Saw this question on r/atheism today.

[LunarRay]

When Mulla Nasrudin found a parrot that had escaped from a cage, a bird he had never seen or imagined, he trimmed it's beak and painted it brown so it would look more like a proper falcon.

That action of Nasrudin is a lot easier to understand than for him to have taken that parrot and pinned a long nose and lots of grey feathers on it so to appear to be an elephant.

I figure religion is like dealing with similar 'creatures' whereas dissimilar 'creatures' can never ever be reconciled to be similar. Flying elephants just ain't logical.... and there ain't no possible proof that they ever did fly or ever will... just look at em.... it is obvious, right?

 

[Retro Rob]

Total nonsense.

For example, we have literally millions if not billions of data points recording dead people staying dead after being dead for three days.

The Christ myth represents a single statistical outlier. It is not unreasonable to conclude that it is a measurement error, absent some extraordinary evidence to contrary.

Very true, and this I am not debating.

My point is, and has always been, DONT BELIEVE IT!

This is why many scientists, if not all of them, don't say for certainty that God doesn't exist - they don't see evidence for his existence, either. They simply don't believe and I think that's a fine position to hold..

 

[LunarRay]

Very true, and this I am not debating.

My point is, and has always been, DONT BELIEVE IT!

This is why many scientists, if not all of them, don't say for certainty that God doesn't exist - they don't see evidence for his existence, either. They simply don't believe and I think that's a fine position to hold..

Rob...

If one believes the only way to extract water from a well is to use a glass jar they will surely die of thirst sitting there upon their bucket looking for another jar to use should the first one break.

Folks use what they think are the best tools for the job. To proclaim the absence of evidence that a particular tool might work as well assumes they are capable within the logic of their endeavor to make such a proclamation... They cannot answer beyond their observational limits... But, they know something exists beyond those limits... What it is they look for requires the evidence they cannot see...

 

[alzan]

You're not irrational for sharing what you believe to be true.

What's wrong with you people? I guess free speech means nothing to you, since you think it's irrational to exercise the right.

I think free speech means quite a bit to everyone on Anandtech and in particular this thread. No one said exercising that right is irrational for doing it; it's more the subject matter that some feel is irrational.

You and a couple of others are exercising your freedom of speech by talking about your religious beliefs while others are exercising their freedom of speech by questioning and/or commenting on your beliefs.

 

[alzan]

Her parents. 🙄

So that would be Adam & Eve, since there were no other adults around; at least according to Genesis. Cain & his wife were brother & sister.

 

[LunarRay]

So that would be Adam & Eve, since there were no other adults around; at least according to Genesis. Cain & his wife were brother & sister.

And that is the basis for making incest illegal... Just look at the incomprehensible mess incest by those two caused...😉

 

[Retro Rob]

I think free speech means quite a bit to everyone on Anandtech and in particular this thread. No one said exercising that right is irrational for doing it; it's more the subject matter that some feel is irrational.

You and a couple of others are exercising your freedom of speech by talking about your religious beliefs while others are exercising their freedom of speech by questioning and/or commenting on your beliefs.

Well, sharing one's beliefs doesn't make one any more irrational than the many Atheists that share their disbelief.

...unless everyone sharing a belief or disbelief is irrational because it goes contrary to the other. lol

 

[sandorski]

Well, sharing one's beliefs doesn't make one any more irrational than the many Atheists that share their disbelief.

...unless everyone sharing a belief or disbelief is irrational because it goes contrary to the other. lol

The Belief is what is being called Irrational, not the sharing.

 

[OCNewbie]

The Belief is what is being called Irrational, not the sharing.

Exactly. It's sort of like schizophrenics who believe the government can read their thoughts, so they cover their walls with aluminum foil, or literally wear tinfoil hats. The fact that they make their thoughts known is not what is irrational, it's the details of those thoughts, and the fact that they believe them wholeheartedly. To clarify, I'm not implying Christians, or anybody with Abrahamic, or other types of religious faith are schizo, I'm just using that to express the point the other poster was trying to make.

