14 questions for atheists from Tim [YOU RESPOND]

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14 questions for atheists from Tim [YOU RESPOND]

From: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, October 10, 2009 8:23 PM
Subject: [General Question] Question?
 

Tim sent a message using the contact form at
http://www.rationalresponders.com/contact.

What are emotions?
Where did we come from?
Why are there 2 different sexes?
Why is there a perfect system? (Animal food chain, hole in ozone, global warming/cooling)
Why are 10 commandments a perfect law system? (every other law system fails)
Why is everything apart from God chaotic?
Why is Jesus hated above all else? (Martyrs, persecution, finding tomb of Jesus, evolution, RRS)
Why is are Christians only people willing to die for their faith? (Muslims kill others, Buddhists kill themselves)
Why do people always try to change biblical truth? (Mormons, catholic’s)
Why does sin have consequence? (Ted Bundy, people in Hollywood)
Why do all people have an emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?
Why is there such a drastic change in people after they accept Jesus?
Why do we keep finding things that the bible has talked about since the beginning? (Finding city from OT)
Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in?
 


iwbiek
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RationalResponseSquad wrote:

From: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, October 10, 2009 8:23 PM
Subject: [General Question] Question?
 

Tim sent a message using the contact form at
http://www.rationalresponders.com/contact.

What are emotions?
Where did we come from?
Why are there 2 different sexes?
Why is there a perfect system? (Animal food chain, hole in ozone, global warming/cooling)

i'll leave these for the science folks.

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why are 10 commandments a perfect law system? (every other law system fails)

um, criteria for "perfect" and "fails"?  i could make arguments that the code of hammurabi, the confucian li, the laws of manu, etc., etc. have been very durable and successful legal systems depending on the criteria.  none of these were demonstrably influenced by the decalogue.  hell, the confucian system was, and in many ways still is, a successful social system for china, indochina, korea, and japan for well over two millennia.

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why is everything apart from God chaotic?

if you really can't see that that's a stupid question for innumerable reasons, then you really aren't worth talking to.  i've always been a confucian rather than a mohist, so i'll assume you're being facetious.

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why is Jesus hated above all else? (Martyrs, persecution, finding tomb of Jesus, evolution, RRS)

you really think jesus is hated above hitler?  stalin?  your local dentist?  do you have stats?

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why is are Christians only people willing to die for their faith? (Muslims kill others, Buddhists kill themselves)

what the fuck are you talking about?  the spanish inquisition mostly targeted jews who refused to convert to catholicism.  jehovah's witnesses made up a considerable (and generally unknown) portion of holocaust victims for refusing not to proselytize.  there have been countless hindu and muslim martyrs in india and pakistan.  and just what do you mean by "buddhists kill themselves"?  are you talking about the vietnamese monks who burned themselves in protest of the war?  that wasn't necessarily dependent on their buddhism.  committing suicide as a form of political protest is fairly common in east asian history, for mandarins and samurai as well as buddhist monks.  hell, a student in prague set himself on fire to protest the soviet invasion of czechoslovakia in 1968.  does that mean he was a buddhist?  my grandmother was a devout southern baptist and she killed herself before i was born.  was she a closet buddhist or something?

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why do people always try to change biblical truth? (Mormons, catholic’s)

ahhhhh, here we go.  anyone else hear bagpipes?

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why does sin have consequence? (Ted Bundy, people in Hollywood)

i could just as easily say karma as anything else.  or the fact that we have these gentlemen known as the police.

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why do all people haven emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

please furnish x-rays.

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why is there such a drastic change in people after they accept Jesus?

hmmmm.  i don't know.  i'll have to let some other atheists on this site answer.  most of them did at some point.

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why do we keep finding things that the bible has talked about since the beginning? (Finding city from OT)

they found troy too.  ditto mycenae.  there is definitely a river ganges, and both hindu and buddhist scriptures go on and on and on about that.

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in?
 

science folks, this one's in your court too.

"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson


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Hello Tim. 1)

Hello Tim.

1) http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emotions

2 a : the affective aspect of consciousness : feeling b : a state of feeling c : a conscious mental reaction (as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body

2) We? Come from? Um, I came from my parents. Then, I came from China. I assume you came from your parents. Where did our species come from? Um, well, we evolved.

3) It's advantageous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w0FiwfyUMM

4) None of it is "perfect."

Why does it seem to fit together? Well, because we all belong in the same universe.

5) The ten commandments are not a perfect law system. About half of it is pure religious BS. 

Every other law system fails? Oh, do you have an example of a government currently successfully running a country using the ten commandments?

6) Define "God." Define "chaotic." 

7) How do you know he is? I don't hate Jesus.

8 ) Ditto, ever heard of suicide bombers? They're Muslim. Ever heard of monks setting themselves on fire as a form of protest? Yeah, those are often Buddhists.

9) Man, almost every single one of your questions is a loaded question. Not that I'm surprised or anything.

What is biblical truth? How do you know it's the truth? How do you know Mormons and.....Catholics(???) are trying to change it? How do you know they're wrong?

10) What is sin? What consequences? How do you know it has consequences?

11) How do you know they have an emptiness? What emptiness? How do you know it needs to be filled with Jesus. Oh, anecdotal evidence? Oh, you mean they use Jesus as an emotional crutch!! Okay. 

12) Why do you assume there is always a drastic change? Why do you assume the change is good?

13) Um, because that city exists?

14) I'm not sure if I'm "hell bent." Nevertheless, I spend time on this topic because it is important to me. I don't see why it matters whether I'm a proponent or skeptic of the claim in question.

Our revels now are ended. These our actors, | As I foretold you, were all spirits, and | Are melted into air, into thin air; | And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, | The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, | The solemn temples, the great globe itself, - Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, | And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, | Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff | As dreams are made on, and our little life | Is rounded with a sleep. - Shakespeare


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Quote:
What are emotions?
At their most basic they are electrochemical events in the brains of animals that represent a response to particular stimuli, common and shared across a species or perhaps all animals and conceptualized in conscious humans as feelings.

Quote:
Where did we come from?
The question is insufficient to form an answer.

Quote:
Why are there 2 different sexes?
The question is insufficient to form an answer.

Quote:
Why is there a perfect system? (Animal food chain, hole in ozone, global warming/cooling)
None of the systems listed as examples are perfect.  The questions performs the fallacy of question begging by assuming that there is a perfect system.

Quote:
Why are 10 commandments a perfect law system? (every other law system fails)
The question performs the fallacy of question begging by assuming that there is a perfect law system.  Further, the ten commandments are objectively not a system of law.

Quote:
Why is everything apart from God chaotic?
The questions performs the fallacy of question begging by assuming that everything is chaotic, that a god exists and that the god that exists is not chaotic.

Quote:
Why is Jesus hated above all else? (Martyrs, persecution, finding tomb of Jesus, evolution, RRS)
The question is a loaded question by assuming that Jesus is hated.

Quote:
Why is are Christians only people willing to die for their faith? (Muslims kill others, Buddhists kill themselves)
The question is confusing given the blatantly incorrect/misinformed qualifiers and appears to be inferring a no true Scotsman fallacy (Christians have the most true faith).

Quote:
Why do people always try to change biblical truth? (Mormons, catholic’s)
The question is a loaded question.

Quote:
Why does sin have consequence? (Ted Bundy, people in Hollywood)
The question is a loaded question and performs the fallacy of begging the question by assuming that sin exists and that a god exists to render consequences for committing sins.

Quote:
Why do all people have an emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?
The question is a loaded question.

Quote:
Why is there such a drastic change in people after they accept Jesus?
The question is a loaded question and contains a bald assertion.

Quote:
Why do we keep finding things that the bible has talked about since the beginning? (Finding city from OT)
Things that are found which match descriptions with the bible, such as the site or name of particular cities are not necessarily sites or names that are unique to biblical accounts and show only that the bible was a contemporary piece of writing or was written by contemporaries or by those who remember the names and sites or those cities.  It would be incorrect to infer that the bible as a whole is true merely because the bible contains some 'truth'.

Quote:
Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in?
The question doesn't make sense.

BigUniverse wrote,

"Well the things that happen less often are more likely to be the result of the supper natural. A thing like loosing my keys in the morning is not likely supper natural, but finding a thousand dollars or meeting a celebrity might be."


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Dear Tim,The stupidity of

Dear Tim,

The stupidity of your questions makes baby Jebus cry.

Respectfully,

KSMB


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What an emotional list of

What an emotional list of tripe.

All unscientific questions to appeal to emotion.

Did it ever occur to you that nothing good or bad that happens needs a magical super hero or magical villain?

The good and bad in life doesn't need a deity for explanation anymore than it would need Lex Luthor or Superman. It doesn't need Allah, or Thor or Micky Mouse.

Good and bad happen. Good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. In other words "shit happens". When we shed superstition and fairy tale explanations and STUDY these events we come up with REAL answers that can help us maximize the good and minimize the harm.

Your list of questions is Amateur Hour at this site.

 

"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog


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RationalResponseSquad

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

From: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, October 10, 2009 8:23 PM
Subject: [General Question] Question?
 

Tim sent a message using the contact form at
http://www.rationalresponders.com/contact.

What are emotions?

Because otherwise we would not have any drive to do anything much or react strongly to danger (fear), reproduce (love, lust, etc),, and so on.

Creatures not driven by such basic reactions would be far less successful than those so driven. Emotions are the manifestation of such built-in mechanisms we inherit from our pre-human ancestors. 'Reason' does not automatically give us a drive in any particular direction, and we can't afford to take the time to reason through how we should react to every situation, particular if it is immediately dangerous.

Quote:

Where did we come from?

From our parents, from a long chain of ancestors stretching back to the earliest forms of primitive life, which emerged from accumulations of complex molecules, which developed under the influence of some source of energy, such as heat and light from the sun, thermal energy from inside the earth.

Quote:

Why are there 2 different sexes?

Not all creatures do have sexual reproduction. Evolution can only take place when there is a way for mixing and spreading genetic material and any useful mutations that occur in it throughout the population. Bacteria do this by directly exchanging genetic material, large animals have to have some other mechanism. Sexual reproduction based on two sexes seems to be the simplest and most effective way to do this, more than two sexes would not be necessary and would be more complicated.

