Top Ten Reasons why Religion Is Bullshit

Parental influence is one of the factors in forging a person's makeup, but there are other forces at play. My father and me never had anything that I would consider was "bonding" so I wouldn't know. But I know many people who take on their parent's viewpoints (like politics, racism, etc.) However I think that for many people in this current age, school and age-group peers, and other social trends are a greater influence than parents.

Cheers!

Frodo said:

OK…so now you redefine hotwired as being indoctrinated…rather than that man is innately religious by nature. In any case how you get to embrace certain beliefs is not to be confused with the truth of those beliefs. If you atheist dad indoctrinated you in atheism, does that make atheism true?

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Agoraphobic said:

Parental influence is one of the factors in forging a person's makeup, but there are other forces at play. My father and me never had anything that I would consider was "bonding" so I wouldn't know. But I know many people who take on their parent's viewpoints (like politics, racism, etc.) However I think that for many people in this current age, school and age-group peers, and other social trends are a greater influence than parents.

Cheers!

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The point is, how you come to embrace a particular set of beliefs is completely IRRELEVANT to the truth of those beliefs. Telling me you got your beliefs from your friends, mom, dad…says nothing about the origin of those beliefs, or the truth of those beliefs. Ultimately you trace your beliefs to either God or Man. If you choose man, you run into big problems.

I think you have overlooked the possibility that a thought can be concocted from one's imagination, just by staring into nothing, one can come up with an idea, a thought, relate that thought to another person via language, and viola! A concept it born!

Cheers!

Frodo said:

The point is, how you come to embrace a particular set of beliefs is completely IRRELEVANT to the truth of those beliefs. Telling me you got your beliefs from your friends, mom, dad…says nothing about the origin of those beliefs, or the truth of those beliefs. Ultimately you trace your beliefs to either God or Man. If you choose man, you run into big problems.

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Agoraphobic said:

I think you have overlooked the possibility that a thought can be concocted from one's imagination, just by staring into nothing, one can come up with an idea, a thought, relate that thought to another person via language, and viola! A concept it born!

Cheers!

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And your point is? That morality is the offspring of a fertile and creative imagination of man? You sure this is the best explanation for why objective moral values exist? Is it even an adequate explanation? Answer is an obvious no. So long as you deny God as Creator, your arguments for why objective moral values are built on sand. It just cannot stand!

I do not deny that man is unable to be creative. Why must everything be left to God? We're on our own. For those who choose to be led by some divine super being, be my guest, I'd rather walk the path I choose to walk.

Cheers!

Agoraphobic said:

I do not deny that man is unable to be creative. Why must everything be left to God? We're on our own. For those who choose to be led by some divine super being, be my guest, I'd rather walk the path I choose to walk.

Cheers!

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You asked the wrong question. It is not that everything must be left to God, rather it is because God created us, therefore He owns us and has authority over us. But being free-willed (and fallen), we can of course choose to walk our own paths apart or away from God. Just like every equipment comes with an operator’s guide, so in a sense the Bible is like our guide. If we walk in the way God intended for us, we will reap the fruits and rewards of a godly life.

And what is the path God planned for us? What if we wish to have something different? What are the rewards of a "godly" life? Go to heaven? After that, what?

Cheers!

Frodo said:

You asked the wrong question. It is not that everything must be left to God, rather it is because God created us, therefore He owns us and has authority over us. But being free-willed (and fallen), we can of course choose to walk our own paths apart or away from God. Just like every equipment comes with an operator’s guide, so in a sense the Bible is like our guide. If we walk in the way God intended for us, we will reap the fruits and rewards of a godly life.

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Agoraphobic said:

And what is the path God planned for us? What if we wish to have something different? What are the rewards of a "godly" life? Go to heaven? After that, what?

Cheers!

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Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus saying “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Eph 2:10. As to the reward of a godly life, it would certainly include the crown of righteousness Paul mentioned in 2 Tim 4:8. You asked, go to heaven after that what? I say to you, you go to heaven first then worry about after that what next. LOL!

