Religion IS crazy!

[Tisme]

Rugby League and AFL come to mind, in a milder sort of way

But with the AFL religion the code and rules were in response to a fitness need during off season cricket. Older religions are escutcheons for the human stain predating the codification. Once the rally call goes out every knucklehead who is bored working as a serf for the man, throws down the tools, leaves the family in search of bloodlust ....come to think of it, it does sound like a Collingwood supporter doesn't it

 

[bunyip]

The problem is not that this religious moron believes what he said in his video is true, it's just more poisonous Christian doctrine regurgitated by an indoctrinated drone, but that he is largely correct in his interpretation of what his magic book says about the uselessness of good deeds performed by the unbeliever!

That many Christians believe this stuff should not surprise anyone, it's not an aberration, it's doctrine preached from pulpits around the globe and embraced by the flock. For the religious, morality, good deeds, philanthropy etc. only have meaning in context of the existence of a divine celestial dictator from which anything truly good must emanate and to whom the credit must always be given (a heavenly version of Kim Jong Un).

The amusing (or disturbing if you wish) thing, as pointed out by Jaclyn, is that you don't have to perform a single good deed to inherit eternity, just have some measure of belief in the resurrection story at any stage and bingo, free ticket to paradise (no virgins included though). Such is the warped logic and wishful thinking of captives to religious superstition.

Our friend Pav probably agrees with the brainwashed clown in that video - Pav thinks everyone is selfish and wicked and that decency and good deeds count for nothing.

I remember years ago when I enlisted the help of our church congregation to assist a struggling widow with three small children who had just moved an old dilapidated house on to a block of land she’d bought. The house was barely livable but she had no money to renovate it or put the power or water on.
Some of our church congregation were electricians, plumbers, fencers, roofers, builders – a few dozen of us, including many women, descended on her house and in one weekend we completely renovated it, put in new windows, fixed the roof, installed a second hand kitchen, wired and plumbed it, pulled out a wall to enlarge a room, fixed up the fencing, all with materials donated from local businesses.
Next Sunday in church we were commended by the minister for our efforts. But in that same church service he told us, as usual, that we were sinners who needed to beg forgiveness from God!

Christianity is nothing about being a "good person".
How do you even define it?

God's definition of good is what good truly is.

If we put mine or yours or anyone's thoughts up on a projector for all to see we would see how truly selfish and wicked we all are at the core. Some of the thoughts we have thought about those closest to us are so embarrassing and bad that if shown on a screen in front of everyone we knew we would run out of the room in disgrace.

Only Christ can meet the holy requirements of God. Only accepting him can make us righteous. Out own works are so far away from good that they don't even make a small debt on the requirements. It is impossible for us.

 

[SirRumpole]

Next Sunday in church we were commended by the minister for our efforts. But in that same church service he told us, as usual, that we were sinners who needed to beg forgiveness from God!

So why bother doing good deeds ?

Religion is just a power play, the muftis and priests have to get their power surge from the obedient serfs of their flock. No wonder more people are seeing through the deception.

 

[Value Collector]

So why bother doing good deeds ?

There are a lot of religious folk who don't trouble them selves with helping others.

there are many sects of monks etc that believe the path to heaven is to live in isolation in a monastery, and basically ignore the outside world, preferring to spend hours a day praying, any other works are meaningless.

 

[DB008]

Group: Airman denied reenlistment for refusing to say 'so help me God'

An atheist airman at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada was denied reenlistment last month for refusing to take an oath containing “so help me God,” the American Humanist Association said Thursday.

And in a Sept. 2 letter to the inspectors general for the Air Force and Creech, Monica Miller, an attorney with the AHA’s Apignani Humanist Legal Center, said the airman should be allowed to reenlist without having to swear to a deity, and instead given a secular oath. Miller said the AHA is prepared to sue if the airman is not allowed to reenlist.

