WONDERING WHY

[Consummate Deist]

So when we execute mass murderers in today's society, we are committing murder under this logic. Am I understanding that correctly?

That depends on who to talk to....but in my opinion we do, as a society, commit murder, since we actually have other options; I do not intend to start a dialouge on capital punishment!

[beowulf]

Do you even know what it is or when the CHRISTian afterlife begins?

Are you talking about what the bible says or what Xians teach each other - two entirely different things you know. By the bible (depending on where you read) it eithers starts at death (as Jesus said to the one man being crucified with him) or on the second coming and involves an eternity of singing praises to a meglomaniac! Xians seem to think it starts at death and is just so wonderful, you do anything you want. Boy are they gonna be surprized when they are hauled up in front of Anubis and Thot to have their heart weighed against a feather!

[atrueoriginall]

Your answer is too simple.

The Christians have a much bigger head count.

Current day almanac figures state

Christianity: 2 billion

Islam: 1.3 billion

Hinduism: 900 million

Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 850 million

Buddhism: 360 million

Chinese traditional religion: 225 million

primal-indigenous: 150 million

African Traditional & Diasporic: 95 million

Sikhism: 23 million

Juche: 19 million

Spiritism: 14 million

Judaism: 14 million

Baha'i: 6 million

Jainism: 4 million

Shinto: 4 million

Cao Dai: 3 million

Tenrikyo: 2.4 million

Neo-Paganism: 1 million

Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand

Rastafarianism: 700 thousand

Scientology: 600 thousand

Zoroastrianism: 150 thousand

[Asterix]

Interesting data.

Can it be so that Judaism followers are just 14 million? I mean, if you consider just how many there are in USA alone, it should be more than 40 million worldwide...

[Athenian]

They should not count the USA because of its hardcore materialism...

[Consummate Deist]

Since the count (especially for the Christians) is based on the membership figures of the individual churches/temples/mosques/synagogues/etc and include every living person that is (on paper) a member of that unit, no matter how long it has been since they have participated in the dogma of that religion, no matter if they have deconverted or joined another religion, I find these figures to be questionable. Even then 7 out of every 10 people in the world would consider the Christian bible to be mythology! Incidentally, a little research on the internet (still the fastest way) shows that Christian websites give high figures for their membership and non Christian sites give much lower. So basically Beowulf is pretty close when the said 5/6ths.

[BurnSide]

I'd like to see a source for those stats.

Edited December 7, 2004 by BurnSide

[Raistlin Majere]

It dosen't take into account the fact that most of those Christians don't even really practice, they just go to church because it makes them feel good.

[Ashley-Star*Child]

It dosen't take into account the fact that most of those Christians don't even really practice, they just go to church because it makes them feel good.

391342[/snapback]

Are you saying that is what you do?

[Ashley-Star*Child]

So he could have tailored the plague to be Human and Nephillim specific, but in his blood-thirsty Hebrew Demon ways he had to destroy everything! Come on, you are grasping a straws to such an extent that you have created quite a hay rick there beside you! Please, your pagan mythology, whether mainstream or Enoch, means absolutely nothing to me and 5/6ths of the world)!

Or, say, since he knew it would come to that, he could have just made his creation so that he doesnt have to wipe it out later on... You know, cuz hes, like GOD.

390564[/snapback]

My goodness, are you actually saying you BELIEVE in God? *clap clap* Because if you don't, then your comment is irrelevant.

[Ashley-Star*Child]

you did not read the part about how He SAVED several pairs of EVERY species - INCLDUING humanity.

big whoops! Bloody Jehova murdered everything in the world in it's billions and trillions but actually saved two of everything. No sweat he wiped out 99.999999999999999% of life, he saved .0000000000000001% of it! Sorry, you just convicted your homicidal God of mass murder!

To the statement about murder the bible states you should not murder, it dont say you should not kill. Murder to me atleast is to kill for profit/or to gain from the act.

No, murder is premeditated and your God being an all knowing God would know how everything was going to turn out, so to kill everything for sin means that he murdered everything. When you talk about the battel between good and evil, you admit that your god is modeled on the Persian concept of a Good God (Jehovah)and an Evil God (Satan). If your God was stronger, there would be no Satan wandering the earth, no matter you bogus explanations!

You say it isn't a mythology? What's the difference between it, and the Ancient Greek's stories about Thor, and Mount Olympis?

