mega thread Everypony's Religion And Why?

[Pix3M 607]

When I say "God" in general I'm speaking about the Powers that Be. Angels, spirits, and yokai are just as valid. Again, I just don't know. All I know is that things aren't random. I don't believe in coincidences.

 

Pretty much why religious dicussions can become EXTREMELY confusing, but thanks for clearing that up. We have different ideas of what 'God' is. (lolol @ people citing Einstein as an example of a religious scientist)

[Gozutennou 36]

Hey, just sayin'.

 

If one thinks religion is dangerous, Atheism can be shown to be just as dangerous.

 

have you ever heard about a atheist who walked in a church, walked to a reverant, shouted: '' I kill you, in the name of atheism !'' took a sawed-off 12 gauge shotgun out of his pocket (unrealistic) and blown his brains out ? Don't think so

 

and of course, religion has did many good things, but in my opinion, the bad things religion did outweigh the good things ( my opinion not fact !)

 

Things like:

• saying to little kids that they're going to hell, (pinkie pie: ''forever !'') for a finite crime of not believing in a cosmic tyrant, have you ever burned a body part ? then imagine burning all over you're body, for infinity.... infinity ! just for not believing
• killing doctors in abortion clinics
• burning books that dont agree with the church teaching
• torturing people because the say that the earth orbits around the sun and not the other way around, same thing for saying that the earth is round and not flat.

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

but you don't see atheists claiming their beliefs allow them to deny the rights of others, or to create or evade laws.

 

Josef Stalin comes to mind. His atheism and atheistic regime persecuted religious people of all religions and denominations in his country, along with many of his successors.

Not to mention, even in modern day North Korea, the atheistic regime there considers simply owning a Bible a crime punishable by prison and forced labour.

 

It's hard to say I've never seen an atheist shoving his ideology down someone's throat when history tells me otherwise.

[Pix3M 607]

Josef Stalin comes to mind. His atheism and atheistic regime persecuted religious people of all religions and denominations in his country, along with many of his successors.

Not to mention, even in modern day North Korea, the atheistic regime there considers simply owning a Bible a crime punishable by prison and forced labour.

 

It's hard to say I've never seen an atheist shoving his ideology down someone's throat when history tells me otherwise.

 

Is that atheism, or is that leaning too far on the political left? Atheism does not come with a belief that religions are bad because atheism is nothing more than the non-belief regarding religion.

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

have you ever heard about a atheist who walked in a church, walked to a reverant, shouted: '' I kill you, in the name of atheism !'' took a sawed-off 12 gauge shotgun out of his pocket (unrealistic) and blown his brains out ? Don't think so

Then clearly you've never heard of Jeffrey Dahmer who, in the name of atheism, murdered 17 people. Or maybe Josef Stalin, who in the name atheism, murdered millions of religious people.

 

[Envy 6,156]

I like agnostics alot more than atheists or based on the chart above, all but the top right are alright with me. Except the extreme fringes of the bottom right.

 

At least the two left versions are open to the possibility.

 

So why is the bottom right okay with you? As the top right are not 'open to the possibility' of there being a God, the bottom right is not "open to the possibility" of there not being a God.

 

The thing about Agnostic Atheism is that it's probably a bit different from how you're probably thinking. Agnostic Atheists are Agnostic toward an more general concept of a God. Like a Deistic God, we won't claim that doesn't exist with an absolute certainty. However, Agnostic Atheists tend to completely reject the existence of the Abrahamic God (Yahweh, God, Allah). Or at least that is my experience with those who call themselves 'Agnostic Atheists'.

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

Is that atheism, or is that leaning too far on the political left? Atheism does not come with a belief that religions are bad because atheism is nothing more than the non-belief regarding religion.

 

If you can excuse Josef Stalin's actions as being "left wing politics" then you can just as easily excuse the Inquisitor's actions as being "right wing politics".

 

If Stalin wasn't atheist, he wouldn't have done it.

[Fizz. 1,078]

Then clearly you've never heard of Jeffrey Dahmer who, in the name of atheism, murdered 17 people. Or maybe Josef Stalin, who in the name atheism, murdered millions of religious people.

 

 

 

*sigh*

 

You missed my point, LRP. Radical atheists like Josef Stalin and Dahmer are entirely dangerous, yes. BUT, as a belief, atheism DOES NOT command you to kill "infidels" because there is no official guide to atheism! It's simply a lack of beliefs. Thus, an atheism isn't obliged to, say, stop a woman from exposing her hair to the public.

 

If you can excuse Josef Stalin's actions as being "left wing politics" then you can just as easily excuse the Inquisitor's actions as being "right wing politics".

 

If Stalin wasn't atheist, he wouldn't have done it.