"Heaven" and "hell" are states of the mind. They are not physical locations. Why should they be? BTW, please refrain from quoting biblical phrases to me, I am not impressed by its words. Just a bunch of smart aleck comments!

Cheers!

Frodo said:

Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus saying “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Eph 2:10. As to the reward of a godly life, it would certainly include the crown of righteousness Paul mentioned in 2 Tim 4:8. You asked, go to heaven after that what? I say to you, you go to heaven first then worry about after that what next. LOL!

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Agoraphobic said:

"Heaven" and "hell" are states of the mind. They are not physical locations. Why should they be? BTW, please refrain from quoting biblical phrases to me, I am not impressed by its words. Just a bunch of smart aleck comments!

Cheers!

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Who told you that heaven and hell are mere states of mind? BTW, I don’t believe heaven and hell are physical locations either. They are spiritual realms. You take issue with me quoting the Bible. Sorry bro, I quote the Bible because the Bible is my authority and it shows I am not plucking ideas from the sky. Otherwise it’s just my own opinion vs your opinion, opinions are everywhere, everyone has one. It’s like asking your opponent to drop his weapon because you are not impressed by it. That’s an absurd and irrational request to say the least.

Frodo said:

Who told you that heaven and hell are mere states of mind? BTW, I don’t believe heaven and hell are physical locations either. They are spiritual realms. You take issue with me quoting the Bible. Sorry bro, I quote the Bible because the Bible is my authority and it shows I am not plucking ideas from the sky. Otherwise it’s just my own opinion vs your opinion, opinions are everywhere, everyone has one. It’s like asking your opponent to drop his weapon because you are not impressed by it. That’s an absurd and irrational request to say the least.

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This is what the authority in your religious faith says about the bible, (or the stories in it...)

http://www.nairaland.com/1573605/catholic-pope-francis-there-no
The Catholic Pope Francis- There Is No Heaven Or Hell And Adam And Eve Not Real - Religion – Nairaland
The Catholic Pope Francis- There Is No Heaven Or Hell And Adam And Eve Not Real by princechinedu(m): 8:36am On Dec 30, 2013

One man who is out to open many old “secrets” in the Catholic church is Pope Francis. Some of the beliefs that are held in the church but contrary to the loving nature of God are now being set aside by the Pope who was recently name The Man of The Year by TIME Magazine.
In his latest revelations, Pope Francis said:
“Through humility, soul searching, and prayerful contemplation we have gained a new understanding of certain dogmas. The church no longer believes in a literal hell where people suffer. This doctrine is incompatible with the infinite love of God. God is not a judge but a friend and a lover of humanity. God seeks not to condemn but only to embrace. Like the fable of Adam and Eve, we see hell as a literary device. Hell is merely a metaphor for the isolated soul, which like all souls ultimately will be united in love with God.”

In a shocking speech that is reverberating across the world, Pope Francis declared that:

“All religions are true, because they are true in the hearts of all those who believe in them. What other kind of truth is there? In the past, the church has been harsh on those it deemed morally wrong or sinful. Today, we no longer judge. Like a loving father, we never condemn our children. Our church is big enough for heterosexuals and homosexuals, for the pro-life and the pro-choice! For conservatives and liberals, even communists are welcome and have joined us. We all love and worship the same God.”
In the last six months, Catholic cardinals, bishops and theologians have been deliberating in the Vatican City, in discussing the future of the church and redefining long-held Catholic doctrines and dogmas. The Third Vatican Council, is the largest and most important since the Second Vatican Council was concluded in 1962.

Pope Francis convened the new council to “finally finish the work of the Second Vatican Council.”
The Third Vatican Council concluded with Pope Francis announcing that…
Catholicism is now a “modern and reasonable religion, which has undergone evolutionary changes. The time has come to abandon all intolerance. We must recognize that religious truth evolves and changes. Truth is not absolute or set in stone. Even atheists acknowledge the divine. Through acts of love and charity the atheist acknowledges God as well, and redeems his own soul, becoming an active participant in the redemption of humanity.”

