“Is it moral to believe that your sins can be forgiven by the punishment of another person? Is it ethical to believe this? I submit that the doctrine of vicarious redemption by human sacrifice is utterly immoral.
A positively immoral doctrine that abolishes the concept of personal responsibility on which all ethics and morality must depend.”
—Christopher Hitchens (debating Alister McGrath)
Link for Hitchens/McGrath debate.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Do the religious know the definition of "respect", "indoctrination" and "cult"?
Do the religious know the definition of "respect", "indoctrination" and "cult"?
I doubt it, they are afraid to know the truth at all costs.
Respect:
3. esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability: I have great respect for her judgment.
4. deference to a right, privilege, privileged position, or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges; proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment: respect for a suspect's right to counsel; to show respect for the flag; respect for the elderly.
5. the condition of being esteemed or honored: to be held in respect.
Which exactly why the religious' unending request to receive respect is a con and swindle. We don't respect religious beliefs of others, for the same reason why people won't ever respect the belief of an adult who has an invisible friend.
Indoctrination:
1. to instruct in a doctrine, principle, ideology, etc., esp. to imbue with a specific partisan or biased belief or point of view.
Imbue:
1. to impregnate or inspire, as with feelings, opinions, etc.: The new political leader was imbued with the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.
Cult:
1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
6. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
The first definitions of a cult describe any common religion believed by the masses today. And the religious don't get it when people don't take their religious beliefs seriously.
Conclusion 1:
Believers see all other religions as false, they understand this. They understand the definitions of the words above in the context of all other religions other than their own.
Conclusion 1a:
However, when it comes to their own religion, they tense up, feel offended and don't understand the definitions above and certainly don’t see how the same definitions above apply, to their own religion.
Conclusion 1:
Change the subject to all other religions in the world but their own, and the light goes on again and they understand the meaning of the words above and their definitions and how they apply to all other religions.
Conclusion 1a:
Change the religion back to their own religion and immediately, at the flip of a switch, the light goes off and they don’t understand the definitions of the words above and they certainly don’t see how any of the words above could apply to their own religion.
Conclusion 1:
Change the subject to any religion other than their own, they understand the above words.
Conclusion 1a:
Change the subject to their own religion, and they not only don’t understand the words above and but they don’t understand how they could apply to their own religion.
It's an endless circle.
I doubt it, they are afraid to know the truth at all costs.
Respect:
3. esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability: I have great respect for her judgment.
4. deference to a right, privilege, privileged position, or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges; proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment: respect for a suspect's right to counsel; to show respect for the flag; respect for the elderly.
5. the condition of being esteemed or honored: to be held in respect.
Which exactly why the religious' unending request to receive respect is a con and swindle. We don't respect religious beliefs of others, for the same reason why people won't ever respect the belief of an adult who has an invisible friend.
Indoctrination:
1. to instruct in a doctrine, principle, ideology, etc., esp. to imbue with a specific partisan or biased belief or point of view.
Imbue:
1. to impregnate or inspire, as with feelings, opinions, etc.: The new political leader was imbued with the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.
Cult:
1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
6. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
The first definitions of a cult describe any common religion believed by the masses today. And the religious don't get it when people don't take their religious beliefs seriously.
Conclusion 1:
Believers see all other religions as false, they understand this. They understand the definitions of the words above in the context of all other religions other than their own.
Conclusion 1a:
However, when it comes to their own religion, they tense up, feel offended and don't understand the definitions above and certainly don’t see how the same definitions above apply, to their own religion.
Conclusion 1:
Change the subject to all other religions in the world but their own, and the light goes on again and they understand the meaning of the words above and their definitions and how they apply to all other religions.
Conclusion 1a:
Change the religion back to their own religion and immediately, at the flip of a switch, the light goes off and they don’t understand the definitions of the words above and they certainly don’t see how any of the words above could apply to their own religion.
Conclusion 1:
Change the subject to any religion other than their own, they understand the above words.
