

    Atheism is the belief that there is no God. Or as you wrote, a lack of belief in god. A lack of belief in something that's not proven is a belief...and a belief is faith.
     
  23. Two Tacos

    Two Tacos Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    11,121
    5,828
    113
    Nov 24, 2007
    From Webster's

    When asked if God exists do you stare blankly, maybe meow a little, and then go play with some yarn? Are you unable to even begin to grasp the concept of a god existing? Or, do you say no? Or, even "I see no evidence to support god existing". Either way, the concept of god existing is understood. Do you think that proof of god can be provided in the future?

    Of course I can prove a negative. I mean, in order to argue against this, you have to prove a negative. I'll do it now, there are no clowns sitting on chest. My proofs are looking at my chest, and feeling around on my chest for clowns. The problem is there aren't analogous tests for a creator, because the concept of a creator is a lot more broad than a clown.
     
    danmarino likes this.
  24. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

    10,488
    12,821
    113
    Nov 1, 2009
    I've mentioned it before, but the justice system directly ties to oppression in ways most people could never imagine. Quick example-

    My brother, a convicted felon in Florida, got pulled over last week as a passenger in a poor neighborhood. This was during the hurricanes so there was a curfew in place, which nobody in the car knew since they drove down from South Carolina. The officer said that since they were breaking curfew and they looked suspicious, it gave them probable cause to search the vehicle. But then the cop got a call on his radio and left...telling them to basically get out of town immediately.

    He had no right to search the car or to order them out of town, but that's how you're treated with a black, white and spanish guy in an old beat up car in the hood. Cops flat out lie to them and do what they want.

    So they head down the road and once they cross into a new city (this was between Daytona and Orlando, for reference), another city cop pulls them over. He says that he smells weed in the car so that gives him the right to search- which was a law designed specifically to target people in impoverished areas. Florida banned that law six months ago so the passengers have no idea it's an illegal search, and they end up finding a gun in the car. Nobody says it's theirs so the officer takes my brother to jail because he has a criminal record...no proof, no evidence, no nothing...but they don't actually need it. That's not how the game is played.

    I drove down the next evening to bail out my brother and I ended up passing through those exact same towns in a 2012 Cadillac SUV. Cops were everywhere but most of them just smiled and waved at me- I even pulled beside one of them to ask for directions to the jail. He was friendly, polite and seemed like a super nice guy...but he was the same cop that arrested my brother the night before.

    So I bailed him out then called a lawyer- I wanted to get that taken care of while we were still in town. I talked to 5 or 6 of them and each said that they could get my brother a sweet plea deal- less than a year in jail. And each time I explained that it really wasn't his gun; he didn't even know it was in the car, but that didn't seem to phase them one bit. Their job is to make quick money by fast plea deals, because the courts are simply too busy for a trial where things like evidence is used.

    If I hadn't bailed my brother out, he would have sat in jail for 6+ months and received offer after offer- just sign on the dotted line and the judge will give you time served. You can sit here innocent or go home guilty...the choice is yours. But it's another lie; the judge doesn't have to accept any plea deal and people with records often get max sentencing...even though most people have records to begin with because of the same darn racial profiling that locks people up without any representation or a trial.

    Thank God most of us here haven't had to experience that, but the truth of the matter is that it shouldn't happen to anyone under any circumstance. This past weekend I spent $700 to a bondsman, another $300 in travel expenses and I'll probably spend $3k on an attorney since public defenders won't even meet with suspects in that area until 5 minutes before the trial (and that's just to say- take the plea!). The craziest part is that my brother's bond was dirt cheap because the state knows they have no case- he will never see a courtroom either. The state will drop the charges before trial and we'll have spent $4k for absolutely nothing. But at the same time, if I didn't spend it then he would have served 3-5 years.

    That's the story of over 99% of the nation's inmate population...a jury of their peers never found them guilty. They just got tired of sitting in jail while their lives around them crumbled, so they rolled the dice on a BS promise and came up short.

    Sorry that was long- this sort of thing just boils my blood. Slavery is alive and well in the United States with this being just one example.
     
  25. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    9,153
    9,875
    113
    Dec 9, 2012
    Not going to really get into this but I read Christopher Hitchens' God is Not Great on my 2-week vacation and recommend it to both the religious and non-religious for perspective.

    Nowadays, I find myself relating more to Albert Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus..
     
