Goodbye Religion

If our money said that, I would be very happy. I know that Pastafarians have a beer volcano, and a stripper factory!

 

Directly from University, Theology class. The only documented (fact?) of God's law was given to Moses. The Jews & Catholics expanded on that.

A sin is something you do that removes you from God's grace - simply confessing to a priest will absolve you and your soul returns to God's grace.

Flying Spaghetti Monster - At least Pastafarians know their place.

What about Zen Agnostics (Zen Gnostics?) - where Sin doesn't exist, only morals & laws.

 

In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, evangelicals from the US went to Haiti to spread the word that the earthquake was punishment from god for past behavior.

With 'friends' like that, who needs enemies ?

 

In light of the worldwide reaction to the US credit downgrade,
wouldn't it be more factual if US money read:

In Gold We Trust
...
and forget the cash

 

Yes, now that that travesty is out of the media spotlight, guess who is still there as has been there all along providing for the people's needs and most importantly hope for the future. Yes, they also tell the people of the best gift to mankind ever. It is up to the people to accept that gift or not. Many still believe in voodoo.
I know because one of our elders at our church has been a missionary to Haiti for over twenty years.

 

I read somewhere the study found correlation btw religiousness and IQ.. apparently there is reverse proportion.

 

Brilliant. I just modified a few US bills I happened to have in my wallet.

 

Why are they really there? There are other organisations that provide emergency relief and disaster support, without trying to 'convert' anyone. Is it really called 'help' when the existing way of life is not respected? Over history, the missionary movement has been one of the most culturally destructive forces.

 

In God We Trust -- All others pay Cash.

 

Is that a problem?

 

Only if you're a chicken...
or philosophically "chicken."

 

No, Voodoo is a term used by members of other religions to fairly successfully defame Vodou.

Evaluating Vodou based on the missionary's and Hollywood's version of it is like saying all Christians are complete nut jobs because of rattlesnake cults, exorcists, and the FLDS.

Most Christians and most Vodouians are just honorable people getting along with their lives using religion as a source of personal strength and a reason to behave honorably.

 

For a moment, lets get in the automotive mode - that is the core topic of PriusChat. Then I will relate it to this thread.

Most of you have probably seen the Prius vs. Jumbo SUV flamewars - drivers that don't understand and even loath the the other vehicle. Prius drivers that have issues with vehicle like the Hummer and pass judgement on those that drive them (screaming they need to look powerful/viral, important, can "kick-a$$"...) Then some of the 4x4 people accuse Prius drivers of being self-righteous, leftists, green, etc.

Are all Prius drivers great people and everybody driving a lifted F250 jerks? From those I know, my answer is no.

Why did I buy a 2000 Insight? It was the only hybrid available at the time, but just as important, it had a lot in common with the 1988 CRX HF that just got pulled to the junk yard. Contrary to the occasional 4x4 guys that have trolled PC and other places, I don't step into my hybrid feeling so self-righteous my head inflates like an airbag, or am a secular leftist even while I'm driving to church - all kinds of people drive hybrids like the Prius.

The biggest disconnect is the 4x4 guys accusing Prius drivers are primarily driven by the same kind of status symbol kick of the people that may drive an H2 Hummer - they don't get it. I've asked a few people in person how they like their Prius and often they just don't talk much - they like it but "it's just another car."




Now back to the topic: On threads like this, people of opposing beliefs often just don't understand the other side - they are painted with a broad paintbrush in an unflattering way. One stereotype is the implication that religious people are not as intelligent. So were these people stupid?

C.S. Lewis
Josh McDowell
Pope Benedict XVI
Isaac Newton
Alister McGrath
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Jimmy Carter


Before you ask, I don't think Richard Dawkins is stupid at all, but my beliefs are definitely different and think his questioning the intelligence of the religious a bad approach.


Again my point is a lot of the strife on religion threads like this is some have a distorted and sometimes demonized picture of what the other side is like.

 

A correlation between religion and IQ doesn't mean that religious people are necessarily stupid. If you take the subset of the very religious and the subset of the irreligious, there is considerable overlap in intelligence between the two subsets.

However, to assert that there is no correlation after all the studies that have been done would not be a sign of intelligence

 

Many intelligent people have gone from atheism to theism and vice versa.

Many scientist have been proven wrong on their theories Aristotle, Newton, Einstein.

Being intelligent is no guarantee of knowing the truth.

 

You are using anecdotal evidence to counter large studies. I know you are smarter than that.

Peace, Bro

 

In the past there have been studies to "prove" white people are smarter than people of color - anyone going to accept that on at all? Injecting this because the fallacy is obvious - not to throw a firebomb.

Proportionally, left-handed people (I'm one) are more likely to be a genius or a moron than right-handed people. Sometimes being left-handed is genetic - other times it's because oxygen was cut off during the birth process. We could go on and on ad nauseum on things that cause cancer - things like cigarettes do, but other things are simply guilty by association.

He could have added studies - special interest groups and parties love to use them....stuff like Dust to Dust.

 

Accepting or rejecting the conclusion of a study because its correctness/incorrectness is "obvious" is to completely misunderstand everything about how genuine scientific studies are conducted, and to, in essence, claim your opinion holds more merit than the study.

By doing so, as you do here, you forever eliminate your ability to cite any study to support /refute yours or anyone else's argument because if your opinion counts for more than any study, there's no reason to even mention the study; your opinion is all anyone needs to know.

 

You really think I'd dismiss EVERY study?

I have not seen any peer-reviewed study on IQ and religion and doubt there is one currently. I did not take it a step farther and say ALL studies are propganda - sorry your opinion leads you to that conclusion.

You and others over the years at PC have refuted virtually everything my viewpoint has said on religion threads...why am I not to believe the lowest common denominator of your posts are also opinion and nothing else? Just choose only the facts that support your opinion and ignore the rest - "APK is always right - Chuck is always wrong"...really?

 

If finding one would disappoint you, don't look.