Conclusion 1a:
Change the subject to their own religion, and they not only don’t understand the words above and but they don’t understand how they could apply to their own religion.
It's an endless circle.
Is it time to move the Statue of Liberty?
I think it's time we move the Statue of Liberty to the Arizona-Mexico border.
Huffington Post article: The Arizona of 2010 Is the Alabama of 1963
Huffington Post article: The Arizona of 2010 Is the Alabama of 1963
Religious belief and respect.
Why should I respect anyone's religious belief that claims to know the impossible?
I don't and many people don't and you shouldn't either.
Oh, do you respect the belief of religious terrorists? I guarantee you the faith of the religious terrorist is stronger than a religious person who does not terrorize in the name of their god.
For those Christians who are now as mad after hell reading this. Pick up a dictionary and look up the word, "respect." Or is that too much of a challenge for you?
I don't and many people don't and you shouldn't either.
Oh, do you respect the belief of religious terrorists? I guarantee you the faith of the religious terrorist is stronger than a religious person who does not terrorize in the name of their god.
For those Christians who are now as mad after hell reading this. Pick up a dictionary and look up the word, "respect." Or is that too much of a challenge for you?
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Is God deaf?
Examples.
A selfless prayer for would be for two Christians (Or how about 1,000 Christians or more? Maybe you need more for a big prayer? Not sure the Bible is not clear on this one.) to pray for one amputee to be healed. Of course, no amputee has ever been healed by the power of (thunder and lighting) God.
However, I wonder what excuse Christians will use to explain why their all powerful God can’t do something as simple as restoring a person’s limb? Salamanders can restore their tail without even praying. Obviously, it can’t be that hard of a thing for a god to accomplish if a salamander can do it on it's own.
How about two or more Christians praying that all cancer be healed worldwide over night? This is a selfless prayer. What excuse will Christians use to explain why God won’t answer their prayer.
How about praying to God to spontaneiously heal all people with birth defects? Is this too big of a task for God to handle? What excuse will Christians use to explain why God won’t answer their prayer.
Is God deaf? Not sure of the answer?
God is imaginary.
A selfless prayer for would be for two Christians (Or how about 1,000 Christians or more? Maybe you need more for a big prayer? Not sure the Bible is not clear on this one.) to pray for one amputee to be healed. Of course, no amputee has ever been healed by the power of (thunder and lighting) God.
However, I wonder what excuse Christians will use to explain why their all powerful God can’t do something as simple as restoring a person’s limb? Salamanders can restore their tail without even praying. Obviously, it can’t be that hard of a thing for a god to accomplish if a salamander can do it on it's own.
How about two or more Christians praying that all cancer be healed worldwide over night? This is a selfless prayer. What excuse will Christians use to explain why God won’t answer their prayer.
How about praying to God to spontaneiously heal all people with birth defects? Is this too big of a task for God to handle? What excuse will Christians use to explain why God won’t answer their prayer.
Is God deaf? Not sure of the answer?
God is imaginary.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Church seats empty.
Imagine a religion which stated that all people are equally important, have inherent worth and dignity.
A religion that says it takes all of us to make our planet a good place to live. Gay, straight, lesbian, bi, trans, black, white, red, brown, yellow, etc., Asian, African, Indian, Mexican, European, etc., female, male, intersex, gender neutral, young, old, tall, short, thin, muscular, heavy, handsome and homely.
What if churches did this hundreds of years ago?
Churches, today, would be packed and their bank rolls would be overflowing.
A religion that says it takes all of us to make our planet a good place to live. Gay, straight, lesbian, bi, trans, black, white, red, brown, yellow, etc., Asian, African, Indian, Mexican, European, etc., female, male, intersex, gender neutral, young, old, tall, short, thin, muscular, heavy, handsome and homely.
What if churches did this hundreds of years ago?
Churches, today, would be packed and their bank rolls would be overflowing.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Intelligence does not preclude credulity.
"Intelligence does not preclude credulity." I'm wondering if I'm the first person to publish these words in this order? Not sure. Mike Hampson
Thursday, April 22, 2010
A quote by Blaise Pascal.
