Is Believing In God...?

[Snorri1234]

Who is more likely to commit murder (rape, theft etc.) an atheist or a Christian? A world full of atheists would be hell on Earth.

on what do you base this assumption?

I'll edit it for ya:

Who is more likely to commit murder (rape, theft etc.) an atheist or a Christian? A world full of atheists would be hell on Earth.


Source: The Bible

[joecoolfrog]

Who is more likely to commit murder (rape, theft etc.) an atheist or a Christian? A world full of atheists would be hell on Earth.

Seriously you commited Christians out there must wince at ignorance like that...even I am embarrassed for you

[thegreekdog]

Who is more likely to commit murder (rape, theft etc.) an atheist or a Christian? A world full of atheists would be hell on Earth.

on what do you base this assumption?

I heard somewhere that most serial killers are some denomination of Protestant Christianity.

[Timminz]

Who is more likely to commit murder (rape, theft etc.) an atheist or a Christian? A world full of atheists would be hell on Earth.

on what do you base this assumption?

I heard somewhere that most serial killers are some denomination of Protestant Christianity.

I've heard that too.

[john9blue]

I heard somewhere that most serial killers are some denomination of Protestant Christianity.

I've heard that too.

Source: thegreekdog

Fixed.

[Timminz]

I heard somewhere that most serial killers are some denomination of Protestant Christianity.

[john9blue]

It's true, I heard that!

Also, to say atheism has a wealth of evidence without providing any is kind of ironic. There are empirical and rational arguments for both sides. You can't just point to the ones that support your side and ignore the rest. That is why radicals on either side irritate me. How can you be so sure that you are right?

[luns101]

From what I've heard...being raised in a stable, two-parent home has more of a deterrent effect on kids growing up to engage in criminal activity (in a variety of categories) than any religious factor.

I didn't hear it from greekdog so you'll have to check into it for yourselves.

[thegreekdog]

From what I've heard...being raised in a stable, two-parent home has more of a deterrent effect on kids growing up to engage in criminal activity (in a variety of categories) than any religious factor.

I didn't hear it from greekdog so you'll have to check into it for yourselves.

CONFIRMED AS FACT!

-thegreekdog, December 3, 2009, 6:42 PM EST.

[Army of GOD]

From what I've heard...being raised in a stable, two-parent home has more of a deterrent effect on kids growing up to engage in criminal activity (in a variety of categories) than any religious factor.

I didn't hear it from greekdog so you'll have to check into it for yourselves.

CONFIRMED AS FACT!

-thegreekdog, December 3, 2009, 6:42 PM EST.

Confirmation confirmed

-Confirmation committee, headed by Army of GOD, December 3, 2009, 6:49 PM EST

[john9blue]

I disagree.

Source: opinion

[thegreekdog]

I disagree.

Source: opinion

Condolences kid, I confirmed and the confirmation committee confirmed my confirmation clearly.

[BigBallinStalin]

I disagree.

Source: opinion

Yeah, well you're completely wrong.

Source: my opinion, which is of course more right than yours. (DUH)

[Army of GOD]

I disagree.

Source: opinion

Yeah, well you're completely wrong.

Source: my opinion, which is of course more right than yours. (DUH)

What are you? ___________________!?! (Insert religion/belief that you hate the most)

[Timminz]

It's true, I heard that!

Also, to say atheism has a wealth of evidence without providing any is kind of ironic. There are empirical and rational arguments for both sides. You can't just point to the ones that support your side and ignore the rest. That is why radicals on either side irritate me. How can you be so sure that you are right?

Say what you like, but I know which side has presented me with more total bullshit, over the course of my life so far. Not to mention the fact that one side admits quite readily that they don't know things for sure, and modifies their position based on new evidence, while the other continually refers to an ancient text, as their proof.

[john9blue]

Say what you like, but I know which side has presented me with more total bullshit, over the course of my life so far. Not to mention the fact that one side admits quite readily that they don't know things for sure, and modifies their position based on new evidence, while the other continually refers to an ancient text, as their proof.

Most churches change their policies to suit the thinking of the time. Also, I'm pretty sure Jesus said that his doctrine required faith, and he never demanded that people listen to him without thinking. IIRC he rejected Satan when he wanted him to jump off the temple and prove it, although you may believe there are other reasons for that...

[Timminz]

How about this then? I've never had an atheist show up at my front door to tell me what I should believe. There are no large groups of atheists in my country trying to suppress the rights women have over their own bodies. There are groups of atheists trying to keep gay people from having the same rights as straight people.


But you know.... cast the first stone.... turn the other cheek... and all that jazz.... whatever and ever. amen.

[john9blue]

How about this then? I've never had an atheist show up at my front door to tell me what I should believe. There are no large groups of atheists in my country trying to suppress the rights women have over their own bodies. There are groups of atheists trying to keep gay people from having the same rights as straight people.


But you know.... cast the first stone.... turn the other cheek... and all that jazz.... whatever and ever. amen.

Hah yeah, some religious people are like that. I don't think anyone's denying that people are hypocrites and even Christians don't always follow the Bible. Keep in mind though that it's within their rights to do all that stuff. Also, if you truly believed that nonbelievers would suffer an eternity of torment, you'd want to save as many people as possible, wouldn't you? Don't hate on them for trying to help you.

As for taking away a woman's rights... well, it's better than murder... but that's another topic.

[Snorri1234]

How about this then? I've never had an atheist show up at my front door to tell me what I should believe. There are no large groups of atheists in my country trying to suppress the rights women have over their own bodies. There are groups of atheists trying to keep gay people from having the same rights as straight people.


But you know.... cast the first stone.... turn the other cheek... and all that jazz.... whatever and ever. amen.

