BBC - religion is set for extinction?

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 07:14

A study using census data from nine countries shows that religion there is set for extinction, say researchers.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12811197



Having seen, heard and read about all the problems caused by organised religion... I can only think this is a good thing.

deputydawg


Joined: 30/03/2010
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 08:31

Will it revert to worshiping the sun, stars, water, trees, etc and involve human sacrifice, I wonder ?

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 10:58

I saw a study which showed that across the world as a whole, religion is trumping atheism. Atheists are reproducing below the level to effectively perpetuate. I think it was 1.7, whereas those who fervently follow a religion are reproducing at a sustaining rate of 2.4

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 11:45

Extinction. I pray to God it doesn't happen.

Rottolover



Joined: 21/06/2009
Posts: 519

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 11:55

Yes, No 1, I thank god I'm an athiest too....

hattikins


Joined: 17/02/2008
Posts: 2793

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 11:58

Well if they get rid of it does that mean that shops can open on Easter Sunday ?

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 12:13

"God is Great" he Created "Everything."...Including; Disease, Parasites,Religious Wars, and Human suffering on a scale unimaginable............

tattlad


Joined: 13/12/2008
Posts: 479

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 12:54

Thank goodness for that, religion is a crutch for the insecure and a very Neanderthal way of living life, scientists have proved beyond doubt how it all came to be, and religion was only developed to keep the masses under control, cue the God squad......

MsGarnet


Joined: 04/01/2009
Posts: 989

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 13:25

Religion came about to control the masses, as religious leaders were the only ones who were educated-could read and write. My opinion is that religion is for those that are inadequet or dysfunctional in some way, or recovering drug alcohol abusers, or those 'forced' to have faith by MALE family members or already subjugated female family members, otherwise they are the object of 'Honour killings' (a greater oxymoron one can't imagine) or a Fatwa decreed for many reasons, not least - apostasy. It is also for those that have a disposition that requires a crutch, a peg to hang everything on as personal liability/responsibility is beyond them. OBVIOUSLY those of Faith procreate more - their religion demands it! The majority of religions are obsessed with sex, it can be seen the tenets and doctrines are written by by males, for the benefit of males (and NO, I am NOT a misandrist). More deaths have occurred since the world began in the name of religion, than all wars since 'civilisation'

basheer



Joined: 22/12/2008
Posts: 949

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 13:36

the third world are very religious seems they love God more then those spoilt by the first world,the poor are very knowledgable about God ,i think knowledge is lacking here among the few I am willing to send information for those that seek it if you email me

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 15:02

I have nothing against people and their religious beliefs but it seems to me that as soon as power brokers get involved 'hey presto!' - problems. The machinery of religion and the aspirations of religious leaders seem to cause most of the trouble. It ought to be an eleventh commandment that you should respect the beliefs of others but the leaders seem to be incapable of true tolerance. You seldom hear of the flock spontaneously turning on those of another persuasion without some 'man of God' bad-mouthing them first.

MsGarnet


Joined: 04/01/2009
Posts: 989

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 15:15

Basheer - Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est (knowledge is power). You say the poor are very knowledgable, the VAST majority of poor in the third world are illiterate, females usually not even allowed to be educated. In some countries, brave female souls who need to feed their brains, often find their schools are burnt down (by males) the students and tutors attacked............Only people who have the advantage of being educated, can make informed decisions on the paradigms they wish to live by, rather than those dictated by books written aeons ago, reinforced by bullies and misogynists (who also constantly move the goalposts to suit their needs) today. Religion is all about control.

YFred


Joined: 06/05/2009
Posts: 1471

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 16:37

So, religion will go extinct. Thank god for that.



I will sucrifice a lamb if it ever happens. That is my religous belief, but as I am doing it, then religion cannot not be extict so the lamb is spared, till I also am no longer religous, by which time I do not have to sacrifice the lamb.



No where was, sombody turn them skewers please.

elkiton



Joined: 15/03/2009
Posts: 514

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 18:34

".....Thank goodness for that, religion is a crutch for the insecure and a very Neanderthal way of living life, scientists have proved beyond doubt how it all came to be,

religion is for those that are inadequet or dysfunctional in some way, or recovering drug alcohol abusers, or those 'forced' to have faith by MALE family members or already subjugated female family members,

It is also for those that have a disposition that requires a crutch, a peg to hang everything on as personal liability/responsibility is beyond them....

Amazing the amount of drivel that appears when a controversial thread appears on this forum, I bet the anti-religionista must have been rubbing their hands with glee when they saw it, what a chance to abuse and belittle those who of their oown free will believe there is a God.

Let me set you one or two particularly ignorant posters straight. Religion is for those who are actually not so conceited as to believe that man is at the top of the food chain.

TonyE

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 19:14

msge 14



"Religion is for those who are actually not so conceited as to believe that man is at the top of the food chain".



I understand your comments, religion has taken a battering on this post, however, I thought when we moved from polytheism to monotheism, humans developed a belief that seperated us from nature. It was in fact, modern Western religion which encouraged humans to believe that we are at the top of the food chain, thus further seperating us from nature (not science). Here is an example from the bible.



"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Blackbird



Joined: 11/08/2009
Posts: 1432

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 20:05

Re message 1 Groucho you are absolutely right...the sooner the better...

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 20:19

Is it religion that has taken a bashing or global organisations with vested interests in religious subjugation of the masses?

I am actually a believer, I am also doubtful about the idea that humankind is top of the tree - or anything like the pinnacle of God's creation, even if some behave like they are. I think man would like to believe that we are.. but we are so imperfect (unlike much of nature) so the jury's still out on that one.

Is their life on other planets? Given what the scientists know about the Universe (size and number of galaxies) it would seem perverse to totally discount the possibility. If so, we may not be alone.

OK we may be top of the food chain on Earth, and blimey - don't we abuse that!

I don't need somebody to come between my beliefs, me and God.

spider


Joined: 03/01/2009
Posts: 5527

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 23:17

Oh dear, god bless you all







Spider,X

Marion


Joined: 06/03/2011
Posts: 1816

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 23:46

Wow, I c\ould write a thesis on this, but it won't fit in with my 1000 characters allowed. Maybe religion as we know it will become extinct, but from the beginning of time man has had the need within (collective god consciousness or inadequacy - you choose) to workshop and to accept something outside of him/herself. The 'face' of religion changes but the heart of 'man' stays the same with the same needs. Religion is many things - one can see it in communism (yes, really), or the pub,l or football, or anything that lifts a person out of his normal rut. Hence I think that while men walk this earth religion will be there - but changed. Old religions have come and gone, and maybe Christianity, Islam, Hinduism etc will go too. One of my old theology lecturers (now gone to his 'reward') used to say ' A new religion is an old one with a new bit added.' Think of that, from early totem poles , through Zoroastrianism, Judaism and all , including the Aborigines 'Drema Time' accounts of life.

Marion


Joined: 06/03/2011
Posts: 1816

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 23:51

I said a thousand letters is not enough.

I reckon religion will be here until the end of time, but as Startrek used to say 'Not as we know it, Spock.' and will be extinct when mankind is extinct. Judging from the waythings are going, that own't be long either!

But never mind religion 'Keep the faith - whatever you deem it to be.' And as the great comedian Dave Allen used to say 'And may your god go with you."



So come on Wise Cyprus 44-ers. What do YOU think?

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
22/03/2011 23:53

Marion, I think I scared to not acknowledge mine, i cant not beleive x

MsGarnet


Joined: 04/01/2009
Posts: 989

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 01:00

elkiton - if Faith is concrete, it takes all constructive criticism directed at it, if, as with vast majority of people of Faith, it is a blind faith, it has the knee jerk reaction you display. As you can't PROVE there is a God, you simply cut and paste what I said, ending with the valedictory cry that those of us who are atheists are clearly, by default, "ignorant" and "conceited" to consider we are "top of the food chain". NO explanation, discussion or debate on the topic, merely verbal diarrhoea, whereas my provable statements, NONE of which you attempted to disabuse the reader from, as patently they are true. Of course we are top of the food chain, we have a voice box, and have the capability to attack any other form of life and defend ourselves due to our ability to use tools, which includes medicines. Faith is a 'safe' place to turn to, when bereaved or struggling in some way, and there is no possible answer 'on earth' it is solace; atheists call it, talking to ourselves.

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 11:46

msge 19



"Religion is many things - one can see it in communism



I suspect you are right.



Religion is not the culprit, ideas, formally known as 'memes' are the miscreant. When ideas collide with a juvenile consciousness, a mind that is emotionally dominated, thats when the trouble starts. Religion is one idea that has started wars but so have political ideas, notions such as game theory and the communist ideas of the khymer rouge etc. The only defence is a flexible, agile mind, one that is comfortable with ambiguity and paradox.



Ideas bind groups together to make them stronger and to draw comfort. Religion is a particularly good solution because it taps in to our perennial and innate sense of being connected to something greater than our own selves. Rituals like praying five times a day together, help the group create a strong almost impenetrable bond. Bonding is good for us, trust inducing chemicals like Oxytocin are released in to our blood stream.

Marion


Joined: 06/03/2011
Posts: 1816

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 11:53

Some good coments with which I agree. I had to do a paper once on 'Are Jehovah Witnesses brainwashed?' My answer was 'yes, and so are we all.'. We are all 'brainwashed' to fit in with family and society and to be acceptable, nice, kind human beings. Some of us rejectr some of the brainwashing and try to find ourselves, but we do all so need to belong to something.

If what we believe and use to help us to be better people of more value to the world as a whole (or the entire cosmos) then no one should knock it, but equally no one should abuse it. Look at what Hitler did and he started out as a Christian. It is NOT the religion at fault, it is humans. And I guess that is why I reckon religion will not be extinvct until humans are. But the kind of religion is an entirely different debateable point.

So as I said before 'Keep the faith' - and even share it, but don't knock anyone who has it - unless it is evil!

Now there is another debate.

Marion


Joined: 06/03/2011
Posts: 1816

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 11:54

Oh and to message 23, I would love to sit around the dinner table with you and discuss! But you are in the town of my birth and I am here. Kinda difficult. But if ever you come here - let's meet!

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 12:00

Msge 24



Very much agree with your comments



I am in Kibris the week after next. Yes, indeed it would be good to discuss. I will contact you offline when I am out there.

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 12:01

ps perhaps there might be some more people who would like to join us and discuss?

walkerscott


Joined: 13/08/2009
Posts: 901

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 12:30

God, Life, Love, You, are all interchangeable! Hmm, we think we already know everything there is to know about God. And so any description of God which does not fall within our current understandings is automatically rejected as False, wrong, and blasphemy!

Now, how do you tell someone with a limited understanding, based on their limited experience of real love, about the unconditional love of God? You don't. You don't tell them anything about it. You demonstrate it ...

I have no time in the evermoment of life to waste on religion and I am not here on a campaign to convince anyone of anything. Each person and each soul is the ultimate authority and creator of their own reality.

Religion is man's attempt to explain the inexplicable, and that in this it does not do a good job. I personally practice spirituality, not religion.

Go within, or you will go without!

Much love and Joy

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 12:49

msge 28



Who are you quoting? Tolle or a Bhuddist?



"You demonstrate it"



Absolutely true. I experienced a glimpse of nirvana after some extensive spiritual practices. In that state (which was fleeting) I experienced an extremely deep connection with god. It was an experience of pure love and joy, an exprience I have never habited since. What I now realise is that even in that experience, although profound, it was experienced by a mind that was not very well developed. So there are levels within levels. Like atom within atoms.

yunus



Joined: 14/05/2009
Posts: 327

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 13:08

please help



so, one day long ago, somewhere on this planet an egg appeared or was it a chicken ?





if you have a bad view point about religions or do not believe in the creator , man kind and his greed for power are only to blame. yes we have been given a mind to use and be creative or destructive.



example of the Muslim religion: the KUR'AN says the muslim religion must not be divided !



sunni, shii, nurcu, alevi, suleymanci are just some of the divisions with in my religion. why do you think this division has happened ?



if you walk out of your house and take a look around you at the sky, mountains, insects, birds, trees and all nature and think it JUST HAPPENED and then STOPPED HAPPENING ! I would love an explanation as to why.



