TylerDurdenn Posted June 25, 2014 Posted June 25, 2014 What are your thoughts on Islam? Of course, but I'm happy to accept proof and change my mind, contrary to religious doctrine. Telling people they go to "hell" and they deserve it is quite enough hate for me, thank you. I see no outcry or rage here. I just hold a very strong POV, which is that no religion ever furthered humanity morally or otherwise in understanding and improving our circumstances. That's not rage, that's just my conclusion from looking at the good and the bad that comes from religious doctrine and from the people following any given religion. Christianity is currently less damaging than Islam, e.g. when we look at beheadings or religious fanaticism. BUT that doesn't make it true when it comes to christian claims about the state of the universe or our future. And from a philosophical POV both are equally terrible attempts at explaining our world, our purpose and our origin. The discussion isn't a threat to me personally. I'm just saying it doesn't have a testable foundation, it's absurd at best, and a waste of time and energy and it's scaremongering at worst. Some people start taking it seriously and suddenly their god commands them to unleash violence on "satan's followers" and they will feel justified as they're just fulfilling the bible's prophecies. I mean, explain to a devout muslim why he shouldn't make use of the atomic bomb to further the jihad. A similar case can be made for christianity. Would it not make you feel uncomfortable if I went to prepare my ork sword because I strongly believe Saruman is about to come and summon his troops? That I'll be part of his big plan to take back middle earth or whatever? Why have no religious folk bothered to reply to this? 2
todreaminblue Posted June 25, 2014 Posted June 25, 2014 (edited) I don't see any reason to believe there's a god in the first place. So, conveniently, I don't have to worry about his psychotic, devilish plans to kill and destroy civilization. It's just fiction to me. I'm worried though about the number of people who think it's reality, as I would be if people started believing in the return of the orks or Saruman. How this prophecy conveniently fits all kinds of events. Boom or whimper, quick or long stretched. Could be anything. I can make predictions like this. In 100 years people will eat lunch. Am I a prophet now too? You're asking me to prove a negative.Russell's teapot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia If I asked you to prove to me that the big volcanic eruption a few years ago in Iceland is not a sign of the return of Thor, you would be facing the same problem. The thing is, with this thinking, you can justify anything. That's why it cannot be part of a serious argument. Proof to me that <generic event> is not a sign for <generic religious prophecy> will always "work", but obviously, a causal relation cannot be established by the person arguing for the connection of the event and the prophecy. If you agree that it is ongoing, rather than a new phenomenon, why wasn't it a sign before? Of course it happens all the time, that's why there's even a word for that: Background extinction rate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Well, actually the scientists that are baffled as you claim, aren't really: Colony collapse disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. We have a very good understanding of likely causes. TL;DR: too much use of dangerous pesticides, uniform agricultural plantations (lack of diversity in food sources), genetic degradation of bee swarms due to hybridization and reliance on a few selected breeder swarms. I cringe at expressions such as my proof. There's proof and there is things that aren't proof. And as I showed, you're actually misrepresenting the fact that scientists are baffled. They did not, like you and believers in general resort to the argument from ignorance (Argument from ignorance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia They sat down in the lab or went out into the field and took a look at the real world and narrowed down the likely causes of the CCD instead of inserting a hypothetical mystical being wanting to terminate the earth. if you pick apart anything you can find fault its easy you pick until you find it.........if you want to believe anything with your heart first you will believe it....i dotn need to read someone else's opinions to make up my own heart and mind actually its already firm i dont need proof to make a decision when my heart knows what is true.....thats what faith is ill stick to books that consistently and over years dont change......and the principles and messages are always the same ......and if followed to the letter would stop the world from caving in on itself.....agriculturallly morally ethically and every other way i can think of....simple principles simple life one of spiritual happiness in an eternity sounds like what i need in my life....i respect your beliefs, i will never agree and the time you took to find confounding arguments and hypothesis i thankyou for the effort you made......if i didnt believe in god i wouldnt be here at all.....and that doesnt make a difference to you and your life fro i havent touched your life.....but for all the people i have touched, me being here, and having faith in god has made a difference to theirs.......without athiests there would be no god "If there were no God there would be no atheists." - G. K. Chesterton gk chesterton is an ancestor of mine and hsi faith in god allowed him to write many wonderful inspiring thoughts......so i actually come from a long spiritually minded family ...mother was sunday school teacher etc..... me I am an ex hooker......an believe me i am not disillusioned thinking the world is full of fairies and unicorns...i have seen the underbelly in many states...i have friends there who cant get out...........but god has been with me through my toughest trials when i have pleaded and begged for my own personal space and been denied......a science book wasnt there for me then but biblical comfort was.....i am sure you wouldnt deny me comfort in times of terror would you and guffaw and carry on that i was deluded to feel comforted by a mystical being.....he isnt mystic...he is my father and we are in a long distance "real"ationship....:0)....or that i am just silly to believe that god cares enough to touch my heart often when i am scorned or hurt or left to bleed in a gutter soemwhere he gave me the strength to stand up to hobble away..not just once have i had to get up off the ground beaten and a loser in a battle often happens when men decide a woman needs to eb contrlled or ptu in her place.....well stuff that...ill fight...even if i lose........and this is literal ..no man came to save me or science book either helped me up off the ground..........as it stands i appreciate your disbelief as it strengthens my belief makes my testimony stronger and i thank god for you my friend...... my defense is strongest in times of ridicule against me.....and against my loving heavenly father who gave his son to take an ex hookers sins away he forgives me when other men have spit and have cursed....the grace of him is just well.....awesome....unlike worldly man.My god, who looks after me who comforts me and i am ever so grateful i have had that ....or i wouldnt be here neither would some of the peopel god has led me to help...and this world is on its way out....walk the gutters some time....make friends with streetlights at night...for the shadows are legthening and the streetlights are going out...so if you see a broken streetlight take care..people break them to make it harder to see them so they can rob soemone and not be identifiable did you know that?...i am not the delusional type i say what i know and have seen and been and done.......blessed be you....deb Edited June 25, 2014 by todreaminblue 1
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