Religious affilition, what do you believe?

[hokiehi82]

Well said Czech.

[CzechCzar]

I’ve been reading this thread, and find the discussion thus far to be very interesting. I thought I’d throw in my two cents...

I personally am an Episcopalian. What I believe, summed up succinctly, is to be found in the Nicene Creed.

Regarding Flying Spaghetti Monsters, Tooth Fairies, faith, scientism, and reason:

Religion (specifically, Christianity) is not faith-based, in that it is not believing something despite having every evidence to the contrary. It is faith-based in the sense that it is believing something towards which the evidence points without having conclusive proof. There is plenty of evidence for God - the various versions of the Cosmological arguments, Plantinga’s Ontological argument, the Teleological argument, the moral argument - but these evidences don’t establish God with 100% certainty. I think of faith in my religion as similar to faith in your wife... do you know 100% that she loves you, is not cheating on you, etc.? No, of course not - there is always some doubt. However, past evidence of her loving you, not cheating on you, etc., leads you to place your faith in her. That is exactly like my faith in God, based upon the above apologetical arguments, and the personal witness in my life of the Holy Spirit.

The reason belief in God is different from belief in FSM, tooth fairy, etc., is that the absence of evidence is only evidence of absence should we expect to find more evidence granting the conditional. In the absence of evidence, we can deny the existence of something only if we should expect to possess evidence sufficient to know that exists but in fact lack it. This link provides further explanation of this: (http://www.reasonablefaith.org/is-god-imaginary)

Many people here have adopted the empiricist / scientist position, and say, essentially, that we must have scientific (i.e., provable and repeatable in a laboratory) evidence backing a proposition in order to judge that proposition to be true. But surely this is wrong-headed: the proposition cannot even support itself, because it is not provable in a laboratory! Indeed, you would have to give up all kinds of commonly held beliefs were you to follow this mode of thinking: belief in the reality of the past; belief in the reality of other people; belief that you are not just a brain in a vat being controlled by mad scientists to have sensory experiences... In other words, not only is the scientist position self-refuting, but it also leads much of our everyday experience to be abandoned.

[Zubenelgenubi]

I used to believe in Santa Claus.
I used to believe in God.
I outgrew both.

Happy atheist 8)

I agree completely!

[Zimobog]

Heathen. My family observes the yearly solar occurences of Yule, Summer Solstice, and both Equinox as well.

If Gods really exist (big IF) they dont interact at all or care a whit about humans or anything else.

The earth going around the sun is "the reason for the season".

I dont believe in anything in the Bible whatsoever.

[Ansel]

i'm a radical agnostic.

[Fury]

Who's da man? You know who's da man! Tell me who's da man?

[sgreger1]

sgreger- I knew you'd enjoy those tracts. Now, it's not "my" site, just one I found while searching luciferian on google.

Lo, I meant the site you were posting. This site is excellent, I like how they word things and the tracts are absolutely hilarious (and absolutely true). It gets into the UFO topic a little much but the religion bashing part is spot on.

[lxskllr]

OKay okay okay, everyone please read this comic from Tom's site. The site as a whole is kinda weird but this comic is both a) true and b) hilarious.


Really, read it, it's a great breakdown of something that has pissed me off for years, people with the jesus fish on their bumpers. IF YOU HAVE A JESUS FISH ON YOUR GOD DAMN BUMPER, READ THIS AND THEN PROMPTLY REMOVE IT, lest ye look like an ass.

I've been digging that site. I like the comics and accompanying commentary :^D

[tom502]

sgreger- I knew you'd enjoy those tracts. Now, it's not "my" site, just one I found while searching luciferian on google.

[sgreger1]

Man not to be offensive or anything (which is always a sign that what is coming up is pretty certain to be offensive)

But if you are going to worship the price of darkness have the balls to worship THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS and not some cosmic Dr. Phil version

Theme music fades

Dr Phil: were back and with me now is Lucifer the prince of darkness who says that he’s gotten a bad wrap over the years and wishes everyone would stop being so mean to him. Lucifer what seems to be the problem?

Lucifer: Man you know I’m just really misunderstood…………..it’s been that way for years……………nobody likes me…………….I got thrown out of heaven……….. …………..people keep drawing me in a little red suit…………….it was ONE office party man………..OK…………….and the suit was all the costume shop had in my size.

(wipes his eyes)

Look man…… I just want people to like me……… …….I’m just trying to help you know

Dr. Phil: I hear what you are saying but I not sure it’s connecting………. help us how?

Lucifer: You know man………….to be free

Dr. Phil: I think most folks would rather have free cable (applause).