“Men (and women) never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.” —French mathematician Blaise Pascal
A quote by Physicist Steven Weinberg
“Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you’d have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, it takes religion.” —American physicist Steven Weinberg
What about magicians? Why would this be important?
Magicians? Hmmm... tricks, smoke and mirrors. So what? Deception, trickery, ruse, sham, fraud, con, cheat, swindle, racket, hoax, deceit, dupe, defraud, bamboozle, take advantage of.
When boys, girls, and trans are young, it's fun to know a secret and fool people. Some continue as an adult either as a hobby, a part-time or full-time job. So what?
For those magicians who study Houdini, it becomes apparent quite early that he wanted to believe in spirits, ghosts and the after life. He and his wife started out with a spiritual act which was all tricks, pretending to be a spiritualist. He knew the tricks.
When his mother died in 1913, his interest in the paranormal increased and he did everything he could do, to find a way to the other side to speak to his mother. He wanted to find the door to the other side but never found it.
However, Houdini found something. Houdini found that all the psychics were using were tricks and ruses. He searched his entire life for one paranormal thing to be true, he never found one paranormal event to be true. Ever.
After Houdini's death, many scientists, intellectuals and magicians have studied the paranormal and world religions and have found none which measure up. None are true. There is no magic. Except for magic tricks, that is magic tricks for magic shows, for entertainment.
Take a lesson from magicians, believe in yourself and your own humanity to solve your problems and to find meaning in your life. Why even consider devaluing your own humanity by thinking an invisible old man is out there, somehow, influencing your life.
When boys, girls, and trans are young, it's fun to know a secret and fool people. Some continue as an adult either as a hobby, a part-time or full-time job. So what?
For those magicians who study Houdini, it becomes apparent quite early that he wanted to believe in spirits, ghosts and the after life. He and his wife started out with a spiritual act which was all tricks, pretending to be a spiritualist. He knew the tricks.
When his mother died in 1913, his interest in the paranormal increased and he did everything he could do, to find a way to the other side to speak to his mother. He wanted to find the door to the other side but never found it.
However, Houdini found something. Houdini found that all the psychics were using were tricks and ruses. He searched his entire life for one paranormal thing to be true, he never found one paranormal event to be true. Ever.
After Houdini's death, many scientists, intellectuals and magicians have studied the paranormal and world religions and have found none which measure up. None are true. There is no magic. Except for magic tricks, that is magic tricks for magic shows, for entertainment.
Take a lesson from magicians, believe in yourself and your own humanity to solve your problems and to find meaning in your life. Why even consider devaluing your own humanity by thinking an invisible old man is out there, somehow, influencing your life.
Belief is a virtue? No, it is not.
People take pride in blindly believing in religious nonsense and then are offended when you point what utter nonsense religion is.
They scoff at all the other cults and religions for not getting it right. When asked point blank if they see the similarity between their blind belief and other the blind belief of people of other cults and religions, they look at you with a straight face and say, no, I don't see the similarity.
Making water into wine. Alchemy? Walking on water? Wow. A burning bush? Is a light year more incredible with a burning bush?
I wonder if followers wonder if string theory, quantum mechanics and astronomy beat the stories of the Bible. Was the burning bush the best a god could do?
The promise of infinite life or infinite punishment. Was this the best a god could come up with? Do good things for bad reasons. It is immoral to suggest that people do good things for bad reasons. Is that the best way to motivate people? No, it's not.
Where is the justice? Finite sin equals infinite punishment. Really? There is no limit to the punishment for doing finite things? This is absolute justice? No, it's not.
Could these things have been written by a god? No. Could these thing have been written by ancient primitive men trying to explain the world around them in the culture and science of their day? Yes, of course.
They scoff at all the other cults and religions for not getting it right. When asked point blank if they see the similarity between their blind belief and other the blind belief of people of other cults and religions, they look at you with a straight face and say, no, I don't see the similarity.