According to the AHA, the unnamed airman was told Aug. 25 that the Air Force would not accept his contract because he had crossed out the phrase “so help me God.” The airman was told his only options were to sign the religious oath section of the contract without adjustment and recite an oath concluding with “so help me God,” or leave the Air Force, the AHA said.

http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20140904/NEWS05/309040066/Group-Airman-denied-reenlistment-refusing-say-help-me-God-

 

[Duckman#72]

It's the double standards that gets me.

Completely agree. But it is the double standards of people not religion.

Duckman

 

[Value Collector]

Completely agree. But it is the double standards of people not religion.

Duckman

Plenty of double standards in religions, not just individual people.

[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tpz8PMcRJSY[/video]

 

[bunyip]

Completely agree. But it is the double standards of people not religion.

Duckman

Religions are primarily made up of people - take the people out of any religion and it would cease to exist.

To suggest there's no double standards in religion is absurd. Particularly in your religion – Catholicism. I could fill a book writing about the double standards in the attitudes and actions of the Catholic religion.

The Christian bible itself is full of contradictions and double standards. 'Thou shalt not kill'...and yet there are lots of biblical stories that glorify killing the population of entire cities, quite often at the express instruction and with the blessing of God.
In fact God himself clearly has double standards - if he exists and we believe what the bible tells us about him not only ordering and condoning mass murder, but being an accomplished killer himself.
And not just any killer either, he was clearly a serial killer and cold blooded murderer of thousands of innocent people, many of them small children.

 

[noco]

Religions are primarily made up of people - take the people out of any religion and it would cease to exist.

To suggest there's no double standards in religion is absurd. Particularly in your religion – Catholicism. I could fill a book writing about the double standards in the attitudes and actions of the Catholic religion.

The Christian bible itself is full of contradictions and double standards. 'Thou shalt not kill'...and yet there are lots of biblical stories that glorify killing the population of entire cities, quite often at the express instruction and with the blessing of God.
In fact God himself clearly has double standards - if he exists and we believe what the bible tells us about him not only ordering and condoning mass murder, but being an accomplished killer himself.
And not just any killer either, he was clearly a serial killer and cold blooded murderer of thousands of innocent people, many of them small children.

And it is very clearly mentioned in the Koran......The non-believers of the Koran must be killed which embraces Christians and Infidels.....So we have over one billion Muslims who must kill the other five billion Islamic non-believers......They sure have a big task ahead.


http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/...n_the_koran_says_kill_can_islam_ever_be_safe/

 

[Muschu]

There are a lot of religious folk who don't trouble them selves with helping others.....

Good point. And there are perhaps as many or more non-religious folk who also don't bother to help others.

My respect is for folk who put others' needs before their own. People of principle without a selfish base.

What is the ultimate point of accumulating a massive number of dollars?

In my opinion it is in learning the best way to share the fortune of living a privileged life.

PS.. I don't have a religious stance, or a non-religious one. I simply "Don't know" despite my trials, investigations and studies. I'd like to be a person of certainty but doubt that I will get there.

 

[Value Collector]

Good point. And there are perhaps as many or more non-religious folk who also don't bother to help others.
.

Yep, so knowing some one is religious doesn't assist you in anyway in knowing what the persons character is, and know the person is irreligious doesn't give you any information either. So we shouldn't give any person respect just because they are religious, nor should we disrespect folk just because they are non religious

What is the ultimate point of accumulating a massive number of dollars?

Generally to help provide for yourself and your family, and ensure your not a burden on society, also generally in order to accumulate dollars you have to be providing goods or services, so in the process you are providing for others.

Outside of that it can be fun, I have always enjoyed making money, I guess its like my favourite game, some like football, i enjoy business and finance.

PS.. I don't have a religious stance, or a non-religious one. I simply "Don't know" despite my trials, investigations and studies. I'd like to be a person of certainty but doubt that I will get there

Welcome to the club of "Agnostic Atheists"

 

[Value Collector]

And it is very clearly mentioned in the Koran......The non-believers of the Koran must be killed which embraces Christians and Infidels.....So we have over one billion Muslims who must kill the other five billion Islamic non-believers......They sure have a big task ahead.


http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/...n_the_koran_says_kill_can_islam_ever_be_safe/

Yes, and there are similar versus in the bible.