Another example would be The Westboro Baptist Church (God Hates Fags, etc.). The fact that they express themselves isn't the problem, it's the content of their message, and the fact that they believe these things. The Flat Earth Society would be another, though I'm not sure if they're directly religion-based, but they've still got wacko beliefs.

 

[Retro Rob]

Exactly. It's sort of like schizophrenics who believe the government can read their thoughts, so they cover their walls with aluminum foil, or literally wear tinfoil hats. The fact that they make their thoughts known is not what is irrational, it's the details of those thoughts, and the fact that they believe them wholeheartedly. To clarify, I'm not implying Christians, or anybody with Abrahamic, or other types of religious faith are schizo, I'm just using that to express the point the other post was trying to make.

No, you're actually comparing the "irrational" thoughts of Schizos to the "irrational" thoughts of the religious based on the type of content (far-fetched BS that has no place in reality).

In short, Schizos and Christians believe the same type of "content", although the content itself is different.

You really suck at masking your hate -- may as well come right out and say it.

 

[sandorski]

No, you're actually comparing the "irrational" thoughts of Schizos to the "irrational" thoughts of the religious based on the type of content (far-fetched BS that has no place in reality).

In short, Schizos and Christians believe the same type of "content", although the content itself is different.

You really suck at masking your hate -- may as well come right out and say it.

You really want to play the Victim here, dontchya?
🙄

 

[OCNewbie]

No, you're actually comparing the "irrational" thoughts of Schizos to the "irrational" thoughts of the religious based on the type of content (far-fetched BS that has no place in reality).

In short, Schizos and Christians believe the same type of "content", although the content itself is different.

You really suck at masking your hate -- may as well come right out and say it.

Perhaps, but the beliefs of Christians didn't come from their genetically flawed brains (at least I don't believe that), they came from a book.

My entire family follows a Christian faith, and I love them all very much. I'm the lone black sheep. I was Christian growing up, and I don't hate the person I was at that time.

Maybe it's easier for you to hate me if you think I hate you? I can't claim to know your beliefs to any great extent, but I don't even hate them in the way I imagine them being, I just find that they conflict with reality (and I do believe in one common reality).

 

[Thebobo]

Bill Maher is such a loser. First he tried comedy and failed. Then he tried game shows and got accidentally smacked in the face by Erik Estrada and went into a fetal position (glass chin). Then he finally turned to religious hatred producing one sided, lol worthy trash videos on Youtube to make a cheap buck from atheist extremists. He has scraped the bottom of the barrel.
:'(

Yea a looser who has a hugely successful show on HBO and apparently enough money to donate 1 million dollars to a political party.

 

[OCNewbie]

Someone I am FB friends with just changed their profile photo to this (I believe he's a youth pastor):

I'm so tempted to say "But they CAN all be wrong, no?", but I won't =P

 

[etrigan420]

Someone I am FB friends with just changed their profile photo to this (I believe he's a youth pastor):

I'm so tempted to say "But they CAN all be wrong, no?", but I won't =P

That's awesome. The best part is that it states that they can't all be true, yet has a bible quote.

So it's like the popular "Coexist" stickers...but without the spirit of understanding and cultural awareness. :|

 

[OCNewbie]

That's awesome. The best part is that it states that they can't all be true, yet has a bible quote.

So it's like the popular "Coexist" stickers...but without the spirit of understanding and cultural awareness. :|

Yeah, it's implying that the other fraternal twin religions are fake, but Christianity just happens to be the one that's real.

 

[Retro Rob]

Perhaps, but the beliefs of Christians didn't come from their genetically flawed brains (at least I don't believe that), they came from a book.

My entire family follows a Christian faith, and I love them all very much. I'm the lone black sheep. I was Christian growing up, and I don't hate the person I was at that time.

Maybe it's easier for you to hate me if you think I hate you? I can't claim to know your beliefs to any great extent, but I don't even hate them in the way I imagine them being, I just find that they conflict with reality (and I do believe in one common reality).

Black sheep? Personally, I hate that term. Non-believer is more accurate and less offensive.

I don't think you hate me, I think you're misinformed about, not Christendom, but the Bible.