Species with such mechanisms evolve and adapt more quickly and efficiently, so have come replace those that didn't.

Quote:

Why is there a perfect system? (Animal food chain, hole in ozone, global warming/cooling)

Bad question - there are no 'perfect' systems in reality. I don't see what that list has to do with the question.

The 'animal food chain' is an inevitable product of evolution of multiple species, I don't see how the concept of 'perfection' applies there.

The other items are simply un-anticipated consequences of our actions, which could be seen as consequences of our inevitably finite and 'imperfect' abilities to understand the complexities of the world in which we find ourselves.

Quote:

Why are 10 commandments a perfect law system? (every other law system fails)

The 10 commandments are not a remotely perfect or even good system of laws. They don't even prohibit rape, torture or slavery, yet make a 'sin' of merely finding a woman other than your wife attractive.

Quote:

Why is everything apart from God chaotic?

It isn't. There is a mixture of order and chaos, and no God.

Quote:

Why is Jesus hated above all else? (Martyrs, persecution, finding tomb of Jesus, evolution, RRS)

He isn't.

Quote:

Why is are Christians only people willing to die for their faith? (Muslims kill others, Buddhists kill themselves)

They aren't. Have you not heard of Muslim suicide bombers?

Quote:

Why do people always try to change biblical truth? (Mormons, catholic’s)

The Bible is a very confused and contradictory document, so people keep trying to interpret it in different ways to try and make sense of it.

Quote:

Why does sin have consequence? (Ted Bundy, people in Hollywood)

Most actions have consequences, but many people have actually got away with serious crimes, so 'sin' does not have inevitable consequences.

Quote:

Why do all people have an emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

They don't. Some people feel that way, but I and many others here can assure you from personal testimony that it definitely does not apply to all people.

Quote:

Why is there such a drastic change in people after they accept Jesus? 

There is not always such a drastic change, but it is hardly surprising that if you make a major change in how you view the world it will change your behavior. All you are asking here really is why do people seem to change drastically when they make a drastic change in there beliefs? It would be surprising if they didn't, especially since such changes are often driven by major crises or tragic experiences.

Quote:

Why do we keep finding things that the bible has talked about since the beginning? (Finding city from OT)

Because the Bible was written by people in that area who knew that those places existed.

We actually have NOT found some rather significant things, such as signs that there was a village or town called Nazereth at the time of the supposed birth of Jesus.

Or that there ever was an Exodus from Egypt, or even that there ever where a large number of Israelites as slaves there.

Quote:

Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in?

Because we believe that the best way for individuals and societies to thrive in an increasingly complex world is to understand reality as accurately as possible,  and we find that belief in God seriously gets in the way of such a purpose - 'God' is inconsistent with logic and reason, and is the opposite of Truth. Belief in such things leads people to believe in many crazy things and to ignore very important things we really do need to address, such as over-population, and effective measures to control diseases such as AIDS.

Favorite oxymorons: Gospel Truth, Rational Supernaturalist, Business Ethics, Christian Morality

"Theology is now little more than a branch of human ignorance. Indeed, it is ignorance with wings." - Sam Harris

The path to Truth lies via careful study of reality, not the dreams of our fallible minds - me

From the sublime to the ridiculous: Science -> Philosophy -> Theology


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Bob, now you are just

Bob, now you are just beginning to annoy me. Just because you are nice to people and take the time to deconstruct their arguments, doesn't mean my bad cop image should be pushed aside!

NO BODY PUTS BRIAN37 IN THE CORNER.................

Now... I had.....the debate of my life

And I owe it all to you

 

(Note to self: Did I think that, or type it? I like shiny objects)

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RationalResponseSquad wrote:

From: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, October 10, 2009 8:23 PM
Subject: [General Question] Question?
 

Tim sent a message using the contact form at
http://www.rationalresponders.com/contact.

What are emotions?
Where did we come from?
Why are there 2 different sexes?
Why is there a perfect system? (Animal food chain, hole in ozone, global warming/cooling)
Why are 10 commandments a perfect law system? (every other law system fails)
Why is everything apart from God chaotic?
Why is Jesus hated above all else? (Martyrs, persecution, finding tomb of Jesus, evolution, RRS)
Why is are Christians only people willing to die for their faith? (Muslims kill others, Buddhists kill themselves)
Why do people always try to change biblical truth? (Mormons, catholic’s)
Why does sin have consequence? (Ted Bundy, people in Hollywood)
Why do all people have an emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?
Why is there such a drastic change in people after they accept Jesus?
Why do we keep finding things that the bible has talked about since the beginning? (Finding city from OT)
Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in?
 

1. neurochemicals, bioelectric activity

2. "the normal biological function known as sex." (Inherit the Wind)

3. Otherwise the process described in answer 2 wouldn't work.

4. Too much of the universe is trying to kill us to call this system perfect.

5. The 10 commandments were plagiarized from other codes of law.

6. Everything with God isn't exactly orderly - or haven't you looked around lately?

7. I don't hate Jesus for the same reason I don't hate Santa Claus - fictional characters don't offend me.

8. Christians aren't clean in the "killing others for God" department.

9. The people who wrote the thing couldn't get their stories straight. Don't blame other forms of Christianity fpr the Bible's problems

10. What consequences? Ask Jesus to forgive you until you want to do it again then repeat. If Ted Bundy did that he'd be in Heaven, yes?

11. Not true.

12. Some change for the worse - look at Ted Haggard and Jimmy Swaggart.

13. The Spider-Man comics are set in NYC - Is Spidey real?

14. Why are theists so bent on dodging questions instead of providing evidence for God's existence?

"I do this real moron thing, and it's called thinking. And apparently I'm not a very good American because I like to form my own opinions."
— George Carlin


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[quote =iwbiek]Why do all

iwbiek wrote:
Quote:

Why do all people haven emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

please furnish x-rays.

Iwbiek, you made me laugh so hard I nearly choked on my brekky juice.

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 RationalResponseSquad

 

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

From: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, October 10, 2009 8:23 PM
Subject: [General Question] Question?
 

Tim sent a message using the contact form at
http://www.rationalresponders.com/contact.

What are emotions?

You mean physically? Cause in that sense emotional sensation can be described as a cascade of chemical reactions in various organs in the body.

Quote:

Where did we come from?

Oh m'gosh.. how awkward.. didn't your Dad give you "the Talk" yet?

Fortunately there are books on the subject at your local library, check it out.

Quote:

Why are there 2 different sexes?

Some say it's justified by the biological advantage of genetic diversity. ie, dual parentage organisms would have evolved larger systems more rapidly which in turn would increase the chance of overcoming faults in the mutation to build a thriving creature. In a single parentage line it's more likely that the faults overcome the organism before it establishes.

I think this is fairly sound reasoning.

 

Quote:

Why is there a perfect system? (Animal food chain, hole in ozone, global warming/cooling)

Why is it so suprising to you that there is a system which supports life in place where life appears?

Of the (now) 8 planets in our solar system ours is the only one apparently biodynamically equipped to support the form of life which we are, and evidently, those other 7 planets aren't inhabited by life that we recognise at all. This gives us reason to conclude that if the physical systems of earth were not, exactly as they are, we wouldn't be here to question them being so anyway, so it doesn't matter.

Earth's environment is conducive to our life form and our life form is conducive to earth's environment, it's self explanatory why they are found together.

 

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in?
 

Er... I think RRS is more a matter of being hell bent on pointing out a lack of sense in believing that there is a god. Disproving certain precisely defined entities can be done but God isn't one of those so it's not really the aim here.

 

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iwbiek
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Eloise wrote:iwbiek

Eloise wrote:

iwbiek wrote:
Quote:

Why do all people haven emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

please furnish x-rays.

Iwbiek, you made me laugh so hard I nearly choked on my brekky juice.

what the hell is brekky juice?  damn, you people have weird shit down there!

btw, go easy on the guy, my dad never had "the talk" with me either.  i had to learn about it by stumbling onto his porno stash.

wait a minute...........

that way's MUCH better!

"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson


iwbiek
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oh, and just to be fair, i

oh, and just to be fair, i should add that even as i typed the statement that there's weird shit down there in kiwi land, i was enjoying my typical central european breakfast: a roll smeared with pork liver pate.

"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson


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Quote:What are

Quote:
What are emotions?

Emotions are chemistry and electricity, just like everything else your brain does.

 

Quote:
Where did we come from?

Have you heard of evolution?


Quote:
Why are there 2 different sexes?

There are two sexes in mammals because that's the reproductive strategy that worked well enough for our distant ancestors that it was not replaced by something else.


Quote:
Why is there a perfect system? (Animal food chain, hole in ozone, global warming/cooling)

Are you sure that there is a perfect system?  What is your objective basis for determining that any given system is or isn't perfect?


Quote:
Why are 10 commandments a perfect law system? (every other law system fails)

See above.  I know of no good reason to think that the ten (or 14 or 17 -- depends how you read the text) commandments are a perfect law system.  You have provided a pretty good example of the logical fallacy known as "begging the question".


Quote:
Why is everything apart from God chaotic?

See above.  You're begging the question again.  I have no good reason to think that this "God" exists at all, never mind the matter of whether or not he is chaotic.

 

Quote:
 Why is Jesus hated above all else? (Martyrs, persecution, finding tomb of Jesus, evolution, RRS)

Why do so many people like Batman better than Superman?


Quote:
Why is are Christians only people willing to die for their faith? (Muslims kill others, Buddhists kill themselves)

For one thing, Christianity embraces the despicable lie that self-sacrifice is a virtue.  Martyrdom is not honourable -- it's stupid and immoral.  Besides that, yes, Muslims do kill others but they do also die for their hideous faith.  There are other examples of non-Christians who are willing to die for their irrational beliefs so, like so many of your fourteen questions, this one is dishonest.


Quote:
Why do people always try to change biblical truth? (Mormons, catholic’s)

Oh, I don't try to change the Bible.  It's an almost perfectly horrible book and I want people to understand what it really says rather than what the more politically correct believers want people to think it says.


Quote:
Why does sin have consequence? (Ted Bundy, people in Hollywood)

All actions have consequences.  It's a matter of physics, not religion.


Quote:
Why do all people have an emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

Remember what I said about begging the question?  You're doing it again.


Quote:
Why is there such a drastic change in people after they accept Jesus?

