Why I dislike religion/Islam - Your personal religious history

 Pages PREV 1 2
 

Katatori-kun:

Rastelin:
It won't matter if you spell the verses to the apologists. "Out of context" will jump up out of the hat like a rabbit.

You have utterly failed to comprehend what is meant by "out of context". Given how many times we've talked about that here, that's a pretty impressive feat.

It's exactly the same thing as when people talk about The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn being racist because it has the word "nigger" in it: an ignorant reflexive rejection without bothering to take a deeper look at why the word is used and how it's use is intended within the narrative.

Because no matter how much some people may want the Bible to be a step-by-step instruction manual for modern readers, that won't magically transform it. The Bible is mostly narrative.

I am always amazed that people who seem otherwise intelligent let their preconceived notions and bigotry blind them to that truth. Context always matters. One sentence out of a long story tells you nothing.

People like that remind me of this nutty christian couple on TV that want you to send them money because the world is ending. All they do is read headlines, then make up some shit that probably has nothing to do with the story to make their point. (Actually we see that in these forums all the time too lol)

Danyal:
Sexism...

Ephesians 5:22-23
New International Version (NIV)
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

1 Timothy 2:12
New International Version (NIV)
12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.

Quran 4:34
Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.

You got the Christian one right. Now on the Islamic one, you do know that's just a prohibition against beating a women who has cheated right? If she cheats while they are gone, she gets a talking to. If she does it again you can stop sleeping with her. If she cheats a THIRD time you can hit her once. If she does it a FORTH time then you can call in a mediator and representatives of both families to see if you should divorce or if you can reconcile. (The last part is the next paragraph that you didn't copy/paste).

Violence...

Joshua 10

It was a war. War in those days was total.

Quran 9:29
Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture - [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.

Under Islamic law, jizya or jizyah is a per capita tax levied on a section of an Islamic state's non-Muslim citizens

This applies to countries you have conquered. They are required to follow your laws, and if they don't, you force them. How is that different than any other country?

The Jiz is a tax for non muslims. It REPLACES that mandatory charity paid by all Muslims that the non muslims don't have to pay. It was generally the same, or slightly higher, than the muslim charitable amount. You really aren't asking more of non muslims (give or take a few cents) than they are of muslims so I see nothing wrong with it.

I'll right, I'm bored, you get the idea...

I'm pretty much like you, and because of my personal experiences with the Islamic community (my family's a Muslim, but my sister and I are Atheist) as well as analysis of religion in general, I'm an anti-Theist Agnostic Atheist (as in, I believe that it's more likely than unlikely that there isn't any deity in existence, since I don't claim to have all the answers to the universe) who believes that religion is inherently dangerous and harmful, encouraging conservatism, negatively discriminative behaviour to "sinners" or those not in their "clan", self-segregation, sexism, misogynism, patriarchy, homophobia, conformity, and a lack of free identity. There aren't any good aspects of religion, because you don't need to be religious to be a good person, focus on bettering yourself, "love thy neighbour", and all that stuff.

I rank it as being on the same level as fascism, and almost as bad as Nazism. That's not hyperbole either. If the majority of Christians and Muslims weren't homophobic, don't you think gay marriage would have widespread legalization? And how about the fact that the Middle East's ass-backwards policies based entirely around their highly subjective religion? And don't give me that "multiple interpretations" bullshit, you're grasping at straws. It's right in their fucking holy scripture, which, by the way, is outdated and shouldn't be relevant in our more educated modern age.

And even if an Islamic terrorist's interpretation of the Qu'ran is wrong, doesn't that just prove my point even further that the damn book is dangerous as hell, even to a sane mind? "No true Scotsman" comes into play here. I've read most of the Qu'ran, I know my shit. And it's very violent and fascist. That's in context too. So I don't act like a bloody victim and cry "Racism!" when someone calls you out on your bigotry.

Either way, I can't have much respect for groups of people who worship the word of a deity who believes that I deserve endless suffering in Hell simply for not believing in him when there's no reason to, or masturbating when I want to let off some steam in my stressful life. And those secular Theists who generally don't hate people for being different than them and keep their religion to themselves, don't take that as a personal insult. If you're as nice as you say you are and I met you in person, I'm sure we'd be able to get along, maybe even in spite of my disagreement with the ideology that you may or may not base your entire life around. But as a whole, I fucking abhor your wider community and what they've done to me and the rest of the world.