 

No no no, because the Inquisitor's actions were commanded and engineered by their Holy Book, but Josef Stalin's personal beliefs were that theists were the scum of society.

[Pix3M 607]

The Christian God and Allah are the same God.

 

Doesn't matter. It still challenges the idea that somehow the Christian perspective is the only one worth considering. It's the reason why I stepped out of my little Christianity bubble and look at things in my own perspective to determine my own world view - I realized that Christianity is only one religion out of many.

Edited May 19, 2012 by PixMeister

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

*sigh*

 

You missed my point, LRP. Radical atheists like Josef Stalin and Dahmer are entirely dangerous, yes. BUT, as a belief, atheism DOES NOT command you to kill "infidels" because there is no official guide to atheism! It's simply a lack of beliefs. Thus, an atheism isn't obliged to, say, stop a woman from exposing her hair to the public.

 

Nor does Christianity say to kill infidels. Unless you take "love your enemy" as a call for a Holy War.

 

You are correct, Atheism has no defined enforced rules, but it also has no defined restrictions, which is why, in the hands of the wrong person, can result in catastrophes.

 

My point is not that atheism causes problems, but my point is if one opposes religion because they consider it dangerous, one can just as easily oppose Atheism, as it can and has been proved capable of being just as dangerous.

Edited May 19, 2012 by Lady Rarity Pony

[Pix3M 607]

Nor does Christianity say to kill infidels. Unless you take "love your enemy" as a call for a Holy War.

 

If for some reason I can go to google and find a violent verse in the bible with little effort...

[Fizz. 1,078]

Nor does Christianity say to kill infidels. Unless you take "love your enemy" as a call for a Holy War.

 

You are correct, Atheism has no defined enforced rules, but it also has no defined restrictions, which is why, in the hands of the wrong person, can result in catastrophes.

 

There are plenty instances in the Bible where one can interpret the sayings to kill any non-Christians, even if some of the instances are only for the Chosen People.

 

Once again, atheism isn't an entire idea, it's a sort of way of thinking. You cannot kill in the name of atheism because there is no definite atheism! There is nothing to source. You can only kill in your or your group's personal beliefs. A radical extremist "Christian", on the other hand, could take some part of the Bible and use it as a reason to kill.

 

There are so many ways to interpret Holy Books, which leaves a ton of room for abuse. But atheism cannot be abused in the fact it technically is not an established idea, it is just a way to think.

[Envy 6,156]

If for some reason I can go to google and find a violent verse in the bible with little effort...

 

Well, I don't believe there is one that says to kill non-believers.

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

If for some reason I can go to google and find a violent verse in the bible with little effort...

 

I can also find some nasty looking quotes from atheists justifying murder and oppression.

[Pix3M 607]

I can also find some nasty looking quotes from atheists justifying murder and oppression.

 

Your point is moot unless somehow those atheists are the equivalent to Jesus Christ / the bible in Christianity.

Edited May 19, 2012 by PixMeister

[Fizz. 1,078]

I can also find some nasty looking quotes from atheists justifying murder and oppression.

 

 

Okay, now find the book that all atheists follow diligently.

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

There are plenty instances in the Bible where one can interpret the sayings to kill any non-Christians, even if some of the instances are only for the Chosen People.

 

Once again, atheism isn't an entire idea, it's a sort of way of thinking. You cannot kill in the name of atheism because there is no definite atheism! There is nothing to source. You can only kill in your or your group's personal beliefs. A radical extremist "Christian", on the other hand, could take some part of the Bible and use it as a reason to kill.

 

There are so many ways to interpret Holy Books, which leaves a ton of room for abuse. But atheism cannot be abused in the fact it technically is not an established idea, it is just a way to think.

 

"You cannot kill in the name of atheism", yet it has been done before.

 

Trying to whitewash all bad actions atheists have taken under the excuse "well atheism doesn't force you to do it" is silly. While no definition of atheism says to oppress others, it's still very possible to twist atheism to do so. As has been done in the past.

[Envy 6,156]

I can also find some nasty looking quotes from atheists justifying murder and oppression.

 

And that would be coming from one individual Atheist's screwed up mind, not scripture taken from a holy book claimed to be written by or directly inspired by an higher being.

[Pix3M 607]

Well, I don't believe there is one that says to kill non-believers.

 

Well... google got me something interesting. Care to read Deuteronomy 13:6-10?

 

EDIT: And I may as well copy-paste the verses from a different website which pointed those verses for me.

 

⁶ If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, ⁷ gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), ⁸ do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. ⁹ You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people. ¹⁰ Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

Edited May 19, 2012 by PixMeister

[Fizz. 1,078]

"You cannot kill in the name of atheism", yet it has been done before.

