> You find no merit in religoin, fine, I really don't mind, it's your > life, your choices. Now can you say the same for me?
So when you come across flat-earthers you simply applaud their devotion to the idea? Or do you instead mention the fact that they have absolutely nothing to back up their claim? When someone tells you that 2+4=24, do you simply agree out of respect for their opinion? When people declare bacteria do not exist, do you simply agree out of some shared allowance for opinion? Or would you instead be a rational adult and try to explain all of the evidence for demons and/or god's vengeance not being the cause of disease? These are all currently held ideas, nearly exclusively by religious people. Hundreds of children are murdered by their parents every year because they refuse medical treatments, many of them such simple procedures as transfusion or antibiotics. Around the world, millions are suffering and dying because of islam refusing to allow vaccinations (notably polio), calling such things an attempt to sterilise a religion... yes, as if religion would make you more likely to react negatively to an inert bio-chemical compound. The catholic church -the pope in particular- is personally responsible for hundreds of thousands of new aids/hiv cases by proclaiming that condoms cause aids. These churches are bound by a single concept (no not god). These churches are allowed to proclaim their "faith" is something sacred and unquestionable. How many more millions will die simply because the churches aren't challenged? No, I'm sorry, but you do not have some divinely granted right to be "allowed" your faith. If you promote an idea or concept, you must defend and justify such. This justification is the responsibility of every human, yourself included. On Feb 24, 2:10 am, Lee <[email protected]> wrote: > Hah food for thought indeed fids. > > Note the very first words of the quote you suppied, what do they > suggest to you? > > Hardly any major religion must imply that at least one major religion > has done so. Given that then can we conclude that whichever religion > it was must have a ring of at least honesty if not truth about it? > > Thanks Fidss, food for thought indeed. > > As to mean, we all find that in strange and wonderful places. Criket, > not my bag man, which means I don't understand why Neil loves it so. > I do understand that he does though, and that is enough for me. I > have said it before and I'll carry on mate until it seeps in. People > are differant, the whole world over. > > > On 24 Feb, 02:21, fiddler <[email protected]> wrote: > > > But then worshipping such a god would have no meaning or purpose and > > every religion thus far would be false. This is the deist attitude > > btw, one that holds to god(s) being irrelevant and/or absent. > > > Food for thought: > > > "How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and > > concluded, 'This is better than we thought! The universe is much > > bigger than our prophets said, grander, more subtle, more elegant'? > > Instead they say,'No, no, no! My god is a little god and I want him to > > stay that way.' A religion, old or new, that stressed the magnificence > > of the Universe as revealed by modern science might be able to draw > > forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional > > faiths." > > > Carl Sagan > > > Pale Blue Dot > > > On Feb 23, 9:02 am, Lee <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I am largley unconcered about that one Fidds. > > > > I would expect a God who grants free will, and takes no action towards > > > the happening on this planet (as is my belife) to let us discover > > > these sorts of things in our own time. > > > > On 23 Feb, 16:01, fiddler <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > You have hit on the exact problem of religion in general. It never > > > > transcends the culture it is invented in. In these "divine" > > > > occurrences there is never any medical knowledge beyond what is > > > > already known, no technology, and linguistically identical to the > > > > culture and often regarded as the only "true" language that it must be > > > > read in, etc.. > > > > The values of the god in question are also shockingly similar to the > > > > prophets involved. A small band of unhappy Canaanites invented a god > > > > that allowed them to conquer their region and put nearly everyone to > > > > the sword as well as justifying the kidnap and rape of any women they > > > > want. A gold-digging, illiterate teamster invented a god that allowed > > > > him power and prestige, as well as pre-pubescent girls. > > > > > Sadly, none of these people can invent gods that impart previously > > > > unknown ideas. Can you imagine if a god did exist, and told people in > > > > a book how to treat an infection? The dark ages might well have been > > > > averted in Europe if not for the christians insisting that demons were > > > > responsible for sickness (and elves, witches, neighbours, pagans, > > > > atheists, cats, trees, etc.). Or the advances that we might have > > > > enjoyed technologically if religions didn't burn the books of those > > > > that came before them and murder anyone that bucks the servility > > > > concept in order to invent or discover? Or how united the world would > > > > be if a god's words could be read by anyone and every language and > > > > people were accorded equal weight and respect? > > > > > Instead, every religion is filled with the ignorant mutterings of > > > > whomever invents them. Some even take a step backward when knowledge > > > > available elsewhere is unknown to the "prophet" and so dismissed when > > > > encountered. > > > > > On Feb 23, 3:19 am, Lee <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > So you Atheists can of course get involded in this one, I really don't > > > > > know why you should or what the interest for you would be, but do feel > > > > > free. > > > > > > I was thinking the other day about religion and culture. I'm somewhat > > > > > worried about how to seperate the message of God from that of man. > > > > > > So it suddenly struck me that any message that truely comes from God > > > > > must trancend culture. > > > > > > Thoughts?- Hide quoted text - > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. 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