Relish in Chaos:
If the majority of Christians and Muslims weren't homophobic, don't you think gay marriage would have widespread legalization?

Seeing as how the majority of Japanese are neither Christian nor Muslim, the society is very secular, and very tolerant of homosexual behavior, and yet gay marriage isn't legal there either... your logic is faulty.

Danyal:

We must not simply blame the fundamentalists and be done with it. We must know what parts of a religion are harmful - and abandon them. Ideological rebirth. A Religious Renaissance.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them."
Matthew 7:15-20

Or as Mr. Miyagi said: "No such thing as bad student, only bad teacher."

It is one thing to blame a teacher for the ills of the student, but it is quite another to extend that to encompass the entire subject of what is being taught. A teacher in any subject can teach their students bad ideas. In all of human history I doubt you will find a single subject that has not had corrupt teachings that were perverted and used to inspire evil.

Religion is not a homogeneous timeless body, even a single particular religion is typically divided in many sects that changed over time. This evolution of belief provide opportunity for new corruption to infect the practice, but this is a battle for truth that every way of thinking and understanding the world must confront.

The head to cut off is the ideals you think are evil, not the tradition of trying to discover a higher answer for our own existence. The two are not inseparable beliefs, and claiming that they must be only gives strength behind the ideas you are hoping to undermine.

Kendarik:
It was a war. War in those days was total.

Was it necessarily? There's at least one passage that describes God punishing a Jewish leader for sparing the cattle (and maybe some of the women and children? I don't quite remember.) So there was apparently some ambivalence among people about such things... God seems to come down on the side of showing absolutely no mercy. Can this really be safely excused by historical relativism?

Katatori-kun:
snip

I shouldn't have to present the list for you if you have read the books at all. The Muslim and Israelite desert tribes killing, raping and plundering with their gods blessing. Both the Quran and the bible are propped with medieval moral and heinous acts. And this they shove in our faces as a moral guide? I think not. Nothing out of context here. Move along.

Not even a good try for an apologist.

Rastelin:

Katatori-kun:
snip

I shouldn't have to present the list for you if you have read the books at all. The Muslim and Israelite desert tribes killing, raping and plundering with their gods blessing. Both the Quran and the bible are propped with medieval moral and heinous acts. And this they shove in our faces as a moral guide? I think not. Nothing out of context here. Move along.

Not even a good try for an apologist.

So, you're going to conceal my argument with a snip, then refuse to address a damn thing I said. Great. How is this not flame-baiting again? If you don't want to respond to the point, how about just not responding?

Katatori-kun:
So, you're going to conceal my argument with a snip, then refuse to address a damn thing I said. Great. How is this not flame-baiting again? If you don't want to respond to the point, how about just not responding?

You are the one to talk. Remember you from the rape problem discussion we had in Norway. I gave you articles, new reports and even foreign new channels taking an interest due to demonstrations we had against the rape epidemic.

But you went on like it wasn't there despite the evidence I showed you. I had a lot more, but I came to realize you are to much in love with your own ranting. You simply are incapable of admitting that you might be wrong. Such a person do not hold much discussion value. And people use snip all the time. They just have to click on your name to see what you wrote.

Someone mentioned this ayah to twist its meaning to fit his/her intention. Sadly he wasn't trying to reveal the truth about it.
Quran 4:34
Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.

Commentary:
The sūrah also outlines themeasures to be taken in order to protect this social institution against the effects of quarrels and disputes so as to eliminate, as far as possible, any negative effects that could destroy it.
Men shall take full care of women with the bounties with which God has favoured some of them more abundantly than others, and with what they may spend of theirown wealth. The righteous women are devout, guarding the intimacy which God has ordained to be guarded. (Verse 34)
Before we comment on these verses and outline their psychological and social objectives we need to speak briefly about the Islamic view of the institution of the family and its method of building, protecting and promoting it.
God, who has created mankind, is the One who has made duality part of man's nature, as it is indeed ingrained in all creation: "And of everything We have created pairs, so that you may bear in mind [that God alone is One]." (51: 49) He then willed to make the human pair two halves of the same soul: "Mankind, fear your Lord, who has created you from a single soul, and from it created its mate." (Verse 1)
Part of His purpose behind the meeting between the two halves of the same soul is that it should lead to peaceful existence and be a comfort to body and soul. It is also a means to protect purity and chastity and provides a secure, clean way for human reproduction and the continuity and promotion of human life, under the watchful care of parents.
Different verses in the Qur'ān stress these facts:
"Among His signs is that He creates for you mates from among yourselves, so that you might incline towards them, and He engenderslove and compassion between you." (30: 21)