One statement in the Pope’s speech has sent traditionalists into a fit of confusion and hysteria…

“God is changing and evolving as we are, For God lives in us and in our hearts. When we spread love and kindness in the world, we touch our own divinity and recognize it. The Bible is a beautiful holy book, but like all great and ancient works, some passages are outdated. Some even call for intolerance or judgement. The time has come to see these verses as later interpolations, contrary to the message of love and truth, which otherwise radiates through scripture. In accordance with our new understanding, we will begin to ordain women as cardinals, bishops and priests. In the future, it is my hope that we will have a woman pope one day. Let no door be closed to women that is open to men!”
A few cardinals in the Catholic church are against Pope Francis’ latest declarations. Watch out for the report.

Agoraphobic said:

This is what the authority in your religious faith says about the bible, (or the stories in it...)

http://www.nairaland.com/1573605/catholic-pope-francis-there-no
The Catholic Pope Francis- There Is No Heaven Or Hell And Adam And Eve Not Real - Religion – Nairaland
The Catholic Pope Francis- There Is No Heaven Or Hell And Adam And Eve Not Real by princechinedu(m): 8:36am On Dec 30, 2013

….snipped….

A few cardinals in the Catholic church are against Pope Francis’ latest declarations. Watch out for the report.

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Sorry…you are barking up the wrong tree here. I am not Roman Catholic and do not look to the Pope as an authority, neither do I recognise him as my authoriity. We have had many exchanges, didn’t you notice that not once have I ever quoted Rome as my authority? As far as I am concerned, the Bible is my ultimate authority on matters of faith and practice, and on any topic that it touches upon.

Sorry, so the Pope is not your authority, but the Bible is. You look to an inanimate text as your "boss"? And you interpret what you read from the bible as the sole truth? You do not mind that what was written in it was meant for a mind that was even pre-medieval? And that there are many changes in society since? When the Bible was written, slavery was socially acceptable. China, and Japan wasn't even discovered, but these civilizations, although backward by today's standards, were already well-advanced and developed in that time, and no one in these communities even heard of the Romans? And you consider such a text to be all-encompassing in knowledge, and depth? Bro, society today, is totally different from those ages. Women go to school, bullying is a thing of the past. Move on!

BTW, the "Bible" refers to a Harley-Davidson Service manual to members of the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club! FYI.

Cheers!

Frodo said:

Sorry…you are barking up the wrong tree here. I am not Roman Catholic and do not look to the Pope as an authority, neither do I recognise him as my authoriity. We have had many exchanges, didn’t you notice that not once have I ever quoted Rome as my authority? As far as I am concerned, the Bible is my ultimate authority on matters of faith and practice, and on any topic that it touches upon.

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Agoraphobic said:

Sorry, so the Pope is not your authority, but the Bible is. You look to an inanimate text as your "boss"? And you interpret what you read from the bible as the sole truth? You do not mind that what was written in it was meant for a mind that was even pre-medieval? And that there are many changes in society since? When the Bible was written, slavery was socially acceptable. China, and Japan wasn't even discovered, but these civilizations, although backward by today's standards, were already well-advanced and developed in that time, and no one in these communities even heard of the Romans? And you consider such a text to be all-encompassing in knowledge, and depth? Bro, society today, is totally different from those ages. Women go to school, bullying is a thing of the past. Move on!

BTW, the "Bible" refers to a Harley-Davidson Service manual to members of the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club! FYI.

Cheers!

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For you the Bible is mere printed words on binded paper. For me, it is the living Word of God because of what it communicates. It seems you have no idea of the place of importance of the Bible to a believer. It is the true and inerrant record of God’s dealings with us. It tells us truly what has happened (origins) and what is going to happen in the future (destiny). You said I consider the Bible to be all-encompassing in knowledge and depth. That’s your strawman argument. I never make such a case. I believe I already stated before that the Bible is a truthful record, but not an exhaustive one. No Christian worth his salt will ever make the absurd claim that the Bible tells us everything there is to know under the sun. But I will make the claim that the Bible tells us everything God wants us to know to in order to answer the ultimate questions of life, such as “Where do we come from, why are we here, where are we going, how shall we live, what’s wrong with the world”. And through the Bible we can know how to enter into a relationship with our Creator God.

