Religion: What it means to you

Originally Posted by Smelnick

Its simple. I believe...

So then you must also believe the only way one may be a follower of Jesus is to hate your mother and father and siblings and you have also, I'm assuming, sold all of your earthly possessions. Or is this something we don't have to do anymore since we live in a different period?

Religion is nothing more than spiritual fast food for the undereducated and credulous. It could just as easily adopt the slogan, Your Way Right Away!

I should also say that is a very disappointing reply. You openly challenged me to a debate to which I provide a roughly 1,000 word essay including why I believe religion to be false and the best you can do is respond to an irrelevant ad hominine and provide a few short incomprehensible words regarding something I suspected already; your belief in religion stems only from the comfort it offers to you. What else can I do then but assume for the moment I have the stronger case. I gave to you I didn't count how many points to retaliate on which were ignored.

Originally Posted by LordsSword

As the years roll by, many of you will forget what you typed here on this forum but you must consider that it may be more evidence to condemn you.

Despite being so made that i cannot believe, I am according to at least one theory, created in the image of God. Which makes the image of God rather problematic does it not? The consequence of this is that even before I was conceived I was singled out in God's plan to be condemed for thought-crimes I did not choose to commit and could not have evaded. So regardless of what I may accomplish in my life in terms of spirituality and ethics I have an eternity of hellfire to look foward to. I suppose I can take some solace in knowing that God loves me.

Bollocks.

Originally Posted by JackyBoy

Religion is nothing more than spiritual fast food for the undereducated and credulous. It could just as easily adopt the slogan, Your Way Right Away!

I couldn't agree more. I feel that this an important undercurrent to all modern religion and a reason why quite a lot of it pisses me off. Its anthropomorphized hogwash to coincide with man's limited ego and hopes for immortality. It offers him NOTHING that he wouldn't be able to find himself. Morever, it gives people a drug that they become dependent upon.

Even in the Mesopotamian religion began the time when 'blessings' could be bought from the church, for a price. Things such as fertility of women, land and welfare were things that the church had 'jurisdiction' over...but it only worked out through monetary compensation. Funny how that works out.

As George Carlin so eloquently describes God and the despicable materialistic nature of religion:

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He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can't handle money! Religion takes in billions of dollars, they pay no taxes, and they always need a little more. Now, you talk about a good bullshit story. Holy Shit!

George Carlin - Celebrity Atheist List

Originally Posted by JackyBoy

your belief in religion stems only from the comfort it offers to you.

I can really see why religion is such a bane on human existence now.

Originally Posted by JackyBoy

your belief in religion stems only from the comfort it offers to you.

Awesome. Finally you understand. Now isn't it nice to be on the same page? Now you see why I believe what I do. Because I like it. Does there really need to be any more of a reason?

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.

Originally Posted by RacinReaver

I can really see why religion is such a bane on human existence now.

Did you see how the Pope just recently dropped Limbo? Limbo is over now. Unbaptised children don't go there anymore to spend an eternity in loneliness and isolation because they didn't get the sprinkle of water. You can relax. No you can't. That's where millions of parents thought their dead children had gone for hundreds of years. Frightened, upset, it was real to them. It was cruel to tell them this nonsense to begin with it's even more to cruel to say, afterall it doesn't exist.

But nevermind that. After hundreds of years of being told this fabrication we can still be sure the universe was design so you could be here right now to download videogames off the internet. You are the object. And despite the fact that you were created a worm, a sinner, a wretch, the cosmos cares what happens to you.

I see we can agree on one thing. Religion is a bane to our species. Humans will be far better off once we have emancipated ourselves from these horrible bronze-aged, Palestinian myths.

I take some comfort from the fact that humans at one time used to believe in polytheism. Belief in many Gods. We then started to believe in monotheism. Belief in a single God. So you see, we're getting closer to the truth. This is progress.




I went jogging earlier this week and noticed these signs all over Guelph, my home city. How long they have been there I can't say. These photos are taken just outside my apartment which I snapped a few minutes ago. Even Canada isn't safe from this theocratic bullshit. I'm very tempted to write a letter to my local newspaper, The Guelph Mercury, to complain about it.

Originally Posted by JackyBoy

I see we can agree on one thing. Religion is a bane to our species.

I don't think we can even agree on the use of sarcasm on the internet.

INTERNET RELIGION IS SERIOUS BUSINESS GUYS!

Sarcasm eh? Are you trying to fool me or the guy that lives down the street? I'd give you a 1 out of 10 but I don't think you were even trying. I've been meaning to ask actually, how would you describe yourself anyway? A Christian atheist leaning towards agnosticism perhaps? You have a really interesting position I've been able to gather from your replies. The, all you bitches are wrong I don't have an opinion, argument. It could be some post-modern philosophical view I haven't manage to research yet.

Originally Posted by The_Melomane

INTERNET RELIGION IS SERIOUS BUSINESS GUYS!

I'm not sure why this is the second comment where you come in and essentially mock the discussion going on.

Sure, the discussion isn't always the most intelligent, but it's nice to see any genuine conversation about something so widely interpreted.