People often charge the qu'ran with hate messages to kill non believers, and its true it does say that, but so does the bible.

if fact there is not a single message of hate in the qu'ran that is not exactly mirrored in the bible.

 

[noco]

Yes, and there are similar versus in the bible.

People often charge the qu'ran with hate messages to kill non believers, and its true it does say that, but so does the bible.

if fact there is not a single message of hate in the qu'ran that is not exactly mirrored in the bible.

I am agnostic but I would be interested to learned of these similar quotes from the Koran and the Bible.

Does the Bible mention the killing of infidels by beheading?

 

[DB008]

I am agnostic but I would be interested to learned of these similar quotes from the Koran and the Bible.

Does the Bible mention the killing of infidels by beheading?

Beheading?
No

Murder?
Yes

Kill Nonbelievers
They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NAB)

Death to Followers of Other Religions
Whoever sacrifices to any god, except the Lord alone, shall be doomed. (Exodus 22:19 NAB)

Kill People Who Don't Listen to Priests
Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the LORD your God must be put to death. Such evil must be purged from Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:12 NLT)

Kill Followers of Other Religions.
1) If your own full brother, or your son or daughter, or your beloved wife, or you intimate friend, entices you secretly to serve other gods, whom you and your fathers have not known, gods of any other nations, near at hand or far away, from one end of the earth to the other: do not yield to him or listen to him, nor look with pity upon him, to spare or shield him, but kill him. Your hand shall be the first raised to slay him; the rest of the people shall join in with you. You shall stone him to death, because he sought to lead you astray from the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. And all Israel, hearing of this, shall fear and never do such evil as this in your midst. (Deuteronomy 13:7-12 NAB)

2) Suppose a man or woman among you, in one of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, has done evil in the sight of the LORD your God and has violated the covenant by serving other gods or by worshiping the sun, the moon, or any of the forces of heaven, which I have strictly forbidden. When you hear about it, investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, then that man or woman must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death. (Deuteronomy 17:2-5 NLT)

Infidels and Gays Should Die
So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever. Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved. When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving. They are fully aware of God's death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. (Romans 1:24-32 NLT)

 

[bellenuit]

The phantom menace of militant atheism

http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...nt-atheism-religious-apologists-intellectuals

 

[noco]

Beheading?
No

Murder?
Yes

Thank you for the trouble you have gone to establish those readings, however, whilst that may be the written word in the Bible, would it have from the new or the old testament?

Of course while those words have been quoted, they nevertheless are not executed in modern society today.

Of course as most of us know the Bible does also quote in the ten commandments "THOU SHALT NOT KILL".

So how does that work?......it sort of contradicts itself.

 

[FxTrader]

The phantom menace of militant atheism
http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...nt-atheism-religious-apologists-intellectuals

Thanks for bringing this excellent commentary to everyone's attention here. Reading it was a breath of fresh air and a rebuke to the religious apologists here including those who have attempted to use the term "militant atheism" to caricature those who identify as atheists as some kind of evil, morally bankrupt, intolerant and oppressive collective entity. My favorite excerpts:

On the assertion that atheism is a type of religion or religious position...

The occasional dogmatism that followed apparently makes atheism "like a religion". It's not a charge I'd throw around if I were seeking to defend faith. When people say of dozens of political and cultural movements from monetarism to Marxism that their followers treat their cause "like a religion", they never mean it as a compliment. They mean that dumb obedience to higher authority and an obstinate attachment to dogma mark its adherents.

When the religious brand atheism as a religion they are unwittingly demeaning themselves since the normal intention of doing this is meant to be an insult and not a declaration of equivalence.

