Christians on Decline, Non-believers Skyrocketing in US

[bshole]

And any christian worth his weight in salt knows to not spread the word of god. By doing so they are damning a percentage of the population to hell. If these stone age natives had never heard the word of god they would go to heaven automatically

That is what christians tell me. Babies and people who were never exposed get a free pass. So stop exposing it and save billions

My parents theology is that EVERYBODY is going to hell unless they accept the gift of Jesus. Whether you actually ever hear of the Bible, Jesus or Christianity is completely irrelevant. The sin of Adam has damned you.

I took my brother (HP) to the Pick & Save by my house this weekend (to pick up food to grill). While we were in line to get the pasta salad and baked beans, HP became interested in the hot soup they sell there. HP said that one of his Christian friends had confessed to him that he had been stealing Pick & Save soup for months now. HP's friend is very poor and only partially employed. I asked HP why his friend doesn't get on food stamps. HP said his friend considers food stamps morally wrong. It was just flabbergasting to me. The guy obviously needs help and we have system specifically set up to help people like him. He ignores the system and STEALS food from private parties. He feels guilty about it so he confesses his sin to my brother (HP) BUT DOES NOT CONFESS TO THE WRONGED PARTY (Pick & Save).

The early Christian church was socialistic to the point of communism (at least according to the Bible). The brand of Christianity practiced by my two younger brothers and parents is very very anti-socialistic. The abhor social programs, safety nets and the Democratic Party. They have merged politics and religion. Voting for Obama is a literal sin in my father's eyes.

 

[realibrad]

My parents theology is that EVERYBODY is going to hell unless they accept the gift of Jesus. Whether you actually ever hear of the Bible, Jesus or Christianity is completely irrelevant. The sin of Adam has damned you.

I took my brother (HP) to the Pick & Save by my house this weekend (to pick up food to grill). While we were in line to get the pasta salad and baked beans, HP became interested in the hot soup they sell there. HP said that one of his Christian friends had confessed to him that he had been stealing Pick & Save soup for months now. HP's friend is very poor and only partially employed. I asked HP why his friend doesn't get on food stamps. HP said his friend considers food stamps morally wrong. It was just flabbergasting to me. The guy obviously needs help and we have system specifically set up to help people like him. He ignores the system and STEALS food from private parties. He feels guilty about it so he confesses his sin to my brother (HP) BUT DOES NOT CONFESS TO THE WRONGED PARTY (Pick & Save).

The early Christian church was socialistic to the point of communism (at least according to the Bible). The brand of Christianity practiced by my two younger brothers and parents is very very anti-socialistic. The abhor social programs, safety nets and the Democratic Party. They have merged politics and religion. Voting for Obama is a literal sin in my father's eyes.

There is lots of irony there. Its immoral to take food stamps, but less immoral to steal. Even if you looked at both as being bad, food stamps would seem to be the lesser of two evils. Religious thinking I guess.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

There is lots of irony there. Its immoral to take food stamps, but less immoral to steal. Even if you looked at both as being bad, food stamps would seem to be the lesser of two evils. Religious thinking I guess.

Hahahahahahahaha!

"Religious thinking"

Good one.

 

[MongGrel]

My parents theology is that EVERYBODY is going to hell unless they accept the gift of Jesus. Whether you actually ever hear of the Bible, Jesus or Christianity is completely irrelevant. The sin of Adam has damned you.

I took my brother (HP) to the Pick & Save by my house this weekend (to pick up food to grill). While we were in line to get the pasta salad and baked beans, HP became interested in the hot soup they sell there. HP said that one of his Christian friends had confessed to him that he had been stealing Pick & Save soup for months now. HP's friend is very poor and only partially employed. I asked HP why his friend doesn't get on food stamps. HP said his friend considers food stamps morally wrong. It was just flabbergasting to me. The guy obviously needs help and we have system specifically set up to help people like him. He ignores the system and STEALS food from private parties. He feels guilty about it so he confesses his sin to my brother (HP) BUT DOES NOT CONFESS TO THE WRONGED PARTY (Pick & Save).

The early Christian church was socialistic to the point of communism (at least according to the Bible). The brand of Christianity practiced by my two younger brothers and parents is very very anti-socialistic. The abhor social programs, safety nets and the Democratic Party. They have merged politics and religion. Voting for Obama is a literal sin in my father's eyes.

Remind me to never meet your parents.

It would be a dramatically bad idea.

 

[SagaLore]

How the fuck can these complex molecules form in the first place when AFTER formation they are only formed from pre-existing molecules? How the hell did the millions of atoms line up and configure in that formation?

Physics, math, quantum mechanics, organic chemistry. It happens because it can.

