What Religion are you?

[Dezzimal]

Sure is heathen in here.

[Max™]

No, I meant idea virus, it is an infectious idea, it infects a mind, entrenches itself, and tries to spread.

Religion is no different than any other viral infection, ultimately, merely the method of transmission is more insidious. You get a virus, you can tell that your cells are functioning improperly.

You get faith, you often can't tell that your brain is malfunctioning.

Trust me, being willing to die for a fucking idea is the definition of malfunctioning.


I'm not willing to die for physics, that's stupid.

I don't wear tiny gold particle accelerator effigies around my neck, that's stupid.

I don't have to avoid food for arbitrary reasons, be respectful to imaginary beings, or obey anything other than the laws by which the very fucking Universe functions.


I am free, and happy, and sane... utterly without faith, you could be too.

[Kerberoz]

No, I meant idea virus, it is an infectious idea, it infects a mind, entrenches itself, and tries to spread.

Meme.

[Max™]

Yes, that is another good term for it, but meme doesn't quite give the same deadly implications that "idea virus" does.

Religion is hurting you, and it will never help you.

How many viruses do you know of that help their hosts with nothing to gain?

What does Religion gain from helping you, it's host?

[kuronosan]

I was raised Catholic and, until recently, considered myself Christian. For now, I simply believe in God (in some form) and choose to explore science more deeply.

[Faris]

I dont know man, but I just cannot accept the fact that we and the universe have no creator.
Everything has a creator, nothing is made out of nothing..
and that all those revelations in the 3 holy books and other civilizations were just guesses? thats too hard to disbelieve, at least for me.

and also to think the Prophets went out of their way to say the same exact thing over and over again through out time. some of them killed burtally, some of them tortured.
and all they taught is that there is a God, and he wants you to do good in this life; why is that so offensive, why do people feel very defensive when there is a higher power trying to advise and guide us. I dont feel any threat, if I do what God says, and like mentioned; its nothing bad, he's just saying do good, dont hurt yourself, and dont hurt others...Simple. Violence in religion is very exaggerated and extreme. if people have a good understanding about religion violence would never be mentioned/considered.

Its a system that can be applied in all times, to all civilizations, cultures and to everyone. It fascinates me.
on the other hand, you compare it to believing that it was mere coincidence and development that got us here..and who made this declaration? science, a source that tells you that it can change throughout time, and it is all based on theories.
(just a funny example, doctors used to prescribe cigarettes to pregnant women in the 1920s).
Everyone refers to Charles Darwin, when his theory, though makes a strong point, is flawed...if you deny that then you're being stubborn (sorry mizango<3), but that is what i am reading, a very intellectual man, made great discoveries, but for the most part it is flawed and he himself mentions that.

[oldoldman]

I've always considered mathematics to be God. That is to say that if there is some all knowing deity that operates outside our realm of existence, he manifests himself here as Math. It is at the very least the only language that human beings didn't make up.

[Obev]

I don't wear tiny gold particle accelerator effigies around my neck, that's stupid.

I don't know, I think that'd be pretty bling.

[Shibo]

Can't believe Pastafarianism didn't make the poll.

[Kerberoz]

I dont know man, but I just cannot accept the fact that we and the universe have no creator.
Everything has a creator, nothing is made out of nothing..

If everything has a maker then the maker itself has a maker. So what created your god? A bigger god? If you say that god has always existed and wasn't created, then why can't that logic simply be applied to the universe itself and cut out the middleman?

Watchmaker analogy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Everyone refers to Charles Darwin, when his theory, though makes a strong point, is flawed...if you deny that then you're being stubborn (sorry mizango<3), but that is what i am reading, a very intellectual man, made great discoveries, but for the most part it is flawed and he himself mentions that.

Science isn't dogma. If a part of a theory is proven to be incorrect through peer-reviewed scientific study, it is revised. Of course some parts of the initial theory of evolution were wrong. You don't discard the entire idea because one piece of the puzzle is unclear, though. You revise your understanding of that piece and move on.

[Senoska]

When did Darwin say evolution was flawed?

but for the most part it is flawed and he himself mentions that.

edit:

And I've read it, have you?
http://www.senotaru.com/uploads/imag...1576186725.jpg

[Guitarman]

If everything has a maker then the maker itself has a maker. So what created your god? A bigger god? If you say that god has always existed and wasn't created, then why can't that logic simply be applied to the universe itself and cut out the middleman?

You're treading down a road that goes nowhere. It's beyond human understanding to figure out what was first. Did existance just happen? How is that possible? What was before existance? How did existance itself come to be? (i'm talking before us, the creation of the universe. It's one of those questions that can't be answered).

No, I meant idea virus, it is an infectious idea, it infects a mind, entrenches itself, and tries to spread.

Religion is no different than any other viral infection, ultimately, merely the method of transmission is more insidious. You get a virus, you can tell that your cells are functioning improperly.

You get faith, you often can't tell that your brain is malfunctioning.

Trust me, being willing to die for a fucking idea is the definition of malfunctioning.


