[Falconoffury]

Don't insult me. I'm saying that the energy is there, not that people can wield it with their minds. I have heard that some people are serious about becoming Jedi. All I can say is good luck! Isn't it legally recognized as a religion in the UK?

[bobcousins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Falconoffury', 'D')on't insult me. I'm saying that the energy is there, not that people can wield it with their minds. I have heard that some people are serious about becoming Jedi. All I can say is good luck! Isn't it legally recognized as a religion in the UK?

[skeptic]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('weirdo27', '"')I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe — I believe what I believe is right." —George W. Bush, in Rome, July 22, 2001

-i dont believe bush said that. First is that he is an idiot. Second is he is a christ loving christian and is not afraid to say it publically and is not against putting religion in schools.

[killJOY]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('skeptic', 'F')or some reason many American Christians are blind to this charade. Everything he [Bush] says is full of violence and vengeance, not love

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('bobcousins', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Falconoffury', 'I') also believe that god is not a deity, but a universal flow of energy.

[skeptic]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('killJOY', '
')The idea that Jesus was all about love and peace and forgiveness is another one of those "charades" that won't go away:

[weirdo27]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('weirdo27', '"')I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe — I believe what I believe is right." —George W. Bush, in Rome, July 22, 2001

-i dont believe bush said that. First is that he is an idiot. Second is he is a christ loving christian and is not afraid to say it publically and is not against putting religion in schools.

[Doly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('weirdo27', '
')I am an atheist and i am probably the stupidest person on this planet but i say if an idiot like me can figure out the idea of a higher power is nonsense why cant others?

[bobcousins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rogerhb', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('bobcousins', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Falconoffury', 'I') also believe that god is not a deity, but a universal flow of energy.

[Zardoz]

Read this shit:

The Enclave: Part One - Blind Eye To A Culture of Abuse

The Enclave: Part Two - Where Few Dare to Disobey

These monsters get away with this because they can so easily hide behind the shield of religion. The Utah and Arizona so-called "authorities" are so terrified of being seen as anti-religious they're reduced to helplessness.

All religion is a cruel scam.

[EndDays]

Why would you draw the conclusion that because there are bad people out there, then all "religion" is bad? There are bad people in all races and countries. It doesn't mean you shouldn't live around people of other races nor live in a country!

I'm a Christian, I love God and I love people. I follow Jesus Christ because I know I am guilty of breaking God's Ten Commandments and I need the Saviour who paid my penalty on the cross. Otherwise on Judgment Day, God will have to cast me into Hell. This is not something to take lightly, its the reality of being unrighteous by sinning against our Holy God.

To use an analogy, its just like a skydiver who needs a parachute because he's breaking the Law of Gravity. Otherwise when its time to hit the ground, he's not going to make it.

If your reason for being an athiest is dependent on the actions of others, that's not a very solid argument for why God doesn't exist.

Besides, where is the fault in any of what I said?

ED

[Raxozanne]

I hear you Zardoz.

You should have seen the report I read about an Amish girl who was repeatedly raped by her brothers and when she complained to her mother she was told 'it's because you're not praying hard enough' needless to say the abuse continued until she ran away.

Religion can be used to justify just about anything. It can be used to justify endemic abuse/ wars/ oppression of women/ anything you want really.

[Teclo]

yeah well abuse is evil we all know that
but I see this sudden interest in the LDS as just a first shot across the bows at alternative lifestyles, easy target
Certainly many polygamist marriages are not abusive and the people are happy, I've yet to see one single allegation against this bloke, like name's, date's etc. He's obviously done some bad shit but it reeks of smearing their whole community to me

I can smell public opinion being manipulated at 50 paces

Martin

[matt21811]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EndDays', '
')I'm a Christian, I love God and I love people. I follow Jesus Christ because I know I am guilty of breaking God's Ten Commandments and I need the Saviour who paid my penalty on the cross. Otherwise on Judgment Day, God will have to cast me into Hell. This is not something to take lightly, its the reality of being unrighteous by sinning against our Holy God.

To use an analogy, its just like a skydiver who needs a parachute because he's breaking the Law of Gravity. Otherwise when its time to hit the ground, he's not going to make it.

If your reason for being an athiest is dependent on the actions of others, that's not a very solid argument for why God doesn't exist.

Besides, where is the fault in any of what I said?

ED

[galacticsurfer]

Any organisational structure will be dominated by the powerful. Any ideal will be perverted by those in power to acheive their ends and to justify their means.

In the end the ideal and its representatives(priests, union leaders, political representatives, etc.) at least holds back the powerful or completely amoral evil people from totally abusing their power arbitrarily.

The transcendent understanding of all that exists has nothing to do with human political machinations and abuses. Karma is simply a law of physics. good and evil will be rewarded accordingly. Not by a tooth fairy or a grampa with a white beard. It just happens, like gravity.

[alexis]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('EndDays', 'W')hy would you draw the conclusion that because there are bad people out there, then all "religion" is bad? There are bad people in all races and countries. It doesn't mean you shouldn't live around people of other races nor live in a country!

I'm a Christian, I love God and I love people. I follow Jesus Christ because I know I am guilty of breaking God's Ten Commandments and I need the Saviour who paid my penalty on the cross. Otherwise on Judgment Day, God will have to cast me into Hell. This is not something to take lightly, its the reality of being unrighteous by sinning against our Holy God.

To use an analogy, its just like a skydiver who needs a parachute because he's breaking the Law of Gravity. Otherwise when its time to hit the ground, he's not going to make it.

If your reason for being an athiest is dependent on the actions of others, that's not a very solid argument for why God doesn't exist.

Besides, where is the fault in any of what I said?

ED

[skeptic]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', '
')All religion is a cruel scam.

[Grifter]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('skeptic', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', '
')All religion is a cruel scam.

[Raxozanne]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Grifter', '
')I also think a belief in a protective and judgemental god can lead to inaction which in turn will lead to a drain on society when god doesn't help those who have not taken the time to try to understand the world rationally.

[galacticsurfer]

I believe in what I experience. I have done yoga for ten years and learned energy raising techniques and meditation techniques which "change consciousness". At any rate the energy raising is real. It takes time but over the years using the techniques you really feel it like electricity in your whole body. I have yet to have any visions like you read about in books about super yogis and gurus but I suppose after another ten years of increasing energy and control over subconscious bodily functions(heart rate, etc.) and brain waves this would be possible. One could even presumably explain levitation, walking on water and miracle healing through control of bioenergy fields. This type of discussion puts "religion" into the realm of science, although in an area where only direct experience can measure anything and repeat experimenting is difficult due to need for exceptional individuals with very high level of concentration.

Since only a few people have ever reached the heights of doing miracles, etc. like a Jesus or similar they often become the basis of a religion which then promptly turns him into "God" or "Son of God" thereby making him untouchable and the rest of us just bow down to his statue and the priests make the doctrine which we must blindly follow. Obviously the "new age" eastern esoteric religions now available at your local supermarket of ideas in our current western world allow directly touching into "God" if you work hard and long enough, at least to a certain extent. With enough energy you can burn off some bad karma maybe from some previous incarnation as an evil capitalist. It is like doing garden work and getting seriously ready for Peak oil instead of bitching about how everything will die off and the world will come to an end tomorrow. It won't save the whole world to do "personal spiritual development work" but it can help you feel a bit better than just saying all "religion" is evil just like taking positive private action against peak oil can make you feel better about your place in the world even though we will likely all die of Global warming anyway.

Am I an atheist? Hm. Like Agent Mulder always had in his X-files basement office a poster that said "I want to believe". Be skeptical, but be active and open to new things.

"There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy".