Religion, what's the point?

I get what you're saying, but I still feel Christians are easy targets. For instance, Neil DeGrasse Tyson is a scientist I hold in high esteem who recently poked fun at Christianity on Christmas day with some pretty funny tweets. Do you think he'd do that on Rosh Hashanah or Ramadan? I don't think so, and I don't think it has much to do with the religion he was supposedly raised in.

Because Rosh Hashanah and Ramadan is advertised in shops everywhere? Or there are Ramadan specials of TV-shows and whatnot? Not to mention the war on Rosh Hashanah that people are going bananas about.

No, there are clear reasons why he'd pick on Christmas instead. The dates for Ramadan and Rosh Hashanah change each year, so he can't make jokes that refer to the date, which throws out most of his tweets... and I can't think of anything like Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer equivalency either, nor would jokes about the commercialisation of these holidays be relevant either.

Clearly, Lou, there are good reasons why Christmas got picked on, and not those, both in terms of the kinds of jokes he pulled, and with regards to how prevalent these holidays are in his and everybody else in the western world's lives.

As for the general claim: Jews don't go around proselytising, they don't jockey for power in courts in the same way the Christians do in the US, which is also the case for Moslems. There's a plethora of reasons why Christianity is most picked on... but you're straight up wrong that there people don't tend to pick on Jews or Moslems with regards to the absurdity of their beliefs. Weirdly, though, one finds that each of these major religious groups tend to consider themselves targeted more and more unfairly than the others. Curious.
 
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The irony of Atheists vs Christianity debates is that it's doing nothing more than actually reinforcing beliefs and non-beliefs of the two groups combined because in the end, everyone will just go home after showing their passion and reasoning to each other.

It's beneficial to both sides even if it's about questioning or ridiculing. Christians need Atheists to demonstrate their love for God and Jesus while Atheists trying to prove that they really have sense of humor and intelligence... like for real.
 
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I was amused yesterday to read that, in the eyes of the Catholic faith, God's spokesman on earth, the Pope, decided to cut short a visit because a hurricane was due to hit where he was. You'd think if anyone would trust in God to protect them from such an event it'd be him...
 
I only remember your ridiculous attempts to claim that RvN was better than TH14

I think you're making shit up, but perhaps I did circa 2003. I apologize if this has been hurting your feelings all these years. It was never my intent. :)

I now say Henry is the best of his generation in the PL. Is that ridiculous or alright since it supports the former Arsenal player?
 
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How come there are so many atheists on the internet but not so many in real life?

Being a public atheist in the US, or in certain regions of the US, can be a deathblow to career aspirations, and often results in being outcast by pockets of society. If I put up one of those FFRF boards in Georgia I'd suffer much ridicule (covert or overt), even in military circles. An outspoken atheist will likely never be voted into a political office, at least not in my lifetime.

Atheists are more distrusted than convicted felons and just slightly above rapists. Religious persons place far too much weight on religion as a dominant factor in being trustworthy. This despite roughly 97% of inmates claiming to be religious, the numerous crimes committed by clergy members (with the ludicrous religious apologists there to defend), the gossip and hearsay from the churchgoers, and (I'd wager) the majority of rapists would claim to be religious/believe in god.
 
Do most athiests consider all religions equally ridiculous? I ask because it seems to me that athiests pick on easy targets, like Christianity for instance. I seldom see athiests trolling Judaism or Islam

I think you're cherry picking. I slam all religious doctrines, and I'd wager most do. It's all bullshit, IMO.

Which god? http://www.godfinder.org/

Christian god kills and spites people, Mohammed raped a girl, etc.
 
Being a public atheist in the US, or in certain regions of the US, can be a deathblow to career aspirations, and often results in being outcast by pockets of society.
Generally goes the other way here. You talk about your love of God and people generally think you're a bit weird (even many of those who think themselves Christian and go to church a couple of times a year).

Great way to get stop people sitting next to you on a train is to have a Bible in your hands.
 
Generally goes the other way here. You talk about your love of God and people generally think you're a bit weird (even many of those who think themselves Christian and go to church a couple of times a year).

Great way to get stop people sitting next to you on a train is to have a Bible in your hands.

Not in the US. Talking about god displays to most others that one is an honest, trustworthy, god-fearing American.

Dunno where "here" is... Scandinavian country perhaps?
 
Not in the US. Talking about god displays to most others that one is an honest, trustworthy, god-fearing American.

Dunno where "here" is... Scandinavian country perhaps?
Nah, England. We're generally a nation that says we're Christian if asked but if you start talking about God we slowly back away.
 
