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All-Purpose Religion Thread


mjmooney

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5 minutes ago, chrisp65 said:

Yeah, I think it's the open hostility bit that gets me. That coupled with a presumption to know what I think and pass judgement on it, is a scary combination. 

Being hostile to a hostile force isn't necessarily a bad thing. And religion of all colours is hostile. Even the tea and biscuits vicar side of things is a legitimisation of the grimmer stuff. The hardcore element has been a brake on advancement in many facets, of its own self interest. They fought against the development of the press to protect their power over 'the word of God' and little has changed in the centuries since. They fought against numerous laws aimed at improving people's rights and improving the cause of equality on many fronts. Etc etc.

And the doctrine rejects thought. Take the Bible on its word and you'll be a very ignorant person. It doesn't encourage an enquiring mind. At best it asks it's followers to fudge science into into its framework.  It's hostile to knowledge.

I don't see why I shouldn't be hostile to it. Obviously that's all simplified for brevity but there's nothing there to support.

As for the presumption to know your thoughts... I don't presume to know your mind. I assume, perhaps wrongly, you're a Christian of some colour and strength. I don't know the exact reasons why that may be of course but ultimately I'd posit it boils down to the gaps discussion somewhere. But I don't know. You may not be religious at all. I'm simply making an assumption, which may be wrong.

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11 hours ago, mjmooney said:

I don't think I could possibly live with a religious woman. 

You're missing a trick. Choose the right religion and you don't have to stick to a single wife.

You could go Mormon? Or perhaps it would be easier in a country where you can give 'em a clout for being lippy?

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The irony is amazing that religion should be jeered at and its adherents held in contempt, on a forum dedicated to a cult which has all the signs, symbols, totems, taboos and even jujus, associated with religion.

Where there are saints and demons and where murder has been committed through sectarian conflict, colours are captured, and hymns sung.

Where relics are considered sacred, where places of worship are vandalised, and where communities are terrorised.

Where the founder's image is set in bronze and venerated.

Where mantras are chanted and children indoctrinated.

Where there are blasphemies and heresies to be committed and excommunications to be dreaded.

Where true faith is often questioned and apostates condemned. 

Where the shirt replaces the vestments, the scarf replaces the tallit and the hat replaces the kippah or topi. 

Where a player is called God and another is said to have walked on water.

We know all this and yet we claim the religious are the irrational ones. :)

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On 31/07/2016 at 11:08, TrentVilla said:

I once told someone I didn't want to go to a Christening as I'm an atheist. From the reaction you'd have thought I'd said I wanted to BBQ their first born.

 

I doubt it.

Religious people are hardly averse to BBQ-ing people they disagree with. Sometimes a roaring fire cures all ills.

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3 hours ago, limpid said:

But AVFC is actually real.

So are the buildings of churches, temples and mosques.

Professional football has all the trappings and serves many of the same functions as religious institutions, in terms of community, historical continuity, and the only real difference is that the deity is replaced by animism and magical thinking.

The players are even sent out to visit the sick and dying to do a bit of laying-on of hands.

One of the favourite chants ringing out last season was 'you're not fit to wear the shirt' which no one questioned because the shirt is assumed to possess some spiritual qualities which go beyond its material existence, even as it competes against tacky logos and the sponsor's message.

When the Trinity Road stand was demolished some supporters laid a wreath like the building had some spiritual significance which went beyond its material existence.

Those sentiments are quasi-religious at the very least and no serious claim can be made that they are entirely rational.  

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2 hours ago, MakemineVanilla said:

So are the buildings of churches, temples and mosques.

I also believe in churches, temples and mosques. I don't understand your point.

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Yes people are irrational when it comes to football, yes people are irrational when it comes to religion.

They are both on the scale of irrationality that exists in humanity as well as many thousands probably millions of other things. That doesn't make them all the same as you well know you mischievous scamp you! 

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  • 3 months later...
Quote

https://humanism.org.uk/what-you-can-do-to-help/say-no-to-further-religious-segregation-in-schools/

The Accord Coalition has put out an excellent open letter to the Prime Minister, which has been signed by prominent religious leaders, humanists, and other public figures, calling on Theresa May to abandon her plans for 100% religiously selective schools in England.

The Government’s own data shows that its latest move to increase religious segregation in schools will be greatly detrimental to integration in our communities. With a recent poll showing that 72% of people in Britain oppose the idea of religious selection in schools, we think it’s important that even more of us join together and voice our opposition to yet more segregation in schools.

We would urge all people of goodwill, whatever their beliefs and whatever their politics, to come together in support of this open letter. We’ve provided a way for you to show your support below.

 

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I watched a documentary the other night about religious/segregated schools. They need banning. In Blackburn they are trying to integrate pupils better so they get to know each other better. They are trying to get an even mix in schools which is good imo. Barriers definitely need knocking down on both sides.

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people believe all sorts of nonsense, usually because a fallacy has been created and it has been group self perpetuated and reinforced through education, peers, family the media etc, it becomes an unquestioned truth and often aggressively defended. so maybe we need to cut people who believe in an all seeing all powerful sky fairy a bit of slack until we have fully examine and throw off the fallacies we've each been duped into believing.

Edited by mockingbird_franklin
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7 hours ago, mockingbird_franklin said:

people believe all sorts of nonsense, usually because a fallacy has been created and it has been group self perpetuated and reinforced through education, peers, family the media etc, it becomes an unquestioned truth and often aggressively defended. so maybe we need to cut people who believe in an all seeing all powerful sky fairy a bit of slack until we have fully examine and throw off the fallacies we've each been duped into believing.

Such as? 

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  • 4 weeks later...

It started out well

The philosophy of free will vs determinism is a fascinating topic. There are some very strong arguments that free will is not only impossible, but is something we wouldn't actually want. Dawkins briefly mentions Daniel Dennet, whose book Elbow Room (which tries to refute this), is well worth reading for people interested in the topic.

Then I got to the part featuring the series of ad hominems and misunderstandings, whether deliberate or not of his 'opponents'. Where he got this idea that 'athiests exempt themselves from their own theories' from is beyond me.

Edited by Davkaus
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