Hah yeah, some religious people are like that. I don't think anyone's denying that people are hypocrites and even Christians don't always follow the Bible. Keep in mind though that it's within their rights to do all that stuff. Also, if you truly believed that nonbelievers would suffer an eternity of torment, you'd want to save as many people as possible, wouldn't you? Don't hate on them for trying to help you.

As for taking away a woman's rights... well, it's better than murder... but that's another topic.

Sure taking away their rights is better than murdering them, a lot of things are.

[Woodruff]

Aradhus is simply not arguing about the same thing as most of the rest of us are. I don't want to speak for everyone, but my point is that wars, genocides, and the like that are performed "because of religion" are not actually engaged in because of religion. Rather, religion is the tool used to justify committing these acts. Nationalism is another tool that has been used. In any case, the causes of most, if not all, wars is not religious in nature.
Aradhus, name two wars in the last 500 years that were started because of religion.

Iraq, Afghanistan.

Wow...you couldn't have been further from the truth when you give those two examples. I thought you might have something that was reasonably defensible, but neither of those are, to be honest.

Religion isn't a tool for the large majority of the religious. The 'flock' are tools of their religion, controlled by those with a telephone directly to god.

Certainly, I agree with this. Yet it IS still a tool for those in power within the religion. That's precisely my point.

BBS, per earlier in the thread, show me one religion that is pure undiluted truth, something that doesn't have some form or another of fiction, exaggeration attached to it.

I've always liked Zen and Taoism, myself...though I guess Zen isn't really an organized religion.

[Woodruff]

Who is more likely to commit murder (rape, theft etc.) an atheist or a Christian?

Neither is more likely. Antisocial behavior lives in all of us, and the religious are no more immune to acting on it than anyone else.

Who is more likely to commit murder (rape, theft etc.) an atheist or a Christian? A world full of atheists would be hell on Earth.

on what do you base this assumption?

I heard somewhere that most serial killers are some denomination of Protestant Christianity.

That's only because the Catholics start to do their killing and then they get wrapped up in the rituals, fall asleep and get caught!

[pimpdave]

I heard somewhere that most serial killers are some denomination of Protestant Christianity.

Which one? That's a really broad category.

And hey, at least the Catholics still have the market cornered on child rape. So take heart.

[thegreekdog]

I heard somewhere that most serial killers are some denomination of Protestant Christianity.

Which one? That's a really broad category.

And hey, at least the Catholics still have the market cornered on child rape. So take heart.

That's only our religious leaders, not the congregants. We just have as many kids as possible as fast as possible (to screw up the environment... it's a secret church conspiracy... I can't get into it right now, but suffice it to say, Lizard Men are in involved).

[pimpdave]

Well, anyway, my money is on the Baptists, followed by the Pentacostals, followed by "non-denominational" as producing the most serial killers.

Somehow I just doubt the Presbyterians have groomed that many, considering how easy-going a church it is.

[CreepersWiener]

Really, it all depends on the assumptions with which one starts.
If you begin with the assumption that God does not really exist, then you could well argue that to believe in God is at least dysfunctional, if not extremely harmful, because it is a delusion, and living in a delusion is not healthy, although some might still argue (patronizingly) that it makes some people feel better, causes some to act more ethically than they otherwise would, etc.

Conversely, if you start with the assumption that God does exist, it is non-belief that is the delusion.

Actually, answers here say a lot less about the stated subject than about the world-view of the writer.

That's exactly what I was trying to say at the beginning of this thread with the statement: Is believing in God wrong?

But, yes, it all depends on your perspective. From my point of view as an atheist, believing in a god is wrong because of what you just described. The belief in an imaginary fairy tale is deluded thinking, as far as I am concerned, and I believe that that is ultimately dangerous to the world as a whole. Therefor, I believe that believing in God is ultimately wrong, though, from the start, it may appear benign. I mean, who doesn't want to believe that we live forever and ever after death in a cloud with a bearded-hippie-Muslim-looking man? (uh, did I just say that? )

Now, if everyone that you know is similarly deluded, than all seems normal...so we have this sense of fragile normalcy in society that tends to be xenophobic/homophobic and intolerant to other ideas, beliefs, races, sexual positions, and same sex marriages(the list goes on).

As an atheist, I recognize people for who they are, and accept them. I do not pass judgment or try to convert them. I think I have more love in my life as an atheist than I ever did trying to go along with the Christian (or Muslim, or any other Religion) "master plan".

I'd say that if your religion has a "master plan"...you should leave immediately! The Book of Revelation can be interpreted in any number of vicious ways...and if you believe in an end of the world scenario, it's going to happen through self fulfilling actions over time. It's like the person that goes years and years thinking to themselves that they are going to kill themselves. They don't do it the first time, or even the hundredth time they think about it, but perhaps after the one hundred thousandth time they affirm to themselves that they want to commit suicide, they finally pull the trigger. That's how I see all these apocalyptical belief systems.

As an atheist, Buddhism really comes the closest in my thinking, as they do not necessarily believe in any god, but yet, they can if they want. Heck, you could even be a Christian and still practice Buddhism and be okay.

Also, as I know that all matter is made up of energy, and that energy continues on throughout the universe in one state or another; the energy that makes up my body and all my memories and emotions (my mind) is transferred from this state (the human body) into the next state (the world body?) If I were to be tempted by a delusion, it would be reincarnation. That the energy from this human state can be transferred (or directed) into another state of existence in the world. Like those kinetic energy pendulum balls, whereas, the "balls" are states of physical existence.

That's really as close as I come to a belief in an afterlife. I am quite confident that death is a whole lot like never being born. Can anyone remember anything before their birth? I would bargain to guess...no.