Society & Culture - 2 September 2006

Religion teaches that we humans are worthless sinners, that any good in us comes from a god, that any bad in us is caused by a demon, that this life is a scarcely significant prelude to an eternal afterlife, that suffering in this life does not matter, that we are playthings of a deity and that we exist only to worship him, to make him feel good about himself.

The atheist worldview, by contrast, requires us to take full responsibility for our actions - We cannot ascribe the credit or blame to any supernatural entities. In the atheist worldview, this life is the only life we will ever have, so it couldn't possibly *be* more significant. In the atheist worldview, life can only be valued for its own sake, with no reference to the wishes of an imagined deity. In the atheist worldview we are free to choose our own purpose in life, and the meaning of life is whatever we deem it to be.

Atheism is life-affirming, whereas religion devalues the only life we know we will have.

Agreed?

2006-09-02 15:18:45 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

2006-09-02 15:18:07 · 39 answers · asked by bobkgin 3 in Religion & Spirituality

Isaiah 45:18; Ephesians 4:5.

2006-09-02 15:17:56 · 12 answers · asked by Wayne S 3 in Religion & Spirituality

Theists sometimes cite Pascal's Wager, saying: "If I'm mistaken about god, I have nothing to lose". This is wrong. If you believe in the Christian god, and it's actually the Muslim god who exists, you're going to burn in hell for all eternity - the Quran says so. If you believe in the Christian god and he's an evil sadist rather than a benevolent god (a reasonable assumption, considering the unimaginable suffering that he - supposedly - presides over in the world), then he will take great delight in sending the most fervent believers to eternal torture and keeping us atheists in paradise, just to make your torment that much the worse. If there is a god and he values reason over blind faith, he will reward atheists and punish believers (since they have no justifiable reason to believe that any gods exist).

Theists should spend their lives tormented by the fear of believing in the wrong god and ending up in another hell, or offending their own god and ending up in his. Do you?

2006-09-02 15:17:20 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

Who goes to confession once a month? Once a year? More or less?

-j.

2006-09-02 15:16:52 · 5 answers · asked by classical123 4 in Religion & Spirituality

I really would like to get a tattoo, but I'm not sure if it goes against anything there is in the Bible. It is a celtic trinity knot for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It's not anything like random Chinese script or a silly butterfly. It's very meaningful to me, but I don't know if there is anything in scripture that says not too.

2006-09-02 15:16:26 · 21 answers · asked by S L 3 in Religion & Spirituality

with sinners all the time. Where is the "love" in a god who will not welcome his flawed creation into his house?

2006-09-02 15:16:20 · 11 answers · asked by bobkgin 3 in Religion & Spirituality

John 3:13.

2006-09-02 15:16:05 · 13 answers · asked by Wayne S 3 in Religion & Spirituality

info on Kabbalah

2006-09-02 15:15:40 · 9 answers · asked by Dillon 1 in Religion & Spirituality

I was wondering if this is illegal because I saw a movie where two lesbians slept with men just to get pregnant, and then they were suppose to dump them.But the men found out, one of them said he would sue the woman. I know that it is not moral, but if you think about it, it's much cheaper than artificial insemination.

2006-09-02 15:15:24 · 25 answers · asked by indrep33 3 in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender

I had a girl turn me down once because I told her that I had just come out of the closet recently, and she told me that I couldn't be trusted because I wasn't a 'real' lesbian.

2006-09-02 15:14:52 · 13 answers · asked by Agent Double EL 5 in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender

Why not just believe what the bible says?

I'm a christian and I try to believe what the bible actually says - not adding some confusing doctrine and telling people they have to believe it.

God's word says in Deuteronomy 6:4
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD"

and his Son Jesus Christ said in Mark 12:29
"And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord"

How could you try to get people to believe that Jesus was God and that he died and rose himself from the dead? If you are dead then you're dead and you'd have no power to do anything.

I believe Jesus Christ is the son of God and he did all God asked him to do. He's our example and lived a sinless life. If he was God then it wouldn't have been much of a challenge to live perfectly and obtain salvation. Why didn't God just make things right when Adam sinned?

If you have an answer to this please show me how the bible answers this one - not your own doctrine.

2006-09-02 15:14:47 · 27 answers · asked by stybaj 2 in Religion & Spirituality

Pretty creepy to me but the rational part of my brain says it is probably nothing more than a sheer coincidence..the pokemon one creeps me out most. Sounds like he's saying 'I love Satan' over and over again quite clearly...Do you think they did this purpously or is it just coincidental?

http://jeffmilner.com/backmasking.htm

2006-09-02 15:14:33 · 2 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

2006-09-02 15:14:30 · 2 answers · asked by Dumb Owl 1 in Religion & Spirituality

...and why aren't you going those things?