 

[bshole]

Remind me to never meet your parents.

It would be a dramatically bad idea.

I had one of the people from the mission working on a retaining wall in front of my house this weekend. I asked him if one could get to heaven if one believed that more than just faith in Jesus was required (like baptism). He said absolutely not. Well that would mean most Christians are going to hell I said. He said yep! It is so weird how the critical thinking skills are left at the door in religion.

 

[bshole]

Physics, math, quantum mechanics, organic chemistry. It happens because it can.

Theoretically it can. Scientists have not observed it happening today in nature and are not yet able to create conditions that would allow it to occur in the lab.

 

[JSt0rm]

It is so weird how the critical thinking skills are left at the door in religion.

Its not weird at all. Religion was used to control the masses and those masses were uneducated. Critical thinking was not even a concept to them.

 

[Jaskalas]

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-...decline-as-number-of-nones-grows-survey-finds

Good to see reason taking hold across the nation. If we continue to see people abandon their beliefs at this rate we'll be a majority non-believer nation in 20 years.

The King is dead! Long live the King!

On the contrary... I find our minds are still very primitive and even if it's not an organized religion we, as a group, will still cling to our beliefs. If anything, modern trends just make it harder to define what people's beliefs are. Organized religions are a very structured set of beliefs that their institutions attempt to publish and maintain.

Abscent those structures, I do not expect our minds to work differently from the heyday of religion. We used religion as a much needed crutch to fill the void between our ears. It gave us reading, comfort, and union when we could not find those ourselves. Without religion we will find comfort and union elsewhere.

That which fills the vacuum could be better than organized religion, though not necessarily so. We must be ever vigilant over the conformities our people take hold of. We must test the notion of knowledge and ensure validity at all times. Lest we find our flock or ourselves led astray once more.

Propaganda is not just found in Churches and Temples. The modern world is still a very dangerous place for our minds.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Scientists have not observed it happening today in nature and are not yet able to create conditions that would allow it to occur in the lab.

What, exactly, is "it" that you are speaking about here?

 

[bshole]

What, exactly, is "it" that you are speaking about here?

Abiogenesis. I can't figure out which would be the greater achievement.... if scientists are able to mechanically manipulate atoms to create life or if they are able to create the conditions that produce it. It would be kind of funny if they did both, thus proving that life could have evolved from non-life AND that life could have been designed. The first scientist to do either will be a shoo-in for a Nobel Prize and immortality.

It just seems sooooooooooo fucking complex!!! How the shit did this kind of stuff occur in the first place? Jesus, I try reading scientific articles on DNA and I simply lack the intelligence/knowledge to process it all. This stuff so complex that far less than 1% of humanity could really comprehend it (only the very smartest of the smart). It is almost physics at that level. For example, just using wiki, check out this mush on nucleotides (part of dna)....

 

[JSt0rm]

There is a scientist that used components of life and made "new life" Yes its kind of a hack but he did it. As for life from nothing well life already found a way and its kicking ass and taking numbers so dont expect much in the way of "new life"

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Abiogenesis. I can't figure out which would be the greater achievement.... if scientists are able to mechanically manipulate atoms to create life or if they are able to create the conditions that produce it.

How do you think a scientist would know if he had "created life"?

It would be kind of funny if they did both, thus proving that life could have evolved from non-life...

How do you know that "non-life" is not actually life?

...AND that life could have been designed.

No thoughtful person would ever suggest that it is impossible for us to have been "designed." In fact, there's absolutely no way to rule out that possibility, and that's precisely why it is a useless idea.

{snip}

How the shit did this kind of stuff occur in the first place?

Why shouldn't it have?

{snip}

 

[OverVolt]

.. edited for niceness

 

[realibrad]

Theoretically it can. Scientists have not observed it happening today in nature and are not yet able to create conditions that would allow it to occur in the lab.

The first part, you are correct.

The 2nd part, I literally linked you to a lab test where they were able to create conditions.

 

[SagaLore]

Theoretically it can. Scientists have not observed it happening today in nature and are not yet able to create conditions that would allow it to occur in the lab.

You are incorrect.

 

[Aikouka]

The early Christian church was socialistic to the point of communism (at least according to the Bible). The brand of Christianity practiced by my two younger brothers and parents is very very anti-socialistic. The abhor social programs, safety nets and the Democratic Party. They have merged politics and religion. Voting for Obama is a literal sin in my father's eyes.

