JCC Arena The Theist/Atheist Thunderdome™

The video link broke. What was it supposed to be?

 

The Guardian of Our Lawn.

 

Ooh, a sailboat!

Sent from my Who Cares **** You

 

So, I have recently received my set of Adam Greene's Bibliotheca. I can't seriously look over it now but I am anxious to get home and start my read through of the entire Bible in such nice formatting.

Sent from my Who Cares **** You

 

Well, my Grandma Ma passed away a few hours ago. I'm relieved she's not suffering anymore, and she really wasn't herself after being so heavily medicated at the hospice most of this week. So strong, even after losing two of her sons, and her husband, and so many others. After my Uncle Russ died suddenly and unexpectedly when he was about 40, she made sure we still had the planned Family Christmas party three days later. Quick to laugh and dance and joke, even telling jokes and poking fun at others when she was in the SCU before being moved to hospice. Just so strong, for all her 89 years.

 

Sorry to hear of your loss.

 

Obama signs a new international law protecting atheists from religious persecution

 

Something tells me Saudi Arabia won't follow that law.

 

Moved from the U.S. Politics thread.

You're right, hypothetically you could have a non-religious fascist government (although they all inevitably take on the form of a religion). However there has never been a fascist government that hasn't used religion as a fundamental aspect of their philosophy, given that all societies basically have religion as a fundamental feature of national identity. So while fascism focuses on national identity, there is no national identity that doesn't have religion fundamentally tied to it, and as such there has been no fascist government that hasn't had religion as an important feature (either as policy or as a form of control). Therefore it is silly to call fascism non-religious.

There is no good religious action that a secular person can't make, but there are bad religious actions that a secular person would never make. I have no problem with religion as long as it is private institution. Too often however, because of the totalitarian nature of many of the doctrines, it finds its way into the public sphere.

 

Good call moving this discussion here. Unfortunately I don't know if I have anything more to say on the matter.

I don't the think Christianity as outlined in the Bible is written in a way as to support the idea of subjugation. I think there's a huge difference between governments trying to basically enslave their populations by force and the idea of making a choice to try to change your life in a positive or negative way like religion allows a person to do.

I still do take issue with state-sponsored religions and how time and time again they have forced whole populations to convert to such and such religion u see penalty of death or excommunication, and I have always been highly critical of Christian institutions and their twisting of positive messages to obtain and grasp more power. I don't think it's the fault of the religion, however (in most contexts), but rather the fault of the person who uses said religion to accumulate greater power and influence.

Sent from A TRANSMISSION BEAMED ABOARD THIS SHIP--

 

This is awful sophistry. Religion doesn't inform public debate because of its "totalitarian nature." It is because, in providing a framework for people's worldview, decision-making, and personal morality, that naturally bleeds over to their policy judgments. Entirely secular philosophies likes stoicism and liberalism do exactly the same. People cite objectivism far more regularly to justify far more radical policy shifts than most of what is asked for by religiously motivated politicians. Let alone the vast majority of religious people. You either don't have a good grasp of what totalitarianism is, haven't done a lot of thinking here, or are being incredibly dishonest about what religion is.

 

the jabber wocky is correct.

 

I'm sorry, but liberalism is a religion. One that worships the free market.

 

Sorry to hear about that, Ghost.

 

McVatican

$25,000 a month to the Vatican.

 

harpua

That is an amazing and impressive list of deities you've compiled.



For my part, I don't believe in God as a person or single being, per say. I see "God" more as a natural order to the Universe. I think religions, not taken literally, are sort compiled guidelines for "aligning yourself" with that natural order, or pattern. Like...waste not want not...happens all the time.

 

I'm sure the food must be ...DIVINE!

 

Divinity and McDs do not go hand in hand. Considering the quality of what they pass off as food, it's fairly certain it belongs to the other imaginary place.

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It's funny they let it in the Vatican but in Florence they banned McDonalds from the Piazza del Duomo.

 

A hand written draft of the King James Bible discovered

This article is over a year old now.

 

From 5 years ago yesterday, here is a horrid example of just how extreme religious hostility can get in America when someone dares to challenge the status quo (language warning).

http://www.alternet.org/story/15380..._school_student_getting_vicious_death_threats

 

But...but...but...if I can't impose my beliefs on somebody else, then that means MY rights are being trampled upon!