Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Shirley A. Rickett on October 17, 2012 at 1:12pm

It's not my job.  Show by example and give information when asked.

Permalink Reply by Jim R S Björklund on October 18, 2012 at 11:48pm

'Job' arent everything...'job' isnt the purpose of life. 'Job' are not our saviour...ok?

Permalink Reply by Tonya Wynn on October 24, 2012 at 1:55pm

I want to 'share' this on facebook.  How do I do so?!  My favorite example for Christians on how wrong the Bible is, is the book of Exodus...when 'God" tells His Chosen to go in to the promised land ad kill every man, woman, child, and animal.  SO WRONG!!! It isn't only murder, but robbery.

Permalink Reply by Shirley A. Rickett on October 17, 2012 at 1:10pm

I think the best way to "help theists" is by example.  If a theist looks to you for advice, support, or out of curiosity, you can express your beliefs.  Beyond that is trying to change other people, which simply doesn't work.

Permalink Reply by Jim R S Björklund on October 17, 2012 at 4:03pm

I agree...its gonna take a long long time...:(

Permalink Reply by Jim DePaulo on October 18, 2012 at 1:24pm

It would be a monumental task to undo what a genetic predisposition which has been strongly reinforced by an environment that has molded them to believe sky daddy is real, heaven is real as is hell.

If, as and Atheist, what argument would convince you to become a believe ?  For me it would require someone on my door step claiming she (a stunning redhead in a bikini) was god, where upon she materializes a case of Maker's Mark Bourbon and a large bag of killer weed - then I might consider her application.

Permalink Reply by Jim R S Björklund on October 18, 2012 at 11:29pm

Im not so sure it have to be such a long walk...in Scandinavia back in 1600-1900 the religion had fused with the powers to be..those changed and to force the 'right' teaching was a thing they took very serious..the church-all churces-we have had 'religios freedom' for a long time-came with force and had husförhör-i cant translate it but lawppl and preaces came into ppls home and punished them if they couldnt the 'katekes' as a running water. The 'katekes' was a simpler 'adapted' text. This visits was feared and hated and the preach was a powerful man in the local context. he was 'media' -kings orders et cetera.

In time however science started to reach out and we kinda shed the whole thing. Now its on again and they are as humans such a bundle of lies et cetera..but as social situations start to really shake ppl get scared and there stand these leches...grrr..Anyway i think we all have capacity for Aw.. And when the said context of this Aw is delivered over time with opression, people out of their own minds to see that its some kind of sham cause ppl keep falling in love and the lakes and forests is our real 'religion' Many claim we were never christened at all. 

Me mysef have NEVER bee to a 'service' of any kind. Some friends got married in a garden by a communal official with that jurisdiction.

And in Spain i hear that the terrible Spanish catolic church ae losing suppot fast...What they did to the Spanish pll under Franco as recent as 1975 is so nasty so ordinary cleaver ppl goes to midnight mass on christmas but thats it. Its a nice things after.

-They stay out all familes on cafe and bars after the rite

-i was in fioerentina (florence) one year backpackning and it was kind fantastic those hours after one o' clock.

Didnt hear any religious talk there.

But you have a diffrent situation, you seem to lack a real tradition of critical thinking. The alternative ppl comes thru as obstinate kids ( no no no not at all) and you get stuck in that role-not by your own doing but by bias, context et cetera...Even brilliant scoollars like Hithens and Dawkins get pushed into that corner...it start when you lock your self to the concept of nation in school pledge et cetera. To revolt is to say cunt bum anal plug and the context moves not a bit. (im even unsure if its ok to write those words here as this is mainly US context)

Oh shit i maybe totaly wrong, blabbing about what i dont have a clue about but it looks like this from afare so plzz dont troll me :)

JimB

 

(There may be many many wrong spellings and other out of order things, hope you can stand it)

Permalink Reply by Alan Perlman on October 20, 2012 at 9:42pm

Well said!  Wish I'd written that.  Or how about (plot for a novel) God's so pissed at what people have done in his name that he starts killing off believers with a mysterious plague (just as in the Bible), leaving only us to enjoy the world without killing each other over sompeting myths?

Permalink Reply by michele ricketts on October 20, 2012 at 1:09pm

Hey the collusion for deception Santa exists could be preening for the other guy with a big snowy beard who comes from on high as in through the roof ; or roof of the mind or the world. Letter to Santa as an analogy to a prayer and rewards for good behaviour will be like opening presents in the afterlife.
There are so many metaphors I think it is definitive that Santa was invented to go hand in hand with Christmuch once the Christian ball got rolling. Santa as god's Mini-Me for kids.
What we need is the counter-cultural of inclusion of Santa at Halloween

Permalink Reply by Jim DePaulo on October 21, 2012 at 12:23pm

It was the Santa Claus myth that initially brought me to Atheism – although, at the time I had no idea that I was on the road. I figured out the Santa myth a couple of years before my parents “told me”.  I didn't want them to know that I knew – my reasoning being, when they knew I knew the loot would cease to appear under the tree Xmas morning (a sort of metaphor for religion – if you don't believe you get NO rewards.)
Any hoo, I then just assumed that god/jebus/bible were just stories like the Santa story, but it was for grown ups. It was down hill or up hill, depending on your POV, from there.
When I was 16, my cousin and I got hold of the complete works of Robert Ingersoll – which we read – his words put all the ducks in a row for me and the complete insanity of religious belief coalesced in my gray matter.

Permalink Reply by Dr. Terence Meaden on October 21, 2012 at 12:37pm

Chapeau, Jim! ----as they say in French.

My story from Santa onwards is the same as yours, apart from me not knowing about Robert Ingersoll at the age you did. POV upwards and upwards therefore. 

When I applied to take entrance exams for Oxford University, there was a line on the application form asking about religion, so I wrote C of E. 

Everyone in Britain, except me, knows that this is short for Church of England.

For me it meant Critic of the Establishment. 

 

Permalink Reply by Jim DePaulo on October 24, 2012 at 12:31pm

I always wrote "Zen Baptist" on my applications, however, I was never contacted by the church - small wonder their adherents are so few.

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