Pope Francis supports evolution, says God isn't a magician

[Othelos]

Sigh...the world is going downhill. True Christians becoming increasingly at odds with the rest of society.

I'm not a catholic, but it's sad to see them descend to this level.

Tsk tsk.

I know, it's really fuckin weird for the church to accept things that are observable

[Benuty]

Sigh...the world is going downhill. True Christians becoming increasingly at odds with the rest of society.

I'm not a catholic, but it's sad to see them descend to this level.

Tsk tsk.

I know, it's really fuckin weird for the church to accept things that are observable roll:

I believe you mean.

[The Floating Island of the Sleeping God]

...I think it's really obvious that anyone saying the bible causes death means that zealots following their interpretation of the bible cause death, and anyone claiming that they mean otherwise is either very unaware of metaphors or they're being intentionally obtuse. Nobody's seriously saying that a book is stalking through the night with a machete hunting down infidels.

Right. But they're also suggesting that those zealots wouldn't have existed (and, presumably, there wouldn't have been a different group of zealots in their place) if it weren't for the Bible. They are suggesting, in other words, that if we were to go back in time and remove the Bible from human history, things would have gone better.

And that leads to an obvious conclusion: If it really is true that history can be improved by removing certain books from it, shouldn't we start censoring books right now, in the present, to make the future better?

No. The idea is that crazy and overzealous people latch onto things in massive groups, using whatever they're attached to as a common ground to be terrible. It's really just griping about a facet of human nature and the fact that something so widely associated with the crazies is presented as though it's perfect and immune to said facet.

[Othelos]

I will pray that the Catholic Church puts an end to this error. We must take a stand on a literal Genesis or risk compromising the entire Bible.

if incest is wrong then how can you justify a literal adam & eve

[Benuty]

I will pray that the Catholic Church puts an end to this error. We must take a stand on a literal Genesis or risk compromising the entire Bible.

if incest is wrong then how can you justify a literal adam & eve

Endless celestial sex, according to the Mormons anyway.

[Othelos]

Just another reason I gave up Catholicism and am now a Protestant.

oh because scientific evidence isn't something you believe in?

[The Floating Island of the Sleeping God]

Was that relevant? Nothing excuses unjustified murder, regardless of the perpetrator.

It was, because Pot pot was a subscriber of a ideology which killed far more than the casualties you laid at the feet of the bible.

Again: the existence of something awful doesn't excuse something else that has caused tragedy and pain. That's like saying that because the Holocaust happened, no other crimes are bad.

[Othelos]

No, it's pretty much bullshit written by a man or multiple men.

Not necessarily.

yeah god picked up a pen and wrote the bible.

[Valkalan]

What's most convenient about religion is that god is not here to speak for himself. It's no great trick to simply reinterpret the word of god (according to men) to adjust to social trends.

I consider this to be merely the actions of an aging commercial venture striving to remain competitive.

[The Floating Island of the Sleeping God]

...I think it's really obvious that anyone saying the bible causes death means that zealots following their interpretation of the bible cause death, and anyone claiming that they mean otherwise is either very unaware of metaphors or they're being intentionally obtuse. Nobody's seriously saying that a book is stalking through the night with a machete hunting down infidels.

Right. But they're also suggesting that those zealots wouldn't have existed (and, presumably, there wouldn't have been a different group of zealots in their place) if it weren't for the Bible. They are suggesting, in other words, that if we were to go back in time and remove the Bible from human history, things would have gone better.

And that leads to an obvious conclusion: If it really is true that history can be improved by removing certain books from it, shouldn't we start censoring books right now, in the present, to make the future better?

The part of this I find a little bit silly is the implication that a significant amount of atheists on the Internet do anything major with regards to policy rather than just complain about things they don't like.

[Utceforp]

Well, as an atheist, good for him.

