Threads Challenging Religion: Why???

a reply to: Boadicea

I would agree... but I would also add that goes both ways.

"but he's doing it!" has never justified a wrong.

I have actually and they listen to me just about as much as they listen to you!

and that isnt much of an excuse either. if they keep misrepresenting, then keep setting them straight. like we do.

Somehow I think you'll be doing that no matter what I do or don't do!

abso-freakin-lutely. i mean, who else is gonna do it if we dont? stop passing the buck and start standing up.

originally posted by: TzarChasm

originally posted by: Akragon

originally posted by: soulpowertothendegree
a reply to: Akragon

Why is your god a he? I would think the source of all would be non-gender.

Jesus called him "The Father"

I tend to side with him

...thats not much of an answer. or perhaps i should start referring to my star wars collection for details on the milky way galaxy?

Might be an idea...

Did you know Jedi meant JEsus DIsciple?

originally posted by: Akragon

originally posted by: TzarChasm

originally posted by: Akragon

originally posted by: soulpowertothendegree
a reply to: Akragon

Why is your god a he? I would think the source of all would be non-gender.

Jesus called him "The Father"

I tend to side with him

...thats not much of an answer. or perhaps i should start referring to my star wars collection for details on the milky way galaxy?

Might be an idea...

Did you know Jedi meant JEsus DIsciple?

or perhaps it was derived from the japanese "jidaigeki" which means "period film", typically oriented around the samurai and their culture. which does make a bit more sense considering the influence akira kurosawa had on his star wars films.

sources for your claim are welcome.

a reply to: TzarChasm

Just google star wars and the bible... Theres a bunch of sites that talk about the relation between the two

Its not my claim... sounds reasonable though

originally posted by: Akragon
a reply to: TzarChasm

Just google star wars and the bible... Theres a bunch of sites that talk about the relation between the two

Its not my claim... sounds reasonable though

yeah, im sure there are lots of blogs and bible sites that want to take credit for the creation of the jedi. just like they do everything else.

seriously, you fell for that? lol

a reply to: TzarChasm

Its not something I fell for, just something I remember reading... There was a site then went though the plot of the original starwars films point by point and related it to the life of Jesus and other stuff in the bible...

I just thought it was interesting... but you can connect anything to the bible if you look hard enough to find it

originally posted by: Akragon
a reply to: TzarChasm

Its not something I fell for, just something I remember reading... There was a site then went though the plot of the original starwars films point by point and related it to the life of Jesus and other stuff in the bible...

I just thought it was interesting... but you can connect anything to the bible if you look hard enough to find it

then you should have said "i read somewhere that..." instead of saying it like its a fact.

but yeah, interesting parallels. i do think that comparing star wars to jesus kind of ruins the whole ubiquitous nature of the force, as opposed to the exclusivity of certain modern religions. particularly the jedi aversion to fear, hate, and anger interests me - they are not taught to "fear" the force or to beware its anger. its not their master, its their partner, and that impresses me far more than a global flood or fiery hail.

If I were to put on my auditors hat and do a root-cause analysis, imo, it can all be traced back to a single issue - every time.

Folks start or enter a thread expecting (consciously or subconsciously) to change someones mind/opinion because that is what religion is - opinion (faith), based upon the degree of exposure to the religion one is aligned to.

And an opinion about an intangible subject matter that has very loose "evidence" of it's very existence makes for a very interesting debate, where facts and proof usually wins the argument.

The other issue of course, is that some folks just cannot bloody help themselves and revert to attacking the messenger and not the message.

a reply to: TzarChasm

Pretty sure we're getting a little off the topic here in any case...

Beside that im not a star wars geek... Im a Lord of the rings / D&D geek

originally posted by: TzarChasm
a reply to: Boadicea

I would agree... but I would also add that goes both ways.

"but he's doing it!" has never justified a wrong.

And yet, that's exactly what you did to justify your position and what I was responding to. Preaching one thing and doing another has never justified anything.

I have actually and they listen to me just about as much as they listen to you!

and that isnt much of an excuse either. if they keep misrepresenting, then keep setting them straight. like we do.

Presuming that I won't isn't much of an excuse either. I will discuss my differences of opinion, but I will not do it like you do.

Somehow I think you'll be doing that no matter what I do or don't do!

abso-freakin-lutely.

Then why did you say otherwise?

i mean, who else is gonna do it if we dont?

The same ones who are doing it when you do. But you don't seem to tolerate any deviance from your all-knowing perspective anyway so it will never be good enough for you.

stop passing the buck and start standing up.