"They are as a garment to you as you are to them." (2: 187)

"Your wives are your tilth; go, then, to your tilth as you may desire, but prepare well for yourselves and fear God." (2: 223)
"Believers, ward off from yourselves and your families that fire [of the hereafter] whose fuel is human beings and stones." (66: 6)
"As for the believers whose offspring will have followed them in faith, We shall unite them with their offspring; and We shall not let aught of their deeds go to waste." (52: 21)
Because the two mates are two halves of the same soul, they stand in the same position in God's sight. Since God has given mankind a position of honour, He has honoured women, assigning to them the same reward for their good deeds, the same rights of ownership and inheritance, and the same rights of independence.
Similarly, as regards the great responsibility of the family, which results from the meeting of the two halves of the same soul, God has taken care to detail a complete set of elaborate measures which regulate all aspects of the family institution and all its affairs.
Together, these measures provide a complete and perfect system for the family. Their comprehensive outlook and attention to detail reflect the great importance Islam attaches to this crucial institution.

More:
http://comparativreligion.blogspot.com/2012/02/take-care-of-your-wife.html

Kendarik:
[quote="Danyal"

It was a war. War in those days was total.

Quran 9:29
Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture - [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.

Under Islamic law, jizya or jizyah is a per capita tax levied on a section of an Islamic state's non-Muslim citizens

This applies to countries you have conquered. They are required to follow your laws, and if they don't, you force them. How is that different than any other country?

The Jiz is a tax for non muslims. It REPLACES that mandatory charity paid by all Muslims that the non muslims don't have to pay. It was generally the same, or slightly higher, than the muslim charitable amount. You really aren't asking more of non muslims (give or take a few cents) than they are of muslims so I see nothing wrong with it.

I'll right, I'm bored, you get the idea...

Just as the other ayah, used by him to prove his dislike to islam.

9:29 Fight those who believe not in God nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which has been forbidden by God and His Apostle, nor acknowledge the religion of truth, [even if they are] of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

Some people have falsely concluded from verse 9:29, that Muslims are commanded to attack all non-Muslims until they pay money. In fact, such an interpretation is completely false and contradicts authentic Islamic teachings. Commenting on this verse, Shaykh Jalal Abualrub writes:

These Ayat (Quranic verses) stress the necessity of fighting against the People of the Scripture, but under what conditions? We previously established the fact that the Islamic State is not permitted to attack non-Muslims who are not hostile to Islam, who do not oppress Muslims, or try to convert Muslims by force from their religion, or expel them from their lands, or wage war against them, or prepare for attacks against them. If any of these offenses occurs, however, Muslims are permitted to defend themselves and protect their religion. Muslims are not permitted to attack non-Muslims who signed peace pacts with them, or non-Muslims who live under the protection of the Islamic State. (Abualrub, Holy Wars, Crusades, Jihad)

Read full article:
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/quran_929_commentary/

You speak as if religion itself is the cause of the world's ills. People aren't violent because religion teaches them to be. Humans have inherent capacity for violence, and religion is one of many things that keep violence in check, by creating boundaries and rules for when it is appropriate.

Imagine the Islamic Golden Age had not ended - imagine the Islamic World had secularized just as much as the Western world. Industrialization would have come so much earlier, so much smoother... European and Arabian scientists, collaborating, using science and technology to end the world's problems...

That seems extremely idealistic to me. If they didn't have religion, they would have found some other excuse to fight.
America is, despite all indications to the contrary, pretty secular. It hasn't stopped us from invading any country that looks at us funny. Religion is often used as an excuse for violence, but it's rarely the underlying cause.

Rastelin:

Katatori-kun:
So, you're going to conceal my argument with a snip, then refuse to address a damn thing I said. Great. How is this not flame-baiting again? If you don't want to respond to the point, how about just not responding?

