Protestant Family and my search for truth.

[IndiReloaded]

You know what'd suck? If you were a catholic priest/nun, and at the end of your life, science disproved religion.

Man, that would be a kick to the groin!

And, by contrast, if GOD announced him/herself to humankind such that there was no possibility of doubt, scientists would be delighted. We'd have something new to study.

Fiction is a beautiful thing.

PS, science doesn't give a rats ass about disproving religion, we've already been over this. Its not our job. Its just a wrong question.

[vashti]

Yup. That's what we do at my church. In fact, a rather high percent of Unitarians don't believe in God at all. The religion is about community and social responsibility.

Same for Jews, with the exception of the Orthodox and most of the Conservatives. Still, much of the Reform movement and all of the Reconstructionists are in this camp.

I think a lot of the western world forgets that Christianity is not the only religion.

[Gigabitch]

Oh, right. Next, you'll tell me Jesus was Jewish.

[IndiReloaded]

What if everyone creates their own reality, and only people who believe they're hell-bound end up burning in an eternal lake of fire?

I like that one quite a bit.

Me too. In fact, that one of the things I like about Buddhism; their idea to just 'get over it' and stop CARING about the question.

But that's a philosophy and a whole different animal from religions that want to *prove* they are right. Its just not in their purview to do.

[IndiReloaded]

I think a lot of the western world forgets that Christianity is not the only religion.

I'm talking about religion in general. Everything I've said applies to all religions, some are just more extreme than others. I've already said about the unresolvable problem of demanding belief and rational inquiry on a question. At some point, EVERY religion makes a basic assumption that requires a leap of faith that can't be 'proven'.

Don't Jewish believers invoke some kind of personal god?

[vashti]

Don't Jewish believers invoke some kind of personal god?

Some do. Lots don't. I don't, and I know lots of agnostic rabbis.

[IndiReloaded]

Some do. Lots don't. I don't, and I know lots of agnostic rabbis.

There must be something, there always is. Even Buddhism, which I happen to be partial to, invokes the concept of Karma, which is untestable. What about what happens when a Jewish person dies? There isn't anything about that?

[vashti]

There must be something, there always is. Even Buddhism, which I happen to be partial to, invokes the concept of Karma, which is untestable. What about what happens when a Jewish person dies? There isn't anything about that?

Some believe in it, some don't. I don't, and I don't know any rabbis who will affirm or deny an afterlife. I think belief in heaven is more popular with the Orthodox. Hell is not really believed in by many Jews at all.

[anachronistic]

There must be something, there always is. Even Buddhism, which I happen to be partial to, invokes the concept of Karma, which is untestable. What about what happens when a Jewish person dies? There isn't anything about that?

Muahahahahaha, that's what I love about Buddhism.

Besides, it's full of concepts that seem to be mysteriously correct!

[Gigabitch]

I take issue with the dispassionate detachment affected by many Western Buddists. I think a lot of them miss the mark, there.

[anachronistic]

I take issue with the dispassionate detachment affected by many Western Buddists. I think a lot of them miss the mark, there.

Oh yes. There are definitely some crazy Buddhists too. The object is to eliminate all wants needs and desires... a lot of them really take this literally, and be starving themselves and denying certain things, they're actually creating another need for themselves. That's how I'd explain it to a non-buddhist, anyway.

[vashti]

I take issue with the dispassionate detachment affected by many Western Buddists. I think a lot of them miss the mark, there.

I agree.. specifically, the passive acceptance of human suffering is a problem for me.

[Gigabitch]

I agree.. specifically, the passive acceptance of human suffering is a problem for me.

Totally. We have the power to help, and we should stand idly by, looking at our toes? I don't think so.

[IndiReloaded]

Plugging a search into google, found me this

[url]http://atheism.about.com/b/2003/11/20/atheists-responsible-for-terrorist-bombings.htm[/url]

Really aren't any books on it. What evidence is there supporting the claim that atheists are NOT threatening religion? You watch the debates on youtube between theists and atheists, seems like it could set off a war.

Cmon, LW, if you are going to post crap do it properly. Did you even read what you posted? That link said 'according to a Saudi religious leader'. Again, his BELIEF (and trying to find a scapegoat for violence in his community), but where is the proof?

You bet atheists are threatening religion. By speaking up for rational thinking, not by bombing things or threatening to kill anyone. On any other subject, this would be called 'rational discourse'. You don't see anyone standing up for the 'rights' of the Flat World Society to spew unproven 'fact'. What makes religion so special that it is immune to the same type of process?

[IndiReloaded]

This is a better page:

[url]http://atheism.about.com/od/atheismmyths/p/AtheismKills.htm[/url]