Making water into wine. Alchemy? Walking on water? Wow. A burning bush? Is a light year more incredible with a burning bush?
I wonder if followers wonder if string theory, quantum mechanics and astronomy beat the stories of the Bible. Was the burning bush the best a god could do?
The promise of infinite life or infinite punishment. Was this the best a god could come up with? Do good things for bad reasons. It is immoral to suggest that people do good things for bad reasons. Is that the best way to motivate people? No, it's not.
Where is the justice? Finite sin equals infinite punishment. Really? There is no limit to the punishment for doing finite things? This is absolute justice? No, it's not.
Could these things have been written by a god? No. Could these thing have been written by ancient primitive men trying to explain the world around them in the culture and science of their day? Yes, of course.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Enya.
Some suggest that if everyone would listen to Enya's music, there would be no more wars.
If all uptight religious people would listen to Enya, would they come to the conclusion that we are all equally human?
Would the masses then agree on the universal moral that we need to affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person?
If all uptight religious people would listen to Enya, would they come to the conclusion that we are all equally human?
Would the masses then agree on the universal moral that we need to affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person?
We are all atheists. A very appropriate quote.
"I contend we are both atheists, I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours." —Stephen F Roberts
Muslims Threaten To Kill South Park Creators
Anderson Cooper reported on April 20, 2010, on CNN, that Muslims in the United States are threatening to kill the South Park creators. See CNN report here.
Who insists that we respect anyone's religious belief, now?
Note: The last few minutes of this video have excellent words of wisdom from Ms. Aayan Hirsi Ali who has been in hiding in the United States due to Muslim threats on her life.
Who insists that we respect anyone's religious belief, now?
Note: The last few minutes of this video have excellent words of wisdom from Ms. Aayan Hirsi Ali who has been in hiding in the United States due to Muslim threats on her life.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Sam Harris' quote on challenging a person's religious belief.
“…we are offending people [by challenging their religious beliefs], but we are [also] telling them that they are wrong to be offended.
Physicists aren’t offended when their view of physics is disproved or challenged. This is not the way rational minds operate when they’re really trying to get at what’s true in the world.
And religions purport to be representing reality and yet there's this peevish and tribal and ultimately dangerous reflexive response to having these ideas challenged.
We are pointing to the total liability of that.” - Sam Harris.
Physicists aren’t offended when their view of physics is disproved or challenged. This is not the way rational minds operate when they’re really trying to get at what’s true in the world.
And religions purport to be representing reality and yet there's this peevish and tribal and ultimately dangerous reflexive response to having these ideas challenged.
We are pointing to the total liability of that.” - Sam Harris.
We are calling the believers on carpet and they don't like it. Too bad, so sad.
We are calling the believers on carpet and they don't like it. Get used to it.
People are sick of the ridiculous claim that their faith (or belief) in religion demands an exaggerated measure of respect.
And people are sick of those who claim that you know, for sure, that people are damned to hell without religion.
"What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof." -Christopher Hitchens
People are sick of the ridiculous claim that their faith (or belief) in religion demands an exaggerated measure of respect.
And people are sick of those who claim that you know, for sure, that people are damned to hell without religion.