You are the one to talk. Remember you from the rape problem discussion we had in Norway. I gave you articles, new reports and even foreign new channels taking an interest due to demonstrations we had against the rape epidemic.

But you went on like it wasn't there despite the evidence I showed you. I had a lot more, but I came to realize you are to much in love with your own ranting. You simply are incapable of admitting that you might be wrong. Such a person do not hold much discussion value. And people use snip all the time. They just have to click on your name to see what you wrote.

i remember that thread and what you had was a report from a police authority who decided anyone who was a bit brown was a dirty Muslim. hardly condemning or solid evidence.

Danyal:

Joshua 10
40 So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41 Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. 42 All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.

Deuteronomy 20:10, a city is offered peace before any attack. Rambam and Ramban maintain that this applied equally to the Canaanites. Also, a city is surrounded only on three sides, allowing escape.

The rest have been addressed by others in this topic.

Kendarik:
It was a war. War in those days was total.

A city being fought by the Israelites would really have to go out of their way to put themselves into that situation.

keiskay:
i remember that thread and what you had was a report from a police authority who decided anyone who was a bit brown was a dirty Muslim. hardly condemning or solid evidence.

Hardly condemning or solid evidence? What the fuck are you on about? They was caught and found guilty on evidence. Sperm samples, victim statements and admitting guilt. During the interrogations, the police noticed how an alarming number of them was Muslim immigrants. This was back in 2006.

But I guess the Danish reports lie as well http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/07/rape-jihad-in-denmark-more-than-half-of-all-convicted-rapists-have-immigrant-backgrounds-iraqis-iran.html
Check the link in that article and translate it. But of course you won't. Also you might want to check up on the rest of Europa to. This is facts. Just because you do not like them does not make them less true. We are one of the most liberal countries in the world. Very open. The police does not make up reports. We are not a bloody police state.

It seems for Muslim men infidel women are there for the pickings. An Iranian immigrant who got his ass jailed for rape in Trondheim (Norwegian city) said in court that he couldn't understand what the fuzz was all about. See the mentality?

The thread mention religious history as a cause for disliking Islam, and it is, but here and now gives ample reasons to do the same.

Rastelin:

keiskay:
i remember that thread and what you had was a report from a police authority who decided anyone who was a bit brown was a dirty Muslim. hardly condemning or solid evidence.

Hardly condemning or solid evidence? What the fuck are you on about? They was caught and found guilty on evidence. Sperm samples, victim statements and admitting guilt. During the interrogations, the police noticed how an alarming number of them was Muslim immigrants. This was back in 2006.

But I guess the Danish reports lie as well http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/07/rape-jihad-in-denmark-more-than-half-of-all-convicted-rapists-have-immigrant-backgrounds-iraqis-iran.html
Check the link in that article and translate it. But of course you won't. Also you might want to check up on the rest of Europa to. This is facts. Just because you do not like them does not make them less true. We are one of the most liberal countries in the world. Very open. The police does not make up reports. We are not a bloody police state.

It seems for Muslim men infidel women are there for the pickings. An Iranian immigrant who got his ass jailed for rape in Trondheim (Norwegian city) said in court that he couldn't understand what the fuzz was all about. See the mentality?

The thread mention religious history as a cause for disliking Islam, and it is, but here and now gives ample reasons to do the same.

your source is about as viable as a kkk or neo-nazi website used as a source, kind of sad when you cant find anything reputable or you know not a blog or viable though.
also that site blames all rapes on non westerners which is insanely false and they even have no kindness to provide a source for it, just some random dude who hates muslims and brown people and from a denmark tabloid site very well known for its racism. http://www.e-flux.com/journal/on-the-turn-towards-liberal-state-racism-in-denmark/

again my quote from the last thread.

i dont know how they do it in norway but arrest =/= a conviction. they are currently charged but not convicted, and as i said before more then 60% of those cases are dropped 50% due to lack of evidence and 10% due to lack of their being an actual rape. the worst fact is that Norwegian women are supposedly 80% of the victims, so thats pretty much supporting my case that its racial based, since most of the actual convictions are on immigrant victims and not native ones.

keiskay:
your source is about as viable as a kkk or neo-nazi website used as a source

I said check out the danish article. I linked to that site because they explained in English what it was all about. They didn't lie about the article.

keiskay:
http://www.e-flux.com/journal/on-the-turn-towards-liberal-state-racism-in-denmark/

Mikkel Bolt is a hard liner communist who blame everything on capitalism. Yea he is a real expert. I give you public reports and genuine new articles. But you give me bloggers. Who gives a fuck about bloggers. Especially those with an political agenda.

