Bieber gets schooled on his own Twitter account

[Meowshi]

Exactly, and instead of admitting that they can do nothing, they pin it on a deity and say "he'll do it for me, don't worry about it."

Prayer is admitting that you can do nothing. That's the entire point.

It's not a way of saying, "God will do it, so I don't have to worry about it." It's just a way of accepting your limitations.

Oh yeah religion ONLY brings out the bad in people that's exactly what I'm saying... No. The point is, people who pray are acting like they are doing something when in reality, they are not.

If you had just said, "Prayer is meaningless because God doesn't exist" we would not be having this discussion. Unfortunately, that is not what you said. Your initial argument was that people who prayed for others didn't actually care and were apathetic to the suffering of others. It was an unnecessary generalization. I also have a problem with people responding to well-intentioned prayers with rudeness, but I can accept the fact that civility need not exist on the internet. The only criticism I can understand someone giving Beiber is perhaps a mention towards the fact that the Japanese most likely don't worship the same god he does.

Yeah, I also realize that non-religious charities also exist, and don't have a bias based on a divine doctrine. If you're not willing to help somebody you disagree with, that doesn't make you a good person at all. This would be true of any dogma, not just religion vs religion. If there was an atheist charity that refused to help people who believe in the nativity, I would object to that, regardless of my atheism.

I agree with you, but this is in no way relevant to my point. I'm just saying that you can't claim that religion makes people apathetic and less likely to donate, simply because they believe in prayer. History does not support the claim and the two things are scarcely related.

Again, if he didn't bother to stop the disaster in the first place, what makes anyone think he would care to clean up the mess?

I don't know. Why do sports teams pray before each game, even though the they know the other team is doing the same? I'm not arguing that prayer is logical.

The only reason it's brought up so much is because nobody can answer it. Epicurus was a smart guy, and his riddle stumps nearly everyone I know who believes in a deity. So no, it isn't lazy, it's repeatedly effective.

The argument is poor because it only concerns itself with the present, when the benevolence of God isn't limited to your time on earth.

Essentially, you have to believe that life is about choice. We are free to do whatever we want, but in turn must accept that others don't always want to do the right thing. A world without rapists and murderers would certainly be better, but it also would be a world without free will. The reason the world can be such a miserable place is because we aren't governed by a god who rushes down to poof away all of our problems like some sort of genie. It's like how parents have to learn not to coddle their children and let them make mistakes in order to become better people. The religious argument is that your time on earth is not about having a perfect life without sorrow and misery, but rather about making the right choices and being a good person. The reward supposedly comes after that.

 

[Faladorian]

Prayer is admitting that you can do nothing. That's the entire point.

It's not a way of saying, "God will do it, so I don't have to worry about it." It's just a way of accepting your limitations.

I suppose you're right on that. My point still stands that many use it as an excuse for inaction, which I think Justin Bieber is probably doing. He seems to be a posterboy for innocent conformity and bland apathy.

If you had just said, "Prayer is meaningless because God doesn't exist" we would not be having this discussion. Unfortunately, that is not what you said.

While that is what I strongly believe, some people claim I would be jumping to conclusions in saying that god doesn't exist. I disagree, but people will have their opinions.

Your initial argument was that people who prayed for others didn't actually care and were apathetic to the suffering of others. It was an unnecessary generalization. I also have a problem with people responding to well-intentioned prayers with rudeness, but I can accept the fact that civility need not exist on the internet. The only criticism I can understand someone giving Beiber is perhaps a mention towards the fact that the Japanese most likely don't worship the same god he does.

Right, and in that case it just seems inconsiderate if anything. Almost as if suggesting that their god should be consulted because the other ones don't exist, for some reason.

I agree with you, but this is in no way relevant to my point. I'm just saying that you can't claim that religion makes people apathetic and less likely to donate, simply because they believe in prayer. History does not support the claim and the two things are scarcely related.

The idea that they feel like they're already contributing could drive people to do nothing further. I know many people who say they will pray for someone or something and do nothing about it. It's simply to seem empathetic.

I don't know. Why do sports teams pray before each game, even though the they know the other team is doing the same? I'm not arguing that prayer is logical.

Hah, yeah. Good point.

The argument is poor because it only concerns itself with the present, when the benevolence of God isn't limited to your time on earth.

Essentially, you have to believe that life is about choice. We are free to do whatever we want, but in turn must accept that others don't always want to do the right thing. A world without rapists and murderers would certainly be better, but it also would be a world without free will. The reason the world can be such a miserable place is because we aren't governed by a god who rushes down to poof away all of our problems like some sort of genie. It's like how parents have to learn not to coddle their children and let them make mistakes in order to become better people. The religious argument is that your time on earth is not about having a perfect life without sorrow and misery, but rather about making the right choices and being a good person.

So, is having bad things happen to you valuable experience for eternal paradise? If there was an afterlife, there would be absolutely NO point to actual life.

The reward supposedly comes after that.

Unless you're gay, unbaptized, uncircumcised, or worship any other god. Or even worship the same God in a different way. If there is a heaven, it's gotta be damn near empty.

 

[Judgmentalist]

people we hate for no real reason

Whats this supposed to mean? There is a reason.. He's a part of destroying the creativity of the music industry

Right, because children's music was so creative back when you were a kid right?

How do people become this pretentious? Is there like a hipster college or something?

Yea infact it was, you'd probally know if you weren't 12 years old. Now it's just reused beats with a different shitty autotune voice raping your earcanals.

I don't know if I can think of a insult more agonizingly awful as "you'd probably know if you weren't 12 years old". Why not throw a "your momma so fat" joke in their while you're at it, champ?

How about instead of saying "yea infact it was", you actually NAME these songs. I'd love some examples of these children's pop songs that were so intellectually stimulating to you as a kid.

I said creative, not intellectually stimulating. Well, Creamy (I think they were called atleast) Aqua, Cartoon and so on were atleast creative. Now we get copy pasted shit with what ever little shit is popular at the time. Same with regular modern day pop music, it's one guy making every melody for every pop song out there, they're only slightly different and it's right out disgusting

Copypasta!

COPYPASTA~!