Nah, England. We're generally a nation that says we're Christian if asked but if you start talking about God we slowly back away.

Yep, most Christians I know keep it very much to themselves and won't even mention it unless asked. My parents have said to me there was a few odd looks from some of our family and certain friends when they told them they wouldn't be Christening me or my siblings but most people didn't care.
 
Generally goes the other way here. You talk about your love of God and people generally think you're a bit weird (even many of those who think themselves Christian and go to church a couple of times a year).

Great way to get stop people sitting next to you on a train is to have a Bible in your hands.

Yep, that's exactly how I saw it wherever I've been too, not just in my country.
 
Being a public atheist in the US, or in certain regions of the US, can be a deathblow to career aspirations, and often results in being outcast by pockets of society. If I put up one of those FFRF boards in Georgia I'd suffer much ridicule (covert or overt), even in military circles. An outspoken atheist will likely never be voted into a political office, at least not in my lifetime.

Atheists are more distrusted than convicted felons and just slightly above rapists. Religious persons place far too much weight on religion as a dominant factor in being trustworthy. This despite roughly 97% of inmates claiming to be religious, the numerous crimes committed by clergy members (with the ludicrous religious apologists there to defend), the gossip and hearsay from the churchgoers, and (I'd wager) the majority of rapists would claim to be religious/believe in god.
Also, churches are virtually omnipresent in the US. There are probably more than 10 churches 5 miles within my house, I know one place where there are two churches within 20 second driving distance. (used to go to one of those two)

All in the name of a god of a desert tribe 2000 odd years ago in the Middle East. No wonder atheists mock Christianity.
 
Also, churches are virtually omnipresent in the US. There are probably more than 10 churches 5 miles within my house, I know one place where there are two churches within 20 second driving distance. (used to go to one of those two)

All in the name of a god of a desert tribe 2000 odd years ago in the Middle East. No wonder atheists mock Christianity.

Only in America would you hear the phrase '20 second driving distance'.
 
Also, churches are virtually omnipresent in the US. There are probably more than 10 churches 5 miles within my house, I know one place where there are two churches within 20 second driving distance. (used to go to one of those two)

All in the name of a god of a desert tribe 2000 odd years ago in the Middle East. No wonder atheists mock Christianity.

What about Jews?
 
I was amused yesterday to read that, in the eyes of the Catholic faith, God's spokesman on earth, the Pope, decided to cut short a visit because a hurricane was due to hit where he was. You'd think if anyone would trust in God to protect them from such an event it'd be him...

It's fair to be amused by this, but a serious Catholic does not believe that human beings, such as the pope, is immune from the ravages of natural forces. Several popes during the Middle Ages died of syphhilis.
 
It's fair to be amused by this, but a serious Catholic does not believe that human beings, such as the pope, is immune from the ravages of natural forces. Several popes during the Middle Ages died of syphhilis.
Don't they pray for bad things to not to happen to the pope?
 
Don't they pray for bad things to not to happen to the pope?

Catholics, at least the ones I know, don't really believe that God answers their prayers. At least not what they are praying FOR at that moment. The act of saying a prayer, it appears, is the important thing, not whether the prayer is ever answered, which never happens.

Catholics pray all the time that suffering come to an end, but suffering continues. They pray, but God does not respond. He did not steer Katrina away from New Orleans, nor did He prevent the tsunami from laying waste to Japan.

God does as He wishes, regardless of the pleas of His children.
 
Catholics, at least the ones I know, don't really believe that God answers their prayers. At least not what they are praying FOR at that moment. The act of saying a prayer, it appears, is the important thing, not whether the prayer is ever answered, which never happens.

Catholics pray all the time that suffering come to an end, but suffering continues. They pray, but God does not respond. He did not steer Katrina away from New Orleans, nor did He prevent the tsunami from laying waste to Japan.

God does as He wishes, regardless of the pleas of His children.
It says in the bible all the prayers will be answered if you have an iota of faith in Christ. And of course, with the bible being the inerrent word of God it must be true... nope.
 
It says in the bible all the prayers will be answered if you have an iota of faith in Christ. And of course, with the bible being the inerrent word of God it must be true... nope.

I'm sure the Bible says that but experience proves that prayers are not answered, at least not the prayers that are being prayed.

God, in His infinite wisdom, may answer prayers in ways we do not expect, but He hasn't ended suffering, which presumably most Catholics pray for.
 