    Carmen Cygni likes this.
  26. Carmen Cygni

    Carmen Cygni Well-Known Member

    2,422
    5,732
    113
    Dec 30, 2017
    My favorite Bible fable is the Noah's Ark story. Some supposed omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent god creates humankind only to realize he severely ****ed up, so he eradicates the Earth of this hideous mistake, leaving only one single family to start over humanity via incest. LMAO
     
  27. Carmen Cygni

    Carmen Cygni Well-Known Member

    2,422
    5,732
    113
    Dec 30, 2017
    That's not at all how that works. Proving or disproving a negative can only happen in mathematics. Making such a proclamation that a god or gods exist puts the burden of proof on the one making the statement. Meanwhile there is zero scientific evidence pointing to such an existence of some supernatural being.

    Belief is also a misinterpreted word used in religion. To a rationalist, belief is based on evidence, while religious belief exists in spite of it. The belief that there is no Santa Clause is not the same as the belief that there is one. There is simply no reason to believe in something for which the evidence is bad or non-existent.
     
    DolphinGreg and Fin D like this.
  28. Dol-Fan Dupree

    Dol-Fan Dupree Tank? Who is Tank? I am Guy Incognito.

    40,533
    33,035
    113
    Dec 11, 2007
    The weirdest part is when Noah gets drunk on wine, gets naked, then his son sees his butt. Noah gets mad and sells him into slavery for looking at his naked butt.

    Who did he sell him too?
     
    PhinFan1968 and Carmen Cygni like this.
  29. Two Tacos

    Two Tacos Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    11,121
    5,828
    113
    Nov 24, 2007
    In science the burden of proof is on the person claiming something to be factual. You seem to be talking about belief though, so I'm not sure what point of mine you are arguing against. Let me restate my position for clarity. I don't believe that there is a Creator. This is not something I know, it is something I believe. Factually speaking, no one can say they know there is no Creator. There for atheists should stop condescending from our high horses about other people's beliefs. If you feel like your belief is more rational then bully for you. The evidence for this all being a computer simulation is about equal to the evidence against. Rationalize that.
     
    danmarino likes this.
  30. Carmen Cygni

    Carmen Cygni Well-Known Member

    2,422
    5,732
    113
    Dec 30, 2017
    Religion is evil, it's a detriment to humankind and our modern societies. Religion does not deserve any respect, to follow such atrocities requires being irrational and ignorant.
     
  31. Galant

    Galant Love - Unity - Sacrifice - Eternity

    19,127
    11,058
    113
    Apr 22, 2014
    Dare I take the bait?

    I'll try to qualify this....

    There have been, and are, evil religions that do evil. So talking about 'religion' being evil in general is a bit of a pointless discussion. It's better, instead, to talk about different religions and the deeds of the people who practise them. Depending on just how historical you get the conversation gets more complex and potentially nuanced - as with anything historical.

    Speaking about just the present day, however, Christianity does a great deal of good in the world and the world would be far, far worse off without it. The VAST majority of charitable work is done by Christians, that especially true when talking about charitable work done beyond/outside of one's own cultural/religious/family circles. Examples are found in constructing housing, healthcare, education and literacy, and social justice. In addition there's what one might consider a preventative work or benefit for society. Many people receive counselling, guidance, and even just moral and spiritual support through Christian ministries. Many of this is done for those who couldn't afford it elsewhere. These are people who would likely be a burden on society and government programs without those resources - although it seems a bit cold, perhaps, to talk in those terms.

    If you removed all religion from the earth, then in removing Christianity you would remove a massive amount of support and care work, and charitable work, that is done all over the planet.
     
  32. Carmen Cygni

    Carmen Cygni Well-Known Member

    2,422
    5,732
    113
    Dec 30, 2017
    That's incredibly short-sighted and an erroneous line of thought that pretends to elevate Christianity to some enlightened hierarchy of humankind. You're simply describing love and acts of love, and love is not exclusive to Christianity or any other religion. I know, myself included, many many atheists involved in social services, charitable work, counseling, etc. while also raising loving, respectful and educated children. What's disturbing is the religious thought that the only way someone can be kind and loving is the love/fear of some omnipotent supernatural being that's keeping tabs on your actions and behavior.

    More specifically what I was describing earlier concerning religion's damage to society is in areas such as humankind's progress in equality, education, and science. Especially science, an area of verified, peer-reviewed study greatly effected by those that think a single "holy" book contains all the answers they really need to know, and the Earth which many treat as a dump and a temporary place of residence to rape of resources because their fantasy of a supernatural hero is going to create something else . . . precisely, just for them.
     
    invid likes this.
  33. Carmen Cygni

    Carmen Cygni Well-Known Member

    2,422
    5,732
    113
    Dec 30, 2017
    Enjoyed that one very much. Another excellent read along those lines is Sam Harris's End Of Faith.
     
    invid likes this.
  34. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

    72,252
    43,684
    113
    Nov 27, 2007
    Is it charity, if you're doing it for your own perceived benefit, like rewards in afterlife?