Rastelin:

keiskay:
your source is about as viable as a kkk or neo-nazi website used as a source

I said check out the danish article. I linked to that site because they explained in English what it was all about. They didn't lie about the article.

keiskay:
http://www.e-flux.com/journal/on-the-turn-towards-liberal-state-racism-in-denmark/

Mikkel Bolt is a hard liner communist who blame everything on capitalism. Yea he is a real expert. I give you public reports and genuine new articles. But you give me bloggers. Who gives a fuck about bloggers.

yeah sorry the blog is still insanely biased and so is the tabloid BT.

dont try to condemn my link when all you posted was a bigoted blog with a bigoted source. seriously Berlingske Tidende is the equivalent of the daily mail and fox news.

EDIT: seems i got the wrong name of the tabloid, well B.T is hte equivalent of fox news it is a sensationalist tabloid that uses hyperbolic and exploitative stories.

Katatori-kun:

Relish in Chaos:
If the majority of Christians and Muslims weren't homophobic, don't you think gay marriage would have widespread legalization?

Seeing as how the majority of Japanese are neither Christian nor Muslim, the society is very secular, and very tolerant of homosexual behavior, and yet gay marriage isn't legal there either... your logic is faulty.

Christianity's still the largest religion in the world, and may've had influence on Japan. Also, don't they have some gender-conforming behaviour stuff in their history? Something about them generally being tolerant of homosexuality, but even if you're a gay woman, you're still expected to marry a man and care for them and stuff?

Relish in Chaos:

Katatori-kun:

Relish in Chaos:
If the majority of Christians and Muslims weren't homophobic, don't you think gay marriage would have widespread legalization?

Seeing as how the majority of Japanese are neither Christian nor Muslim, the society is very secular, and very tolerant of homosexual behavior, and yet gay marriage isn't legal there either... your logic is faulty.

Christianity's still the largest religion in the world, and may've had influence on Japan.

Yeaah... but in this case it didn't.

Also, don't they have some gender-conforming behaviour stuff in their history?

Yes, they do. And it's completely irrelevant to your claim. You are trying to claim that the majority of Muslims and Christians must be homophobic, as though that's the only possible reason anyone could ever oppose gay marriage.

I've got no problems with you condemning anyone who thinks that their thousand year-old book is a valid reason to deny homosexuals the same rights as straight people (especially when homosexuality isn't mentioned by their book, and the few times gay sex is mentioned are ambiguous or no more condemned than other things we take for granted, like eating shrimp, divorce, or wearing clothing of multiple fabrics.)

But you're over-stating the case. One has to be especially careful of how they term things in these discussion, lest they reveal themselves to be simply attacking the tribe that's not their own rather than attacking behavior that really is unethical.

Well, marriage is an institution that originated in religion for a man to basically show off his new woman to her family.

Relish in Chaos:
Well, marriage is an institution that originated in religion for a man to basically show off his new woman to her family.

Since no one knows the actually origins of marriage, I'll call for a citation on that.

Relish in Chaos:
Well, marriage is an institution that originated in religion

Did it? I suppose you have evidence to back-up that claim? Perhaps proof that prior to the existence of orgnized religion, humans didn't form life-long pair bonds that were socially sanctioned and generally expected to last long-term if not life-long.

It's amazing that for as much as people have a bug up their butts about religion not being science, they're willing to tolerate just blatantly making up shit about religion because it "feels right".

Its all rather chicken and egg. If one assumes an atheist viewpoint then it follows that religions are invented by man. Any bigotry or 'unacceptable' viewpoints found in their texts must have been present and widespread beforehand (people being unlikely to start to follow something they don't mostly agree with).

This suggests that it isn't religion itself that is necessarily the problem. Now, the counter is that religion 'legitimises' these ideas, but take religion away, and we'd legitimise it with 'well -name of philosopher- said it' or 'the constitution says' or 'well all my mates agree with me and it stands to reason'.