I experienced that change when I was seven years old.  I became a new man!  I experienced another change in my 30s when I was finally able to admit to myself that there is no God and that Christianity is bullshit.  That second change was the better one.  It freed me to think rationally.  I was even able to stop smoking after I became an atheist.


Quote:
Why do we keep finding things that the bible has talked about since the beginning? (Finding city from OT)

Why is there so much evidence for evolution and the age of the earth, all of which contradicts the first few chapters of Genesis?  Why is there no evidence in favour of the Noahic flood?


Quote:
  Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in? 

Why are god-believers such a destructive and negative force in the world today?

Reality is the graveyard of the gods.


Brian37
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Eloise wrote:iwbiek

Eloise wrote:

iwbiek wrote:
Quote:

Why do all people haven emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

please furnish x-rays.

Iwbiek, you made me laugh so hard I nearly choked on my brekky juice.

Eloise wrote:

iwbiek wrote:
Quote:

Why do all people haven emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

please furnish x-rays.

Iwbiek, you made me laugh so hard I nearly choked on my brekky juice.

We are glad you are not afraid of us like many theists, and we are glad you can find humor being here. BUT, you DO have the label theist under your name. We could pick apart your claims as easily as we do any other.

Just the other day I was telling my Christian co workers about Pineapples deconversion from her claim "The universe is a giant consciousness". They responded, "That was nuts to believe that"

BUT, I wanted to shout at them, MIND YOU I LOVE THEM, but ARRRRGGGGGG!

When anyone makes claims about thinking beings OF ANY CLAIM, beings with no physical body, I want to scream!

You do not have the word theist under your name because we hate you. You have that label because you have some sort of belief in beings with no physical body.

So I find irony when you laugh at our sarcasm of theistic claims when you have the word "theist" under your own name. Having said that, I am also glad you take it in stride without taking it personally, regardless.

 

"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog


iwbiek
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Brian37 wrote:Eloise

Brian37 wrote:

Eloise wrote:

iwbiek wrote:
Quote:

Why do all people haven emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

please furnish x-rays.

Iwbiek, you made me laugh so hard I nearly choked on my brekky juice.

Eloise wrote:

iwbiek wrote:
Quote:

Why do all people haven emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

please furnish x-rays.

Iwbiek, you made me laugh so hard I nearly choked on my brekky juice.

We are glad you are not afraid of us like many theists, and we are glad you can find humor being here. BUT, you DO have the label theist under your name. We could pick apart your claims as easily as we do any other.

Just the other day I was telling my Christian co workers about Pineapples deconversion from her claim "The universe is a giant consciousness". They responded, "That was nuts to believe that"

BUT, I wanted to shout at them, MIND YOU I LOVE THEM, but ARRRRGGGGGG!

When anyone makes claims about thinking beings OF ANY CLAIM, beings with no physical body, I want to scream!

You do not have the word theist under your name because we hate you. You have that label because you have some sort of belief in beings with no physical body.

So I find irony when you laugh at our sarcasm of theistic claims when you have the word "theist" under your own name. Having said that, I am also glad you take it in stride without taking it personally, regardless.

 

i thought theism was a belief in god or gods, not in beings without physical bodies.  i could get on the bandwagon with the possibility of beings without physical bodies--perhaps extraterrestrials of some sort.

and i don't think eloise was laughing at tim, i think she was laughing at my incredibly witty and apt riposte, being that i am a raconteur par excellence.

seriously though, eloise (if i read her correctly, which is up to her to decide) was responding to tim's incredibly obtuse logic, not his theism.  if you think her logic is just as obtuse, you'll have to engage her to prove it, not just point out her label.  and regardless of whether you'd win or not, i hardly think you'd be able to "pick apart her claims just as easily."  i've seen her argue.

who is "we," btw?  eloise's brand of theism seems largely passive and subjective, so i have no interest in shredding it.  besides, since she seems to accept empiricism and all it reveals to us, i think the only thing you could do in her case is appeal to ockham's razor, which is a good logical tool but hardly a decisive victory. 

"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson


Eloise
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Brian37 wrote:You do not

Brian37 wrote:

You do not have the word theist under your name because we hate you. You have that label because you have some sort of belief in beings with no physical body.

My deity has the same physical parameters I would use to describe a human consciousness so I guess that you've missed most of what I've said about my beliefs to think that I am professing belief in a non-corporeal entity.

Brian37 wrote:

So I find irony when you laugh at our sarcasm of theistic claims when you have the word "theist" under your own name.

I can half understand, but maybe also you've attached too much stigma to the theist label yourself. I mean, I wear a theist label but I'm not religious, not affiliated or adherent to any religion, I do not preach or proselytise, I have no dogma, I follow no creed that isn't essentially secular humanism anyway, I use the scientific method for inquiry, I do not rely epistemically on faith or any mystical practice (though I freely admit to employing them on occasion in the pursuit of knowledge), I don't believe in "one book to rule them all" and I take absolutely no issue with people questioning mine or any other notion of a deity or spiritual existence.

When it comes down to it, I share very little with the average theist of the western world. I believe in a god because I have concluded from a fair bit of in depth philosophical and scientific inquiry that one is both possible and likely to exist, as described, essentially, by the ancient and sacred traditions of man.

 

Brian37 wrote:

Having said that, I am also glad you take it in stride without taking it personally, regardless.

 

Thanks Brian, as I always said, I'll cop the theist badge cause I am a theist. I believe in a god compatible with the traditional religious texts. That's all it takes to be one, so I am one, no quibbles. Smiling

Theist badge qualifier : Gnostic/Philosophical Panentheist

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[email protected] wrote:What

[email protected] wrote:
What are emotions?

"Emotions" are God telling you to be ashamed of masturbation. That's how you know it's wrong.

Quote:
Where did we come from?

Multiple choice time!

a: Mud, baby, mud. That, and a God loogy.

b: Incremental changes in an adaptive information system (genotype) that results in structures and behaviors (phenotype) that are better suited to environmental conditions due to the fact that those expressions of the information system are better suited to the environment.

c: Irsham, after eating the perfect vindaloo, shat the universe into existence. Garshu (the Holy Penguin Egg) formed the earth from a kernel of corn. (I'm not sure how corn came to be in vindaloo, but there you have it.) Pastalla made the sun from Garshu (they'd been fueding since childhood), which baked bits of spices still on the corn, which became us. (This is, perhaps, one of the grossest creation myths. But ... Mud? Srsly?)

d: All of the above

Quote:
Why are there 2 different sexes?

So Christians can persecute homosexuals?

Why not? What's strange about two sexes? That's like asking, "Mommy, why do I have this tube of meat hanging from my crotch?" It's just the way things turned out, sexually.

The penis is perfect refutation of god. Next to the duck-billed platypus, it is perhaps the silliest-looking thing on earth. (Though mine is a wondrous sight. Silly, but wondrous.)

Quote:
Why is there a perfect system? (Animal food chain, hole in ozone, global warming/cooling)

Ahem. Penis. Blind spot in the eye. Spinal problems after the age of 30. Wasps that lay their eggs in still-living caterpillars, turning them into zombie mothers for the wasp larvae that emerge from her body like the alien from John Hurt's chest. Perfect? Oh, I don't think so.

But really, it's all due to incremental changes in an adaptive information system (genotype) that results in structures and behaviors (phenotype) that are better suited to environmental conditions due to the fact that those expressions of the information system are better suited to the environment.

We fit the system. Not the other way around.

Dope.

Quote:
Why are 10 commandments a perfect law system? (every other law system fails)

Ah, yes. There's the word "perfect" again. How perfect is it? Let's take a closer look of this decalogue of which you are so fond.

- You shall have no other gods before me

How does this help form a perfect system of law? I mean, I don't have any other god before the Jewish god. I don't even have the Jewish god. So I guess I'm following this one, but really. How does it help to make our interactions better?

- You shall not make for yourself an idol

We get it. This is the only god. He's great and fearsome. We're all so terribly impressed. Can we get on with something that might help form a "perfect" system of law? The only perfect system of law?

- You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God

God damn it! Can you fucking shut up about yourself, god? I've already said we're impressed. You're one arrogant bastard, aren't you? (Considering Mary and god weren't married, that would make Jesus a bastard. Funny, that.)

- Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy

Oh! Look! Surprise, surprise, surprise. Another commandment about licking god's ass.

How is this supposed to be a good law? If nobody works, how are the hospitals going to treat the sick? How are the utility companies going to ensure you have running water and heat and power? How am I going to get my beer on Sunday?

- Honor your father and mother

What if your dad is a complete dick, and gives you to strangers, so the strangers will rape you instead of his house guests? (Genesis 19:1-8) Why would you want to honor him? He's a motherfucker!

- You shall not murder

Finally! Something on which you can base a law! Huzzah! This is a great set of rules on which to base law!

- You shall not commit adultery

This isn't a good basis for a law. It's stupid for a law. It's a good rule-of-thumb, but a stupid law. "Oh! I had sex with someone not my wife! I'm going to spend years in jail! (Or get stoned to death, as it says in the Bible, breaking the one 'perfect' law we've found so far.)"

- You shall not steal

Ah! A second good law. Excellent!

- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor

Anti-perjury/libel laws. This isn't bad. It's even subtle, for the most part. Of course, as phrased, it could be used to jail people who tell rumors, so it's far from perfect. But if god went to law school and tightened up his definitions, it might pass.

- You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor

Thought crime? You want thought crimes in your "perfect" system of law? Are you fucking serious? Next you're going to tell me that even getting a stiffy while looking at a woman that is not my wife is adultery, and should be considered a crime.

Quote:
Why is everything apart from God chaotic?

Huh? The god of Abraham is the most chaotic thing I can imagine. I mean, have you read the old testament? He's fucking nuts! He can't figure out how he created everything, so he gave us two inconsistent versions of how he did it. Then there's the whole "no murder" thing (the most sensible thing in the Old Testament), and in other places, talk of stoning people to death, or murdering your son to appease god's sense of his own self-worth.

On the other hand, gravity seems pretty consistent.

Quote:
Why is Jesus hated above all else? (Martyrs, persecution, finding tomb of Jesus, evolution, RRS)

Martyrs are not Jesus. If you think you're persecuted, you need a little better perspective. What the hell does finding the tomb of Jesus have to do with persecution? Or evolution? How is evolution persecution against Christians? In general net parlance, WTF?

