Religion MUST be evil

[Anticrombie0909]

Originally Posted by laharl

pretentious twat

hey don't steal my lines

By the way, though I don't neccessarily disagree with your point of view, you're arguing it completely the wrong way. There are so many logical fallacies in your post I could write a book on it. For starters (and the rest of you, keep this in mind as well):

Corrolation does not equal causation

So stop acting like it does. Post hoc is the biggest fallacy ever utilized in the history of time, and it hurts my brain when people assume that just because point B occurred in a response to point A that somehow point A caused B.

[T0rajir0u]

Originally Posted by BluE_MeaniE

I won't tolerate something I think is wrong.

yes because you're definitely right about everything

how could i have been so stupid all of my life of course your opinions matter and nobody else's

[TheRaiRaiEatsBalloons]

http://www.rotten.com/library/history/inquisition/

[TheRaiRaiEatsBalloons]

Also, I never said or even implied that I don't believe in any sort of "higher power." I'm just not so breathtakingly dumb as to assume there must be a "God."

I am rather convinced that there are theoretically infinite scales of existance; that in the grand scheme of everything, planks could be considered very large; that in the grand scheme of everything, galaxies could be considered extremely miniscule. I'm sure there are sorts of energy distribution and information processing on much, much grander scales that we could not begin to comprehend, which is exactly why it's absurd and childish to pretend you can understand it.

Religion is a simple answer to a complex universe. Sorry, sir, but that's ludicrous. We invented questions.

[BluE_MeaniE]

Originally Posted by T0rajir0u

yes because you're definitely right about everything

how could i have been so stupid all of my life of course your opinions matter and nobody else's

That's not what I meant and you know it.

[Afrobean]

Originally Posted by TheRaiRaiEatsBalloons

I am rather convinced that there are theoretically infinite scales of existance; that in the grand scheme of everything, planks could be considered very large; that in the grand scheme of everything, galaxies could be considered extremely miniscule.

Men in Black.

[TheRaiRaiEatsBalloons]

Originally Posted by Afrobean

Men in Black.

I haven't seen that movie since I was a small child and don't remember it at all. It has a lot more to do with thinking about the Fibonacci spiral while using LSA, cannabis, and DXM.

[Kilgamayan]

Originally Posted by TheRaiRaiEatsBalloons

Religion is a simple answer to a complex universe. Sorry, sir, but that's ludicrous.

I'm guessing you don't buy in to Occam's Razor, then?

[T0rajir0u]

I don't see how that's a relevant point. Occam's Razor doesn't justify most religions, since the assumptions behind how any given religion thinks God works are both varied and far-fetched (were it not that they were so well-known).

ps

Originally Posted by Dogma

Rufus: He still digs humanity, but it bothers Him to see the **** that gets carried out in His name - wars, bigotry, but especially the factioning of all the religions. He said humanity took a good idea and, like always, built a belief structure on it.
Bethany: Having beliefs isn't good?
Rufus: I think it's better to have ideas. You can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier. Life should malleable and progressive; working from idea to idea permits that. Beliefs anchor you to certain points and limit growth; new ideas can't generate. Life becomes stagnant.

[TheRaiRaiEatsBalloons]

Heh, I wouldn't doubt that the origin of the "universe" was of much simplicity, gradually growing more complex in fractal energy distribution to this day, but to claim that a "creature"-esque sort of being created the universe at his will is an unmistakably human idea.

EDIT: also I agree with the quote Tora just posted

ps it deserves to be said as it is relevant to the original point:

The atheists I know are the most content and kind people I've ever met in my life.

[Kilgamayan]

Originally Posted by T0rajir0u

I don't see how that's a relevant point. Occam's Razor doesn't justify most religions, since the assumptions behind how any given religion thinks God works are both varied and far-fetched (were it not that they were so well-known).

I'm not trying to "make a point". If I find someone on the internet that doesn't share my beliefs or lifestyle, I am neither stupid enough to try to convert them nor egotistical enough to mock them. If Rai wants to be atheist, more power to him. Not a concern of mine.

I brought up Occam's Razor because I've seen it used against religion a lot, but in this instance of a "simple answer to a complex universe", it's application would lead one to form a conclusion in religion's favor rather than against it. >_>

[Specforces]

I'm a pretty kind person, the internet is a nice outlet for my cynicism. I won't even go into detail about the various things I do for my community or the things I do for others. And I'm not an Atheist, and I'm not Agnostic, but you'll probably never know what I believe in. I just never pass up a good argument, and usually when I make a semi-biting comment, it's meant in jest. I really don't hate Casey, he despises me, but I don't hate him. It's the internet. I'd probably buy him a beer, wait... mormon. SEE.... JOKE!

[Kilgamayan]

Originally Posted by Specforces

I'm a pretty kind person, the internet is a nice outlet for my cynicism.

Oh man, I can relate 100% to this.

[T0rajir0u]

Originally Posted by TheRaiRaiEatsBalloons

to claim that a "creature"-esque sort of being created the universe at his will is an unmistakably human idea.

I really like the way you phrased this. The mistake a lot of people make thinking about ideas like this is using their limited human experience to explain things beyond humanity, such as the creation of the universe.

To most people, it's "obvious" that somebody had to create the universe because people aren't used to thinking about objects without origins. That fruit came from that tree, that water came from the ice in that mountain, and so forth. But human ideas like these are only applicable in the contexts in which we evolved.

Not to say that religious ideas are invalid, just that they're human creations. Religion is just one of the many ways in which people create meaning for themselves, and I'm cool with that as long as it doesn't mean killing the people who've found a different meaning, y'know.

[Jamaican Jew]

Originally Posted by TheRaiRaiEatsBalloons

The atheists I know are the most content and kind people I've ever met in my life.

Same here. And in the end, that's all that matters, how content you were with your life, how much you got out of it, and whether or not what you believed (or otherwise didn't believe in) helped you maintain that sense of self-appreciation and contentment.

So then, what is right? Well...

Forgive me for stating and opinionating these views
If they cause you distress, I digress,
Send them into nothingness, but let me speak to you
About the people of the world, and the paths they chose
Some towards God, some not
Of the wars that arose, of the battles they fought
And over what?
Religion.

Opinion, fiction, fact, controversy
The righteous and self-righteous showing their divine mercy
Like drugs, inhaling the ideals
Singing songs about equality, while equally shooting down
Any other person who feels they might be right
All this talk about love, and brothers still fight
Bombs and psalms, day through night
And over what?
Religion.

Catholics and Baptists, Muslims, Mormons, Jews,
Christians, Atheists, Satanists; the difference is certain
But behind that curtain you've pulled over your eyes,
Do you really know their views?
How can you be certain that any are right or that any are lies?
We patronize.
And over what?
Religion.


That's just my opinion, do with it as you will.
Keep in mind that I used to be Mormon, pretty gung-ho about it too. I was never for the whole door-to-door thing, even then I liked keeping my opinions to myself, but I still believed strongly in the higher power commonly known as "God."
I am now an Atheist, and I'm happy in life, so I see no problems with being so.

[Cenright]

Originally Posted by scottish

Also you must include the fact that, if events like that actually happened, your talking about a few thousand years of translating one document into another, rewritting, and so on.

Actually, many poeple thought the same. That is why the "Dead Sea Scrolls" were so important. They were from a much older time than all the other references they had, and, when compared to the newer versions, they were incredibly VERY similar.



(Oh and Jamaican, thanks for being much more tactful. I didn't mind the way you put your arguement. It is only Rai who has been more argumentative than constructive.)