To this, I would say, read the thread title again. Then change the word Religion, to Bible. That's not my statement, it is the view of most peoples in this world.

Cheers!

Frodo said:

For you the Bible is mere printed words on binded paper. For me, it is the living Word of God because of what it communicates. It seems you have no idea of the place of importance of the Bible to a believer. It is the true and inerrant record of God’s dealings with us. It tells us truly what has happened (origins) and what is going to happen in the future (destiny). You said I consider the Bible to be all-encompassing in knowledge and depth. That’s your strawman argument. I never make such a case. I believe I already stated before that the Bible is a truthful record, but not an exhaustive one. No Christian worth his salt will ever make the absurd claim that the Bible tells us everything there is to know under the sun. But I will make the claim that the Bible tells us everything God wants us to know to in order to answer the ultimate questions of life, such as “Where do we come from, why are we here, where are we going, how shall we live, what’s wrong with the world”. And through the Bible we can know how to enter into a relationship with our Creator God.

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Agoraphobic said:

To this, I would say, read the thread title again. Then change the word Religion, to Bible. That's not my statement, it is the view of most peoples in this world.

Cheers!

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And my response to that is a simple “so what?” I suppose you want to go for maximum impact/offense…like saying the Bible is bullshit but not actually saying it…probably hoping to stir some anger in me. Sorry bro, ain’t working. Anyway…a popular view is just that, popular. It says nothing about whether the view held is true or false. A fallacious appeal to popular votes is still a fallacious argument. Besides, if this link is reliable http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog...cent-world-population-has-faith-third-are-ch/ it means there are 2.2 billion people in the world who disagree with you that the Bible is bullshit. Not only that, 84% of the world population do not think religion is bullshit. Sorry bro, you are the minority, if you want to play the numbers game here.

It is not my objective to offend anyone. I just state my stance on my position. What anyone wants to believe, it is their choice. The reason its gone this far in this thread is because the TS stated its BS, and I somewhat agree with that. Many of the stories in the Bible are akin to fairy tales. An innocent child might be made to believe it actually happened, and it true, but when one tries to make sense out of it, it doesn't hold. To some people, that's bullshit, others, its a lie. But there is such a term as "Gospel Truth!" So its up to the individual. To me its a personal choice. Some people believe, some don't.

Cheers!

Frodo said:

And my response to that is a simple “so what?” I suppose you want to go for maximum impact/offense…like saying the Bible is bullshit but not actually saying it…probably hoping to stir some anger in me. Sorry bro, ain’t working. Anyway…a popular view is just that, popular. It says nothing about whether the view held is true or false. A fallacious appeal to popular votes is still a fallacious argument. Besides, if this link is reliable http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog...cent-world-population-has-faith-third-are-ch/ it means there are 2.2 billion people in the world who disagree with you that the Bible is bullshit. Not only that, 84% of the world population do not think religion is bullshit. Sorry bro, you are the minority, if you want to play the numbers game here.

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Agoraphobic said:

It is not my objective to offend anyone. I just state my stance on my position. What anyone wants to believe, it is their choice. The reason its gone this far in this thread is because the TS stated its BS, and I somewhat agree with that. Many of the stories in the Bible are akin to fairy tales. An innocent child might be made to believe it actually happened, and it true, but when one tries to make sense out of it, it doesn't hold. To some people, that's bullshit, others, its a lie. But there is such a term as "Gospel Truth!" So its up to the individual. To me its a personal choice. Some people believe, some don't.

Cheers!

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In my view, to call religion bullshit is to offend almost everyone, since most people are religious. It is also entirely up to your choice to believe that the Bible stories are fairy tales, though I completely disagree with that. When you talk about Bible stories not making sense, are you seeing it through materialistic and naturalistic worldview filters? The answer is yes, though I would be surprised should you deny it. If so, it is your worldview that is driving your conclusion, not reason or logic. Can you tell me, honestly speaking, that if God exists, that a dead man cannot rise from the dead? It does not make sense to you from a naturalistic worldview, but it certainly makes sense from a theistic worldview. The choice of belief is a completely separate issue from the truth or veracity of that belief. There is nothing to debate over the fact that people are free to believe what they want, though we have to limit that freedom if the consequences of acting out those beliefs would damage the social fabric e.g. a case can be made that pro ISIS people need to be locked up and brainwashed to be anti-ISIS.