My desk is dented. My forehead is bruised.

Quote:
Why is are Christians only people willing to die for their faith? (Muslims kill others, Buddhists kill themselves)

I'm not quite sure what you are thinking of here. Christians kill -- check out the Christians who so loving tied a homosexual to a truck and dragged him to death. Or the Christians who were so willing to die for their faith, they shot doctors who worked at places that performed abortions? Oh, those noble Christians! So willing to sacrifice so righteously for their god!

Suicide. Bombers. Until Christians are willing to do that, ya'll are just a bunch of fatwa-envious pussies.

Quote:
Why do people always try to change biblical truth? (Mormons, catholic’s)

Fundies. Baptists. Episcopalians. Unitarians. You.

But since the Bible isn't true, it's not really changing biblical truth, is it?

Quote:
Why does sin have consequence? (Ted Bundy, people in Hollywood)

Counter-question: why are all Christians so focused on people in Hollywood? What the hell's wrong with making good movies (like Where the Wild Things Are, which comes out in two days, not that I'm excited or anything)?

Next you'll be talking about "intellectuals," as if knowledge is EEEEVVVVVIL, I tell you, EEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVIIIIIIIIILLLLLLL!

But to answer your question, sin doesn't have consequences. Sin is a religious concept with no real application to the real world. Breaking the law, or breaking the trust of another individual: those things have consequences. Sin: not so much.

Quote:
Why do all people have an emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

Wow! Is he that good in bed? Are you saying that Jesus could make me want to fuck Jesus, and turn me gay?

That's interesting.

Quote:
Why is there such a drastic change in people after they accept Jesus?

Because they turn gay. Or their husbands can never satisfy them.

He's really that good in bed.

Quote:
Why do we keep finding things that the bible has talked about since the beginning? (Finding city from OT)

Partly because when the Bible says, "There was a little village just south of Bethany, where you could get the best bagels and lox," it might be based on an actual village. Duh.

Not that I'd use the Bible as a tour book. Or worse, a book that describes how to behave in a fashion that others might consider "good."

Quote:
Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in?

I don't want to disprove something I believe in. That'd be stoopid. There are very few things I "believe" in, and the few beliefs I hold (such as, 'Humanity is essentially good,') help keep my positive outlook and rugged good looks.

Final counter-question: Why can't Christians ask intelligent questions?

"Yes, I seriously believe that consciousness is a product of a natural process. I find that the neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers who proceed from that premise are the ones who are actually making useful contributions to our understanding of the mind." - PZ Myers


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14 Answers

What are emotions?

Emotions are your body's (and brain's, which is a part of your body) chemical reaction to special hormones, called neurotransmitters, being released. I don't care how religious you are, if you don't believe in neuro-transmitters, go take some Prozac or Ritalin and watch what happens to your emotions. NEXT!


Where did we come from?

Nobody knows! I really cannot understand why this is such a difficult concept for the faithful to grasp. Scientists have theories like evolution and the big bang, but these are sketchy and offer a rough estimate that is continuously being refined over time. The bigger question is, beyond scientific applications covered by astronomy, geology, anthropology, etc - why does it MATTER where we came from? There are MILLIONS of questions about this world to which most people are completely satisfied with not having an answer. How many stars are there in the sky? How many hairs do you have on your head? An age-old trick religionists use to sell people on the importance of their beliefs is the presupposition that our origin has some sort of spiritual significance, and that their religion exists in response to it. Please give me one reason why I should *care* where we came from without quoting a religious text, seeing as that is the response so there had to have been some reason before it originated.


Why are there 2 different sexes?

For 9/10 of the time that life has been present on earth, there was no such thing as gender. Single-celled organisms - bacteria, protists - reproduce by splitting themselves in two, like cells, and even later life forms like fungi and plants can at best be said to carry both genders within each organism. Hence, 2 different sexes only exist in animals. As to why, the question to pose for anything that occurs naturally isn't "why is it there?" but "why has it stuck around?" Evolution science shows us a myriad of examples of traits of life that have not withstood the test of time. The concept of gender clearly has a number of evolutionary benefits and hence once it occurred, it caught on like wildfire, resulting in the dominance of animals on this planet. I'm not an evolutionary scientist myself so I'm not sure what these specific advantages are or what competing systems there may have been that are now extinct, but you should consult scientific resources if you are interested as I guarantee you there are answers to these questions other than "intelligent design."


Why is there a perfect system? (Animal food chain, hole in ozone, global warming/cooling)

As with the question of genders, I'm not a geologist or anthropologist so I don't have specific answers, but in case you haven't noticed, the system has a tendency to "perfect" itself. Geological systems and biological communities react to the forces that act upon them. Not all of them act in a way that preserves their existence, just like not all organisms are perfectly equipped for evolution. BUT, the ones that react in a way that is self-preserving withstand the test of time, which is why the majority of the systems you see now seem to have a "perfection" to them. Even in the Christian theory of the world being 6000 years old, how could a system that does not respond to changes in a self-preserving way still exist 6000 years after conception?


Why are 10 commandments a perfect law system? (every other law system fails)

Now you won't get any argument from me that every law system fails, but how exactly are the 10 Commandments exempt from this as a law system? Show me a society that followed the 10 Commandments as a law system and had no break-downs?


Why is everything apart from God chaotic?

Everything that occurs naturally is in some way chaotic. The geological and biological evolution systems I described above can be said to have an element of chaos to them, as well as the course of human history and society. However, most MAN-MADE things are not chaotic. Architecture and the math it is built on are not chaotic, which is why we have buildings and bridges that stand for decades and we can reasonably predict if they are not safe and have a propensity to collapse. Electric signals sent down a wire can be controlled and not chaotic, which is why we are able to communicate over the internet. Hence, this division suggests that god's non-chaotic definition makes him likely to be man-made rather than natural, I say "suggests" because correlation does not imply causation.


Why is Jesus hated above all else? (Martyrs, persecution, finding tomb of Jesus, evolution, RRS)

Jesus the man, presuming he existed, was hated by the existing authorities at the time because he challenged the status quo with which they ruled. As for Jesus as a religious concept, I really don't see how he is hated "above all else." Anti-religionists tend to dislike all religion equally, and if they especially oppose Christianity in North America, it is only because it is the predominant faith here. As for dissenting religious faiths, if they do dislike Jesus, they are no more singling him out than Christians single out other religious entities. More than anything, I think Christians like to equate "hating Jesus" to anything that doesn't agree with Christianity, another age-old sales strategy to make dissention appear hostile. The theory of evolution, which you use as an example of "Jesus hate," does not say a word about Jesus. In fact, there are people who believe in both evolution and Jesus. The Fox News strategy of "If you don't agree with the president, you are a terrorist" is not going to score you any points in a logical debate.


Why is are Christians only people willing to die for their faith? (Muslims kill others, Buddhists kill themselves)

HAHAHAHA! Ever heard of Muslim "suicide bombers?" Ever heard of the Crusades? Ever heard of the Spanish Inquisition? Every major religion has been used to sell people on killing themselves and others in the name of faith at some point, although no religious text actually prescribes this.

 

Why do people always try to change biblical truth? (Mormons, catholic’s)

 

Biblical "truth?" Are you familiar with the concept of "hearsay?" If I go to court, and bring a paper on which I wrote down something I claim you have said, the jury is not going to take my word for you having said it unless I can prove to them that the words are yours. Ditto for the Bible. Do with it what you want, but unless you yourself heard it from god's lips, you have no logical reason to believe it is the word of god even if the MAN who recorded it claims it is. One standard for anyone to take a scientific finding seriously is that the experiment conducted to find it has to be replicable. That is, if I do the same experiment that a scientist did 50 years ago, I will find the same result. SO, unless you are claiming that I can climb up on Mount Sinai and hear god's voice telling me the 10 Commandments, please don't refer me to "Biblical truth." For that matter, the Catholics were the first massive Christian establishment, others came later, which is why they are called "Protest"ants. So, who changed what is a good question.


Why does sin have consequence? (Ted Bundy, people in Hollywood)

 

Again, proof? A lot of people who do things that are considered "sinful" do end up experiencing a great deal of suffering. However, how does this prove that their suffering is a consequence of sin? In the example of Ted Bundy, what about the 1000s of unsolved murders in the history of the United States, and the millions in the history of the world for that matter? If religion is predictable and works on a rule of consequence for sin, shouldn't every murderer have suffered the same fate as Ted Bundy? Irresponsibility seems to have a greater trend of consequence, whether its for mass-murderers or "people in Hollywood" by which I can only assume you mean celebrities who live destructive lives. However, I don't need religion to tell me that drug abuse, financial irresponsibility, and committing violent crimes all have the capacity to destroy human lives. Christian concepts of "sin" do overlap a bit with this list, but people have known that lack of responsibility is destructive for millenia before Christianity was coined, so it is safe to assume that those who coined it were trying to encourage responsible lives by including these rules.


Why do all people have an emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

 

I have no such emptiness, and seeing as I'm a person, "all people" do NOT have said emptiness. NEXT!


Why is there such a drastic change in people after they accept Jesus?

 

Why is there such a drastic change in people when they DENY Jesus (like, someone who was raised Christian and realizes its ridiculousness)? Why is there such a drastic change in people the first time they have SEX? Why is there such a drastic change in people the first time they shoot heroin? Special plea, anyone?


Why do we keep finding things that the bible has talked about since the beginning? (Finding city from OT)

 

Because the Bible, although written by man, does have some true historical references that have been lost in other historical sources. How does finding a city mentioned in the Bible imply that anything else mentioned in there is true? I have been to San Francisco several times, and there are scenes in The Vampire Lestat that take place there. Does that mean I should start believing in vampires?


Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in?
 

This is perhaps your only relevant question, but there is a definite answer. We are bent on proving to humanity the ridiculousness of faith based belief because said belief is contrary to human survival, both as individuals and as a species. As I have discussed in several answers in this post, the system of the universe can be said to operate with a certain degree of predictability, and the evolutionary survival of anything that exists in it, including a person or a species, depends on that entity's capacity to conform to the system's nature. Adding faith-based beliefs to our perception of the world is dangerous because it is bound to make us behave out of sync with evolutionary demands. From crashing planes into the World Trade Towers, to health-damaging self-flagellation, to laws against scientific research (ie: stem cells) that can prolong life and cure disease, to the spread of illness due to refusal of modern medicine and contraception, to overpopulation due to the bellief that god has ordained us to multiply, the list of ways in which faith-based beliefs negatively affect humanity as a whole is a mile long. Religiosity is NOT some private moral code that is the individual business of whoever holds it - it is a dangerous mass-belief in a delusion that causes whole societies to act out of sync with reality.

 

 

 


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Quote:What are

Quote:


What are emotions?

Chemical responses and reactions in the brain.

Quote:

Where did we come from?

Well, I came from my mother's uterus.  Last I heard that's where all humans come from.  Not my mother's uterus, but a uterus.

Quote:

Why are there 2 different sexes?

There aren't.  There's male and female and then there's hermaphrodite, transgendered, transsexual, and asexual.

Quote:

Why is there a perfect system? (Animal food chain, hole in ozone, global warming/cooling)

Did you just call a hole in the ozone a system?

 

*facepalm*

Quote:

Why are 10 commandments a perfect law system? (every other law system fails)

It's not.  It's a terrible law system.  Not only that but it's incomplete.  It just says not to do certain things, but it doesn't say what the penalty is for it.

Quote:

Why is everything apart from God chaotic?

Chaotic how?  Chaotic like the Crusades?  Oh wait, that was of God.  Do you mean Chaotic like the Witch burnings?  Oh, I'm sorry, that was God-commanded as well.  You're going to have to give examples.

Quote:

Why is Jesus hated above all else? (Martyrs, persecution, finding tomb of Jesus, evolution, RRS)

I can name ten things off the top of my head that I hate more than Jesus.

1. Bad breath.

2. Bigotry.

3. Rapists.

4. Animal abuse.

5. Pimples.

6. Smudged/chipped nail polish.

7. FOX news.

8. Bratty kids.

9. Willful ignorance (take notes).

10. Misogyny.

Quote:

Why is are Christians only people willing to die for their faith? (Muslims kill others, Buddhists kill themselves)

You just said yourself that Buddhists kill themselves.  Well, isn't that dying for one's beliefs?

Quote:

Why do people always try to change biblical truth? (Mormons, catholic’s)

You'd have to ask them.  We're atheists.

Quote:

Why does sin have consequence? (Ted Bundy, people in Hollywood)

People in Hollywood?  What the hell?  You lost me.  Sin doesn't have consequence.  I sinned five minutes ago by yelling "Jesus titty-fucking Christ" when I read your question and nothing bad happened.

Quote:

Why do all people have an emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

Hmmm, you know, I have this strong emptiness in my vagina.  Can Jesus satisfy that?

Quote:

Why is there such a drastic change in people after they accept Jesus?

This I will give you.  When I was "saved" I changed.  But it only lasted about 30 minutes.  It was the excitement of it all and the people around me smiling and patting me on the back and hugging me.  But once it wore off, I felt like I did before, only scared.

Quote:

Why do we keep finding things that the bible has talked about since the beginning? (Finding city from OT)

Eh?  What have we found?  You didn't even give the name of the city.  Hmmmm.

Quote:

Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in?

We're not.  Maybe you should learn what our position is first instead of inventing one for us.

Liberate your mind. Fuck religion.


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Going for simple... 1:

Going for simple...

1: Physiological response to stimulae.
2: Our parents.
3: Because it worked.
4: Perfection is a delusion. No system is perfect.
5: See 4.
6: Error: You presuppose god, but your subjective term is inadequate to define it. Question has no substance and therefore no answer.
7: Error: You presuppose jesus, and further claim he is "hated above all else". Without evidence to support these claims are valid, your question has no substance and therefore no answer.
8: They aren't. Most religions prize self sacrifice for martyrdom. That's part of why they are all a threat. Most religions also prize the destruction of opposing beliefs, which is why you're here: to destroy opposing beliefs, or lack thereof.
9: Because the bible isn't a source of truth, people make things up to make sense of it.
10: Every act has consequence.
11: Error: See 6.
12: Because they embrace insanity instead of reason. They give up responsibility and productive lives for myth.

Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.


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13: So because my atlas

13: So because my atlas mentions dead cities that can be proven to have existed, it becomes the word of a god now? My Atlas is the new new testament of god! Behold!
Actually, precious little mentioned has been found. Much has been found to disprove it though. Like the fact that the Earth was never flooded for one.
14: Because a bunch of lunatics who should be locked up keep trying to brainwash me and everyone around me.

Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.


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ssoxide wrote:What are

ssoxide wrote:

What are emotions?

Chemical reactions which have the tendency to drive our action, often more attributed to instinct than self awareness.

ssoxide wrote:

Where did we come from?

Personally, I came from everywhere. I'm a military brat.

ssoxide wrote:

Why are there 2 different sexes?

The evolutionary advantage of sexual reproduction is incredible as it allows the combinations of two different sets of DNA which increases mutation rates per generation thereby greatly accelerating descent with modification. Single celled asexually reproducing populations existed for billions of years before life could finally evolve away from such a painfully slow process. During such time, the mechanisms that allowed for mutation between generations were very few and far between, so evolution was incredibly slow. As soon as a mutation occurred which allowed for sexual reproduction, mutations occurred in between every single generation.

ssoxide wrote:

Why is there a perfect system? (Animal food chain, hole in ozone, global warming/cooling)

By what standard are you judging perfection? What does perfection entail exactly? A system that is stable and doesn't change? The answer in this case would be no with the exception of universal constants such as the speed of light in a vacuum. Perhaps even mathematical equations are a perfect system, since math doesn't change, even if its methods do.

ssoxide wrote:

Why are 10 commandments a perfect law system? (every other law system fails)

Do you know of any societies which based everything they believed in on the 10 commandments alone and otherwise had no other laws? How perfect is the ten commandments exactly? It doesn't mention rape, slavery, oppression, harming others, destroying other's property, and many other things. It does however put particular emphasis on keeping a particular day of an arbitrary seven day week holy. In fact, 40% of the ten commandments have absolutely nothing to do with morality or protecting people, but rather to satisfy the ego of your God. And not once in the history of man has the first four commandments benefitted any society in a practical way. No sir, the 10 commandments are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination.

ssoxide wrote:

Why is everything apart from God chaotic?

Everything apart from anything that we imagine to be perfect is chaotic. That's because everything that exists is chaotic and the only things that are not are things that we imagine. Strange how accurately God resembles other figments of our imagination, isn't it?

Then, whether or not something is chaotic is also pretty subjective. The only reason we can attribute chaos to anything is because there are so many variables involved that it's too complicated to be comprehensible for our little brains. But then again, everything happens as a reaction to something else, so in a way, nothing is chaotic. Everything is perfectly structured and predictable, but there are just to many variables for our incomprehensive minds.

So no, everything isn't chaotic. It's just chaotic relative to what we're able to predict.

ssoxide wrote:

Why is Jesus hated above all else? (Martyrs, persecution, finding tomb of Jesus, evolution, RRS)

Uhm... he's not.

ssoxide wrote:

Why is are Christians only people willing to die for their faith? (Muslims kill others, Buddhists kill themselves)

You've got to be joking.

ssoxide wrote:

Why do people always try to change biblical truth? (Mormons, catholic’s)

Because people believe the Bible, and if you control what people believe, you control the people.

ssoxide wrote:

Why does sin have consequence? (Ted Bundy, people in Hollywood)

Sin, by definition, is a transgression against God. So I don't believe in sin. But for lack of a better word:

Everything has consequence. A butterfly landing on a flower has consequence. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Every single event from your choice of shoes this morning to the formation of the solar system has consequence.

ssoxide wrote:

Why do all people have an emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

That's funny. I had an emptiness as a christian that could only be satisfied through knowledge. And after some time and thorough study, it lead me to atheism, and I feel so far less empty then when I was a christian. Before you ask a question about any supposed fact, you'd better make sure your fact is right.

ssoxide wrote:

Why is there such a drastic change in people after they accept Jesus?

The same reason there is such a drastic change in people after they lose their virginity, attempt suicide, recover from an addition, experience a death in the family, change their religion of any kind, graduate from school, or get potty trained. Anything that changes your perception of the world, real or imagined, has the potential to drastically change you.

ssoxide wrote:

Why do we keep finding things that the bible has talked about since the beginning? (Finding city from OT)

The bible isn't entirely fictional. Most stories have a basis on something real, since any decent story has to connect to its readers at some level, otherwise it would be incomprehensible. This is something known as cultural relevance. For example, there was indeed a Roman Empire, there were Israelites, there were egyptians, and Patmos is a real island. However, just because there were real greeks, doesn't mean that there was ever a city of Troy. Just because there are bats, doesn't mean that there is a Batman or a Gotham city.

ssoxide wrote:

Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in?
 

I believe in knowledge and truth. So disproving God is something I believe in provided that the truth is that God doesn't exist. Of course there are a lot of other reasons, but I can see that wasn't the point of your question.


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I think I'll just guess "C"

I think I'll just guess "C" for all of them and hope I pass.


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 Wow.  How'd I miss this

 Wow.  How'd I miss this the first time around?  I love answering lists of questions from theists!

Quote:
What are emotions?

Evolution's way of getting us to do things, especially when they aren't strictly in our best interest as individuals, but contribute to the overall good of the species.

Quote:
Where did we come from?

You and I were both born after somewhere in the neighborhood of nine months of gestation inside a female human's uterus.  Our genetic material comes from a male and female who copulated, and whose sex cells joined together.

Quote:
Why are there 2 different sexes?

The flippant answer is that some event or another led to the formation of two sexes.  The more genuine answer is that we're not completely sure how the entire process of separation into two different sexes occurred.  We do know that there are significant benefits to two sexes over one, and that any number of potential intermediate stages would be beneficial, so there are a lot of good possibilities on the table.  We just haven't figured out which one makes the most sense yet.

You should also be aware that there aren't just two sexes.  Many animals don't follow the human model of being born into a discreet sexual identity and staying in it for their whole lives.  There are lots of animals who change sex during their lifetime.  Some have essentially three sexual identities, and others exist in essentially hermaphroditic sexual states.  The notion that two sexes are somehow the best or only mode of reproduction represents a very non-scientific perspective.