Actual moral thought is hard, who wants to do the hedonistic calculus for every sodding action they take, people are always going to take short-cuts.

At least religion encourages people to think about ethics at least once a week, even if they come to conclusions you don't like. Its more than most would manage without it.

ive noticed something curious when ive spoken to muslims online from muslim countries. its not so much a religious as cultural issue. from what ive seen the moment you are born your life is laid out and you know what is expected of you and what you should think. while the culture emphasises family and society before the individual its hampered by the loss of thinking outside the box and individual choice

To me, the logic is very simple.

If you advocate the teaching and spreading of a book that advocates atrocities, then you are advocating atrocities.

GODWIN'S LAW GO

So, if I claim to be a part of an organization that claims Mein Kampf as its source of inspiration, and call myself a Nazi (Or a National Socialist for that matter), and I'm recruiting---

1) Don't you think someone is going to have every right to call me on the parts that attack Jews?
2) Does it make a bit of difference if I claim that 'You're taking it out of context' or 'You're not reading it close enough' or even 'Yeah, we're just ignoring that part completely'?
3) If some of my converts decide NOT to ignore the parts advocating hate against the Jews, is it not in a way my own fault for handing them that book?
4) If I claim those converts 'aren't true Nazis' because they're 'Taking bits out of context' or 'not reading it close enough' do you think that holds any weight whatsoever?
5) Am I not being fundamentally dishonest by adopting a book to follow that I clearly have no intention to follow?
6) If there are good bits and good ideas, wouldn't it be better to simply write a new book that denounces the bad and celebrates the good?
7) Do you honestly think I don't deserve flak if I call myself a Nazi, even if I'm a 'moderate Nazi'?
8) Even if I followed NOTHING in Mein Kampf at all, don't you think I deserve a LOT of problems just by claiming to follow Adolf Hitler?!

Christians and Muslims spread a book that advocates atrocity. Therefore, they are complicit in those atrocities. The principle character of that book advocates atrocity, and commits atrocity. Therefore by worshipping that character, you are complicit in his atrocity if he exists.

I have no respect for that level of dishonesty. Say what you will about the Westboro Church... they're assholes, but at least they can point to where in the book it tells them to be assholes.

ClockworkPenguin:
At least religion encourages people to think about ethics at least once a week, even if they come to conclusions you don't like. Its more than most would manage without it.

It actually doesn't in most people. That's the problem. It hands you a set of laws and tells you to follow them or make God angry, or disappointed, or whatever. The difference between the sects are simply WHICH laws are being followed.

I used to be a Christian, until I DID start thinking about ethics and morality. What took me outside Christianity was a single bit of the Bible, and once I learned about that, I started looking for others, and suddenly I realized the book was no source of morality at all, and that the God in it, should he exist, is evil and absolutely must be opposed by every moral human being.

The story of Lot.

We are all taught that he was the only pure man in all of Sodom and Gamorrah (and two other cities most people never mention ever) and because of his purity, he was spared the wrath of the angels of destruction. We all know the frame of the story, but no one (except atheists) actually mentions the act Lot did to prove his purity.

He offered his daughters up for gang rape to a mob of Sodomites, lying about their virginity with no heed to the wishes of their husbands.

His reward is he got drunk, fucked his daughters, and they gave birth to the ancestors of two tribes.

That's fucked up shit!

That lead me to realize that Abraham not-quite-sacrificing Issac was an incredibly cruel troll... and then you get to the Ten Commandments.

Exodus 20.

God's giving his law to Moses, and it's said these Ten Commandments are the law he gave. But if you read on, you realise he's given a LOT more than Ten Commandments. He goes on and on for four more chapters until he finally tells Moses how to build the Ark of the Covenant.

And in those laws, he's teaching his people how they may enslave others, that it's okay to sell women into sexual slavery (and how there's no limit on the number of 'wives' gotten this way), how one may beat a servant to death so long as they die slowly, and then later, describes how he will commit genocide against a handful of named tribes.

Sorry. It's a book of atrocities.

 Pages PREV 1 2

Reply to Thread

Log in or Register to Comment
Have an account? Login below:
With Facebook:Login With Facebook
or
Username:  
Password:  
  
Not registered? To sign up for an account with The Escapist:
Register With Facebook
Register With Facebook
or
Registered for a free account here