I'm not willing to die for physics, that's stupid.

I don't wear tiny gold particle accelerator effigies around my neck, that's stupid.

I don't have to avoid food for arbitrary reasons, be respectful to imaginary beings, or obey anything other than the laws by which the very fucking Universe functions.


I am free, and happy, and sane... utterly without faith, you could be too.

No, I meant idea virus, it is an infectious idea, it infects a mind, entrenches itself, and tries to spread.

Atheism is no different than any other viral infection, ultimately, merely the method of transmission is more insidious. You get a virus, you can tell that your cells are functioning improperly.

You get an absence of faith, you often can't tell that your brain is malfunctioning.

Trust me, being willing to die for a fucking idea is the definition of malfunctioning.


I'm not willing to die for physics, that's stupid.



I am free, and happy, and sane... with faith, you could be too.

It works both ways there brosef.

You see religion as a virus, i see atheism as a virus. A virus of stupidity that's permeating the angsty, "i had a bad day so god doesn't exist!" group.

That being said, i consider myself a liberal christian. I believe in God, but i take the bible as stories meant to guide my life, not literal retelling of real events. (at least the old testament, i think the new testament is mostly true). Is there a God? Yes. Did Jesus die for my sins? Absolutely. Did adam and eve actually occur, and dinosaurs be just a giant hoax? yeah....I don't think so.

What people don't get is darwin's theory (again, theory, not a fact, he himself admitted in a letter to a colleague that parts of his theory were absurd.) can be the answer to how, and not why, we're here.

Edit: this whole arguement is as pointless and stupid as pissing in the wind. Neither side will change their mind about how they feel, unless your name is neosutra (hah! think everyone forgot? )

[Guitarman]

Sorry for double post, but here's where darwin admits his theory is far-fetched:

“…I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science….It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many flaw[s] & holes as sound parts.” Charles Darwin to Asa Gray, cited by Adrian Desmond and James Moore, Darwin, (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1991) pp. 456, 475.

[Kerberoz]

You're treading down a road that goes nowhere. It's beyond human understanding to figure out what was first.

That's basically the same as saying "I don't understand it, so god did it" and a complete cop-out.

Sorry for double post, but here's where darwin admits his theory is far-fetched:

“…I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science….It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many flaw[s] & holes as sound parts.” Charles Darwin to Asa Gray, cited by Adrian Desmond and James Moore, Darwin, (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1991) pp. 456, 475.

Repeat after me: "science. is. not. dogma."

[Faris]

Science isn't dogma. If a part of a theory is proven to be incorrect through peer-reviewed scientific study, it is revised. Of course some parts of the initial theory of evolution were wrong. You don't discard the entire idea because one piece of the puzzle is unclear, though. You revise your understanding of that piece and move on.

perhaps "completing the puzzle" science can declare the whole theory is false.
that's my issue with science, i love it, im passionate about learning, but i'm not going to make it my defense against God.

[Senoska]

Sorry for double post, but here's where darwin admits his theory is far-fetched:

“…I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science….It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many flaw[s] & holes as sound parts.” Charles Darwin to Asa Gray, cited by Adrian Desmond and James Moore, Darwin, (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1991) pp. 456, 475.

That's not really a fair quote. Darwin has a chapter on the complexities of evolution but none of them are critical to the theory and of course are later explained.

That's pretty much flat up taking things out of context.

[hagun]

Truly, the most astonishing aspect of the god debate is that no new information will ever be added yet we go on tossing back and forth the same old arguments. In another 2k years, we will still be at it.

If god exists, what a joke on so many people. If god doesn't exist, wow what a joke that'll be haha. My favorite argument of the god debate is belief in god simply because of the possibility that such a being might exist and you might as well take a calculated risk. It seems pretty sound logic because of the possibly gains without any loss. It's always interesting to hear the reasons why the many flavors of atheists do not take the chance of belief based on the possibly gain.

Let's give the debate of god's existence a rest, I don't think that debate will have a winning side lol. So why do atheist here not take the risk of belief based on the gain of salvation/gain/etc of a religion? This topic is pretty fascinating to me because as logical as people make themselves out to be when it comes to god, they seem to take the most counter-logic stance.

Here are the stakes: you choose faith, sacrifice little to nothing, and are saved from eternal damnation/hell/whatever bad thing. Or you don't choose faith with the uncertainty that you will get eternal damnation, etc. Logically, isn't the latter stance a sound "investment" if nothing else lol?

[Kerberoz]

Wow... does it really need to be explained how absolutely moronic and childish Pascal's Wager is?

[hagun]

That's one of the counter arguments and it's totally dismissed. However, to me it seems the most logical choice since there is no loss. Arguing about gods existence is pretty moronic simply because of the concept of faith if you ask me. Let's say god does exist. You have faith and you gain whatever good things come with belief in god. Now let's say god doesn't exist and you have faith. In the end, you lose nothing. Would this be a bad investment?

[Erza]

Based upon "gaining access to heaven" written by man? come on...