M.Dancer Posted May 28, 2007 Report Posted May 28, 2007 Can Christians and atheists both agree that... 1. You Can Do Terrible Things in the Name of Either One We're putting aside the question of which belief system has killed more people by percentage of population, or whether a hypothetical world without religion would have seen fewer or more genocides than ours. We're not going to open a spreadsheet and try to count which belief system manufactures more murderous sociopaths per capita. All I need from you is agreement that it's entirely possible for either an atheist or theist world to devolve into a screaming murder festival. The religious leader sends his people into battle because he thinks God commanded it, the Stalins and Maos of the world do the same because they see their people as nothing more than meaty fuel to be ground up to feed the machinery of The State. In both cases, the people are equally dead PLUS 9 MORE>>>>>>>>> http://www.pointlesswasteoftime.com/godfuse.html Quote RIGHT of SOME, LEFT of OTHERS If it is a choice between them and us, I choose us
guyser Posted May 28, 2007 Report Posted May 28, 2007 Can Christians and atheists both agree that... 1. You Can Do Terrible Things in the Name of Either One Hmm, I guess one can kill in the name of god (christians) , but can one kill in the name of ...nothing? (atheists) Quote
Riverwind Posted May 28, 2007 Report Posted May 28, 2007 Hmm, I guess one can kill in the name of god (christians) , but can one kill in the name of ...nothing? (atheists)Stalin and Mao killed plenty in the name of nothing.... Quote To fly a plane, you need both a left wing and a right wing.
guyser Posted May 28, 2007 Report Posted May 28, 2007 Sorry river, not what I meant. Can one kill in the name of nothing? Being an atheist means no belief. I suppose one can and has killed in the name of Christ/Mohammed/other religious icon, but to say one kills in the name of atheism seems, well wrong. Quote
Riverwind Posted May 28, 2007 Report Posted May 28, 2007 Being an atheist means no belief.Atheism is a just another type of religious belief system. Fundamentalist atheists are as dogmatic as any radical christian or Muslim. Mao and Stalin singled out people who practiced traditional religions in their purges because they were a threat their atheistic ideology. Quote To fly a plane, you need both a left wing and a right wing.
guyser Posted May 28, 2007 Report Posted May 28, 2007 Well thank you for that. But wrong for me. I am a "strong atheist" , in other words, I have no belief in any god, no matter what it looks like or is, there was no creation . "Strong atheism is the explicit affirmation that gods do not exist." But thats my religion? Quote
sharkman Posted May 28, 2007 Report Posted May 28, 2007 Being an atheist means no belief.Atheism is a just another type of religious belief system. Fundamentalist atheists are as dogmatic as any radical christian or Muslim. Mao and Stalin singled out people who practiced traditional religions in their purges because they were a threat their atheistic ideology. Well spoken. Quote
gc1765 Posted May 28, 2007 Report Posted May 28, 2007 Atheism is a just another type of religious belief system. Fundamentalist atheists are as dogmatic as any radical christian or Muslim. Mao and Stalin singled out people who practiced traditional religions in their purges because they were a threat their atheistic ideology. So, agnostics get off scot-free? Quote Almost three thousand people died needlessly and tragically at the World Trade Center on September 11; ten thousand Africans die needlessly and tragically every single day-and have died every single day since September 11-of AIDS, TB, and malaria. We need to keep September 11 in perspective, especially because the ten thousand daily deaths are preventable. - Jeffrey Sachs (from his book "The End of Poverty")
guyser Posted May 28, 2007 Report Posted May 28, 2007 Well spoken. Huh? Here is a definition of religion, from Wiki... A religion is a set of beliefs and practices generally held by a community, involving adherence to codified beliefs and rituals and study of ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as well as personal faith and mystic experience. The term "religion" refers to both the personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction. Since I have neither beliefs nor practices, no rituals , no personal faith, no mysticism....I am a member of a religion? Talk about nutty. Quote
gc1765 Posted May 28, 2007 Report Posted May 28, 2007 I think we as a society need to clarify the definitions of atheist vs. agnostic, which would avoid this confusion. IMO, there are three broad categories but only two definitions (atheist or agnostic) in common use: 1. I strongly believe that there is no God(s) 2. I have no reason to believe that God exists. (I believe in God as much as I believe in the flying spaghetti monster) 3. I'm not sure if God exists, it is possible but not necessarily true. IMO, both 2 and 3 get lumped in together as agnostic, but I think there is a distinction to be made. #2 has also been called the "weak" atheist position, but that term is rarely used. #1 could be considered a "belief" or "religion", but #2 is a lack of belief and can not be considered to be a religion, or taken on faith. I put myself in category #2. Perhaps I should start a new thread on this? Quote Almost three thousand people died needlessly and tragically at the World Trade Center on September 11; ten thousand Africans die needlessly and tragically every single day-and have died every single day since September 11-of AIDS, TB, and malaria. We need to keep September 11 in perspective, especially because the ten thousand daily deaths are preventable. - Jeffrey Sachs (from his book "The End of Poverty")
