Are atheists mentally ill? The Impact of Religious Practice on Social Stability

reply to post by EarthCitizen07

Try being an ancient astronaut follower if you think christians get beat up.

Ha!!!!! Try being an ancient astronaut follower, who is also a Christian, who believes Christ came to re-educate jews who were wrapped in, possible religion wrapped around a demi-god/ancient alien. My own Mother gets sooooooo upset, I can't bring it up around her

I am one who puts down religion often because I dont like worshipping satan at the church, and funny thing is nearly no one knows it.

I think you got half of it right, but think going to Church and learning about what Christ taught in the NT, is a way to detach from OT and all the crapola in there.....

A plethora of cosmology, metaphysics, altenative history, etc. Why focus on jesus when you can broaden your horizons??

i think christ was teaching enlightenment, using the language of the jews so they can understand him, and we're left with watered down parables meant for simple minded average town folk.

the magic happens through surrender, letting go, grace, and Love. Christ is still legit, if you follow the precepts

reply to post by dominicus


I can relate.

to that

Originally posted by FireMoon
This thread reminds me of the old joke....

How many deeply devout religious people does it take to change alight bulb? Answer.... None, they burned the poor schmuck who invented it and agreed never to speak of such evil again.

Actually, most of those people who were tortured and murdered during the inquisition were Christians and Jews.

Yea, they did it to each other.

reply to post by spirited75


I wanted to add that there used to be a lot of Christians on ATS when I first joined, I guess most of them are gone now.

reply to post by Stormdancer777

Actually, most of those people who were tortured and murdered during the inquisition were Christians. Yea, they did it to each other.

You are not really making them look better.

In the beginning, the Inquisition dealt only with Christian heretics and did not interfere with the affairs of Jews. However, disputes about Maimonides’ books (which addressed the synthesis of Judaism and other cultures) provided a pretext for harassing Jews and, in 1242, the Inquisition condemned the Talmud and burned thousands of volumes. In 1288, the first mass burning of Jews on the stake took place in France.

In 1481 the Inquisition started in Spain and ultimately surpassed the medieval Inquisition, in both scope and intensity. Conversos (Secret Jews) and New Christians were targeted because of their close relations to the Jewish community, many of whom were Jews in all but their name. Fear of Jewish influence led Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand to write a petition to the Pope asking permission to start an Inquisition in Spain. In 1483 Tomas de Torquemada became the inquisitor-general for most of Spain, he set tribunals in many cities. Also heading the Inquisition in Spain were two Dominican monks, Miguel de Morillo and Juan de San Martin.

First, they arrested Conversos and notable figures in Seville; in Seville more than 700 Conversos were burned at the stake and 5,000 repented. Tribunals were also opened in Aragon, Catalonia and Valencia. An Inquisition Tribunal was set up in Ciudad Real, where 100 Conversos were condemned, and it was moved to Toledo in 1485. Between 1486-1492, 25 auto de fes were held in Toledo, 467 people were burned at the stake and others were imprisoned. The Inquisition finally made its way to Barcelona, where it was resisted at first because of the important place of Spanish Conversos in the economy and society.

More than 13,000 Conversos were put on trial during the first 12 years of the Spanish Inquisition. Hoping to eliminate ties between the Jewish community and Conversos, the Jews of Spain were expelled in 1492..

The next phase of the Inquisition began around 1531, when Pope Leo X extended the Inquisition to Portugal. Thousands of Jews came to Portugal after the 1492 expulsion. A Spanish style Inquisition was constituted and tribunals were set up in Lisbon and other cities. Among the Jews who died at the hands of the Inquisition were well-known figures of the period such as Isaac de Castro Tartas, Antonio Serrao de Castro and Antonio Jose da Silva. The Inquisition never stopped in Spain and continued until the late 18th century.

www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org...

Originally posted by NeoParadigm
reply to post by Stormdancer777

 

Actually, most of those people who were tortured and murdered during the inquisition were Christians. Yea, they did it to each other.

You are not really making them look better.

My quest has always been for truth.

Most Christians know this history, or should.

That was then, that was not what Christ wanted, this was the acts of the anti Christ.

For the life of me when we look back at what men did to one-another, how?

How did it become so twisted?

Then again we have to look at the culture in those days and before, before Christianity spread pagan cultures were brutal too.

reply to post by dominicus


Yes christ was an elohim project, federation of light alien, that came down to earth from the heavens(different planet) to HELP rid man from sin and to save people from the nephelim which rule the earth up till now.

Jesus is not to worshipped as an idol by being nailed to a cross, rather to be praised and followed as an enlightened being. The jews did not believe he was savior. By kissing a cross we are actually taking pleasure in christ's suffering.

Its not about various forms of sacrifice like the church makes it out to be. Its not about denying yourself pleasures of life. All this is antithetical to common sense and satanic in origin. Your rights end where mine begin and vice versa. Do not do to others what you would not like done to you.

The day of praise(not worshipping) should be saturday aka sabbath, not sunday aka the day of the sun. This is just one example of distorted traditions throught the years.

I was baptised a christian and still revere christ, god and angels. My beef is strictly with the church. My parents do NOT want to hear any of this and I suspect telling this to your average priest will be an excercise in futility and scorn.

reply to post by Stormdancer777


It's good that you are open and honest, but it seems like you were trying to make an excuse for the "christians kill scientists" comment by saying "but they killed Chrisians too".

I find this pretty funny.

Originally posted by NeoParadigm
reply to post by Stormdancer777

 

It's good that you are open and honest, but it seems like you were trying to make an excuse for the "christians kill scientists" comment by saying "but they killed Chrisians too".

