Zone1 Is the U.S. heading toward nonbelief?

[The Sage of Main Street]

Nope. I don't think that's true, but evangelicals and fundamentalists turn a lot of people off.. And, then you have that Scofield crap promoted by prophet Hal Lindsey.

Jesus As Stephen King

The early Christian clerics made up the scare stories in Revelations in order to attract the nutcases, whose spookiness enhanced the power of the Christian mullahs. Decadent Rome was full of screamers.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

That's just as good a theory, if not better, than "GOD DID IT".

Higher-Power Myths Make People Feel Superior to Everybody Else

Their dishonesty and lack of logic is proved by the way they take their Creator and first, make Him a person, then add without proof that He only does what is good for us, then throw in the Bible as His message for us, every word being true. Then they gloat over the punishment for those who don't believe whatever their father-figures tell them has to be believed.

A similar aggressive conclusion is when archeologists discover a city mentioned in the Bible, the Christofascists claim that everything the Bible says happened there must be true. That's as stupid and overreaching as claiming, when Troy was discovered in 1873, it proved that all the supernatural events mentioned in The Iliad must have really happened.

 

[Red Front]

Higher-Power Myths Make People Feel Superior to Everybody Else

Their dishonesty and lack of logic is proved by the way they take their Creator and first, make Him a person, then add without proof that He only does what is good for us, then throw in the Bible as His message for us, every word being true. Then they gloat over the punishment for those who don't believe whatever their father-figures tell them has to be believed.

A similar aggressive conclusion is when archeologists discover a city mentioned in the Bible, the Christofascists claim that everything the Bible says happened there must be true. That's as stupid and overreaching as claiming, when Troy was discovered in 1873, it proved that all the supernatural events mentioned in The Iliad must have really happened.

Christianity is just an absurd, primitive, man-made myth. Why would anyone feel compelled to worship an entity that is in a state of absolute comfort, security, and opulence while we humans have to brave the hazards of mortal life, with all of its suffering and grief? It seems to me that the Christian God is playing the game of life, with all of the cheat codes. His version of the game is easy, compared to ours, because unlike him, we're forced to play on hard mode. There aren't any cheat codes for us, nor can we play the game of existence as ALMIGHTY GOD. We're finite, mortal beings, in the crucible of existence.

 

[toobfreak]

The article makes the very valid point that "Americans are better educated than they were in the 1960's." This makes absolute sense, as every day we see Republicans and religious leaders trying to shower religion on the masses. Educated Americans see this hooey for what it is. While the religious leaders fight back calling for more and more prayer, it ain't working, as thinking Americans know that prayer is a bunch of nothin burger. Just ask the Holocaust victims if prayer is real!

I see a problem here, Star:

1. This whole thread is basically just an atheistic rant against religion.
2. You are a total fail in representing yourself among the "better educated."
3. Your attempt to equate religion with the "right wing" fails as it implies you can't be democrat and religious!
4. You utterly fail to realize that your atheistic beliefs are just another belief system, another RELIGION, whether you realize it or not, no better able to prove the non-existence of God than any priest can prove his existence!

 

[Mashmont]

No, I directly addressed and debunked the nonsense you made up, by pointing that you're driven by severe brainwashing and an emotional need to hate those who aren't part of your tribe.

Nobody hates like atheists. Ask the 100 million people killed by atheist regimes in the last century.

 

[mamooth]

Nobody hates like atheists.

When my point is that you personally get off on hating people, you probably shouldn't keep rushing to prove that point.

 

[mamooth]

1. You utterly fail to realize that your atheistic beliefs are just another belief system, another RELIGION, whether you realize it or not, no better able to prove the non-existence of God than any priest can prove his existence!

Words have defined meanings, despite your attempts to revise those meanings. You don't get to redefine "religion" to mean "any belief of any sort." But you'll try.

By your loony defintion, belief that your favorite football team will win is a "religion". You've watered down the term so it means nothing. Everything is a religion, so the term means nothing.

 

[Winco]

Not since Cocaine Joe took over:

The downfall Started when trump mishandled the COVID response.

"No, I don't take ANY responsibility at ALL." djt
Words from a Failed Leader.

 

[toobfreak]

Words have defined meanings, despite your attempts to revise those meanings.

How can you revise a word's meaning by using the one it originally had?

You don't get to redefine "religion" to mean "any belief of any sort." But you'll try.

Religion is a faith-based belief system. Traditional religion is faith-based in a supreme personal cause to everything. Your faith-based belief system is simply newer only because fewer people have held that view for a shorter time, but the meaning is the same--- instead it is a faith-based belief system in a supreme IMPERSONAL cause to everything. But both are faith as neither can be proven over the other, it is only YOUR arrogant faith that prevents you from realizing that.

By your loony defintion,

I have no loony definitions. I can stand by them and defend them easily. They are only loony to you because you are an idiot.

belief that your favorite football team will win is a "religion".

No, that is only a HUNCH.

You've watered down the term so it means nothing.

No, it is YOU who is trying to water everything down. You only think that because I keep proving to you that your faith is no more valid than any other.

 

[Likkmee]

C'mon man. Ya want me to answer ? Got any good couponz or put a couple greenies in my Patron and I'll answer ? The more greenies, the more elaborate the answer! If'n it's over a C-note I can do it nekkid !!! GBA man. Satan is proud !!!