In other words, the diversity of sexual identity we see on earth is consistent with the prediction of diversity through natural selection.

Quote:
Why is there a perfect system? (Animal food chain, hole in ozone, global warming/cooling)

I'm guessing at what you mean here.  This isn't a well worded question.  There is no perfect system.  That's just a myth.  Evolution works because it takes a shotgun approach.  It rolls a billion dice, and comes up with a few million wins and lots and lots of losses.  An intelligent designer could come up with a much better system.

Quote:
Why are 10 commandments a perfect law system? (every other law system fails)

They aren't.  Of the ten commandments, one is impossible.  We can't control our desires, only our acting upon them, and coveting is a desire, not an action.  It's telling us not to do something we can't control doing.  

Of the remaining nine, four deal with things we are or aren't supposed to do with regard to a deity for which there is no evidence.  Curiously, of the 1900 or so societies studied by anthropologists, the vast majority have done quite well for themselves (law-wise) without the commandments about God.

The remaining five are no-brainers, and don't really get into the nuts and bolts of legal distinctions.  They're just broad categoricals that pretty much all humans acknowledge as true without the need for referencing the ten commandments.  The one about honoring your father and mother is a bit dodgy, as well, since the elaborated conditions for such honor, as laid out in the old testament, include things like getting stoned for talking back to your parents.

Oh, and there are three different versions of the Ten Commandments, so even the Bible couldn't figure out which one was correct.

Quote:
Why is everything apart from God chaotic?

Well, I don't see any proof that God exists.  Why is everything chaotic?  It isn't, really.  The universe does tend towards entropy, but there is order within closed systems, and in general, even entropy can be predicted to some degree.  So... um... yeah.

Quote:
Why is Jesus hated above all else? (Martyrs, persecution, finding tomb of Jesus, evolution, RRS)

I hate raping children more than I hate Jesus.

Quote:
Why is are Christians only people willing to die for their faith? (Muslims kill others, Buddhists kill themselves)

Um... do you watch the news?  9/11?

Quote:
Why do people always try to change biblical truth? (Mormons, catholic’s)

Primarily because the bible is irreconcilably contradictory, and many of its claims are just downright false.  Some people just can't handle that much cognitive dissonance, so they try to change it to make it make sense.

Quote:
Why does sin have consequence? (Ted Bundy, people in Hollywood)

Sin is a nonsense term.  Doesn't exist.  Actions have consequences, and one of those is punishment from society when an individual has harmed society.  It's pretty logical.

Quote:
Why do all people have an emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

They don't.

Quote:
Why is there such a drastic change in people after they accept Jesus?

Sometimes there is, and sometimes there isn't.  There are also drastic changes in people who visit meat packing plants.  (Many of them become strict vegans!)  Sometimes, we go through life changes, and they are drastic.  

Quote:
Why do we keep finding things that the bible has talked about since the beginning? (Finding city from OT)

For the most part, we don't.  In the last fifty years or so, more of the Bible has been proven false than true.

Quote:
Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in?

Personally, I don't try to disprove god.  I don't see any evidence for him, so... I don't believe in him.  It's as simple as that.

 

Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin

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OMG This list of questions

OMG This list of questions is such a disaster area, I wouldn't even know where to begin...

Thankfully I know it will be ripped to shreds by others.


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nigelTheBold wrote:c:

nigelTheBold wrote:

c: Irsham, after eating the perfect vindaloo, shat the universe into existence. Garshu (the Holy Penguin Egg) formed the earth from a kernel of corn. (I'm not sure how corn came to be in vindaloo, but there you have it.) Pastalla made the sun from Garshu (they'd been fueding since childhood), which baked bits of spices still on the corn, which became us. (This is, perhaps, one of the grossest creation myths. But ... Mud? Srsly?)

 

WHAT????   Haha I laughed so hard when I read the first sentence of this I scared my dog!  Sounds more like a bad trip than a creation story.  O.o


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I'm getting confuse...

 ok I'm just a highschool girl... and I'm very lazy... I'm getting dizzy w/ the words... here...

some are just too long to read... and some I don't get the grammar... sorry if I'm being rude or anything...

I'm just getting confuse... If any one can help me or something....

 

ehehe... oh yea! how does it take to change your religion?

cause when I reach 18 yrs old I'm gonna change it...

and I just want to know how long will it take????

Call me shan! (not real name) my real name sucks!
Long live the Philippines w/ all the catholic or whatever!
man I wish I was never born in a religious country!
ATHEIST HERE NOT AGNOSTIC!!!


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Shan wrote: ok I'm just a

Shan wrote:

 ok I'm just a highschool girl... and I'm very lazy... I'm getting dizzy w/ the words... here...

some are just too long to read... and some I don't get the grammar... sorry if I'm being rude or anything...

I'm just getting confuse... If any one can help me or something....

 

ehehe... oh yea! how does it take to change your religion?

cause when I reach 18 yrs old I'm gonna change it...

and I just want to know how long will it take????

 

darlin', you can change your religion anytime you want, just as easily as you can change your point of view on anything else.  no paperwork need be filed.

"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson


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What are emotions?Energies

What are emotions?

Energies that manifest in our body and suggest that we take action.


Where did we come from?

We just don't know. We who? Humans? We are mostly vermin.


Why are there 2 different sexes?

I believe there are more than 2. At least 4 that I know of.


Why are 10 commandments a perfect law system? (every other law system fails)

Because you are stupid. It is an illusion that you clutch at.


Why is everything apart from God chaotic?

I don't know. But I suspect that nature just is like that.


Why is Jesus hated above all else? (Martyrs, persecution, finding tomb of Jesus, evolution, RRS)

Because his followers are such assholes.


Why is are Christians only people willing to die for their faith? (Muslims kill others, Buddhists kill themselves)

I don't know, but I strongly encourage them to carry on!!!


Why do people always try to change biblical truth? (Mormons, catholic’s)

Because they all want their share of the cake.


Why does sin have consequence? (Ted Bundy, people in Hollywood)

Because most people cannot live with being assholes.


Why do all people have an emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

Because you have a very limited imagination.


Why is there such a drastic change in people after they accept Jesus?

Because they become psychotic.


Why do we keep finding things that the bible has talked about since the beginning? (Finding city from OT)

I don't know. Probably because of misinterpretation.


Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in?

I'm not. I don't give a flying fuck about "God". What I care about is to not allow psychotic people into positions of political power. As long as they stay with their Sunday schools and their little churches and shit I don't care. It's only when they come walking tall into society that I pick up my gun and get ready to kill or be killed.

"The idea of God is the sole wrong for which I cannot forgive mankind." (Alphonse Donatien De Sade)

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Jeffrick
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Easy!

Shan wrote:

 ok I'm just a highschool girl... and I'm very lazy... I'm getting dizzy w/ the words... here...

some are just too long to read... and some I don't get the grammar... sorry if I'm being rude or anything...

I'm just getting confuse... If any one can help me or something....

 

ehehe... oh yea! how does it take to change your religion?

cause when I reach 18 yrs old I'm gonna change it...

and I just want to know how long will it take????

               Welcome to the rational world;  it is a trip often made by 13 year olds who decide to leave childhood and its fantasies behind and enter their teen years with a clear head and meny questions about real life.  Feel free to comment and ask us anything.

 

"Very funny Scotty; now beam down our clothes."

VEGETARIAN: Ancient Hindu word for "lousy hunter"

If man was formed from dirt, why is there still dirt?


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 not really... I kinda have

 not really... I kinda have a stone heart... and I'm not interested in love or anything... 

but I do need some advice on things...

like how can I avoid saying I'm an atheist to my friends?

cause they keep going to the church~!!! and making go w' them It's making me really sick and annoyed...

there was one time I was even force to pray~!!! aaaaaaaaahhhh~!

Call me shan! (not real name) my real name sucks!
Long live the Philippines w/ all the catholic or whatever!
man I wish I was never born in a religious country!
ATHEIST HERE NOT AGNOSTIC!!!


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One wicked old atheist's suggestion:

Shan, if you'd like to keep those friends and you really want them to stop pressuring you to go to church and stuff, I don't know how you can do it without coming out as an atheist.  If you decide that you can tell them about it, maybe you could try something like this but say it in your own way, of course:

"I like hanging out with you guys but I really don't want to go to your church any more.  I don't want to offend you and I value your friendship but I need to be honest with you about something: I don't believe in God and I don't think that's going to change.  So, I hope you understand and I hope you can respect my point of view and I hope you care enough to still be my friends even though I won't be going to church any more."

If you find it easier, do it in IM or texting or something. 

Some people find that their "friends" dump them when they come out as an atheist, so there is some risk involved, as you probably already know.  Real friends won't dump you over that, so I hope you have some of those.

Reality is the graveyard of the gods.


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Thanks for the advice

 hhhmmm... I'll try doing that... tnx...

but I think I'll do that some other time cause... It's hard for me to say that to them cause...

some of them can't live w/ out hope like god or something... because their life is really hard...

the time we went to the church... I saw her face about to cry because something happened to her and her family...

so I think I'll wait some time before I tell her...

and some times I just say I'm late for something just to get away... And if I'm lucky she won't make a problem about I'm being an atheist....

Call me shan! (not real name) my real name sucks!
Long live the Philippines w/ all the catholic or whatever!
man I wish I was never born in a religious country!
ATHEIST HERE NOT AGNOSTIC!!!


Shan
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Actually...

 I turned into an atheist before I reach teen age... It started I think when I was 4 or 6...

I never knew the word till last year... but I always doubted god since I was little... when I was around 7 I blamed him for creating me, and I blamed my parents for not killing me... because I was suppose to have an older sibling but my mother had abortion... lucky for me (NOT) I was not killed...

 

I faced death a million times already!!! hehehe... but never killed... ah.. what a pain...

Call me shan! (not real name) my real name sucks!
Long live the Philippines w/ all the catholic or whatever!
man I wish I was never born in a religious country!
ATHEIST HERE NOT AGNOSTIC!!!


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What are emotions?A neural

What are emotions?

A neural reaction to stimuli. I don't have the knowledge or the expertise to elaborate.


Where did we come from?