LOL! Okay...

originally posted by: Sublimecraft

Folks start or enter a thread expecting (consciously or subconsciously) to change someones mind/opinion because that is what religion is - opinion (faith), based upon the degree of exposure to the religion one is aligned to.

That may be true, or at least part of the truth for most people. I'm not one of them. I don't want the responsibility of thinking for others... cause I know I'll screw it up! I'm happy just to be responsible for my own thinking.

The other issue of course, is that some folks just cannot bloody help themselves and revert to attacking the messenger and not the message.

Yes, but that's true for many things. I do wonder if it is more prevalent in religious issues though, which seem to be more personal and therefore emotional.

a reply to: Boadicea

It seems to me that Zionism is prevalent in all the religions and atheist also have thier Zionist.

For the religious Zionist, you must worship my way or God hates you.

For the atheist Zionist, anyone who believes in God is somehow intellectually inferior.

I can get caught up at times defending the religious texts, from all religions, because I believe the only way to peace is to coexist. I don't think everyone has to believe the dogma within each religion, but to condemn someone for their religious views is the opposite of peace and Love.

And if trying to change someones mind towards coexistence is wrong, then I am proudly guilty.

originally posted by: Isurrender73
a reply to: Boadicea

It seems to me that Zionism is prevalent in all the religions and atheist also have thier Zionist.

For the religious Zionist, you must worship my way or God hates you.

For the atheist Zionist, anyone who believes in God is somehow intellectually inferior.

Zionism does seem to be quite the catalyst for many folks of many faiths. And it's always all or nothing! Some is no doubt deserved (their own recorded history is barbaric at times)... but I think much of it is divide-and-conquer politics.

...I believe the only way to peace is to coexist...to condemn someone for their religious views is the opposite of peace and Love.

As do I.

And if trying to change someones mind towards coexistence is wrong, then I am proudly guilty.

To expand a mind and help one grow with knowledge is never a bad thing... I'm just happy that you're thoughtful and respectful about it (based of course upon this response!).

a reply to: Boadicea
I participate in ATS religious threads to understand why people believe what they do, and it has really done that. I have a much clearer understanding of the motivation for religion, at least the religion of those who contribute on ATS. Maybe everybody else is different? Have to check that out....

a reply to: StanFL

I participate in ATS religious threads to understand why people believe what they do, and it has really done that.

Listening -- even thru the written word -- is probably the best way and perhaps the only way to do so. Sharing one's own thoughts is great too, but only half the equation.

So often though, it's just the same tired old arguments -- and insults -- repeated again and again.

a reply to: Boadicea

Regardless of your position, you have a a terrific thread going with your measured responses to any and all worthy of a response.

Because it needs to be fought.
It is the cancer of humanity.

For me, when I do it at least, is a mixture of two things. Mostly hopes to get those of faith to consider things from a different perspective. I was religious at one point in my life so I understand what it's like to question it, an seek answers. Anything I can do to plant seeds of doubt that may grow into a more critical look at beliefs is a plus. Then there is that part of me that likes to rock the boat and there is some guilty pleasure in knowing how some people on here must view me as the enemy, in a manner of speaking.

a reply to: Metallicus

But what about the Spiritual Atheists?

Some of the ATS members including myself (I believe in the Jedi Philosophy and the Force) here are Spiritual Atheists

Spiritual Atheists believe that the entire universe is, in some way, connected; even if only by the mysterious flow of cause and effect at every scale. Therefore, Spiritual Atheists generally feel that as they go about their lives striving to be personally healthy and happy, they should also be striving to help the world around them be healthy and happy! ("Wholistic Ethics")

www.centerforabetterworld.com...

originally posted by: boymonkey74

It is the cancer of humanity.

Maybe Hitchens should've focused on his own chronic alcoholism (causing the esophageal cancer that killed him) instead of everyone else's supposed "cancers".

Since this is the religion forum, I consider it wholly appropriate to go ahead and ad hom the guy. When in Rome...



Anyway, the problem with rabid Atheists, who live to spam forums with their particular brand of nonsense, is the same as it is with rabid Statists (and they are more often than not one and the same, as many have simply substituted the state for a god)--acute sociopathy. They simply cannot stand the fact that other people believe and do different things than they, the indisputably more learned (obviously), do.

Egotism run amok, the hypocrisy of the so-called "tolerant" writ large. But they don't care. They'll just gang up on you and shout you down until you shut up, regardless of whether it actually makes sense or is even on-topic. Argumentation by intimidation. Childish. Nonsense.