 

[Mashmont]

When my point is that you personally get off on hating people, you probably shouldn't keep rushing to prove that point.

Your point is wrong. I hate atheism, and what it does to people, whereas you hate the actual people involved in religion.

 

[BreezeWood]

Your point is wrong. I hate atheism, and what it does to people, whereas you hate the actual people involved in religion.

what possibly could atheism do to people your 10000 page document hasn't done to you - to make you hateful for how life begins.

historically, your path is far to familiar, persecution and victimization of the innocent passed down from one generation to the next. the desert religions.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

Words have defined meanings, despite your attempts to revise those meanings. You don't get to redefine "religion" to mean "any belief of any sort." But you'll try.

By your loony defintion, belief that your favorite football team will win is a "religion". You've watered down the term so it means nothing. Everything is a religion, so the term means nothing.

Visions Created by Special-Effects Directors

Because it has no concrete existence, theists transfer their faith to people or institutions that declare supremacy in real life. Such fanaticism creates a desire to treat the Constitution like a Bible, the "Founding Fathers" like the Apostles, and the Federalist Papers like St. Paul's epistles. Like a hammer making everything look like a nail, their superstition carries over to thinking the founding documents were inspired by God.

If truth could be told, another example would be the way that the spoiled, sheltered, overbearing, and incompetent hereditary class is accepted as God's will making His special people born rich. The logical conclusion from this carryover to the social hierarchy is that religion is a self-serving invention of the ruling class.

 

[braalian]

It implies some Creator of the Universe. that is the trillion dollar question obviously.

Instinctively, yes it implies a creator.

Scientifically, no, not knowing does not imply there must be a creator.

 

[shockedcanadian]

Instinctively, yes it implies a creator.

Scientifically, no, not knowing does not imply there must be a creator.

It is impossible for something to arrive from nothing, right? The universe and it's master came from some source, it is mind bending to consider it but there is a Master of our Universe.

 

[Red Front]

It is impossible for something to arrive from nothing, right? The universe and it's master came from some source, it is mind bending to consider it but there is a Master of our Universe.

We don't know what is the cause of our universe. It might be an "it", rather than a "who". We simply don't know yet.

Perhaps the future is able to influence the past, pulling history to itself. There's a teleological aspect to reality, informed by the future, which influences it from a very advanced, higher, more evolved position. Perhaps that influence comes from a super-intelligence or consciousness in the future, emerging from trillions of brains/people, connecting to some type of cosmic internet.

Quantum physics has shown us that the future can influence the past, so maybe something along those lines is happening. Maybe reality with all of its laws, is eternal and not a personal god in the religious sense, but more like an unconscious, cosmic nervous system of specific predefined potentials. The definition relies upon an impersonal system that by default creates universes like ours that result in intelligent life and eventually universes that generate other universes. This is all mental masturbation. We simply don't know, hence the gobbledygook. Religious folks pretend to know, and that's their problem. Even arrogantly, they assert they "know". GOD EXISTS, THERE'S LIFE AFTER DEATH..BLAH BLAH BLAH. How the heck do you know? YOU DON'T.

 

[Mac-7]

Why the U.S. is heading toward nonbelief - Freethought Now

Why the U.S. is heading toward nonbelief

freethoughtnow.org

The article makes the very valid point that "Americans are better educated than they were in the 1960's." This makes absolute sense, as every day we see Republicans and religious leaders trying to shower religion on the masses. Educated Americans see this hooey for what it is. While the religious leaders fight back calling for more and more prayer, it ain't working, as thinking Americans know that prayer is a bunch of nothin burger. Just ask the Holocaust victims if prayer is real!

If you want to reject God and go to Hell thats your business and no skin off my nose

But libs seem determined to take the rest of us with them

 

[Red Front]

If you want to reject God and go to Hell thats your business and no skin off my nose

But libs seem determined to take the rest of us with them

Right-wing conservatives create hell for most people here on Earth, in pursuit of their mammon god/profits. Everything amounts to money for them.

 

[Mac-7]

Right-wing conservatives create hell for most people here on Earth, in pursuit of their mammon god/profits. Everything amounts to money for them.

Meaning people who hate God prefer poverty?

Thats so lib

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Why the U.S. is heading toward nonbelief - Freethought Now

Why the U.S. is heading toward nonbelief

freethoughtnow.org

The article makes the very valid point that "Americans are better educated than they were in the 1960's." This makes absolute sense, as every day we see Republicans and religious leaders trying to shower religion on the masses. Educated Americans see this hooey for what it is. While the religious leaders fight back calling for more and more prayer, it ain't working, as thinking Americans know that prayer is a bunch of nothin burger. Just ask the Holocaust victims if prayer is real!

Religion is the bane of humankind.

The way conservatives use religion to perpetuate fear and ignorance is proof of that – the Christo-fascist right has used religion to justify violating the privacy rights of women, discriminating against gay and transgender Americans, and conjoining church and state in violation of the First Amendment.

And religion isn’t a hapless victim of Republican partisan politics; Christians are willful participants in using the power and authority of the state to advance the right’s authoritarian agenda hostile to the rights and protected liberties of the American people.