I'm assuming you mean where did we, the species Homo Sapiens sapiens come from. As far as we can tell, from Homo Erectus. It was once thought we came from Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis (Neanderthal), but the latest evidence suggests they evolved concurrently with us.


Why are there 2 different sexes?

Because it is a more effective means of reproduction, at least more so than asexual reproduction. Two sexes is not a universal fact anyway. Some organisms reproduce asexually. Some reproduce sexually but both partners are hermaphroditic, specifically earthworms.  Sexual reproduction introduces genetic diversity, which keeps recessive traits (many of which are harmful) in check.  


Why is there a perfect system? (Animal food chain, hole in ozone, global warming/cooling)

Is there a perfect system?  Animals often go extinct, a hole in the ozone layer is a harmful thing.  I guess I'm not sure why you're referring to these things as "perfect."  What's your criteria for judging them in such a way?  How do you justify that criteria?


Why are 10 commandments a perfect law system? (every other law system fails)

First question, which 10 commandments are you talking about?  There are three sets of them in the Old Testament, at Exodus 20:2-17, Exodus 34:11-27, and Deuteronomy 5:6-21.  I'm just going to pick the Exodus 20 version for the sake of simplicity and the fact that this is the set I learned as the "ten commandments" growing up.  Based on those commandments, I have several questions to ask you.

Do you think it should be illegal to belong to a non-Christian, non-Jewish, or non-Muslim religion? (I include these three because all of them worship the same god and believe the ten commandments are his word) Do you think it should be illegal not to belong to any religion?  If so, what should the penalty be for violating this law?

Do you think you should go to prison because your great-grandfather violated the law, as Exodus 20:5 says?

Do you think it should be illegal to use the name of God incorrectly (whatever that means)?

Do you think it should be illegal not to observe the Sabbath?

Do you think it should be illegal to simply want something your neighbor has?

If you truly believe the ten commandments are a perfect law, then you should answer yes to all of these questions.  I happen to disagree and believe that these laws are unjust.  Nobody should be punished for what they say, think, or because of something someone else did. This is a basic human morality that the ten commandments violate.  The moral philosophies of the enlightenment (which is what the modern laws of the Western world are based upon) fly in the face of scripture and are demonstrably superior as well.


Why is everything apart from God chaotic?

I'm assuming you believe that god is responsible for everything. So if this is true, according to your own belief, everything is part of god and therefore nothing can be chaotic. But things are chaotic.  It seems to me like you're not really asking a question, but trying to make me think a certain way, hoping I'll just assume your question makes sense. It doesn't.


Why is Jesus hated above all else? (Martyrs, persecution, finding tomb of Jesus, evolution, RRS)

Off the top of my head I can name a dozen people I hate WAY more than Jesus:

1. Adolf Hitler

2. Joseph Stalin

3. Pol Pot

4. Kim Jong-Il

5. Kim Il-Sung

6. Pat Robertson

7. Fred Phelps

8. Pope Benedict XVI

9. George W. Bush

10. Joseph F. Rutherford

11. L. Ron Hubbard

12. Jenny McCarthy

I don't actually hate Jesus, and I think you'll find the people who actually do to be few and far between.  The problem is you're tying hatred of Jesus' supposed FOLLOWERS to hatred of HIM.  I realize he does this himself in the Bible, sort of, but honestly this is simply the Christian martyr complex. You NEED to feel like your persecuted in order to believe you have the right religion, so you INVENT persecution where none exists, or goad people into persecuting you.  Classic example: The Westboro Baptist Church. People don't hate them because they love Jesus, people hate them because they spread their vile brand of hatred for everything that isn't them in inappropriate venues, and they do this specifically to claim persecution and drum up violence against them so they can later sue. They are the religious version of the people who throw themselves into traffic so they can sue the driver of the car that hits them.


Why is are Christians only people willing to die for their faith? (Muslims kill others, Buddhists kill themselves)

Come on! Really?  Do you really think Muslims walk into crowded markets wearing a suit of armor?  All in all from what I've seen muslims are generally far more willing to die for their faith than Christians are.  Besides, you contradict your question by saying Buddhists kill themselves. Do you not die when you kill yourself?


Why do people always try to change biblical truth? (Mormons, catholic’s)

You should reword this question for accuracy. Something like "why are there people who don't think the Bible means what I think it means?" Oh and by the way, the Bible that you use was assembled, edited, and compiled by the very Catholic church you claim is trying to "change biblical truth."


Why does sin have consequence? (Ted Bundy, people in Hollywood)

Define "sin." 


Why do all people have an emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

I don't have an emptiness that can only be satisfied by Jesus. How arrogant of you to assume so.


Why is there such a drastic change in people after they accept Jesus?

Because Christianity demands drastic changes. When people join suicide cults there are even more drastic changes. 


Why do we keep finding things that the bible has talked about since the beginning? (Finding city from OT)

According to your logic, Hogwarts castle is a real place where young wizards and witches are trained to work for the Ministry of Magic because J.K. Rowling wrote that Harry Potter lived in London, which is a real city.  The greek gods Neptune, Zeus, and Athena, as well as the Cyclops, the Gorgons, the Sirens, and the six-headed monster Scylla are/were all real because the city of Troy and the Trojan wars were only recently confirmed to be an actual place and an actual event, right?  We all realize that Bible was written a long time ago, and it mentions places and events that actually existed and occurred, but this does nothing to prove the extraordinary, supernatural claims it makes.  Just because Harry Potter lived in London doesn't make Hogwarts a real castle.


Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in?

First, I don't have to disprove God. I'm merely rejecting your claim that he exists. YOU are the one with the burden of proof, just as I would have the burden of proof if I told you an invisible laundry monster lives in my closet.  Second, we are becoming visible because we are sick of the religious majority trying to FORCE us to observe their religious hang-ups.  We are tired of willfully ignorant dentists trying to take basic biology and history out of public schools, replacing it with his own brand of superstitious nonsense.  We are tired of being forced to make the statement "In God We Trust" every time we buy something even though we don't agree with it.  We are sick of Christians rewriting American history to try to deny the separation of church and state that was so clearly established by the founding fathers. We are sick of our government being complicit in our servicemen and women being bombarded by evangelical proselytizing in the armed forces.  We are tired of Christians trying to exclude everyone else from contributing to our shared culture. We are tired of Christians systematically trying to manipulate the law so that people who don't share their "moral" code have the civil right of marriage taken away from them. In fact, we're tired of Christians claiming ownership of marriage. It doesn't belong to you. It never did, and it never will. We are speaking out because we KNOW what religiously-run societies turn into, and we don't want to see the United States or Modern Europe become like Medieval Europe or the Middle East.

 


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RationalResponseSquad

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

From: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, October 10, 2009 8:23 PM
Subject: [General Question] Question?
 

Tim sent a message using the contact form at
http://www.rationalresponders.com/contact.

What are emotions?

Emotions are responses to stimuli based on past experiences.  The brain has been mapped out to the point where we know which part of the brain is responsible for which human emotions.  If we create a lesion through that part of the brain, we lose the capability of conveying that 'feeling' ever again.  Emotions are a product of evolution and largely based on input received from your body's external receptors.  They allow us to react to situations with potential adverse effects.  They are key components to survival.

RationalResponseSquad wrote:


Where did we come from?

We all came from our own mother's wombs.  We were not created in the womb... rather we were assembled there.  Every piece of what is now 'you' used to be 'not you' for as long as we can date.  All of the individual ions, proteins, fats, and assorted materials that allow your consciousness were not 'created' just for you.  In fact, it's highly likely that most of what you are made of used to be a part of bear, or monkey, or rock, or steaming pile of dinosaur crap. 

Nothing that is 'us' is a newly created thing.  Not to get all hippie or anything, but we came from the earth, the water, and the air.

RationalResponseSquad wrote:


Why are there 2 different sexes?

Because through natural selection, mammals evolved into 'two sex' entities.  Why?  Someone schooled on genetics could probably give us an idea, but I would guess it has to do with propagation of species.  Two people's DNA is better at creating a genetically unique individual than just cloning yourself.

That being said, there are far more living things on earth that are asexual organisms in comparison to the two sex organisms that we are used to seeing.  Bacteria, amoebas, etc.

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why is there a perfect system? (Animal food chain, hole in ozone, global warming/cooling)

 

What?  How is that a perfect system?  Global warming/cooling forces massive quantities of animals to adapt to their surroundings or die.  Conducive to evolution? yes.  Perfect?  Hardly.

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why are 10 commandments a perfect law system? (every other law system fails)

It is not necessarily a law system.  There are no repercussions for breaking said rules/laws.  If there were commandment police running around, things would be mighty different.  And every other law system doesn't fail, you just fail to see the imperfections in the 10 commandments. 

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why is everything apart from God chaotic?

What?  I am chaotic?  This computer is chaotic?  Time is chaotic?  Gravity is chaotic?  Math is chaotic?

RationalResponseSquad wrote:


Why is Jesus hated above all else? (Martyrs, persecution, finding tomb of Jesus, evolution, RRS)

I don't hate Jesus, because I don't think that Jesus is a historical figure.  That being said, I hate Christianity because it is a fallacy that indoctrinates more than half of the country I live in.  Religion in itself has caused millions of deaths in our history. 

I hate Hinduism, etc just as much as I hate Christianity.   Buddhism, not so much.  They don't kill people.

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why is are Christians only people willing to die for their faith? (Muslims kill others, Buddhists kill themselves)

A muslim in a suicide bombing may be killing others, but do they not kill themselves as well?  The Crusades killed a ton of 'others', right?  But since that was a long time ago it shouldn't count?

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why do people always try to change biblical truth? (Mormons, catholic’s)

I guarantee Lutherans think that whichever branch of christianity you believe in is changing biblical truths.  It all matters what side your on.  Just because YOU believe it doesn't make it an absolute truth.

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why does sin have consequence? (Ted Bundy, people in Hollywood)

Why do good things have consequences? 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cause_and_Effect

Every action has a reaction.

RationalResponseSquad wrote:

Why do all people have an emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

Says you. 

Ignorance is bliss

RationalResponseSquad wrote:


Why is there such a drastic change in people after they accept Jesus?

