Gotta love apologist.
The world wouldn’t be perfect but it would be a Hell of a lot better. Religion allows a lot of ancient evils remain, if we can’t get people to stop believing in fairy tales, at least we should finally separate church and state for good.
Hara
182
Everyone who doesn’t believe what I believe is wrong.
As you have just proven, not much would change.
This response so funny I don’t know where to start. Is it the fact that he has no real point/argument or that he can’t create a simple sentence… Instead of hint at your superior thoughts (you know the things I didn’t ask you about), please enlighten us on how they allow you excuse the aforementioned terrible things done in the name of religion. I’m very interested to see how you justify this one.
Also Hara!, Serious, serious cop out man. I think that’s one the oldest, lamest, apologetic lines from the book of nonsense rhetoric out there.
hoaxium
184
Not existing isn’t a conscious act, so it’s not really something you should even bother concerning yourself with.
As far as the black holes, don’t they emit hawking radiation?
In regards to religion, I think we should all be apatheist. I don’t think it matters either way tbh, I mean, if you’re religious, and you find out there is no God, does your life really change all that much? I don’t think it does. I don’t remember my life changing that much when I came to the conclusion he doesn’t exist, I would imagine that be the case for 99.9% of everyone as well.
Lucerne
185
Yeah but at what point does this turn into war or violence? Doesn’t the fact that there haven’t been any radical atheist attacks yet suggest that there really aren’t any?
Hara
186
Is this going to be another 200 page thread where one guy goes “I’m smarter than everyone else” while hapless victims line up to explain what was wrong with his way of thinking?
Dude thinks terrorism, misogyny, dissaproval of abortion/stem cell research, the spread of HIV, alternative views of climate change, cultural warfare, and American imperialism were all caused by religion.
oORYUOo
187
why missing no. is beating chrono in character battle viii on gamefaqs
oh that one’s easy. 4chan.
Lucerne
189
You’re distorting what he said.
Christian missionary groups in Africa spreading lies about the way HIV spreads, and refusing to give people condoms, are in fact guided by religion.
Fundamentalist Islamic terrorism, is undeniably a product of their religion.
Misogyny in the west has it’s roots in the biblical stories of Adam and Eve. You can see where the spread of Christianity followed the subjugation of women in Europe. Rome > England, lols.
Women in the Arab world are seen as ‘oppressed’ by us, as a direct function of sharia law.
Organized support against abortion/stem cell research in America undeniably gets most of it’s funding from pro-life religious groups.
These are the specific things he’s talking about. I think his view lacks some nuance, so do you, but at least discuss things he’s actually saying.
Awesome, so we’re just gonna play one guy’s word vs another’s? That’s theory fighter. Frankly, I don’t think you could’ve gotten society itself off the ground for too long without the masses eventually competing and destroying each other for the top spot without religion. I sure as hell wouldn’t accept any less.
I don’t necessarily disagree with you, but really, what do you suggest we do? Throw around a bunch of frivolous hate and come off as a prick, or worse yet, ban religion?
Lucerne
191
The more we advance, the more people stop believing. The more educated people get, the more they stop believing. I say educate people and make the world a better place, these things seem to handle the problem quite nicely. I don’t like the idea though that we should all just stop talking about it to be nice. I firmly disagree. It’s uncomfortable to hear for some people, but Atheists have a right to let their views become just as mainstream as anyone else. It’s still a massive social taboo, simply because all the religious people won’t give atheists the same tolerance they demand for themselves.
This isn’t the same thing as being a dick. That’s distinct from simply talking about your views, but I’m concerned we’re going to do away with both at once just for the sake keeping our knickers neatly pressed and unruffled.
My way is education and conditioning our species away from fairy tales. I play the prick part for fun.
And isn’t that what we’re already doing? I’m confused… Is this supposed to be directed at me? I’ve already said ignorance is the root of the problem.
Well, unfortunately that’s necessary to keep society together when so many people follow one religion or another. The only viable option imo is to throw the facts out there without a hateful/condescending slant and let the people slowly change themselves. When you come off as intolerant, the religious get defensive and the problem is only exacerbated.
I’m allowed to “excuse” things done by religion (where did I do that, by the way?), because there’s not a fucking thing you can do about it. Funny how you say this shit like I’m not allowed to, like there’s some law that prevents me from telling you that your beliefs, much less your existence, mean jack shit to me. I don’t have to “enlighten” you about anything. Unless you think you can make me have to justify myself to you, then go shove your athiesm up your ass, and cork it with your head.