On the claim religion is necessary for moral clarity…

Meanwhile, I'm losing count of and patience with the apologists who tell me there would be no morality without religion. The failure of the serious press and BBC to question this is as shocking as it is depressing. We are almost 150 years on from the moment in 1867 when Matthew Arnold heard the sea of faith's "melancholy, long, withdrawing roar" on Dover Beach. Are religious writers suggesting mid-Victorian Britain was a more moral country in its treatment of women, homosexuals and the poor?

As Hitches opined, there is no moral impulse that a religious person can have that an atheist can’t. The major religions have no God given monopoly on defining what is moral nor should they and their magic books are certainly not the best guide available to us today on what constitutes moral behavior. Finally, on the subject of being tolerant and polite to religious fanaticism…

Since 9/11, western intellectuals have had a choice. They could have taken on militant religion, exposed its texts, decried its doctrines and found arguments to persuade young British men not to go to Syria and slaughter "heretics". But religious fanatics might have retaliated. Instead, they chose the safe option of attacking the phantom menace of militant atheists, who would never harm them. Leaving all philosophical and moral objections aside, they have been the most awful cowards.

Indeed, it's time to challenge, not appease, the fraud that is religion in its various forms.

 

[Value Collector]

Does the Bible mention the killing of infidels by beheading?

No the bible seems to be more fond of stoning people to death, i guess that just represents the changes in fashion and culture over the centuries that separated the three major texts, eg bible part 1, bible part 2 and part 3 the Quran.

Another poster has already given you a decent run down of the verses condoning murder.

 

[Value Collector]

Thank you for the trouble you have gone to establish those readings, however, whilst that may be the written word in the Bible, would it have from the new or the old testament?
.

Most of the commandments for killing come from the original bible, which is exactly where the 10 commandments come from.

But they are endorsed by Jesus in the New Testament, when Jesus says that none of the original laws are to be changed, Also, which book do you think Jesus read and preached from, the New Testament wasn't written until one hundred years after Jesus died.



O

f course while those words have been quoted, they nevertheless are not executed in modern society today

.

If you mean developed countries, then yes i agree, however thats a pretty recent thing, never forget how they acted when they had the power, also there are Christian terrorists, and Christians are still killing and burning people in the name of Jesus in less developed countries, children and adults in underdeveloped countries are still being killed for witch craft etc.

Of course as most of us know the Bible does also quote in the ten commandments "THOU SHALT NOT KILL"

.

Yep its the big book of multiple choice, if you want to love your neighbour, read that verse, if you want to kill him, read the verse that tells you to kill him if you see him work on sunday.

So how does that work?......it sort of contradicts itself

Yep both the bible and Quran are full of contradictions, the Quran bans killing too, hence its moderates think its the religion of peace, just as Christians think that of their brand.

 

[noco]

Most of the commandments for killing come from the original bible, which is exactly where the 10 commandments come from.

But they are endorsed by Jesus in the New Testament, when Jesus says that none of the original laws are to be changed, Also, which book do you think Jesus read and preached from, the New Testament wasn't written until one hundred years after Jesus died.



O.

If you mean developed countries, then yes i agree, however thats a pretty recent thing, never forget how they acted when they had the power, also there are Christian terrorists, and Christians are still killing and burning people in the name of Jesus in less developed countries, children and adults in underdeveloped countries are still being killed for witch craft etc.

.

Yep its the big book of multiple choice, if you want to love your neighbour, read that verse, if you want to kill him, read the verse that tells you to kill him if you see him work on sunday.





Yep both the bible and Quran are full of contradictions, the Quran bans killing too, hence its moderates think its the religion of peace, just as Christians think that of their brand.

I can now understand why this thread is so appropriately named...."RELIGION IS CRAZY".

It was in my late teens when I converted from a Christian to an Agnostic...I became disillusioned with religion and the people whom I was mixing with.......most of them were hypocrites and used religion as a shadow to cover their sins.....I was once married to a Roman Catholic who converted to Jehovah Witness...the rest is history.