[Constantinopolis]

Right. But they're also suggesting that those zealots wouldn't have existed (and, presumably, there wouldn't have been a different group of zealots in their place) if it weren't for the Bible. They are suggesting, in other words, that if we were to go back in time and remove the Bible from human history, things would have gone better.

And that leads to an obvious conclusion: If it really is true that history can be improved by removing certain books from it, shouldn't we start censoring books right now, in the present, to make the future better?

No. The idea is that crazy and overzealous people latch onto things in massive groups, using whatever they're attached to as a common ground to be terrible. It's really just griping about a facet of human nature and the fact that something so widely associated with the crazies is presented as though it's perfect and immune to said facet.

Oh. Well, then sure, you are correct and I can agree with you about that.

Some militant atheists, however, see it differently.

[Rabotnikisoyedinennyye]

This is kinda what I've always believed.

[Benuty]

Not necessarily.

yeah god picked up a pen and wrote the bible.

http://www.supernaturalwiki.com/index.p ... ck_Shurley

Maybe.

[Conkerials]

This dude sucks at fitting stereotypes.

[Benuty]

This dude sucks at fitting stereotypes.

That is because they do not recognize them.

[Archeuland and Baughistan]

Read it as a fictional text if you wish. It's still an excellent book. It is probably the ultimate "classic".

That classic is responsible for hundreds of thousands of death in "Gods" name.

That is quite an absurd thing to say. The Qur'an is the real meatgrinder.

[The Floating Island of the Sleeping God]

That classic is responsible for hundreds of thousands of death in "Gods" name.

That is quite an absurd thing to say. The Qur'an is the real meatgrinder.

Impressively ignoring every other point against you to take a snipe at other religions.

[Benuty]

That classic is responsible for hundreds of thousands of death in "Gods" name.

That is quite an absurd thing to say. The Qur'an is the real meatgrinder.

Oh you want to go there then.

View the differences between the Christian, and Muslim apocalypses to see who is truly worse.

[The Floating Island of the Sleeping God]

That is quite an absurd thing to say. The Qur'an is the real meatgrinder.

Oh you want to go there then.

View the differences between the Christian, and Muslim apocalypses to see who is truly worse.

No, no, it's okay when Christian God kills the Earth's whole population brutally, because they're all nonbelievers and infi---huh.

[Archeuland and Baughistan]

That is quite an absurd thing to say. The Qur'an is the real meatgrinder.

Impressively ignoring every other point against you to take a snipe at other religions.

Islam is far more violent than the small and insignificant sects of Christianity that advocate terrorism.

[The Floating Island of the Sleeping God]

Impressively ignoring every other point against you to take a snipe at other religions.

Islam is far more violent than the small and insignificant sects of Christianity that advocate terrorism.

Impressively (and in case you simply don't realize it, I say impressively in an ironic or sarcastic manner) doing exactly the same thing I just criticized you for by ignoring my comment to continue sniping at other religions.

[Benuty]

Impressively ignoring every other point against you to take a snipe at other religions.

Islam is far more violent than the small and insignificant sects of Christianity that advocate terrorism.

The radical sects are over saturated in the news for one.

Making what seems like a bad situation even worse.

[Conkerials]

Impressively ignoring every other point against you to take a snipe at other religions.

Islam is far more violent than the small and insignificant sects of Christianity that advocate terrorism.

I'd say this is really generalizing. It has a LOT to do with Western Media's representation of Islam and it's followers. All Muslims I've met have been wonderful and cultured people. Who in no way whatsoever advocate violence against anyone. This is really true in many Middle Eastern nations, too. Just take a walk through Palestine and even Israel and you'll find they want peace, they don't want to fight each other. Similar hopes of peace ring through Syria and Iraq and Kurdistan.

These are not violent people, these are a fiercely misunderstood and misrepresented people.

[Archeuland and Baughistan]

Not necessarily.

yeah god picked up a pen and wrote the bible.

If you want to put it that way? Fine. God did have the Bible inspired to men, though.