Lucifer: you don’t get it man……………everybody needs to be free………..you know…... to do their own thing…………….explore their horizons………I mean…………….IT’S IN A BETTLES SONG…… MAN

Dr. Phil: OK but once everyone is free aren’t they all the same?..............wouldn’t “Everybody needs be free” be just another cry for conformity?

Lucifer: typical man………your just another hater

Phil: I’m confused aren’t you supposed to be all about hate. You see L it’s time to look in the mirror. You’ve go a public relations problem…………and until you address that nothing is going to change……..….and besides……. it doesn’t help that your followers have traditionally sacrificed children and little kittens

L: that’s a LIE man……………..well except for that one group that thinks that the Masons are behind a one world conspiracy

Phil: when we come back can we help the prince of darkness to “grow the hell up” (laughter) and stop feeling sorry for himself? Or will he continue to make the same sort of choices that got his ass thrown out of heaven? You decide. Back after this (applause).

And guys I really mean no offence to Tom or anyone else who has posted links to the Lucifer web sites………..It’s just reading all this, I couldn’t help but think ………..damn even the devil needs a therapist

LOLOLOLL BWJAHJAHHAHAHAHAH, can we get a sticky for this? This is like Snudog's dippers guide to snus but for religion.

[Snusdog]

Man not to be offensive or anything (which is always a sign that what is coming up is pretty certain to be offensive)

But if you are going to worship the price of darkness have the balls to worship THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS and not some cosmic Dr. Phil version

Theme music fades

Dr Phil: were back and with me now is Lucifer the prince of darkness who says that he’s gotten a bad wrap over the years and wishes everyone would stop being so mean to him. Lucifer what seems to be the problem?

Lucifer: Man you know I’m just really misunderstood…………..it’s been that way for years……………nobody likes me…………….I got thrown out of heaven……….. …………..people keep drawing me in a little red suit…………….it was ONE office party man………..OK…………….and the suit was all the costume shop had in my size.

(wipes his eyes)

Look man…… I just want people to like me……… …….I’m just trying to help you know

Dr. Phil: I hear what you are saying but I not sure it’s connecting………. help us how?

Lucifer: You know man………….to be free

Dr. Phil: I think most folks would rather have free cable (applause).

Lucifer: you don’t get it man……………everybody needs to be free………..you know…... to do their own thing…………….explore their horizons………I mean…………….IT’S IN A BETTLES SONG…… MAN

Dr. Phil: OK but once everyone is free aren’t they all the same?..............wouldn’t “Everybody needs be free” be just another cry for conformity?

Lucifer: typical man………your just another hater

Phil: I’m confused aren’t you supposed to be all about hate. You see L it’s time to look in the mirror. You’ve go a public relations problem…………and until you address that nothing is going to change……..….and besides……. it doesn’t help that your followers have traditionally sacrificed children and little kittens

L: that’s a LIE man……………..well except for that one group that thinks that the Masons are behind a one world conspiracy

Phil: when we come back can we help the prince of darkness to “grow the hell up” (laughter) and stop feeling sorry for himself? Or will he continue to make the same sort of choices that got his ass thrown out of heaven? You decide. Back after this (applause).

And guys I really mean no offence to Tom or anyone else who has posted links to the Lucifer web sites………..It’s just reading all this, I couldn’t help but think ………..damn even the devil needs a therapist

[Steez]

I go with the idea of agnostic atheism...

[Grampy]

I am surrounded by the Amish here in Southern Indiana. I've not heard about the rape and molestation, but I'm not suprised by it either. They are human after all and not immune to evil.

They park their buggies in the local Walmart parking lot and sell baskets here. Nearly all the Amish men chew tobacco which I've seen them get from a parchment paper pouch. I did ask one of them about the tobacco and he said that his cousin grows it and they dry & cure it themselves. I didn't have the guts to ask for a sample.

[sgreger1]

OKay okay okay, everyone please read this comic from Tom's site. The site as a whole is kinda weird but this comic is both a) true and b) hilarious.


Really, read it, it's a great breakdown of something that has pissed me off for years, people with the jesus fish on their bumpers. IF YOU HAVE A JESUS FISH ON YOUR GOD DAMN BUMPER, READ THIS AND THEN PROMPTLY REMOVE IT, lest ye look like an ass.

http://www.luciferianliberationfront.org/sf.html


Hint:

[SnusoMatic]

I was just reading a little about the Amish, (looking for Amish chewing tobacco) and the rampant rape and molestation in those communities is just really pissing me off today.

i read about Chester Mast. What other cases are you seeing? Rampant rape and molestation in the Amish communities is interesting