Lets Bash Religion...or Not

[grimsprice]

No. It is a way to find purpose in living one's life. Texts are not the religion. The principles are the religion. The lifestyle that is demanded by the principles and living these principles are the religion. The texts are just suppose to be guides.

But even compasses can be misused by the point man.

No, spirituality is everything you listed above. A religion is a group of people who get together and decide what they all believe in. Twisting and changing text, and the basic principles that these types of spiritual people believe in.

I don't have a problem with spirituality, i have a problem with religious institutions that want power, so they can convert other people, and get more power.

 

[RexoftheFord]

No. It is a way to find purpose in living one's life. Texts are not the religion. The principles are the religion. The lifestyle that is demanded by the principles and living these principles are the religion. The texts are just suppose to be guides.

But even compasses can be misused by the point man.

No, spirituality is everything you listed above. A religion is a group of people who get together and decide what they all believe in. Twisting and changing text, and the basic principles that these types of spiritual people believe in.

I don't have a problem with spirituality, i have a problem with religious institutions that want power, so they can convert other people, and get more power.

You've confused religion with cult. Religion is not a gathering of people. A church or cult is a gathering of people.

Religion exists before the church and the institutions and the cults.

Religion is a set of principles and beliefs, not the gathering of people.

 

[grimsprice]

No. It is a way to find purpose in living one's life. Texts are not the religion. The principles are the religion. The lifestyle that is demanded by the principles and living these principles are the religion. The texts are just suppose to be guides.

But even compasses can be misused by the point man.

No, spirituality is everything you listed above. A religion is a group of people who get together and decide what they all believe in. Twisting and changing text, and the basic principles that these types of spiritual people believe in.

I don't have a problem with spirituality, i have a problem with religious institutions that want power, so they can convert other people, and get more power.

You've confused religion with cult. Religion is not a gathering of people. A church or cult is a gathering of people.

Religion exists before the church and the institutions and the cults.

Religion is a set of principles and beliefs, not the gathering of people.

In the common vernacular i am right, in the textbook definition, you are right. Now tell me which one is more pertinent to the discussion?

 

[RexoftheFord]

Or they did it because of a warped view of their religion. It says right in Exodus that "Thou shalt not kill." It's pretty basic; God says don't kill people. Not hard to understand at all, really.

So anyone who kills someone in the name of Christianity is fucked in the head, or had other reasons. Not unlike people who say they kill because of video games.

Exodus 22:18 - Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
So do not kill except for people who deserve it... Yeah, very clear.

Besides not much of the population could even read back then so just did whatever the priesthood says. And!
"Whatever you hold true on earth, I'll hold true in heaven." So that means that the church is free to make its own laws and it is still part of their religion.

Besides, let me just point out that "Thou shalt not kill." is #6 on the damn list. So obviously they were going to take the top 5 to be more important than #6 part of which was I am the Lord your God, You shall have no other gods before me, Do not worship false idols. Meaning anyone who did not worship God was fair game.

Plus depending on which version you check I am pretty sure the bible says shit like any child who dishonours their parents is to be sentenced to death.

Lawyered.

New Covenant

"Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone."--Jesus

 

[Pendragon9]

All things in moderation. I'm a mildly religious man, not a saint or anything, but I believe in the basic tenants of Catholicism. I'm kind of annoyed by anti-theists constantly making blanket statements about my faith, especially when they have no fucking clue what they're talking about.

See, I can understand this.
I feel similarly when people make retarded statements about my lack of belief.

"Well isn't atheism just another religion?"
No, and go fuck yourself you ignorant scaremongering cockbags I consider your argument misinformed, to quote someone who really loves yellow backgrounds.

I've said it before and I will say it again, but this time, with a bit more explanation.
Let's say you're going chair shopping!
You're REALLY INTO this whole CHAIR THING.
But you have to FIND THE RIGHT CHAIR to SUIT YOUR NEEDS.
Eventually you decide on NO CHAIR, why?
Because you don't know, fuck chairs, or something, alright? Just go with it.

Now, is NO CHAIR a STYLE OF CHAIR?
No, it is a LACK OF CHAIR.

And that's all I really have to say about anything.

Actually, Webster's gives "Chair" one definition that stated as "to hold up someone". So if you don't use a chair, you're using legs which are their own chair if you wanted to get REALLY technical.

It also doesn't help the fact that people that enjoy a lack of chair can be as biased and hateful as people who love chairs. So it's all the same anyway.

I personally am a member of a group of people who witnessed the first chair get made. It was glorous, made of balsa wood and the finest linens.

 

[grimsprice]

Can I just point out that yesterday, a Jew told me Catholiscism was obviously a scam because we had our own country.

Wait, what

Also, atheism isn't a religion.

No, spirituality is everything you listed above. A religion is a group of people who get together and decide what they all believe in. Twisting and changing text, and the basic principles that these types of spiritual people believe in.

I don't have a problem with spirituality, i have a problem with religious institutions that want power, so they can convert other people, and get more power.

Well how do you expect types of spirituality to spread without power spreading it?

What makes you think spirituality should be spread around in the ways that religions spread them?

 

[2012 Wont Happen]

Go team agnostic!