I'm sure the Bible says that but experience proves that prayers are not answered, at least not the prayers that are being prayed.

God, in His infinite wisdom, may answer prayers in ways we do not expect, but He hasn't ended suffering, which presumably most Catholics pray for.
Care to elaborate?
 
He doesn't want catholics breading like rabbits but he still won't sanction contraception.
Ah, answers my question from a few days back. Anything that promotes such a view in contraceptives should never be considered a "moral authority" by anyone.
 
Catholics, at least the ones I know, don't really believe that God answers their prayers. At least not what they are praying FOR at that moment. The act of saying a prayer, it appears, is the important thing, not whether the prayer is ever answered, which never happens.

Catholics pray all the time that suffering come to an end, but suffering continues. They pray, but God does not respond. He did not steer Katrina away from New Orleans, nor did He prevent the tsunami from laying waste to Japan.

God does as He wishes, regardless of the pleas of His children.

I'm sure the Bible says that but experience proves that prayers are not answered, at least not the prayers that are being prayed.

God, in His infinite wisdom, may answer prayers in ways we do not expect, but He hasn't ended suffering, which presumably most Catholics pray for.

For me, a prayer not answered can be a prayer answered.

I pray for that one girl to fall for me back then, but if that happened I'd probably be a divorcee by now and not having the life I live. Off course you can laugh at it like atheist does.

Oh for feck sake :rolleyes:
 
Oh for feck sake :rolleyes:

The role of prayer in western religions cannot be overestimated. Someone raised the question whether prayers are ever answered and a few of us gave our opinions. If it could be established that prayers are indeed not answered, we will have ripped up -- root and branch -- the entire edifice of organized religion.
 
The role of prayer in western religions cannot be overestimated. Someone raised the question whether prayers are ever answered and a few of us gave our opinions. If it could be established that prayers are indeed not answered, we will have ripped up -- root and branch -- the entire edifice of organized religion.

The notion of prayer is a ludicrous one, the whole thing.

Firstly, people pray and genuinely do believe that god is listening and will answer their prayers. When he does, god is great. When he doesn't, it's because it's not part of god's plan and it doesn't fit into his plan. Well then, did he really answer your prayer for the first thing or was it just part of his plan all the time? If he's not going to change his plan, why bother praying in the first place? If "God does as he wishes, regardless the pleas of his children", then what is the point of prayer?

Secondly, to believe that prayer works means you have to believe that there is a god, that he knows you exist and cares about you. Do you understand how egotistical that is? Or how deluded? Look at the vastness of the Universe. Look at how imperceptibly small we are in that universe. How could this all be about us? And not only that, after building this entire universe for us, he'll only answer your prayers if you happen to be the right religion, despite the fact that you often will have had no choice in becoming the wrong religion.

Thirdly, how come praying to St Anthony helped me find my keys, my granny lighting a candle and praying helped me pass my exams but the millions of children praying for enough water to survive are ignored. He cares, but not that much eh?

Lastly, does he take note of hashtags i.e #prayforcharlie ? Do they count as prayers?
 
What's up bitches! Is this the thread where Marcello and Pete talk crap about religion all day long? Still going strong!!
 
We've missed your highly academic perspective on this topic.

Loool, my degree in theology and biblical studies would be pretty much wasted in this thread. What you actually need -in order to unpack and understand some of the issues that are raised by the above mentioned posters- are experts in psychology. Theologians won't help much.
 
Loool, my degree in theology and biblical studies would be pretty much wasted in this thread. What you actually need -in order to unpack and understand some of the issues that are raised by the above mentioned posters- are experts in psychology. Theologians won't help much.
Far too learned to be answering any questions from the plebs? Isn't a theological degree rather putting the cart before the horse?
 
Far too learned to be answering any questions from the plebs? Isn't a theological degree rather putting the cart before the horse?

It's quite the opposite. You don't stand a chance of passing a single module if you don't rid yourself of bias and presuppositions. Your assumption only demonstrates your lack of understanding how research is done in those disciplines at secular universities. You're trying to discuss theology and religion by using populist arguments from non-scholars like Dawkins and Hitchens (OMG God commanded genocide!!). If you'd at least come with heavyweights such as Ritschl, Bultmann, von Harnack, Küng, all the way up to Bart Ehrmann, that would make a interesting conversation. But I know that this is not what you're interested in.
 
It's quite the opposite. You don't stand a chance of passing a single module if you don't rid yourself of bias and presuppositions.
'Theology' makes the clear presupposition that its a subject worthy of study. That's a given.