Drea Posted May 28, 2007 Report Posted May 28, 2007 Religious folk cannot (or will not) wrap their brains around the fact that an atheist believes in nothing -- "How can you believe in NOTHING? -- You MUST believe in SOMETHING!?" or "Atheism is a CULT!" -- that one really makes me laugh... Quote ...jealous much? Booga Booga! Hee Hee Hee
Leafless Posted May 28, 2007 Report Posted May 28, 2007 Since I have neither beliefs nor practices, no rituals , no personal faith, no mysticism....I am a member of a religion? The question you should be asking, is are you a bona fide member of Canadian society, based on the fact this is a majority Christian country. I know this question could mean nothing to you in Trudeau language and is why the country is rapidly deteriorating. Quote
Drea Posted May 28, 2007 Report Posted May 28, 2007 The question you should be asking, is are you a bona fide member of Canadian society, based on the fact this is a majority Christian country. what fact? What "fact" tells us that Canada is a majority Christian religion? Quote ...jealous much? Booga Booga! Hee Hee Hee
Renegade Posted May 28, 2007 Report Posted May 28, 2007 The question you should be asking, is are you a bona fide member of Canadian society, based on the fact this is a majority Christian country. Leafless, are you saying that if one does not share the beliefs of the majority, then one is not a bona fide member of Canadian society? Quote “A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.” - Thomas Jefferson
Leafless Posted May 28, 2007 Report Posted May 28, 2007 The question you should be asking, is are you a bona fide member of Canadian society, based on the fact this is a majority Christian country. what fact? What "fact" tells us that Canada is a majority Christian religion? http://www.census2006.ca/francais/census01...&B1=Canada&B2=1 What I said was: "based on the fact this is a majority Christian country." Do you honestly believe Drea, Canada and the U.S. would have progressed and prospered in the absence of Christianity? We know for a fact up to RECENTLY Canada has supported Christianity and has used Christianity to the countries advantage in helping keep the workforce, decent, law abiding, hard working and committed to family and church. This is all changing fast. As I look out the window this moment a teenage girl pushing a baby carriage, proceed on a strangers lawn to steal a handful of flowers to give to the little girl in the carriage, then proceeds to discard a half litre bottle of soft drink all over the sidewalk and throws the empty bottle into the middle of the roadway and continues on her way. You can shove your new Canada Drea and the government that goes with it. Quote
Riverwind Posted May 29, 2007 Report Posted May 29, 2007 Since I have neither beliefs nor practices, no rituals , no personal faith, no mysticism....I am a member of a religion?You have the belief that there is no higher power in the universe. This is a belief which requires a leap of faith on your part because it can't be proven. More importantly, you likely believe that you are right and others are wrong despite the fact that your beliefs are not proven. This belief that others are "wrong" has been used to justify the persecution of "non-believers" when some atheists have the power of the state. Quote To fly a plane, you need both a left wing and a right wing.
sharkman Posted May 29, 2007 Report Posted May 29, 2007 Well spoken. Huh? Here is a definition of religion, from Wiki... A religion is a set of beliefs and practices generally held by a community, involving adherence to codified beliefs and rituals and study of ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as well as personal faith and mystic experience. The term "religion" refers to both the personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction. Since I have neither beliefs nor practices, no rituals , no personal faith, no mysticism....I am a member of a religion? Talk about nutty. No, of course you are not a member of a religion. You are a member of something else. Quote
M.Dancer Posted May 29, 2007 Author Report Posted May 29, 2007 Can Christians and atheists both agree that... 1. You Can Do Terrible Things in the Name of Either One Hmm, I guess one can kill in the name of god (christians) , but can one kill in the name of ...nothing? (atheists) Cultural Revolution? Farm collectivization? Eugenics? Quote RIGHT of SOME, LEFT of OTHERS If it is a choice between them and us, I choose us
M.Dancer Posted May 29, 2007 Author Report Posted May 29, 2007 Well thank you for that. But wrong for me.I am a "strong atheist" , in other words, I have no belief in any god, no matter what it looks like or is, there was no creation . "Strong atheism is the explicit affirmation that gods do not exist." But thats my religion? No atheism is the absence of theistic belief. But what can (but not always) substitute for theistic belief, can be just as pasionate, whether it is a political or philosophical bent. And yes, people have beenkilled for plenty of non theistic reasons. Quote RIGHT of SOME, LEFT of OTHERS If it is a choice between them and us, I choose us
M.Dancer Posted May 29, 2007 Author Report Posted May 29, 2007 Since I have neither beliefs nor practices, no rituals , no personal faith, no mysticism....I am a member of a religion? The question you should be asking, is are you a bona fide member of Canadian society, based on the fact this is a majority Christian country. I know this question could mean nothing to you in Trudeau language and is why the country is rapidly deteriorating. oy vey...... Quote RIGHT of SOME, LEFT of OTHERS If it is a choice between them and us, I choose us
