Religion: What it means to you

My personal beliefs on religion would make people think I don't believe in God, but I do, to some extent. I believe someone wrote the Bible, the Torah, the Koran as a collection of stories to tell us the best and most righteous way of living our lives. There is no direct contact from God anywhere, and the stories are all false. I don't see God as the almighty being who controls everything and is able to strike down people for sinning. To me, He is just a sort of "figurehead" whom we all look up to and respect so much that we try to live our lives to please Him.

One think I loathe is people who competely take everything written in the Bible in the literal sense, and live their lives like that. Another peeve of mine is when people try to impose their beliefs on you, or try to argue scientifically by citing God. Just not my cup of tea, really.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

No Jews call God "Yahweh", for the record. That would actually be sacrilege. His "true" name is considered unable to be accurately pronounced.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

If you're an atheist, why even make "religion" part of your life? Even if it's just the absence of religion? That's entirely nonsensical.

How ya doing, buddy?

The only way to change that is to abandon the idea of religion completely. Teaching atheism is not really much better than the teaching of Christianity.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by GameInfarcer

You mean besides the senseless bombings in the name of Allah the Almighty? Or the corruption of morals by allowing people to pay the church to forgive their sins? What about all the religious wars?

To answer your second question, I wouldn't want to play thought police. Religion is already doing that. I want to stop the thought policing if you will.

You're simply turning atheism into a religion. Even the word "atheism" reflects this. Just live your life the way you see fit, but, please, don't infringe upon the rights of others. Religion would be fine with me were it not for people constantly using it as justification to further their respective agendas.

Originally Posted by GameInfarcer

It would be impossible to abandon religion completely anymore. I would like to think that we could just ignore it and religion would go away completely, but people are wasting more and more time and money on nonsense such as a creationism "museum." Teaching atheism would enlighten the world.

Like Christians and Jews have never done the same damn thing.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by GameInfarcer

Ok, you're wrong again by even comparing atheism to a religion. We atheists don't believe in a god or gods, therefore, we are NOT a religion. That argument needs work my friend.

As Deni said, it's the same basic idea. The way you used the phrase, "we atheists" only serves to demonstrate my point.

And don't get so defensive. We're trying to have a civil discussion.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

What is religion if not a structure of beliefs?

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You're missing the point here: Whether or not your structure of beliefs centers around a god, absence of a god, or a fucking flying spaghetti monster is inconsequential. It's that these structures of belief foster a group superiority, and this applies to both Christianity and Atheism.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Then why group them together in such a group? Why try to prove anyone anything?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

It makes them just as good as religions, which is what I've been trying to get across to you for the past few hours.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Then what is?

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by GameInfarcer

How about the murders it causes? That's just one.

Which is often due to feelings of group superiority. You're really bad at this whole debate thing.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by GhaleonQ

That's...that's not even right. The Old and New Testament both verify the same principles of Law and Love that both the Old and New Covenants portray. Both make it clear (and one could argue that it extends further back) that Abram's agreement made Jehovah's (lowercase "l") law on Earth faith in, love for, and obedience to God far before Moses. Even if your previous statement was correct, you should know that the Israelites, Hebrew or otherwise, were mostly bad, faithless people (as most folk are, in general) who constantly trespassed their bounds.

Which is why god made them all wander around in the desert for forty years. Once the older generation died off, well, time to go to the promised land.

And, Duo, the first time Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments, he saw his brother Aaron's golden calf idol. This angered him so much, he threw the tablets to the ground and they smashed to pieces. So Moses went back up the mountain, after yelling for a bit, and god had him re-write the Ten Commandments.

Hi ho.

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Yeah, I was basically verifying your story, albeit with a little more biblical accuracy.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by LaMenina

I think I identify more with agnosticism (I think that is the term) where you believe in a higher power, but it isn't necessarily God or a certain defined person.

"Theism" might be the word you're looking for. Agnosticism is more the belief that the existence of a god or higher power is inherently unknowable.

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If you're going to use that bullshit "logic", you can't prove anything to be fact.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

So you're saying there's no point in arguing with you because you have a flawless Wikipedia defense. Ok.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

If that's the reason you're Christian, you may as well go join a cult.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I could be a drug-addicted quadriplegic living on the streets, I still don't see how asking for help from some god you don't even know exists is going to help matters. Seems like a bit of a cop-out, actually.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by LordsSword

The Christian faith got big because of suffering, thats something you can't ignore. I've read that even popular atheists admit that their viewpoint is most popular in the wealthy crowd.

And I could just as easily turn around this completely unsubstantiated claim with another equally invalid one by saying that this is only so because, as it happens, the rich tend to be the most intelligent.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by RainMan

Well lets see...common sense perhaps? Refer to Occham's razor. DO NOT UNNECESSARILY PROMOTE THE IDEAL OF GOD WITHOUT PROBABLE FUCKING CAUSE. Do you see God? Cuz I must admit, I sure as fuck don't.

There. Is that plain enough for you? Yes. Common sense > God.

The evidence for a god is about as strong as the evidence proving there is no god. It's a personal choice; please treat it as such.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Jesus H. Christ you're dense.

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Not really, and there's no reason for anyone to try and dissuade you from it. You wouldn't like it if an evangelical Christian was preaching to you, JackyBoy, and I'm sure Smelnick appreciates your preaching just as much.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by LordsSword

Ezekiel 18:32
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

Matthew 15:19
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

Luke 11:34
Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness.

John 3:20
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

Ezekiel 25:17
The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you.



What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by LordsSword

In some countries being a Christian is illegal.

And in most countries, being a Christian is just the norm. Stop acting like this is some great burden you're undertaking. Jesus.

Jam it back in, in the dark.