this planet and everything in it has been set up perfectly. man kind has and continues to destroy and alter the balances of nature ! we are only to blame for this. we are at the top of the food chain so it is in our hands to preserve or destr

basheer



Joined: 22/12/2008
Posts: 949

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 13:25

mes 12 very poor indeed so comes the Imam and the priest who read for them and that is the only education from as little as 6yrs and from memory grow into adults with continues religious education and thats all they know

yunus



Joined: 14/05/2009
Posts: 327

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 13:26

beliefs can be as difficult or as easy as the individual wishes them to be. the main error people make is not to investigate themselves ( for any reason ) but listen to others opinions or translations. beliefs are as individual as each human on this planet. practice varies and there is not one right way. my personal opinion is;



if there isn't a heaven and hell, what do i lose out by believing in them ! but what if there is. . .

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 13:29

msg30..I agree with you "Mankind "is the only form of life on the Planet ,that destroys his own environment "Knowingly"...One things for sure,If there is a God He/She.. must be ashamed of the monster that is MANKIND...

tattlad


Joined: 13/12/2008
Posts: 479

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 14:02

elkiton msg 14.

Let me put you in the bigger picture, ill founded beliefs in God or Allah or whoever have killed more people on this planet than disease or anything else for that matter, it's a fairytale for those gullible enough to believe it, and if anyone is conceited, it's those who choose to believe a bunch of fairy tales rather than the proof put before them of how it all came to be, and you have definitely shown your ignorance by stating Man is not at the top of the food chain, there is nothing on this Earth that will destroy Man, other than Man himself or Mother nature.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 15:21

Man is the culprit - misinterpretation is the tool...

Free will is where emancipated man goes awry. Don't confuse the religion with man's misuse of religion.

Those with great oratory skills often abuse their influence in leading men to do evil in service of an agenda they don't understand.

philbailey


Joined: 17/01/2011
Posts: 3534

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 17:18

When 1 person has delusions they call it mental illness.



When many people have delusions they call it religion.

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 17:46

Billy Connolly once said ,"I have had many diseases in my short life,but have so far "Not" contracted Religion

TheSaints



Joined: 28/01/2009
Posts: 1369

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 17:51

Nobody ever read Darwin?



The only thing that puzzles me about Darwins theory is if we decended from the apes why do we still have monkey's and are we still evolving?

tattlad


Joined: 13/12/2008
Posts: 479

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 17:58

TheSaints Msg 38.

Things have come a very long way since Darwin, Scientists have found minerals on meteors that they now know was the basis for life here on Earth, it all started from those minerals and a moss like substance that grew in the sea then hey presto evolution done the rest, those that want to believe in their fairy-tales will be in for one big shock when they snuff it ;) or not as the case will be.

yunus



Joined: 14/05/2009
Posts: 327

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 18:02

sharbil, a Lebanese friend once told me of an event which took place in his home village in Lebanon. after 13 years of praying in the mosque of his home village. ali the imam ( basically the priest of the mosque ) also worked in the village cafe serving tea ! i don't remember the dates but Israeli forces had entered sharbil's village which was close to the Israeli border. the imam ( Muslim priest ) - cafe waiter came out of his house wearing an Israeli army uniform. sharbil recalls that he was a very high ranked officer from the stars on his shoulder ! he was shouting out orders to the Israeli army soldiers telling them who to arrest and which houses to search.



this man had preached the Muslim religion to the villagers for 13 years before this event took place and he was an under cover Israeli soldier !



uneducated people are easy to trick ! everybody should search for themselves and all opinions should be respected !

YFred


Joined: 06/05/2009
Posts: 1471

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 18:09

TheSaints, obviously you do not know Darwin. We certainly did not evolve from the apes. People and apes evolved from the same specimen, in in a similar way that a Tiger, Cat and a Lion also evolved from the same specimen.



What worries me is the churches explanation that the fossilized evidence was things put there by the devil to confuse mankind and the earth is the center of all the universes. Mr Pope old boy (Ratsinger) put that in your pipe and smoke it, now there's a good chap.