guyser Posted May 29, 2007 Report Posted May 29, 2007 You have the belief that there is no higher power in the universe. This is a belief which requires a leap of faith on your part because it can't be proven. More importantly, you likely believe that you are right and others are wrong despite the fact that your beliefs are not proven. This belief that others are "wrong" has been used to justify the persecution of "non-believers" when some atheists have the power of the state. I guess I am just missing something here. I am to prove that there is nothing higher? I have no leaps of faith whatsoever. We are born, we die, we are worm food,just like plants, animals and everything else. I do not have to have faith to see that, as I see it on a daily basis. We die, we are dead, end of matter. I would think it the rest of you "believers" to prove that something else happens. For M Dancer, in reply to your post , yes people kill for no reason as you mentioned (Cultural Rev, Farm etc) but can one kill for the abscence of religion in the context of the question "I can kill to avenge God/Mohammed/etc " but can it be said to kill in the name of atheism? I dont believe , ergo I dont have any reason to kill. (apart from just plain nuts and killing for being nuts) Quote
Leafless Posted May 29, 2007 Report Posted May 29, 2007 The question you should be asking, is are you a bona fide member of Canadian society, based on the fact this is a majority Christian country. Leafless, are you saying that if one does not share the beliefs of the majority, then one is not a bona fide member of Canadian society? I did say: "The question you SHOULD be asking, is are you a bona fide member of Canadian society." Of course all Canadian citizens are members of society, including prostitutes, gangsters, murderers, rapist, ATHEIST, etc. But basically, these people are living in a sheltered society provided by organized society and are not directly contributing to the overall betterment of society which does not make them genuine members of society as compared to the efforts of those who do contribute to the overall betterment of society. Problem is Renegade, what happens to society, when the majority citizens of this country chose to ignore contributing to the overall betterment of society, relating to religion, laws, values, moral conduct, respect for authority etc? Quote
Figleaf Posted May 29, 2007 Report Posted May 29, 2007 Hey look, M.Dancer has started a thread of his own, rather than merely disrupting others. Well, why don't I just take a peak and see what he's come up with... Can Christians and atheists both agree that... 1. You Can Do Terrible Things in the Name of Either One We're putting aside the question of which belief system has killed more people by percentage of population,... Wow. That's loopy. Atheism hasn't killed anyone that I ever heard of, so what is there to put aside? We're not going to open a spreadsheet and try to count which belief system manufactures more murderous sociopaths per capita. It's easy to understand why, as between theism and atheism, the theists would not want to make a spreadsheet to compare. All I need from you is agreement that it's entirely possible for either an atheist or theist world to devolve into a screaming murder festival. So far as I know, there has never been an atheist world. But it's true that some ideologies that are officially atheistic have been involved in mass oppression and killing. In no case has that seemed to revolve around the atheism angle, however. Other aspects of the ideologies, however, have been quite extremist. The religious leader sends his people into battle because he thinks God commanded it, the Stalins and Maos of the world do the same because they see their people as nothing more than meaty fuel to be ground up to feed the machinery of The State. In both cases, the people are equally dead Yes, but atheism hasn't done any of it. Quote
Riverwind Posted May 29, 2007 Report Posted May 29, 2007 can it be said to kill in the name of atheism?Atheists sometimes see theists as threats and seek to eliminate them. IOW - people have been killed because they believe in a God and that is considered a heresy in an atheistic state.Human beings are dangerous creatures whenever they are driven by extreme ideology that leaves no room for dissent. The justification for this ideology is not important. Claiming it is 'science based' is just as dangerous as claiming it is 'the word of God' if the person making the claim refuses to accept the possibility that they might be wrong. Agnostics are not Atheists because Agnostics accept the idea that their could be a God but don't know and (often) don't really care if there is one. Quote To fly a plane, you need both a left wing and a right wing.
M.Dancer Posted May 29, 2007 Author Report Posted May 29, 2007 Hey look, M.Dancer has started a thread of his own, rather than merely disrupting others. Well, why don't I just take a peak and see what he's come up with...[As a reminder to M.Dancer, because he seems to have forgotten ... My Ignore List: M.Dancer, Michael Bluth, Leafless, Freeman Menard, LesActive.] What's it like to be a neurotic passive aggressive and an attention whore who simply can't heed his own advice? Nevermind, if I want an answer I will email a psychiatrist.... Quote RIGHT of SOME, LEFT of OTHERS If it is a choice between them and us, I choose us
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