I find this pretty funny.

scientists" comment by saying "but they killed Chrisians too".

HUH?

What I am trying to say is culture plays a major role.

The history of this planet is vile, sorry I don't have a word that is strong enough to insert there.

So a man named Christ or Yeshua came with a message of love, and we blew that too.

reply to post by charles1952

Well said Charles. And biblical.

However, You surely know, as one who eats meat, Christianity can never be at peace with the world. Nor can the world ever be at peace with it. There can be no friendship between the church and the world.The very core of Christianity is at enmity with all those outside of it, by design. You said it yourself...

I pray for my Christian brothers and sisters, because they serve as models to the world.

This is the high moral ground, and the stance of the "elect". Christians see themselves as ambassadors of the one true God. A royal priesthood. ALL outside of that priesthood are lost, and need saving. Anyone who calls themselves a Christian, needs to realize that division is built into the very core doctrine of Christianity. It cannot be sidestepped, unless one wants to cherry pick the verses they live by, and rationalize, otherwise plain teaching. It is the very nature of biblical Christianity.

Matthew 10:34-39

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

James 4:4

4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

2 Corinthians 6:14-15

14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?

So it is really no surprise, there are MANY in the church who see those outside of it with contempt. And often see other Christians with contempt that don't hold their personal doctrine. Christianity is what it is. If a person chooses to be a Christian, they should neither apologize for it, nor should they expect to be accepted by those they hold in contempt, or at the very least, see as lost, and in need of a savior.

2Timothy 3:12

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

Luke 6:22

Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake.

reply to post by Stormdancer777


This comment,

How many deeply devout religious people does it take to change alight bulb? Answer.... None, they burned the poor schmuck who invented it and agreed never to speak of such evil again.

"But they killed Christians too"

reply to post by Stormdancer777


I think anyone who denies the magic of this life and that it also brought each one of us to
this conscious existence ? Defines mentally ill.

If we loved one-another we wouldn't be having this conversation now would we?

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Do you love?

reply to post by spirited75

The Christians in this thread are only getting one or two stars for each of their individual replies.
The atheists in this thread are getting from 10 to 22 stars for each of their posts.

The first post in this thread immediately after the opening post of storm received 22 stars.
Tthis indicates that 22 atheists came to this thread and supported the poster Afterinfinity.

I'd VERY strongly caution against using stars as ANY indication of credibility or legitimacy of someone's point. If we go by that, then I'm a declared expert on damn near every topic I choose to speak on. (waits for applause) ....(waits longer).... No applause? Well... Just as well. My stars mean I didn't piss people off near as much as they agreed with me. Thats *ALL* they mean beyond pure popularity contest and friends tagging friends for the sheer point of it.

After all.., If Stars indicated anything beyond the above? Beezzer would be a Lesser God and Slayer would be Zeus himself. (I'm not bowing to Slayer, so lets agree Stars aren't the end all, be all of judgement..)

Originally posted by Stormdancer777
reply to post by jimmyx

 

There are wonderful people that come from all walks of life I know this, you know this.

Years of reading the Christian bashing on the forum makes me wonder if you actually are able to accept others that believe differently.

?
Hey
It is always either one or the other, isn't it?

edit on 113131p://bSaturday2013 by Stormdancer777 because: (no reason given)

the whole crux of atheism (as I see it anyway)...is that one can believe any spiritual entity they want to...it is when that belief is fostered upon others through legislation or social demands, that I vigorously oppose

Originally posted by randyvs
reply to post by Stormdancer777

 

I think anyone who denies the magic of this life and that it also brought each one of us to
this conscious existence ? Defines mentally ill.

I was thinking of the mystery and the beauty of this universe we occupy and were blessed to be witnesses of this morning.

I appreciate it more every day.

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.

reply to post by wrabbit2000

If Stars indicated anything beyond the above? Beezzer would be a Lesser God and Slayer would be Zeus himself. (I'm not bowing to Slayer, so lets agree Stars aren't the end all, be all of judgement..)

I'm a turtle.

I am a lower life form.

Originally posted by Stormdancer777


Do you love a Christian?

Is there a Christian in your life that you love?

Do you love others unconditionally?

Do you forgive those you love?

Can you love someone that hates you?

Can you forgive someone that hates you?

No one answered my questions.

Remember, god is love.

To me, anything associated with religion...for, or against, is a sign that humans have separated themselves from one another.

Is it possible that atheists AND believers have it all wrong? Is it possible that one can only exist as long as the other exists as well?

Lets face it...Satanism only has merit if Christianity is correct and vice versa. Therefore atheism is merely a mirrored reflection of the Christian faith. Before one gets angry about that...think of it like this; a mirrored image is literally backwards from the original. -OR...is it the OTHER WAY AROUND?

I think Atheism and Theism are both based upon the same institutionalized illusion of separation and superiority. I think that they are reliant upon one another for balance...otherwise, the pendulum will swing too far for the limited minds of humans to TRULY understand the depth and the nature of what is ACTUALLY occurring in this existence. Unfortunately for people, someone or SOMETHING is always there to attempt to provide a template, or a set mode of thinking that provides certain structure for the searching soul...fear is usually always the primary motivator. One must ask why there's an inherent need for human beings to align with a popularized version of reality? The answer is very simple...confirmation of one's OWN personal schematics. If believed by more than just oneself, does it not become reality...even if based entirely from a lie?

There's more going on here than meets the eye, and there's far more going on than what our institutionalized minds would allow us to perceive. The Universe is vast in every direction...even right beneath our noses. Its a tragedy that people cannot simply observe and experience this place without attempting to put it into a neat box of explanation. We tend to make fools of ourselves that way.