MsGarnet


Joined: 04/01/2009
Posts: 989

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 18:11

Msg 36. Yes, and if I was walking around, talking to myself out loud - then I would most probably be sectioned, medicated to within an inch of my life, and have a bunch of 'Professionals' visiting me, trying to work out what is 'wrong' with me, BUT - if someone puts on the required garb, and talks to his Deity - or a person or group of people, talk to the thin air, citing their Faith (they are talking to their God) then that is alright!!!!!!! You couldn't make it up...........

YFred


Joined: 06/05/2009
Posts: 1471

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 18:16

What is really amazing is that there are 92 naturally occurring elements in all the Universes.



Now that is amazing.

Ossie


Joined: 19/01/2008
Posts: 311

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 18:25

Oh ye of little faith.Those that don't believe can only be selfish and think of themselves and not others.

tattlad


Joined: 13/12/2008
Posts: 479

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 18:42

Ossie msg 44.

It is you who are selfish by assuming non believers think only of themselves, as I have said, if you want to believe in fairy tales that have not so much as an ounce of proof to them that is up to you, you have proved yourself a hypocrite with that statement you made, by assuming of others what you do not know for certain.

YFred


Joined: 06/05/2009
Posts: 1471

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 18:53

Ossie, you are on the wrong track mate. In general, Socialists tend to be non-religious and caring, and Conservatives tend to be religious and non-caring. Notice I did say in general.

The Roman Catholics tend to be the poorest people on earth and the church is the richest organization on earth.

shrimp


Joined: 01/09/2010
Posts: 939

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 20:13

Message 21 Lilli, I am right there with you on this one.....................xx

Pippie


Joined: 02/12/2009
Posts: 1288

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 20:13

You say you can't prove there IS a God. Go on then, prove that there isn't!



All the proof you need is written in the three core books from the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths. The Lord told us before we found out, that there were other galaxies, we were told that we would travel the world by sea and air before we had learned how to do so, we were told that there would be divisions in religions and that we would eventually destroy ourselves, about earthquakes, famines etc. There's nothing any of us can do about it, as much as we may try to save the world and stop global warming and the like. It's already written. Now if we don't believe and follow the ways he has ordered us to do, He will not help us in return. He tells us that we may enjoy this world for a time but ultimately to Him we will return and He will decide whether we deserve to go to Paradise or Hell.

Now, I would rather believe in that unknown on the off chance I'll end up in Paradise. That surely is better!

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 22:08

Learned Churchmen worked out that the Earth was 4,600 years old....So where did the dinosaurs live...And was the Bible not written By Men??



Msg38 "Are we still involving",Obviously you are not,but I would like to think that Darwin had more "Nonce" than you I really think you should take more interest in Natural History,even you might learn something useful But then again, perhaps not....

Marion


Joined: 06/03/2011
Posts: 1816

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 23:09

Ah, Darwin and his THEORY, and did you know he recanted on his death bed? As to the churchmen who made the earth 4600 years old - that is Chrstianity and if we are discussing religion then we have to look at all the others. \oh and by the way, Christianity is based on \judaism, for so many forget that \jesus was a good \jewish boy.

By the way, i feel quite a contact with Darwin. \my ch ildren went to Charles Darwin School in \biggin \h ill and \i was a Pastoral Assistant to Down Church many moons ago.

Excuse errors by the way. \new machine and the shift is in the wrong place!

As to \ilovecyprus - yes, get in touch. For how long are you here? Perhaps we could meet to discuss with others on the board. |But where will you be, central, east west of Girne, or elsewhere?

paddywack


Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 959

Message Posted:
23/03/2011 23:41

Msg 21

Surely you must realise what religion has done to our country,think of the last 30 years plus.

Marion


Joined: 06/03/2011
Posts: 1816

Message Posted:
24/03/2011 00:51

No,no, Paddywack, the dogs who gnaw the bones of men are men themselves, but the relgiions they purport to follow. I remember a film years ago with Sophia Loren, Rossana Brazi and John Wayne (what a cast) where Rossana reckons he wants to get some treasure for missionary work. Out they go into the desert and before you know it Rossana has a gun and wants the treasure to himself. John Wayne in his inimitable style said the immortal words 'There's a lot of men using God as a front'. And that just about says it all. It is nOT religion that kills and maims and destroys, it is the men who use their 'faith' to justify their wrong deeds. But they do NOT know the true meaning of their faith.

This country is not suffering from the effects of religion, merely the misinterpretation to enable power drunk and greedy men (and women"!) to gaintheir own ends.

YFred


Joined: 06/05/2009
Posts: 1471

Message Posted:
24/03/2011 01:20

Marion, Did he really? There is no doubt about Darwin's theory any more. It is a scientific fact.

If we are not careful, and stop using our brains, we will evolve and lose that too. Look what happened to my cousins in the south when they stopped. They are brain dead now and have been since the 70s.

TheSaints



Joined: 28/01/2009
Posts: 1369

Message Posted:
24/03/2011 12:07

Mesg49.



That would be "Evolving" I can understand that would be a difficult word for you to comprehend but you do like to get involved..............

Tango1


Joined: 19/02/2011
Posts: 1151

Message Posted:
24/03/2011 12:29

I believe in God and go to church and try my best to lead as good a life as I can and treat my fellow "man" with as much respect as possible. Does this make me a bad person?



Tango1

basheer



Joined: 22/12/2008
Posts: 949

Message Posted:
24/03/2011 12:29

8000 years ago, before the advent of our Biblical Adam, there existed and flourished a civilization on the soil of the Indian sub-continent. At this time in history, Ismaili Islam existed under the divinely inspired Buddha (not Gautama Buddha), and before him under Krishna, and before him under Rama. The Ismaili Islam traces itself further back to the time when there was nothing but aquatic life. There is a verse in the Quran which says: "In the beginning, Allah's throne was on water." (14:7) This further indicates how well Ismaili Islam and Science are in harmony with each other. Christianity claims the Creation is 6000 years old - as old as Adam - which is scientifically inaccurate. Ismaili Islam claims it is billions of years old and that there have been hundreds of Adams before the Biblical Adam, and this Ismaili theory is in agreement with the present scientific data. Adam in Arabic simply means anything made out of clay and water. We are all Adams of our time.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
24/03/2011 12:45

"I believe in God and go to church and try my best to lead as good a life as I can and treat my fellow "man" with as much respect as possible. Does this make me a bad person? "



No it does not, and it doesn't make those who don't go to church bad either... yet some men of God would have you believe it does... strange that, isn't it?

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
24/03/2011 12:58

msge 55



No it does not. People often ignore the good work that religious people do. My Aunty is a devout Christian. She has never pushed her beliefs on me. She is tirelessly doing lots of good deeds for other people and raising money for charity. Oh by the way, many others who share her belief and actions are certainly not socialists.



Msge 56



Every civilisation has a story about our creation. As Donald Brown the anthropologist realised, every group of people fears chaos, so we have a strong need for order. A creationist story helps to create that order. Another anthropologist (the name escapes me) said that oral stories never stay intact beyond 150 years. Stories are likely to be full of distortions, deletions and generalisations.

tattlad


Joined: 13/12/2008
Posts: 479

Message Posted:
24/03/2011 17:42

Oh right I see, so god prefers to let perverts despots murderers rapists etc to live life, yet takes away life from young innocent children who die from disease, starvation, cruelty etc, no the wonder the Rolling Stones wrote sympathy for the devil.

philbailey


Joined: 17/01/2011
Posts: 3534

Message Posted:
24/03/2011 17:44

Religion is like a penis

It's fine to have one.

It's fine to be proud of it.

But please don't whip it out in public and start waving it around,

And PLEASE don't try to shove it down my throat.

deputydawg


Joined: 30/03/2010
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
24/03/2011 17:57

Philbailey. I have been described as "about as smooth as a marble in a bucket of snot" but you must be a gold medal winner wordsmith even if you received no votes from the Pope or Linda Lovelace !

Zoots


Joined: 05/02/2011
Posts: 669

Message Posted:
24/03/2011 20:20

Msg 49: "...Darwin had more "Nonce" than you..."

Are you saying this great philosopher was a kiddie fiddler?

Roley


Joined: 14/02/2011
Posts: 63

Message Posted:
24/03/2011 21:44

Martin d41: yes God also unfortunately created you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AlsancakJack



Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 5762

Message Posted:
24/03/2011 21:56

This thread is now closed. Reason: Thread went off topic.