2006-09-02 15:14:29 · 24 answers · asked by I I 3 in Other - Society & Culture

2006-09-02 15:14:24 · 5 answers · asked by jackpack 3 in Religion & Spirituality

Yes it's true folks - It's been scientifically calculated and verified to over 6 billion decimal places. The probability of an intelligent god just existing fully formed and functional with no cause or origin is so infinitesimally small that it has to be rejected as utterly impossible.

By a spooky coincidence, it's exactly as likely as if a tornado swept through an junkyard and threw together a fully formed Boeing 747, complete with passengers... and 57 different versions of the Holy Bible. You'd have to be completely nuts to believe this could happen!

2006-09-02 15:14:13 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

If I for instance said I believed I could fly because it makes my life complete, or it gives me hope, or it makes me treat others well, or I can't imagine my life without it - you'd think I was deranged. What I'm saying is that it'd be socially unacceptable to believe something was true just because of the good effects you experienced from that belief - you'd actually have to demonstrate it WAS true, by providing evidence or argument.

I'm not saying here that nobody defends religious beliefs in other ways, or that they can't be defended in other ways. I'm just saying - what the hell is this particular argument all about?

2006-09-02 15:12:10 · 29 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

i dont know how i will tell u the answer but ask me any way

2006-09-02 15:10:59 · 11 answers · asked by liam t 1 in Other - Society & Culture

Not necessary little green skinny men, but other creatures and species that haven't been discovered. It has been discovered that there are microorganism living in certain planets but I am not referring to that.

Why there are so many planets in space? For what ? They were put in there for a reason right?

2006-09-02 15:09:53 · 29 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

The phenotype is what tells the race of an individual not the country. You all make race into a social construct and I do not believe in that. Race is a phenotype not a social construct based on geography. I am not about to call a chinkish looking quarter asian white just because of majority white genes and I am not about to call someone like Jen white.
White = aryan = me
I know what true white is and many people make the mistake of calling people who are not white white. Since I base race on phenotype Christina Aguilera is white to me even though she is half Ecuadorian which can in fact be white.

2006-09-02 15:07:11 · 4 answers · asked by sicilianmafialife 1 in Other - Cultures & Groups

Seriously. i work as a dealer in a casino, and my first customer today pissed and moaned the who time he was there. I just wanted to scream shut up in his face . Luckily for me, I took all his money and he left. LOL The rest of my day was good though.

2006-09-02 15:05:44 · 12 answers · asked by stickan8 3 in Etiquette

2006-09-02 15:05:18 · 7 answers · asked by trisha s 1 in Religion & Spirituality

Whats a good non standard format bible? Im a catholic but the format of the bibles ive seen put me to sleep. Not to mention the feeling of the paper makes me cringe.

I haven't been to relegious although id like to change that a bit. Just want to read it and know what its all about.

2006-09-02 15:04:00 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

this is strickly hypothetical: you are pregnant and a psychic[remember hypothetical people] tells you that you are carrying a second version of Hitler. the kid will do the same as Hitler did years ago...would you get an abortion? dont forget its hypothetical! be honest now,

2006-09-02 15:03:39 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

I just bought a new one garage townhome, our neighbor has two cars just like we do, however they like to park one on the driveway and their SUV (expedition) on the sidewalk. It's not a problem to us, since it doesn't affect us in anyway, but since their car is so big, 1/3 of their car is in front of our lawn (they can back it up towards their own house without blocking anyone). I think it's a bit unrespectful and inconsiderate. But how do I address that to them, since I don't see them at all, and be polite about it? Or should I not worry about it at all?

2006-09-02 15:01:25 · 22 answers · asked by Sassy Girl 3 in Other - Society & Culture

If you found one of those key chains that were linked to a gas card that allow you to scan and pump; would you "fill'er up" or try to return it to the owner?

2006-09-02 15:01:08 · 31 answers · asked by Anonymous in Etiquette

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

36Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray." 37And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch[a] with me." 39And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." 40And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 42Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done." 43And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44So, leaving them again, he went awa

2006-09-02 15:00:09 · 21 answers · asked by Hashiman S 1 in Religion & Spirituality

2006-09-02 14:59:36 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

If it's that obivous whould'nt you ignore the guy?

2006-09-02 14:59:12 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality