religion
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Godless Heathens That Go Around Getting Hitched
I have a serious question for anyone that is against gay marriage for religious reasons: Why aren’t you trying to suppress atheists from getting married? After all, there are millions of gay people that actually believe in God (even the same one as you), but you don’t want them defiling the church through unholy matrimony.…
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Q: Why do things need to be black and white?
A person can be smart, logical, and also believe in God but only if they have an incomplete understanding of logic. I don’t mean that as an insult. Logically speaking, very little about what religion has to offer makes sense. Invisible sky creatures? Telepathic connections to the undead? The Earth is only a few thousand…
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The Truth About the Founding Fathers
“The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion.” ~George Washington, 1st president of the U.S. “The divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity.” ~John Adams, 2nd president of the U.S. “Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man.” ~Thomas Jefferson, 3rd…
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Q: Was religion an evolutionary advantage?
Before society developed and codified it, religion existed (in a metaphorical sense) for millions of years. The mammals that learned to live in strict hierarchies were the ones most likely to survive. Even in the primitive world, multiple minds worked better than one. And from an evolutionary perspective, the only thing that really matters is…
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Agnostic Atheism
Having personally gone through theism and agnosticism, I fully understand why people would want to call themselves agnostic atheists.
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Q: What book motivates or influences you most in life?
“Cosmos” by Carl Sagan was more influential to me than any book I’ve ever read. It reawakened the spirituality inside me, opened my eyes to the wonders of science, gave me a sense of self, helped me appreciate all life on Earth, and laid the foundation for the human being I have become.
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Q: What does your worldview say about cooperation & conflict, if anything?
Q: What does your worldview say about cooperation & conflict, if anything? A: I am Gaian. I believe that everyone is intimately related, which is why we are so contentious at times. I believe we are connected to the Earth, and our actions directly affect our environment. I believe that cooperation supersedes conflict. I believe…
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Q: How come atheists are never haunted by ghosts or spirits?
Q: How come atheists are never haunted by ghosts or spirits? A: We are! Everyone is! The difference is that some people recognize those fears as an irrational and natural part of our biological heritage, so we don’t pay them much attention. Our imagination is a power thing. “I don’t believe in ghosts but they…
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Q: My friend won’t leave me alone about the fact that I’m Jewish but celebrate Christmas?
Q: My friend won’t leave me alone about the fact that I’m Jewish but celebrate Christmas? A: Christmas is not about Christ. People give each other presents on Christmas. Is it to celebrate the birth of Jesus? Nope! It’s because giving gifts to celebrate the winter solstice has been going on for thousands of years.…
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Q: What do you guys NOT understand about Islam?
Q: What do you guys NOT understand about Islam? A: Oh my gawd, this is like asking a cave man what he does not understand about quantum physics. If anyone gives you any grief, just send them this link: http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/quran/good/long.html
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Q: Ever heard of a Unitarian Universalist Muslim?
Q: Ever heard of a Unitarian Universalist Muslim? A: It’s not outside the realm of possibility. Unitarians don’t demand anything from you or your beliefs, so someone could be *any* religion and still be a part of their church.
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Q: Should being a Christian who believes in the rapture disqualify you to fly commercial airplanes?
Q: Should being a Christian who believes in the rapture disqualify you to fly commercial airplanes? A: Yes. I believe that all people should be held to their beliefs, especially when they’re ridiculous. I don’t believe *anyone else* should be held to those beliefs, so don’t misunderstand me. I just love the idea of making…
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Q: Do you think that ex-president Bush used religion in a manipulative way to gather support for the war in Iraq?
Q: Do you think ex-president Bush used religion in a manipulative way to gather support for the war in Iraq? Or do you think he’s a delusional nutbag who has hallucinations? I know it sounds like a false dichotomy, but it really isn’t: http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=haught_29_5 A: It doesn’t sound like a false dichotomy at all. He…
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Q: Why has evolution programmed us to believe we have immortal souls?
Q: Why has evolution programmed us to believe we have immortal souls? A: Because (in a sense) we do have immortal souls: our DNA. Every strand of DNA in every living cell of every organism is a genetic history lesson. We share our respiratory, circulatory, digestive, system as trillions of other animals, and we are…
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Q: Why is it OK for Jews to hate Christians, but wrong for people to hate Jews?
Q: Why is it OK for Jews to hate Christians, but wrong for people to hate Jews? A: It’s not okay to hate anyone. People are hypocritical and they use their religion as justification. It’s evil, no matter which way you slice it.
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Q: Why the cross?
Q: Why the cross ?????? Evil is all around us. I get that. Why do people use , in my humble opinion , a negative symbol of Christ? A cross is what he was killed on. I don’t want that around my neck. And what is a symbol going to do for you anyway? When…
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Q: If you could ask God any question, what would it be? and what would be the question that God asks in response?
Q: If you could ask God any question, what would it be? and what would be the question that God asks in response? A: Eric: Why are you so explicit in the Bible but so silent in nature? God: How would I get people to read my book if they knew the ending?
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Q: Atheists: Could you argue IN FAVOR of Theism?
Q: Atheists: Could you argue IN FAVOR of Theism? This is more a poll about debate skills than principles. I know from my own debate experience that I rely on the rules of logic to form a sound argument. I also think that I can argue from either side of most debates effectively…with the exception…
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Q: Fellow atheists, I really need some help?
Q: Fellow atheists, I really need some help on this one. I (against some recommendations by others) decided to take an opportunity to tell my mom about my “conversion” or should I say my “reversion” to atheism. She’s fine with it. She had me tell my dad. Last night I found myself in a major…
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Q: Does anyone else think its funny that whenever I mention science to a Christian IRL they either say…?
Q: Does anyone else think its funny that whenever I mention science to a Christian IRL they either say…? that science is stupid or that it was created by the Devil? Like I told my friend that science has proven homosexuality to have occurred in nature and she replies saying something like “I hate science,…
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Q: Why do some Christians tell atheists that they aren’t going to heaven?
Q: Why do some Christians tell atheists that they aren’t going to heaven? Do they think that bothers us? We don’t believe there’s a heaven and we don’t think Christians themselves are going to any place like that either. So why do they say this to us? A: Short answer: They’re bad Christians. Long(er) answer:…
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Q: Why do people follow the bible so fanatically?
Q: Why do people follow the bible so fanatically? The bible’s influence on the majority of the population is on par with Hitler’s influence on his own people. If you force lies in a person’s face over and over again, eventually the truth will be perceived as a lie. This has been used before with…
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Q: If Christians are such good people why don’t they accept other religions?
Q: If Christians are such good people why don’t they accept other religions? were meant to be accepting of each other who cares what others believe in. Everyone has different opinions that’s just life. A: Like many other religions, there is one important part that can’t be overlooked: they believe their religion is correct and…
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Q: This question was asked yesterday. Would the religious do the same for atheist?
Q: This question was asked yesterday. Would the religious do the same for atheist? Atheists, If religion was outlawed would you fight for freedom of religion? Freedom of religion is considered a fundamental civil right, if it was to be prohibited (like it was under the Stalin regime) would you fight alongside Christians, Muslims, etc.…
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Untruth: Evolution proves there is no God.
Contrary to popular belief, evolutionists make no claim that biological evolution proves that God does not exist. In fact, many leaders in the field of evolutionary theory are theists, and many of them have no problem reconciling their beliefs with their work. All attempts to disprove evolution have proven futile. Considering this, doesn’t it make…
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Untruth: Evolution is just a theory.
Yes, evolution is just a theory. But it isn’t a theory in the sense that most people use the word. The confusion comes from the fact that theory has multiple meanings. The differences are really subtle, so it’s easy to confuse them. Definition 1: a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an…
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Untruth: Barack Obama is a Muslim.
Barack Obama has never been a Muslim, and is a committed Christian. There are numerous examples of people debunking this untruth. Some people have accepted that he is currently a Christian but have wondered if he used to be a Muslim. Though there have been some interesting theories that ex-Muslims risk execution, the truth is…
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Scientology vs. Anonymous
I’m not a hacker, and though I don’t think they should do anything that’s actually dangerous or damaging, I have to say I honestly think the premise behind Anonymous is more enlightened, more intelligent, and more humane than the bullshit that Scientologists believe. And so, without further ado…
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Leap of Logic
Why is it a logic leap to say that existence implies a creator, but statistical inevitability is not? During a discussion I was having with one of my very good friends, a question came up that I had to stop and think about. It’s a delicate matter, with an important subtlety that has to be…
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Married to the Mob: Same-Sex Marriage’s Fight
The issue of same-sex marriages has been a hot topic for many years, but not nearly as hot as it has been the past few. The most recent nation to legalize same-sex marriage is one that is very close to us, both physically and politically. On the 20th of July, Canada became the fourth nation…
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Why Evolution Is Scientific and Creationism Is Not
Evolution is a product of the scientific process. It is often touted by critics as being “only a theory.” The irony is that if they truly understood the word theory they would not be so quick to call it that. Our text describes the word as “an explanation of natural phenomena, supported by a reliable…
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You Are Not Agnostic
This is an old paper I wrote for a religion class, and I’m only leaving it here for posterity. I may replace it with a more concise version (because this one is too academic) once I feel the motivation. This version does not fully represent what I believe now. Agnosticism is the belief that it…
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There Is No Spoon
There is a scene in the movie “The Matrix” where the main character, Neo, is visiting a so-called oracle. As he waits to see her, he looks at the other “potentials” that stay with her. These potentials, all children, are able to manipulate objects using what appears to be telekinesis. At one point, Neo leans…
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Lawless, Godless Heathens!
I had a couple family members make (what I believe) are huge mistakes by assuming that without religion one cannot have law. They acted like the only place people learn rules is from religious entities. I wonder if they realized that most of the rules they’re talking about were taught to them by society, and…
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Can’t Prove or Disprove It
Saying that you can’t prove or disprove the existence of God has been the cop-out for the God debate for as long as I’ve been aware of it. Atheists, Christians, and primarily agnostics use this idea when it all comes down to agreeing to disagree. For the longest time, I was accepting of the idea…
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You’ll Never Convince Them
During all of these religious and political discussions, I keep hearing from people who try to tell me to lay off because it seems like I’m trying to talk someone into something. I keep hearing people say, “You’re never going to convince them.” I wish people would stop telling me that for one simple reason:…
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WHAT IF there was no God?
I have been raised to believe in God, and I have always felt a presence, though my definition of the source of that feeling has changed over time. But, throughout that time, I truly believed in a higher power of some kind, continually watching over me. I simply couldn’t think of the world without a…