 

Trying to whitewash all bad actions atheists have taken under the excuse "well atheism doesn't force you to do it" is silly. While no definition of atheism says to oppress others, it's still very possible to twist atheism to do so. As has been done in the past.

 

 

Oh for God sakes, re-read the post! You cannot kill in the name of atheism BECAUSE THERE IS NO OFFICIAL ATHEIST GUIDE LINES. Atheism isn't about adhering to some set of rules, it's a private belief that there is no God! Because atheism is simply, "I do not believe in God."

 

But Christianity isn't "I believe in a God", it's "I believe in the Abrahamic God and follow the set of rules written in the Holy Bible." Do you understand yet? Atheism doesn't have a book to follow or rules to make. People who kill theists do it because they personally believe theists are wrong. Atheism, in its own sense does not condone nor condemn killing....nor does it promote or condemn eating pizza because atheism does not have established guide lines.

 

RECAP:

 

Christianity has rules and established guide lines.

Atheism means you don't believe in God.

 

 

So thus, one cannot kill in the name of atheism. They can CLAIM to, but atheism does not promote nor disapprove of killing or anything. Atheism has no morals, or laws, or guides, or traditions. It's a belief there is no higher being.

[Pix3M 607]

It's a belief there is no higher being.

 

That wording leaves out weak atheism where it's just the non-belief of a higher being. Not holding an opinion is different from holding an opinion that it's false.

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

And that would be coming from one individual Atheist's screwed up mind, not scripture taken from a holy book claimed to be written by or directly inspired by an higher being.

 

Likewise one who murders in the name of Jesus's teachings is also one individual with a screwed up mind. When a crime is committed in the name of religion, all religion is targeted, yet when a crime is committed in the name of atheism people run for cover and try to disassociate those individuals from atheism, even when their actions were well encouraged by their atheism.

 

Oh for God sakes, re-read the post! You cannot kill in the name of atheism BECAUSE THERE IS NO OFFICIAL ATHEIST GUIDE LINES. Atheism isn't about adhering to some set of rules, it's a private belief that there is no God! Because atheism is simply, "I do not believe in God."

 

But Christianity isn't "I believe in a God", it's "I believe in the Abrahamic God and follow the set of rules written in the Holy Bible." Do you understand yet? Atheism doesn't have a book to follow or rules to make. People who kill theists do it because they personally believe theists are wrong. Atheism, in its own sense does not condone nor condemn killing....nor does it promote or condemn eating pizza because atheism does not have established guide lines.

 

RECAP:

 

Christianity has rules and established guide lines.

Atheism means you don't believe in God.

 

 

So thus, one cannot kill in the name of atheism. They can CLAIM to, but atheism does not promote nor disapprove of killing or anything. Atheism has no morals, or laws, or guides, or traditions. It's a belief there is no higher being.

 

Atheism means you don't believe in God, thus, there is no sin, which means there is no inherently wrong action.

See how somebody might use this unrestricted ideology to do wrong?

[Pix3M 607]

Likewise one who murders in the name of Jesus's teachings is also one individual with a screwed up mind. When a crime is committed in the name of religion, all religion is targeted, yet when a crime is committed in the name of atheism people run for cover and try to disassociate those individuals from atheism, even when their actions were well encouraged by their atheism.

 

Considering how I effortlessly found a verse encouraging violence towards apostates, how do you know you're not the one with the twisted version of faith?

 

Richard Dawkins once made this argument which seemed brillant to me, that there is this funny irony that people tend to say that there is not logical basis for faith. This throws away any standard we can possibly use to say that people like Westboro are a twisted version of fatih because to make such a claim requires a logical basis for faith. With that considered, what would be your logical basis of ignoring the verses I posted here?

[Fizz. 1,078]

Atheism means you don't believe in God, thus, there is no sin, which means there is no inherently wrong action.

See how somebody might use this unrestricted ideology to do wrong?

 

Sure, but atheism doesn't promote this ideology! Atheism doesn't permit nor block it! Because atheism as an idea is too vague to link any actions to. But Christianity promotes it.

 

An atheist can personally believe atheism allows them to do whatever the hell they want, but atheism does not say that. It also doesn't say that. Because, honestly, it isn't an actual thing. It's a term for a way of thinking. There isn't atheism, there is an atheist mind set, but not atheism.

[Pix3M 607]

Atheism means you don't believe in God, thus, there is no sin, which means there is no inherently wrong action.

See how somebody might use this unrestricted ideology to do wrong?

 

I'm certain that this argument is invalid. There are atheists who believe in a form of objective morality. I recommend reading "The Moral Landscape" by Sam harris, which argues that morality must concern with human well-being. Human well-being depends on objective facts about the human experience. If morality does concern with human well-being, then there exists objectively right and wrong answers to morality.