That religion is bullshit isn't new. George Carlin said it loudly on stage.

From our understanding (or lack of) of life and death, all we can tell is that death means no life. And when an organism is dead, it's life is over - NADA. Bringing a dead person (or other organism) back to life after it is dead so far exists only in Science Fiction, stories like Frankenstein, and its the ultimate prize for biology scientists to achieve. That's another subject though, just as lengthy and infinite as the one we're on (the truth of religion). The best view I can have of religion is from a sociological point of view, that is a social-cement for some communities, and its beliefs and practices serves certain functions in societies, create order and gives meaning to some people. It comforts society and helps explain (or rather pacify) the many mysteries and questions people may have about life and its purpose. Whether to believe or not, is a personal thing, something we've come to accept as a personal right in some countries. In others, it may be forbidden to believe. So it comes to this - on earth humans make the rules. Not God. And governments over the world will make the rules for ISIS and similar organizations in their countries.

Cheers!

Frodo said:

In my view, to call religion bullshit is to offend almost everyone, since most people are religious. It is also entirely up to your choice to believe that the Bible stories are fairy tales, though I completely disagree with that. When you talk about Bible stories not making sense, are you seeing it through materialistic and naturalistic worldview filters? The answer is yes, though I would be surprised should you deny it. If so, it is your worldview that is driving your conclusion, not reason or logic. Can you tell me, honestly speaking, that if God exists, that a dead man cannot rise from the dead? It does not make sense to you from a naturalistic worldview, but it certainly makes sense from a theistic worldview. The choice of belief is a completely separate issue from the truth or veracity of that belief. There is nothing to debate over the fact that people are free to believe what they want, though we have to limit that freedom if the consequences of acting out those beliefs would damage the social fabric e.g. a case can be made that pro ISIS people need to be locked up and brainwashed to be anti-ISIS.

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Agoraphobic said:

That religion is bullshit isn't new. George Carlin said it loudly on stage.

From our understanding (or lack of) of life and death, all we can tell is that death means no life. And when an organism is dead, it's life is over - NADA. Bringing a dead person (or other organism) back to life after it is dead so far exists only in Science Fiction, stories like Frankenstein, and its the ultimate prize for biology scientists to achieve. That's another subject though, just as lengthy and infinite as the one we're on (the truth of religion). The best view I can have of religion is from a sociological point of view, that is a social-cement for some communities, and its beliefs and practices serves certain functions in societies, create order and gives meaning to some people. It comforts society and helps explain (or rather pacify) the many mysteries and questions people may have about life and its purpose. Whether to believe or not, is a personal thing, something we've come to accept as a personal right in some countries. In others, it may be forbidden to believe. So it comes to this - on earth humans make the rules. Not God. And governments over the world will make the rules for ISIS and similar organizations in their countries.

Cheers!

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So what if George Carlin or even Boy George says religion is bullshit? Does it therefore make it true? Or make it more acceptable and less offensive, because both Georges said it? If I say atheism is bullshit, you would gladly accept it as true? Of course not right? As to life and death, the problem for the atheist is that he cannot even explain why there is life in the first place. The atheist blindly accepts the evolution fairy tale story of a lifeless matter turning into life, and over time, that a frog can turn into a prince. He has to accept this belief even though it goes against all logic and known laws of nature. Because he rejects God, he has no choice but to call it an anomaly of nature, to be discovered by science, even though he knows deep down that this is outside of science. Yes, on earth human make many rules, but he does not make the laws of nature. Only God does. And on making rules against ISIS or other terrorist organisations, why do we make them? Why do we see them as wrong? Isn’t it because what they do is morally wrong? But then again, from where does an atheist get his moral standards from to judge ISIS or anyone as doing wrong?