That seems rather strange. Well, not the anti-Democratic stance, but rather the disdain for social programs. Essentially, social programs are just about helping out your fellow man, and I haven't been religious in a while, but I do recall the Bible saying to do that. It reminds me of how the church that I was part of would actually gather food for less fortunate parishioners. If I had to guess, their dislike for social programs stems from Democratic support for them and the fact that the same party also supports certain other social agendas that are contra-religious (i.e. same-sex marriage).

 

[JSt0rm]

You are incorrect.

Same thing with evolution. You can trace certain proteins all back to common ancestors across huge amounts of life. Sometimes there is a merging of life and a different but equally useful in the same way protein is picked over the latter and life goes on now with a huge number of these life forms all with that protein.

there is research happening right now that is putting different selective pressures on bacteria they are already seeing changes. Soon the dogma of the past will have no place to turn.

 

[CitizenKain]

That seems rather strange. Well, not the anti-Democratic stance, but rather the disdain for social programs. Essentially, social programs are just about helping out your fellow man, and I haven't been religious in a while, but I do recall the Bible saying to do that. It reminds me of how the church that I was part of would actually gather food for less fortunate parishioners. If I had to guess, their dislike for social programs stems from Democratic support for them and the fact that the same party also supports certain other social agendas that are contra-religious (i.e. same-sex marriage).

That is the modern protestant Prosperity Gospel in action right there actually. Where if you are poor, its because you are a sinner, while rich people are rich because they aren't sinning.

This is usually seen best at mega churches in the south where somehow spreading the word of god involves a stadium and a sound system that Iron Maiden would be impressed with. Also pastors that have a personal jet for some reason. Not much for food ministry and outreach though, as that involves talking to filthy poors.

Their resistance to social programs is simple, money that is going to the government is money that isn't going to help the head pastor upgrade to a new Beamer.

 

[sandorski]

That seems rather strange. Well, not the anti-Democratic stance, but rather the disdain for social programs. Essentially, social programs are just about helping out your fellow man, and I haven't been religious in a while, but I do recall the Bible saying to do that. It reminds me of how the church that I was part of would actually gather food for less fortunate parishioners. If I had to guess, their dislike for social programs stems from Democratic support for them and the fact that the same party also supports certain other social agendas that are contra-religious (i.e. same-sex marriage).

In the US it is mostly due to Politics. Here in Canada and in some European nations, Socialist political movements were often spurred by Christian Ministers motivated by the teachings of Jesus.

 

[bshole]

You are incorrect.

Meh I could be. I may be misunderstanding what life is. I think DNA is required for life to exist. A single DNA strand is around 6 billion atoms ordered in a an incredibly complex configuration. It strains my comprehension for such a strand to just come together randomly. I must be missing a whole bunch of information here. Not entirely sure I would even I understand it if it was provided.

Interesting Bible verses:

Acts 2:44-45 ESV / 27 helpful votes

And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.


Acts 20:35 ESV

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”


Matthew 6:1-4 ESV

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

When was the last time you saw a Christian divest themselves of all their worldly wealth to give it the church? It really is a pick and choose religion. Ignore the vast majority of the Bible you disagree with and sign up with the parts that are consistent with your worldview.

 

[OverVolt]

.. editing because no1 care

 

[SlowSpyder]

Meh I could be. I may be misunderstanding what life is. I think DNA is required for life to exist. A single DNA strand is around 6 billion atoms ordered in a an incredibly complex configuration. It strains my comprehension for such a strand to just come together randomly. I must be missing a whole bunch of information here. Not entirely sure I would even I understand it if it was provided.

Well, you have to remember it didn't happen in one step. Certain building blocks came into existence and then those building blocks formed more complex molecules, then those larger complex molecules came together, and so on. To me it is mind boggling, too. But, it is just as much so to try and wrap your brain around billions of years, each day a chance for a new mutation.

Something I find interesting is human chromosome #2. Apes have 24 pairs of chromosomes, we have 23. If we came from a common ancestor, if evolution is correct why do we have a different number of chromosome pairs?

The end portion of the chromosome is called a telomere, it lets the ribosomes in our cells know to stop replicating protiens when they get to that portion. They are also consumed during cell division, and are believed to have a role in aging. But, the point is they are only found at the end of the chromosomes and have some specific functions.

Human chromosome #2 has a telomere in the middle of the chromosome (as well as at the ends) with DNA on each side, it is the only one that has this. Knowing that telomeres only signal the end of a chromosome, why is it also found in the middle of this chromosome?

Well, on the other side of the telomere is the missing 24th chromosome that apes have. These chromosome merged through some random process at some point in history. This is why humans are human and apes are apes. This is why we have 23 sets, apes have 24 (but we still have that DNA in our cells). This provides really strong evidence for evolution, and us sharing a common ancestor with today's apes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromosome_2_(human)#Evolution