 

[RexoftheFord]

No. It is a way to find purpose in living one's life. Texts are not the religion. The principles are the religion. The lifestyle that is demanded by the principles and living these principles are the religion. The texts are just suppose to be guides.

But even compasses can be misused by the point man.

No, spirituality is everything you listed above. A religion is a group of people who get together and decide what they all believe in. Twisting and changing text, and the basic principles that these types of spiritual people believe in.

I don't have a problem with spirituality, i have a problem with religious institutions that want power, so they can convert other people, and get more power.

You've confused religion with cult. Religion is not a gathering of people. A church or cult is a gathering of people.

Religion exists before the church and the institutions and the cults.

Religion is a set of principles and beliefs, not the gathering of people.

In the common vernacular i am right, in the textbook definition, you are right. Now tell me which one is more pertinent to the discussion?

Well, I've always been one to throw general consensus aside cause most of the time, the general populace is filled with morons who don't know what the hell they're talking about.

Which is why I've chosen my definition. Both are pertinent to the discussion equally. But since I've provided my view as a logical thought out process, rather than a mere belief without evidence, I've chosen to use a textbook definition.

 

[Bofore13]

I don't think any atheist "knows for sure" that God doesn't exist. That extends into anti-theism. Atheists are usually the "scientist" type, meaning that, for now, our current theories like evolution, big bang, etc., are much more likely than a God. If evidence to the contrary were presented, and if the theories we accept could be broken down, most atheists would probably convert. But we find that this hasn't occurred yet.

First off the big bang has been proven to have happened. And there is noting to the contrary to evolution. And I think that if you need a system to tell you what is right or wrong then you probably have a pretty weak mind.

 

[SilentHunter7]

Exactly, what is a religion? Is it not the dogma that its leaders interpret from its texts?

Religion is just what an individual chooses to read into the religious texts. The Dogma that sect-leaders interpret from that is just that: Dogma that someone interpreted from the texts. I personally believe that no one interpretation is better than any other. After all, the people interpreting the scrolls and the bible are just people, no different than you or me. Hell, 90% of the Old Testament is just normal,everyday, not-a-divine-bone-in-their-body, people talking about people who served God.

Until he comes down, and tells me that I'm doing it wrong, I'll stick to what I think is right.

 

[RexoftheFord]

New Covenant

"Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone."--Jesus

Yet when you confess and repent your sins are removed. Thus any priest or religious figure is automatically without sin.

A commonly distorted message. No one can ever repent of sin, for the sins of their fathers are always theirs to bear. Plus a person sins if he covets, looks at a woman that is not his wife in a way that would produce a sexual desire..and so much. We're always in a state of sin according to the Bible. So priests would have to be in a constant state of repetence, and once they cast their stones, they're committing a sin because they've judged themselves to be worthy of God's position as judge. Meaning that they worship themselves. False Idol. Sin.

 

[grimsprice]

No. It is a way to find purpose in living one's life. Texts are not the religion. The principles are the religion. The lifestyle that is demanded by the principles and living these principles are the religion. The texts are just suppose to be guides.

But even compasses can be misused by the point man.

No, spirituality is everything you listed above. A religion is a group of people who get together and decide what they all believe in. Twisting and changing text, and the basic principles that these types of spiritual people believe in.

I don't have a problem with spirituality, i have a problem with religious institutions that want power, so they can convert other people, and get more power.

You've confused religion with cult. Religion is not a gathering of people. A church or cult is a gathering of people.

Religion exists before the church and the institutions and the cults.

Religion is a set of principles and beliefs, not the gathering of people.

In the common vernacular i am right, in the textbook definition, you are right. Now tell me which one is more pertinent to the discussion?

Well, I've always been one to throw general consensus aside cause most of the time, the general populace is filled with morons who don't know what the hell they're talking about.

Which is why I've chosen my definition. Both are pertinent to the discussion equally. But since I've provided my view as a logical thought out process, rather than a mere belief without evidence, I've chosen to use a textbook definition.

Well then, one of us would have to change our terminology for the discussion to continue, we would have to find suitable words to define terms. I'm assuming you replace my definition of religion with 'institution'?

An institution is a group of people who get together and decide on a common dogma.

then we both agree that religious institutions are the cause of most of the worlds suffering?

But religion in the definition you use (spirituality) is not the cause?

Congratulations we no longer have a discussion. We both agree, and all we had to do was list out our definitions. How do you like that. Like fucking magic.

 

[SnowCold]

While I compleatly agree with you, you are just flame baiting.

 

[RexoftheFord]

Wow..this thread has actually turned into a nice discussion so far. Not bad.

 

[grimsprice]

I don't think any atheist "knows for sure" that God doesn't exist. That extends into anti-theism. Atheists are usually the "scientist" type, meaning that, for now, our current theories like evolution, big bang, etc., are much more likely than a God. If evidence to the contrary were presented, and if the theories we accept could be broken down, most atheists would probably convert. But we find that this hasn't occurred yet.

First off the big bang has been proven to have happened. And there is noting to the contrary to evolution. And I think that if you need a system to tell you what is right or wrong then you probably have a pretty weak mind.

There is just as much evidence for evolution as there is for the big bang.(and might i add this is a great parallel to draw, since the type of evidence is the same).

You should buy Dawkins new book, "The Greatest Show on Earth"