Recent one because I’ve had about 20 people have a whinge at me on facebook for stating as such.
The importance of Valentine’s day.
In my opinion, you should enjoy every day with your other half, not one overly commercialized day that supposedly makes up for the bad things you’ve done all year only for them to start again the next day.
I’ve never quite got the concept in the 3 years I’ve been with my other half, who holds the same opinion.
To the other people above going on about beliefs. Just cut it out, it’s a silly topic of discussion that can generally only turn into a mud-throwing contest because neither party is going to back down on what they think is right. So chill.
Lucerne
196
I understand, I’m just ‘talking’. I don’t think we’re doing enough though. Rushdown’s vitriol highlights a real problem that no one is addressing effectively, namely all the religious opposition. It’s just not enough, this kind of backwards superstitious shit is EVERYWHERE. It’s a bit like the William Gibson quote. The future is here, it’s just not evenly distributed yet. We need to do something about it, it’s all the ‘nuts’ out there who have the money. Their views are mainstream. Sarah Palin still retains credibility. Someone who looks up at the sky and sees nitrogen instead of magicks is marginalized. Shit needs to to pull a 180-- and soon.
Hara
197
A few crazies aren’t the main problem, in terms of the spread of HIV. It’s plain misinformation. If there is one guy in Africa talking down condoms, there are 50 religious people telling it like it is.
“Al Qaeda” is the blanket term for Islamic militants. Not all terrorists in the middle east are fighting for the same obscure reason. In fact, the father of anti-american Arab terrorism, Sayid Kotb, was more disgusted by America’s selfish individualism than the fact that they were Christian. Some fight for control of their nation, while others fight for the controlling influence of their race. All in all, it’s more about culture and politics than religion.
Even without religion, double standards about the role of genders would exist. Women held the same role in the west before Christianity, even when most religions had powerful female deities.
You’d have to be blind and crazy to think that only Christians are against abortion or stem cell research. The whole debate on whether or not zygotes are indeed sentient life has nothing to do with religion. Fundamentalists back the pro-life side of things, but they aren’t the only people who hold that opinion.
*how someone who has had a circumcised penis since they were an infant can make the argument that not being circumcised is better, or how someone that hasn’t been at all says that it feels better than being circumcised… really, how do you know? The only people who have any grounds of proving this are people who have been circumcised much later in life to have an actual recollection of it.
*why some gay guys talk with the “gay lisp” I guess you can call it, I have no better description than that. I’ve got nothing against gay people, but I find that annoying. It’s very rare that someone’s voice or speech naturally sounds like that, so why would being gay influence someone to want to talk like that?
In another forum I had previous debates over the subject and got similar responses on how non-believers are being unfair, arrogant, etc. I replied to one such apologist in a post that I feel plainly presents my feelings on the matter. This more specifically refers to Christianity but the themes fit a broad range of religious persecution complex and “Atheist arrogance”.
Sorry for the TL;DR, but I think this covers a decent amount of topic.
I was going to respond to Hara!'s and Dietsoap’s post but Lucerne nailed it on the head. Twice.
On the flip side, Hara! you can defend religion or wish it wasn’t as terrible as it is, but I’m sorry man, all the hints lead in one direction. Its time to man up and stop redirecting the blame to apologize for the existence of something you might love/benefit from.
As for culture war or whatever Dietsoap was talking about, once again its education. Personally I think Carl Sagan’s Cosmos should be mandatory viewing in every middle school. If people understood the cosmos better, this wouldn’t be such an issue. The percentage of people who thing the world is 6000 years old is staggeringly high. Ask a christian to explain evolution to you. Its really hard to sit through. If they only understood the mechanics of life over time, they wouldn’t need a myth to feel and understanding of the world.
Next is the massive elephant in the room.
Death.
People are TERRIFIED of death. To the point where they make up shit with zero justification and BELIEVE IN IT. Personally, I too am afraid of death, but its what I do with my fear that separates me from the religious.
Umm… Research?
-Guy’s with natural penis have less chance of contracting STDs.
-Natural penises are less likely to be misshapen.
-Natural penises are in general larger (not just talking about the chunk that was cut off)
-The traumatic repercussions of getting a large chunk of your dick cut off at birth.
-Better sex, last longer.
Once again, that piece of skin has a FUNCTION.