I basically agree with anyone's disproval of religion, to be honest with you.

On some fronts, I think people are puzzled (even jealous) about the fact that a book as old as the Bible can have such an influence on SO MANY people's lives and thinking. To add, its the most widely distributed book in human history, yet it's a complete work of fiction?

A lot of people center their lives around it, build organizations based on it, feel compelled to teach it to their kids, etc. This alone doesn't mean anything, though, and doesn't qualify this book as a work of factual accounts.

Just something I was thinking about.

 

[Retro Rob]

You really want to play the Victim here, dontchya?
🙄

Lol

I don't ever play that victim card - I'm making an honest observation.

 

[sandorski]

Lol

I don't ever play that victim card - I'm making an honest observation.

It might be Honest, but it is not reasonable. You were reading between the lines that lie between the lines.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

Cain's wife was his sister according to Christian apologists.

So we're all inbred descendents from two people.

Well, that explains much of the 20th century. :/

 

[Retro Rob]

It might be Honest, but it is not reasonable. You were reading between the lines that lie between the lines.

Maybe.. maybe not. I don't think I was.

Actually, if you read the last sentence in his reply to mine, he basically validated my observation.

 

[randomrogue]

Black sheep? Personally, I hate that term. Non-believer is more accurate and less offensive.

I don't think you hate me, I think you're misinformed about, not Christendom, but the Bible.

I basically agree with anyone's disproval of religion, to be honest with you.

On some fronts, I think people are puzzled (even jealous) about the fact that a book as old as the Bible can have such an influence on SO MANY people's lives and thinking. To add, its the most widely distributed book in human history, yet it's a complete work of fiction?

A lot of people center their lives around it, build organizations based on it, feel compelled to teach it to their kids, etc. This alone doesn't mean anything, though, and doesn't qualify this book as a work of factual accounts.

Just something I was thinking about.

Irregardless of religion I can't help but travel the world and make one universal observation: People are stupid. Surely many here have made the same observation.

 

[Retro Rob]

Irregardless of religion I can't help but travel the world and make one universal observation: People are stupid. Surely many here have made the same observation.

There's atleast one poster in this thread that disagrees...

 

[sandorski]

Related discussion

The first 5-10 minutes has some technical issues.

 

[spittledip]

A couple questions for the Christians:

First, what happens to the souls of those who were alive after Christianity was founded, but lived in the middle of a rainforest in South America, or high in the Himalayas, or some other extremely remote and/or seldom visited area, and for their entire lives, never even heard the words "Jesus Christ", much less his story? Are they sent to hell, for all eternity, because of that misfortune? Or do they still get to go to heaven, without having to have endured the trials/sacrifices that someone that does know the story has to go through? I assume "God" would know whether or not you knew about Jesus or not. What if you've only been exposed to just a small portion of Jesus' story? Is there a cut-off point where you've heard enough where you should believe, but because you choose not to, you're gonna burn? I wonder what that cut-off point would be.

Really don't know. Romans hints that people are held up to the standards they profess (the law being written in everyone's hearts), but ultimately this is not explained in the Bible. One thing to consider is that Salvation is not just about "escaping hell." Salvation is about being able to connect with God through the removal of sin that blocks the way to Him. Those who have not heard would not have this, so it is almost like a completely different scenario. God might do things on a case-by-case basis, but there really is not definitive answer to this on earth.

Second, if science developed technology, that essentially allowed humans to live indefinitely, where there was no more natural death (from heart attacks, old age, brain cancer, etc.). Unless you were blown to bits by an explosion, had your head blown off, or some other catastrophic event happened, you could live forever. How would you feel about this? Would you oppose this sort of science? Would you expose yourself to the therapy/medicine that would grant you this quasi-immortality? Doing so could potentially prevent you from passing onto to Heaven indefinitely, so I'm curious how you would feel about this. I believe this WILL happen, and possibly within the next 100 years, but I'm all but convinced it will happen eventually.

Again, salvation is not merely about escaping hell and going to heaven- it is about being able to commune with God. A scenario like this shouldn't be an issue.