In fact, any religion thread where the monkeys aren't slinging their poo at each other is a good one (ie: insulting each other left and right). You should encourage the discussion - not spam in it.

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

I'm not sure why this is the second comment where you come in and essentially mock the discussion going on.

Sure, the discussion isn't always the most intelligent, but it's nice to see any genuine conversation about something so widely interpreted.

In fact, any religion thread where the monkeys aren't slinging their poo at each other is a good one (ie: insulting each other left and right). You should encourage the discussion - not spam in it.

I wasn't speaking of the thread in general. I think it's awesome that there can be intelligent discussion about this. I was merely referring to RacinReaver's sarcasm and the response it.

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

My system works for me. Yours works for you. You have NO RIGHT to say what should and will work for me, as I have no right to say that to you.

I have no right? I stated awhile back that my religion means freedom for me. The world system quite often tries to put chains on people with the system of being P.C. but a Christian is not in the business of keeping freedom to themselves. A Christian is supposed to declare the freedom through Christ. (Mark 16:15, Matthew 5:16,
2 Corinthians 10:5)

Throughout history everywhere the church has gone, people have become free. Through Christian education & moral conduct the people of the democratic governments of the world have enjoyed freedoms that other religious systems don't have. Even our sciences have the Christian faith to thank because of the freedoms the belief system provides.

In the U.S. my freedoms come from God not people. THANKFULLY I have the right to speak which the admins of this forum respect. You have the right to ignore my posts.

Originally Posted by JackyBoy

Despite being so made that i cannot believe, I am according to at least one theory, created in the image of God. Which makes the image of God rather problematic does it not? The consequence of this is that even before I was conceived I was singled out in God's plan to be condemed for thought-crimes I did not choose to commit and could not have evaded. So regardless of what I may accomplish in my life in terms of spirituality and ethics I have an eternity of hellfire to look foward to. I suppose I can take some solace in knowing that God loves me.

Bollocks.

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.

Originally Posted by LordsSword

I have no right? I stated awhile back that my religion means freedom for me. The world system quite often tries to put chains on people with the system of being P.C. but a Christian is not in the business of keeping freedom to themselves. A Christian is supposed to declare the freedom through Christ. (Mark 16:15, Matthew 5:16,
2 Corinthians 10:5)

And you wonder why people dislike you folks as a group.

You've been bred to shit all over everyone else' religion. You realize that MOST Christians keep their religion to themselves? Right?

Speaking of silly things the Bible tells you to do:

Exodus 31:15 "Whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death."

Malachi 3:6 "For I am the Lord; I change not."
But in the Old Testament vs. the New Testament, we suddenly have a WHOLE NEW GOD!

Exodus 15:3 "The Lord is a man of war."

I think you better start being less selective about the directions you follow when it comes to obeying the Bible and the word of god.

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Throughout history everywhere the church has gone, people have become free.

Tell me about the Crusades and how you can excuse that.

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Through Christian education & moral conduct the people of the democratic governments of the world have enjoyed freedoms that other religious systems don't have. Even our sciences have the Christian faith to thank because of the freedoms the belief system provides.

This nation - the one you live in - was founded for "religious freedom." Which means everyone here gets the right to believe what they want. (Of course, provided they follow legal provisions)

I recommend you start living by this and respecting your brother and neighbor.

[b]In the U.S. my freedoms come from God not people.[/quote]
O, you're a JEM.

How can people like you even EXIST today. It's the twenty-first century. Sigh

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THANKFULLY I have the right to speak which the admins of this forum respect.

You want to try to say this again in English?

Quote:

You have the right to ignore my posts.

I do. And you can ignore mine.

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.

Ugh. I hate people who quote single bible verses LordsSword. (Oh man, I just realized the irony of your name.)

I don't think the bible should be taken out of context that way. You shouldn't live your life by single verses. Take it as a whole. What is the whole passage saying, not the itty bitty little sentences within.

Also LOL Capo. I love the old testement. FIRE AND BRIMSTONE!!

Originally Posted by Smelnick

What is the whole passage saying, not the itty bitty little sentences within.

Thats nearly impossible to do. The average religious follower won't look at the bible in its entirety for the fact that much of the teachings seem to run against each other or out of laziness. Much of the bible wasn't meant to be taken literally and thats where the problem of misperception becomes widespread. This leads to HUGE problems in ideological cohesion.

Much of the bible is contradictory, and leads people to believe that they need to both suffer and allow others to suffer in God's name to truly be "saved", hence the 'holy warrior' or one who struggles in the name of God.

However, there are people that well enough understand the teachings in the bible and make a point to slander it to gain control of others. Such as this fella.

http://www.gamingforce.org/forums/ge...tml#post501001

RainMan and Sassafrass, this is just a reminder not to be too overzealous about your knowledge of the Bible, religious history, and Christian theology. It makes you look as silly as I do when I try to grasp dynamics.

That being said, continue to contribute worthwhile sentiments in other areas, since (although I don't have the time here to contribute) I'm really enjoying everyone hashing out their differences. Thanks. Also, my apologies to Lord'sSword, who, despite not being my theological doppelganger, I feel like I should be aiding.