"What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof." -Christopher Hitchens
We don't respect your belief. Period.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
The claim to fame of the faithful is that the stakes are high. Believe or burn in hell. Obviously, a Christian knows that the Islam faith is not real, it's a false religion. The Koran did not get it right. Their belief is wrong. And Muslims feel the same thing about the Christian faith. Christianity is not real, it's false. Their Bible did not get it right. Their belief is wrong.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
Christians have told me time and time again, they respect the faith of others. What a lie. What liars they are. LIARS. They believe, due to their faith, that all other religions are false, fake, zero. Therefore, Christians, Muslims and Jews don't respect other people's faith. They simply don't.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
The only reason why the religious claim they respect other people's faith or belief, is if they did not say this, then it would leave the door of criticism open to their claim that everyone needs to respect their faith. If they say they don't respect another person's faith, then they have taken the first step in pointing out that no one has to respect another person's faith. They would not be able to make the claim that faith demands respect.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
You only respect the people in your own club. What are some other reasons Christians, Muslims and Jews don't want to admit they don't respect other people's faiths? Because this would prove that religion actually divides people, it does not unite the world's population.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
One of religion's major flaws is that no religion unites everyone. To gain members, a religion has to recruit. If the religion is so great, why does it have to recruit in the first place? And religion only unites it's own believers, maybe. In truth, religion does a bad job of uniting their own people. Look at all the different denominations in Christianity. The believers of the same faith aren't even on the same page. It's disgusting.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
Why don't we respect your belief? Because the only way the religious can get respect for their beliefs of insane ideas is to demand respect for it.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
The claim to know the impossible is insane.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
The fact is, no one knows the impossible.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
The claim to fame of the faithful is that the stakes are high. Believe or burn in hell. Obviously, a Christian knows that the Islam faith is not real, it's a false religion. The Koran did not get it right. Their belief is wrong. And Muslims feel the same thing about the Christian faith. Christianity is not real, it's false. Their Bible did not get it right. Their belief is wrong.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
Christians have told me time and time again, they respect the faith of others. What a lie. What liars they are. LIARS. They believe, due to their faith, that all other religions are false, fake, zero. Therefore, Christians, Muslims and Jews don't respect other people's faith. They simply don't.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
The only reason why the religious claim they respect other people's faith or belief, is if they did not say this, then it would leave the door of criticism open to their claim that everyone needs to respect their faith. If they say they don't respect another person's faith, then they have taken the first step in pointing out that no one has to respect another person's faith. They would not be able to make the claim that faith demands respect.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
You only respect the people in your own club. What are some other reasons Christians, Muslims and Jews don't want to admit they don't respect other people's faiths? Because this would prove that religion actually divides people, it does not unite the world's population.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
One of religion's major flaws is that no religion unites everyone. To gain members, a religion has to recruit. If the religion is so great, why does it have to recruit in the first place? And religion only unites it's own believers, maybe. In truth, religion does a bad job of uniting their own people. Look at all the different denominations in Christianity. The believers of the same faith aren't even on the same page. It's disgusting.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
Why don't we respect your belief? Because the only way the religious can get respect for their beliefs of insane ideas is to demand respect for it.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
The claim to know the impossible is insane.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
The fact is, no one knows the impossible.
We don't respect your belief. Period.
I should repect your religious belief? Never.
Why should I respect anyone's belief that claims to know the impossible?
To those Christians or other religious people who are shocked that someone dares to call the faithful on the carpet, here's a commandment you can't go wrong with: Look up the word "respect" in the dictionary, now.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Why do the religious hate gay guys?
Why to the religious hate gay guys? We've figured out how to have great sex without women. Listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen.
A quote from the President of Iceland.
A reporter makes a comment to the President of Iceland, “This vast plume of ash has caused so much disruption throughout Europe.”
His response, “Absolutely, absolutely, and I think it is a very important lesson to all of us, that the forces of nature are still at work and they are so formidable, that they can bring to a stand still, the most advanced economies in the world.
And somehow we need to start planning our societies, not just here in Iceland, but all over Europe and other parts of the world, on the premise that things like this are going to happen.
So maybe it is useful to us, to get accustom to every now and then to go back to the days of boats and trains and easy travel and relax a little and take time to reflect on the relationship between man and nature.” –President Olaf Ragnar Grimmson, Iceland.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8629051.stm?lsm
His response, “Absolutely, absolutely, and I think it is a very important lesson to all of us, that the forces of nature are still at work and they are so formidable, that they can bring to a stand still, the most advanced economies in the world.
And somehow we need to start planning our societies, not just here in Iceland, but all over Europe and other parts of the world, on the premise that things like this are going to happen.
So maybe it is useful to us, to get accustom to every now and then to go back to the days of boats and trains and easy travel and relax a little and take time to reflect on the relationship between man and nature.” –President Olaf Ragnar Grimmson, Iceland.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8629051.stm?lsm
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