About 500 miles across the Mediterrean (as the crow flies) and that is the only difference. They are both pagan mythology!

390796[/snapback]

It's Yahweh actually. God has many names, but YHWH is one of the most Holy. What's the difference between God and Greek mythology? Because Greek mythology IS mythology, the Bible is NOT.

[Stellar]

My goodness, are you actually saying you BELIEVE in God? *clap clap* Because if you don't, then your comment is irrelevant.

Nope, I dont, and it doesnt make it irrelevant.

[Q-La]

They should not count the USA because of its hardcore materialism...

390906[/snapback]

Oh you don't mean that the day you step into a country you are automatically converted to any of its ideal. It's just a bit extreme to put a = sign there...

[Ashley-Star*Child]

My goodness, are you actually saying you BELIEVE in God? *clap clap* Because if you don't, then your comment is irrelevant.

Nope, I dont, and it doesnt make it irrelevant.

391843[/snapback]

Yes it does, especially the way you are portraying it.

[Mad Manfred]

Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 850 million

Yeah sure...chuck us Non-religious and Atheists in with those fence sitting Agnostic b*******

[Raistlin Majere]

It dosen't take into account the fact that most of those Christians don't even really practice, they just go to church because it makes them feel good.

391342[/snapback]

Are you saying that is what you do?

391787[/snapback]

Where the **** do you get off insulting my faith just because I don't believe in your little cult book of Enoch? You're just like the old Roman church-"We know God better than any of you, so p*** off and do what we say because it's the only way that's right!"

You have no right to say what God thinks about a certain subject-you're human too, descended from the same sin, you're no better, God won't see you better-so where the hell do you get off insulting my devoution?

Sorry that I don't believe in the world's oldest Fanfiction of a great book.

[beowulf]

I'd like to see a source for those stats.

Burnside, I believe that it came from this site or other similar sites of a Xian bend:

http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html

[Shadowsleet]

Because Greek mythology IS mythology, the Bible is NOT.

Why? Simply because you say so? There is no more evidence to support the existance of your god, than there is to support the existance of the gods the ancient greeks worshipped...or the ancient Egyptians...or any culture for that matter.

Just like those cultures, it was once believed that thunder was caused by your god being angry...we now know this to be false. It was believed that earthquakes and other natural disasters were brought about by the same thing, and we also know this to be false. Not once has your religion presented anything to make itself more credible than any of the thousands upon thousands of belief systems that have come before or after it.

So, again, what exactly is it that you're presenting to us that should make us believe your story to be truth, and turn away everyone else's as fiction?

[Hotoke]

Because Greek mythology IS mythology, the Bible is NOT.

Why? Simply because you say so? There is no more evidence to support the existance of your god, than there is to support the existance of the gods the ancient greeks worshipped...or the ancient Egyptians...or any culture for that matter.

Just like those cultures, it was once believed that thunder was caused by your god being angry...we now know this to be false. It was believed that earthquakes and other natural disasters were brought about by the same thing, and we also know this to be false. Not once has your religion presented anything to make itself more credible than any of the thousands upon thousands of belief systems that have come before or after it.

So, again, what exactly is it that you're presenting to us that should make us believe your story to be truth, and turn away everyone else's as fiction?

392399[/snapback]

you can expect an answer like:"God Told me" It is funny how xians believe in everything that has no proof and things that have proof are fake such is teh logic of religions

[Shadowsleet]

you can expect an answer like:"God Told me" It is funny how xians believe in everything that has no proof and things that have proof are fake such is teh logic of religions

Yes, so I've noticed....

I still think it's mad The creationism vs evolution debate, for example, is so utterly redundant, I don't know why it crops up so often - evolution is supported by a mountain of evidence. Creationism is not...in fact, creationism is contradicted by a great deal of evidence. But still they argue for it.

Religion has got to be the ultimate brainwashing tool

[JennRose]

Well, I know this has been said before, but I will say it again: there probably won't be any changed minds from these sort of threads.

But I will still put in my 2 cents on it, anyway.

I was raised in a very Christian influenced home, and tried very hard to make that belief system work for me growing up. For better or for worse, it has some nice, laudable aspects. The God of the Bible and the God of modern churches are VERY different. The hip, updated, modern God is one of love, and what is wrong with love? However, Christians are blind to the fact that their 'never-changing' god (and his holy text) has undergone more reinventions than Madonna.

