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Originally posted by srussell0018 Oh look, another anti-religion thread.

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Originally posted by srussell0018 Oh look, another anti-religion thread.

When can we point out religion doesn't hold exclusive rights to messed-up self-flagellation? Can we do it now? I mean, hasty generalisations are fun and makes us feel better, so I wonder whether we should wait a little longer...

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I heard about this little custom before. However, I did not know that they allowed children to self-mutilate themselves as well. That's no bueno.

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Originally posted by srussell0018 Oh look, another anti-religion thread.

i'm convinced deep down inside you're some sort of creationist. We just have to shake it out of you a bit more.

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Originally posted by kadomony feels good man

I don't know why, but I found it kind of weird that the camera man said, "Jesus"

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Originally posted by kadomony Not sure, first I've heard of it. Also, lol at the cameraman yelling "Jesus..."

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Originally posted by Nrg2Nfinit i'm convinced deep down inside you're some sort of creationist. We just have to shake it out of you a bit more.

I was raised Catholic. My family are rational Catholics. I don't really believe either way for sure. I don't think we're capable of knowing one way or the other where everything came from. My parents believe in god and all that, but they also believe in the big bang, evolution, etc.

Somehow, a lot of anti-religious people have the asinine view that all Christians believe in a strict view of Creationism, all Christians don't believe in evolution, and that all Christians are anti-science. It's just a complete misrepresentation of facts to make their view seem stronger, and make the view of "Christians" (since they take the stance that all Christians have the exact same views on everything) look foolish.

Believing in the Big Bang does not discount any kind of creator. Yes, the belief that god created earth and created man in his image is not true, but I would say that a good deal of Christians don't believe either of those things (at least my family doesn't). This does not, however, disprove the existence of some sort of "creator." For instance, the Bing Bang claims that the Universe originated with an infinitely massive object which reached a cataclysmic event which spread all matter that has ever existed outward to create what we know now as the Universe. That's fine. What none of these theories explain is where that mass came from. This leaves things up to interpretation, and to be completely honest, a creationist view of the Universe (not of the earth), makes as much sense as any other theory that could be presented with the knowledge that humans possess.

So no, I'm not a creationist in the view that most everyone thinks of it, but I also don't agree with the incredibly extremist and highly exaggerated characterization of all monotheists by people of no faith. The issue is not black and white. There is no Christian hivemind which governs the beliefs of all christian people. Belonging to a faith does not entail giving up all free thinking. The way I was raised, it was more lessons for how you should act than an explanation of the Universe.

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Originally posted by OrangestO This isn't about physics, this is about waves.

Last edited by srussell0018 on Dec-08-2011 at 04:29

so what are your qualms for exposing religious extremism? I think its interesting to see the depths that the religious would go to satisfy their deity. To cry "anti-religion" tells us that you condone this behavior; and worse yet, would prefer to have it masked and not discussed on a public message board.

I have no problem with speaking out against religious extremism. The problem is that the way it's brought out here paints all religious people with the same brush, and that's both unfair and untrue. It's not speaking against religious extremism, it's against religion in general

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Originally posted by OrangestO This isn't about physics, this is about waves.

Reasoning and critical thinking aren't present in these photographs.

What a pity.

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Originally posted by srussell0018 I have no problem with speaking out against religious extremism. The problem is that the way it's brought out here paints all religious people with the same brush, and that's both unfair and untrue. It's not speaking against religious extremism, it's against religion in general

Taking it one step further; isn't it fair to say though that most rituals performed on the same level of empirical backing (or lack thereof) deserved to be painted with the same brush? I mean, essentially you are debating colours with me. And from what you're saying about being "brought up catholic" what part of catholicism are you actually preserving? it seems to me you are just agnostic/ pretending to be.

FYI, you don't need to belong to a segregated religious group to have a moral standard/ believe in some sort of creator.

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Originally posted by Nrg2Nfinit Taking it one step further; isn't it fair to say though that most rituals performed on the same level of empirical backing (or lack thereof) deserved to be painted with the same brush? I mean, essentially you are debating colours with me. And from what you're saying about being "brought up catholic" what part of catholicism are you actually preserving? it seems to me you are just agnostic/ pretending to be. FYI, you don't need to belong to a segregated religious group to have a moral standard/ believe in some sort of creator.

I agree with your last point. As for the others, I'm not preserving any part of Catholicism. My parents go to church on Christmas and Easter, and I usually go with them. I take communion just because. It doesn't mean anything to me, it's just a ritual I guess. I don't think the participation in rituals like that necessarily mean someone should be lumped in with extremists or people who literally believe they're consuming Jesus' blood and body. My family doesn't believe that. It's just part of the whole thing.

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Originally posted by OrangestO This isn't about physics, this is about waves.