    It seems to me there's one of two choices here, if a person does charitable work they are either doing it because....

    A) They think it is the right thing

    OR

    B) They hope to be rewarded in this life or the "next" for their deeds on Earth.

    A is charity, B is a transaction. Considering people without a religion perform A all the time, that is proof you don't need B for "charitable" acts to happen.
     
  35. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

    72,252
    43,684
    113
    Nov 27, 2007
    I don't think religion should be attacked broadly. I mean go after specific transgressions like the priest/pedophile issue or cults or LDS' having children marry men.

    I think the better approach is to accentuate and promote logic, reasoning, science and critical thinking.
     
  36. Carmen Cygni

    Carmen Cygni Well-Known Member

    2,422
    5,732
    113
    Dec 30, 2017
    Religion should be banished altogether. It's allowance thru supposed freedom is nothing more than an invitation for misplaced pride in ignorance and inequality completely bare of proof and evidence.

    Agree. Although, all are counterintuitive to religious beliefs, and none of those mesh with the fantasies of the religious.

    Looking forward to the new book by Dawkins, Outgrowing God.
     
  37. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

    72,252
    43,684
    113
    Nov 27, 2007
    I'm saying if you want a religion free world, don't attack it in broad strokes like Dawkins and Harris do. Promote those other things...it will be far more effective.
     
  38. Galant

    Galant Love - Unity - Sacrifice - Eternity

    19,127
    11,058
    113
    Apr 22, 2014
    Anyone can do these deeds, but not everyone is. Whether the love of God resides in these individuals or a beautiful idea has inspired them, or something else, those belonging to the Christian religion are responsible for a great deal of good and of great benefit to many who live in this world.

    Everyone could do this, everyone may know that they should do this, but it is those of a religious group that are doing it. Whatever the cause, it's fair to argue that this religion leads to great good, beyond what common understanding inspires.

    Additionally, it's somewhat arrogant to take the actions of such people and then tell them that they are wrong about their own motives. Worse still to tell them what their motives are and that they are evil. There certainly those who do charitable acts seeking gain, but it's been my true experience that those individuals who are committed to serving others and making a difference in these ways are motivated out of love and compassion, not greed or fear. Of course, this takes us more into the anecdotal than the evidential. I would suggest reading and listening to the words of those who do such things and their explanations for why. Let them speak for themselves.

    Regardless, though, to suggest that religion is an evil that the world be better without and then to ignore or dismiss the great good distinctive to it at least gives the impression of disingenuity. Be fair.

    Now as to science and logic and reason it seems you do not know your history. For whatever press coverage is devoted to particular groups and individuals within Christianity that are dismissive of science, history can plainly testify to the contribution, through centuries, of Christianity to the preservation and advancement knowledge, reason and science. If this is news to you then please know that what I'm writing is not only sincere but a plain, if surprising, fact of history. I would encourage you to look into it. Christianity overall and essentially, in it's approach and proclamation, is not anti-science or reason. Rather it seeks to sharpen and harness all things giving them the inspiration of love. Christianity profoundly believes in, supports, and is founded upon a basis of truth and reason. I cannot give a defence of all these things here but it's not a difficult thing to discover and confirm for anyone who wants to look it up.

    Let's be clear about the main point, though, you have simply spoken too strongly and gone too far. It's not that one must believe the premises of Christianity nor be wholly accepting of it, nor uncritical of it. The point is that to say that all religion is evil and the world would be better off without it is an extreme view. It goes too far and is not true.
     
  39. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    9,153
    9,875
    113
    Dec 9, 2012
    I think you should read the book first before you characterize it as such, and please don't read that as a smug response, I can understand why you said what you said considering the title of the book. You may end up agreeing with it, and there's a large tinge of optimism and compassion throughout.
     
  40. Fin D

    Fin D Sigh

    72,252
    43,684
    113
    Nov 27, 2007
    True I should read it before commenting, but I wasn't;t basing what I said on the title, I was basing what I said on numerous talks I've seen Hitchens give.

    Here's the thing I don't disagree with his stances on religion, I'm just saying I don't think his approach is effective for a goal of lessening religion's impact in the world.

    His approach is really effective at making current atheists, say, "EXACTLY!!!!!!"
     

Share This Page