Because religious beliefs are a gigantic part of who you are.  I think I have changed markedly in the past 8 years.  I have gone from a skeptic (yet believer) of Jesus to a full blown atheist.  Giant, life-altering decisions are bound to have life-altering consequences.

 

See: Cause and Effect

RationalResponseSquad wrote:


Why do we keep finding things that the bible has talked about since the beginning? (Finding city from OT)

De Donde esta el Jardin de Eden? 

RationalResponseSquad wrote:


Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in?

The science that we are so hell bent on proving indirectly disproves the Christian God.  I'm sure Darwin didn't wake up one day and say "Hey, let's figure out a way to disprove God!".  No, he discovered natural selection and evolution and then inadvertently went, "Holy Shit!  This God stuff can't be right."


 

 

 


ContemptableWitness
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 Quote:The flippant answer

 

Quote:
The flippant answer is that some event or another led to the formation of two sexes.  The more genuine answer is that we're not completely sure how the entire process of separation into two different sexes occurred.  We do know that there are significant benefits to two sexes over one, and that any number of potential intermediate stages would be beneficial, so there are a lot of good possibilities on the table.  We just haven't figured out which one makes the most sense yet.

 

IANAS, but I think that I have a hypothesis for this and wouldn't be surprised if biologists were exploring it.

You start with asexual, multicelled organisms. They fertilize their own gametes, and all is hunky-dory. Eventually, though, the genetics degrade for much of the same reason that inbreeding yields poorer results the longer it happens. Recessive traits are passed down generation after generation. One day two of these organisms for whatever reason, be it accident or due to a mutation that changes behavior, cross their genetic material, and a more robust offspring is the result. The species eventually becomes a hermaphroditic, sexually-reproducing species. It is not a huge leap to get there from hermaphroditic asexually-reproducing.  From there, other genetic mutations may render the "Male" organs inoperative while the "female" organs retain functionality. Thus the birth of a dioecious species from a monoecious species also requires little imagination.  So in short, my hypothesis is this

 

Monoecious (hermaphroditic), asexually reproducing species

 

to

 

Monoecious, sexually reproducing species (such as earthworms)

 

to

 

Dioecious, sexually reproducing species

 

Again, I am not a scientist. Everything I said could be dead wrong. I just wanted to illustrate that it takes no great stretch of the imagination to posit a bigendered system arising from monogendered system.

 


B166ER
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My answers

Tim wrote:
What are emotions?

Chemical reactions which have been selected by evolution because of the reactions they create in the individual. Fear causes one to flee something which endangers it, while love creates and strengthens bonds between individuals.

Tim wrote:
Where did we come from?

Africa, about 150-200,000 years ago.

Tim wrote:
Why are there 2 different sexes?

Because when the mutation of sexual reproduction came about, it was so genetically advantageous that it stuck.

Tim wrote:
Why is there a perfect system? (Animal food chain, hole in ozone, global warming/cooling)

They may be good systems, but they are far from perfect. If the food chain was "perfect" then starvation would not exist, but it does. I don't think they are perfect systems by a long shot. They are systems which have enabled our evolution and survival, but they could be much better in many ways.

Tim wrote:
Why are 10 commandments a perfect law system? (every other law system fails)

How can you call any "Law" system which doesn't cover rape "perfect"? The 10 commandments are so far from perfect, that is a non-argument.

Tim wrote:
Why is everything apart from God chaotic?

Wow... epic fail...

Tim wrote:
Why is Jesus hated above all else? (Martyrs, persecution, finding tomb of Jesus, evolution, RRS)

Wow, talk about a martyr complex. Why do you think that Jesus is hated any more then any other fictional character who's tales have helped inspire horrible crimes against humanity. Oh wait...

I can guarantee you I hate real people who have a negative impact on the world a lot more then fictional characters and their negative impact on the world.

Tim wrote:
Why is are Christians only people willing to die for their faith? (Muslims kill others, Buddhists kill themselves)

Really? Is this a real question? Wow!

My only response to that is that it is one of the most idiotic, unfounded claims I have heard in a while, along with Jesus being the top hated guy EVER! sigh...

Tim wrote:
Why do people always try to change biblical truth? (Mormons, catholic’s)

Because none of the book is true, so they try to keep as close to reality and keep up with the times as best as they can while still being religious. If they don't do it, they will hemorrhage followers and will be a dead religion. What happens though is the religious denominations keeping up with science end up pushing their god so far into the gaps between naturalistic explanations for things, you never see it.

Tim wrote:
Why does sin have consequence? (Ted Bundy, people in Hollywood)

When people hurt other people, there may be consequences, there may be none. No cosmic ones though. We are not that important, nor are we center of the universe, says the "arrogant" one.

Tim wrote:
Why do all people have an emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

Bullshit. No evidence presented. You have no basis in reality for this claim.

Tim wrote:
Why is there such a drastic change in people after they accept Jesus?

Cults will do that to you. It isn't just Jesus.

Tim wrote:
Why do we keep finding things that the bible has talked about since the beginning? (Finding city from OT)

Dude, wow...

The "Holy Babble" has been so wrong on so many things, much more then correct, and by making a statement like the above just shows your ignorance of the book. What about the "Holy Babble" talking about bats being birds, the world being flat, or rabbits chewing cud.

Tim wrote:
Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in?

We show people the lunacy of god belief because soul peddlers world wide are exploiting people's natural fears so that they may maintain control over them as mental slaves. People are not slaves to any god(s), they are slaves to the human's who claim to be that god(s) earthly mouthpiece, and I won't be happy until every individual is truly free.

So yeah, those would be my answers to that kook.

"This may shock you, but not everything in the bible is true." The only true statement ever to be uttered by Jean Chauvinism, sociopathic emotional terrorist.
"A Boss in Heaven is the best excuse for a boss on earth, therefore If God did exist, he would have to be abolished." Mikhail Bakunin
"The means in which you take,
dictate the ends in which you find yourself."
"Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government! Supreme leadership derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony!"
No Gods, No Masters!


pauljohntheskeptic
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rdklep8 wrote: De Donde

rdklep8 wrote:

 

De Donde esta el Jardin de Eden?   

 

El Jardin de Eden mítico esta en Bahrein segun los Sumerios.

 

____________________________________________________________
"I guess it's time to ask if you live under high voltage power transmission lines which have been shown to cause stimulation of the fantasy centers of the brain due to electromagnetic waves?" - Me

"God is omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent, - it says so right here on the label. If you have a mind capable of believing all three of these divine attributes simultaneously, I have a wonderful bargain for you. No checks please. Cash and in small bills." - Robert A Heinlein.


Indeterminate (forgot to login) (not verified)
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malformed s***...fallacies making me itchy...can't resist urge..

And now for my triumphant return! Hi everybody!

 

Quote:

What are emotions?

I assume the dictionary definition isn't satisfactory. Want my opinion: they're a system of chemical reactions and electrical potentials which result in feedback loops within the brain which in turn result in various motivational and reinforcement learning mechanisms which in turn our conscious minds interpret as emotional states like love, anger, fear, etc.

Quote:

Where did we come from?

I came from England. Or did you mean why do we exist? I exist because my parents bumped uglies one day in the mid 1980's, but I try not to think about that too much.

Quote:

Why are there 2 different sexes?

Mathematician not a biologist, so I can't tell you. Suspect it has something to do with having diploid chromosomes. Most animals do if I remember my school biology lessons. Somebody more biologically inclined can probably give you a better answer, in fact they probably already have.

Quote:

Why is there a perfect system? (Animal food chain, hole in ozone, global warming/cooling)

Is there? Only ones I know are on paper. Notwithstanding the difficulties of defining a 'perfect system', do you not see the error in claiming the existence of perfect systems whilst pointing out anomalies and undesirable feedback loops?

Quote:

Why are 10 commandments a perfect law system? (every other law system fails)

See above, also I strongly disagree with every aspect and interpretation of the implied statement in that. I particularly dislike the notion that the 10 commandments, which are ignored by most of the world population, are somehow exempt from any reasonable definition of 'failure' that I can think of. Some bits of them I'll grant are fairly universally accepted, like not killing people, but those bits are really stating the obvious.

Quote:

Why is everything apart from God chaotic?

Question predicated on a false premise and an unclear definition. There is no god, and what do you mean chaotic?

Quote:

Why is Jesus hated above all else? (Martyrs, persecution, finding tomb of Jesus, evolution, RRS)

I don't hate Jesus. I'm doubtful of his existence, and quite certain that there was no human parthenogenesis or child of imaginary being scenario going on.

Quote:

Why is are Christians only people willing to die for their faith? (Muslims kill others, Buddhists kill themselves)

I'm fairly sure that islamist suicide bombers can be said to be dying for their faith, however misguided it is. Not aware of Buddhists killing themselves, but religiously inspired suicide would be dying for one's faith by definition.

Quote:

Why do people always try to change biblical truth? (Mormons, catholic’s)

Because they don't think it's truthful, or because it serves their interests, or very probably both.

Quote:

Why does sin have consequence? (Ted Bundy, people in Hollywood)

It doesn't. Crime does. Very important conceptual difference.

Quote:

Why do all people have an emptiness that can only be satisfied through Jesus?

I don't. Disproof by counterexample is the best kind of disproof.

Quote:

Why is there such a drastic change in people after they accept Jesus?

Major personality change is a common side effect of brainwashing.

Quote:

Why do we keep finding things that the bible has talked about since the beginning? (Finding city from OT)

We have? There's a few major historical events which are recorded in there, and mostly in dozens of other contemporary sources, but most of it is tribal myths for which there exists not one jot of evidence.

Quote:

Why are you so hell bent on disproving God instead of proving something you believe in?

Oh I try. One of my hobbies is trying to prove Goldbach's conjecture. In the mean time, I try to disprove false statements and attack malformed arguments which fall short of a reasonable standard of proof. Also, in natural science you can't prove, only disprove.

I don't really see a distinction between proving true statements and disproving false statements, the end result is the same: the overall number of statements definitely known to be either true or false is increased. I like to think that makes the world a better place.


Indeterminate
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 Hmm, I forgot to log in

 Hmm, I forgot to log in before posting my response, but it really was me. Honest. It'll turn up.

God: "Thou Must Go from This Place Lest I Visit Thee with Boils!"
Man: "Really? Most people would bring a bottle of wine"