Christianity is also good about giving you reasons to fear your own doubts and questions. If you are afraid (with Hell as incentive) to question something, you will probably keep on believing it. This has been true with this religion for centuries...nothing has been a bigger or better insitution designed to suppress people and their thoughts than the Church. It's amazing what forced illiteracy and torture can make folks worship.

A little thing called the circular argument also works both for and against it. "The Bible is true because it says it is true" sort of thing. Pretty much the only hard evidence that can be called up in a heated Christian debate is 'faith'. Not much to put your entire life's belief system on the line for, when you stop and think about it.

I'm 25 years old now, and while that isn't exactly a wise old age, it has given me time to both drop the scales of childhood "Oh God loves me bc church camp told me so" and to move past the angsty teen "I hate God and my parents and won't believe in ANYTHING". I've researched many religions out of curiosity (I find the many forms of Paganism a personal favorite). Currently I call myself a Deist, as I just can't reconcile myself with idea that everything was a total accident. It's still up for debate, though.

As an aside, arguing and name-calling on these sorts of threads only makes you look childish. It won't further your cause with 'the other side', in fact it will probably make them run the other way. Being belligerant and demanding is not a good way to make you case be heard. I say this for both Christians and non-Christians.

Ok, that's it. I will gladly argue any points of what I have said intelligently, but please don't tell me something like, "You are wrong because you are stupid and God told me so." Thanks.

[Hotoke]

Well, I know this has been said before, but I will say it again: there probably won't be any changed minds from these sort of threads. 

But I will still put in my 2 cents on it, anyway.

I was raised in a very Christian influenced home, and tried very hard to make that belief system work for me growing up.  For better or for worse, it has some nice, laudable aspects.  The God of the Bible and the God of modern churches are VERY different.   The hip, updated, modern God is one of love, and what is wrong with love? However, Christians are blind to the fact that their 'never-changing' god (and his holy text) has undergone more reinventions than Madonna.

Christianity is also good about giving you reasons to fear your own doubts and questions.  If you are afraid (with Hell as incentive) to question something, you will probably keep on believing it.  This has been true with this religion for centuries...nothing has been a bigger or better insitution designed to suppress people and their thoughts than the Church.  It's amazing what forced illiteracy and torture can make folks worship.

A little thing called the circular argument also works both for and against it.  "The Bible is true because it says it is true" sort of thing.  Pretty much the only hard evidence that can be called up in a heated Christian debate is 'faith'.  Not much to put your entire life's belief system on the line for, when you stop and think about it.

I'm 25 years old now, and while that isn't exactly a wise old age, it has given me time to both drop the scales of childhood "Oh God loves me bc church camp told me so" and to move past the angsty teen "I hate God and my parents and won't believe in ANYTHING".  I've researched many religions out of curiosity (I find the many forms of Paganism a personal favorite).  Currently I call myself a Deist, as I just can't reconcile myself with idea that everything was a total accident.  It's still up for debate, though.

As an aside, arguing and name-calling on these sorts of threads only makes you look childish.  It won't further your cause with 'the other side', in fact it will probably make them run the other way.  Being belligerant and demanding is not a good way to make you case be heard.  I say this for both Christians and non-Christians.

Ok, that's it.  I will gladly argue any points of what I have said intelligently, but please don't tell me something like, "You are wrong because you are stupid and God told me so." Thanks.

392518[/snapback]

You are wrong because you are stupid and God told me so just joking

why cant you reconcile that everything was a total accident? Think we are special or something? when the right substances mix with eachother stuff can be created by accident. look at maggots(the rotten meat in a jar experiment) i am not attacking i am just asking

Edited December 8, 2004 by Hotoke

[JennRose]

Hotoke quote: "why cant you reconcile that everything was a total accident? Think we are special or something? when the right substances mix with eachother stuff can be created by accident. look at maggots(the rotten meat in a jar experiment) i am not aatcaking i am just asking"

I guess just for the simple reason I hope there is more out there than just "maggots in a jar". I don't know beyond a shadow of a doubt if there is or not, but here's hoping.

[Stellar]

Yes it does, especially the way you are portraying it.

Nope, it doesnt. You're just trying to find ways of avoiding my point.

[Insight]

Don't pay any attention to Stellar. He'll argue with anyone who will listen.