Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Simon Paynton on March 20, 2013 at 3:37pm

Damn, Nate.  Have you seen yourself lately?  You don't look very well, if I might say. 

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Permalink Reply by Nate Lundgren on March 21, 2013 at 1:36am

I have never looked well. I'm a sick ogre. hahaha 

Permalink Reply by Dr.Grixis on March 20, 2013 at 7:43am

rather than dividing ourselves into oppositional tribes.

Well, coming from someone who made an awful lot of incorrect statements about what atheism is, and how atheists are this does sound a bit ironic.

You seem to think that atheism is more than the simple lack of belief in god(s), but it simply isn't. Stop making assumptions, if you want to understand us then start asking questions.

Practice what you preach, you know.

Earlier I mentioned that it's kinda useless to categorize people by what they are not, we are both non-Zoltarians, does that really say anything about you and me or what we stand for?

You and I both are atheists (lack belief towards gods), I simply go one god further than you, whether you like it or not, you yourself are an atheist, as atheism is nothing more than a position opposed to a belief in a god. 

A lot of people think that you can either be theist or atheist, but not both, that's just incorrect, this seems to create a divide where there really does not have to be one. 

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Permalink Reply by SteveInCO on March 20, 2013 at 9:18am

we are both non-Zoltarians,

Are you sure you are a non-Zoltarian?  There's a Zoltarius-shaped hole in your soul, you known, so only Zoltarius can fill it!

OK I'd better stop this before the Lord God Tarskyte smites me for my lapsing and following false gods.

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Permalink Reply by Dr.Grixis on March 22, 2013 at 5:21am

Heretic!

Zoltar will crush you underfoot, trample you, burn you and torture you forever and ever, and ever!

It's because he loves you like a father loves a son, you know.

Permalink Reply by Professor Robert on March 19, 2013 at 7:08pm

@Jorita, I'm sure you don't need religion to teach you right from wrong, or to treat others with kindness.   That's not quite the same thing, though, as saying that no one does, nor is it the same thing as saying society doesn't.   After all, you have been raised from birth in a culture that is steeped in Judeo-Christian belief.  Everything from Hollywood to literature to friends to social structure.   You can't help but adopt a lot of Judeo-Christian modes of thought just by osmosis, like the notion that we are one humanity, and that humanity is worth caring for.

It's also not the same as saying that you'll never need it, or that it wouldn't be helpful.  Kindness sometimes benefits from reminders when we are tired or grumpy.

To answer your question, though, no, I am not a historian by profession.  As you can tell from some of my other examples, my work is in physics and in science education.  I'd be interested in what evidence and reasoning you have for the claim that Christianity has done more damage than any other religion, though.  How are you defining damage?  What makes something "in the name of Christianity?"  Are you correcting for the fact that Christianity has more adherents than any other religion, to be sure you're not just measuring total numbers of people?

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Permalink Reply by Nate Lundgren on March 20, 2013 at 7:14am

Society doesn't need the bible for morality and it actually makes society worse when the bible is used as a standard for morals. (data can show this not just my personal opinion) I have been raised in a fucked up and highly unequal culture that has used Judeo-Christian beliefs to justify things like hatred of homosexuals, racism, classism, tribalism, etc. Humanity is doing much better as religion loses it's power and money. (see northern Europe and Australia for examples)

Christianity (but to be fair so has all religions) has done the deepest kind of damage possible and that is the imprisonment of the human mind with mythology and fiction. The number of Christians is not relavent. The majority of humans are Asians, does that make Asians better than or more "truthful" that any other humans? You need to study history more and actual facts BEFORE you make assertions about the truth or facts. 

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Permalink Reply by Sagacious Hawk on March 20, 2013 at 3:47pm

"After all, you have been raised from birth in a culture that is steeped in Judeo-Christian belief.  Everything from Hollywood to literature to friends to social structure."

I think this is correct, and it's been interesting over the last few years as I've analyzed why I think certain things are good to do, figured out why and tossed it aside or kept it with new reasons replacing the old. We are one humanity not because we are children of God or made in his image, but because we share a genetic similarity. One can find people who act in similar fashion all around the world. It's like congruent evolution. An appendage or organ might have a similar shape and perform similar action in two different species, but that doesn't mean the two species are in anyway closely related.

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Permalink Reply by Suzanne Olson-Hyde on March 19, 2013 at 7:12pm

Robert is not offended, he just truly believes in god and the catholic church, and is trying to show us the error of our ways and thinking. The thing Robert is missing, is that most Atheists have and do read the bible, some have been lucky enough not to have gone through the indoctrination and brain washing. Some Atheists are angry, as well they should be, at what they have been through, and from that, they learned, especially in institutional teaching, there were/are so many evil people, how could that be, when they were constantly told, god was a loving, gentle, kind god, who would look after you, if you prayed hard enough. Religion and the bible is the best source of recruitment for Atheism. Robert, as with religious people of every persuasion, doesn't answer questions, or puts the same question back to us. Always evasive.

I, also do understand why all the different gods were thought up, and I agree with MikeLong, I don't understand it from the days of Enlightenment and the information which abounds these days.

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Permalink Reply by Suzanne Olson-Hyde on March 19, 2013 at 7:16pm

Catholics are actively told not to read the OT, children are bought up with Catechism, a summary of what they want catholics to believe. It is total propaganda and a lesson in what to drop out of the discussion, what and how to twist words, and what to completely ignore, never to be spoken of again.

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Permalink Reply by Professor Robert on March 19, 2013 at 7:33pm

I'm not sure where you're coming from with those claims, @Suzanne.  Old Testament readings are part of almost every Catholic mass.   That seems like an odd thing to do if we're being actively told not to read it.   In fact, Catholic services run on a schedule of readings, so that nothing important is left out and no minister can dwell overmuch on any "favorite" biblical verses.  That also helps put verses in context, rather than isolation.  

The Catechism is far too dense a read for children; nobody would do that.  It's more like a quick reference book for adult learners.  Even then the English translation is a bit awkward. 

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Permalink Reply by Geoff on March 19, 2013 at 9:52pm

Sorry, I have to agree with Suzanne.  After 12 years of Catholic education (4 in grammar school, 4 in high school and 4 in a catholic university)  I will attest to the fact that the Old Testament was downplayed, glossed over or ignored.  I remember being told that the old testament was a teaching tool for a primitive people and should not be taken literally.  So while you can cherry-pick the Old Testament for a few passages for a mass,  vast tracts are embarrassing.  Ezekiel and Leviticus come to mind as being over the top rantings of a Bronze age people. 

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