The online racing simulator
Quote from Racer X NZ :Ummm, no. Religions tend to be a system powerful men use to control the population. There are very few religions controlled by women. Therefore women tend to assume the role of property to prevent them coming into power.
Source; History.

I don't think it's wise to mix the gender argument in. Besides, the people of the Nagovisi, Khasi, and Machinguenga would probably take issue with that statement. And any other matriarchy I might have missed. Although I gather some idiot converted many Nagovisi to Christianity - so I'm not saying you're wrong at all
Quote from sinbad :That sounds like something the Catholic church would actually come up with. "God works in mysterious ways."
Cats chasing rats? You're suggesting, I infer, that God probably/possibly sees we humans in the same way we regard animals, but I still say your comparison is completely off.

The main way I think you're wrong to make that comparison is that "God" did not create cats in his own image. He apparently created Man in his own image. And I suggest that if you created, somehow, a species in your own image, it would be depraved and deplorable for you to stand by and allow the adults to molest and rape the infants, it would not be the same as cats chasing rats.

eww. It sorta does sound that way don't it?

is it depraved and deplorable for God to sit back and watch people lie, cheat and steal?
is it deplorable for him to watch people gamble their savings away?
Is it deplorable for him to allow people to wish they had what someone else does?

See your problem is your trying to put a value on sins. That's a big problem with all of us. LOL For us to be doing that is the sin of vanity, you know. But as far as the big picture goes, it's just one more sinful act out of an infinite amount. No sin is worse than another. it's like trying to call a color as dark black or something. It's still black.
And if there was a God and he... I dunno abolished a sin from being able to happen, where would the line be drawn on that?
In the case of child molestation, several "sins" are occurring besides the act itself.
Envy and Lying come to mind. Maybe sloth? If he was going to abolish that concept, wouldn't he have to abolish those concepts too?
If that happened, what would we be?

Is it just me? Or is it getting hot to you?

I dunno. I'd rather get back to trying to determine the likely hood of development of intelligent life in a Goldilocks zone. It's easier on the brain.
Quote from Racer Y :No sin is worse than another. it's like trying to call a color as dark black or something. It's still black.

I believe you are referring to the colour grey improperly.

More disturbingly, you seem to feel that all sins are the same.

Well Catholics can now eat meet on Fridays; can now be cremated; and fasting before communion is now only an hour instead of from midnight; oh and of course slavery is a-okay provided you enslave a foreigner.

But your argument is false. Some sins are not part of the dogma: For instance it is a sin to eat a misshapen grape according to the bible, but it is not part of the dogma. Few Christians are even aware of this sin - and yet it is a sin in the Old Testament and the Tora. (Not sure on New Testament).

How do you reconcile such descrepancies and still claim that your God's failure to intervene in Child abuse is A-OKAY, in fact, he should be thanked for it.


Sin is an interesting Christian concept, particually the concept of 'original sin.' Seem's a bit sad to assume that we're all guilty, but provided you accept christ died for you and you seek forgivness, especially when you do something 'wrong' then your automaticly 'cleansed of sin'.

That's why I prefer the theory of Kharma, which is (very) simply put, all life forces attract positive and negative kharma through their actions during each life. the plus or minus kharma gets carried over at each reincarnation, in which realm you are reborn reflects that kharma.
( There are books written about this, the above is vastly simplified )

The difference is, in christianity you are not responsible for your actions, khamic law you are completely responsible, and it will bit you !
Quote from Becky Rose :I believe you are referring to the colour grey improperly.

More disturbingly, you seem to feel that all sins are the same.

Well Catholics can now eat meet on Fridays; can now be cremated; and fasting before communion is now only an hour instead of from midnight; oh and of course slavery is a-okay provided you enslave a foreigner.

But your argument is false. Some sins are not part of the dogma: For instance it is a sin to eat a misshapen grape according to the bible, but it is not part of the dogma. Few Christians are even aware of this sin - and yet it is a sin in the Old Testament and the Tora. (Not sure on New Testament).

How do you reconcile such descrepancies and still claim that your God's failure to intervene in Child abuse is A-OKAY, in fact, he should be thanked for it.

The Christianity that got rammed down my throat said all sins are equal.
So no, my argument isn't false. Or are you trying to decide for me what is Christian and what isn't? You sure you're not a Southern Baptist? My grandpa did that all the damned time.
LOL he didn't think much of Catholics, He called them Idol worshiping gamblers.
If i was religious, all that Catholicism dictates would fall on deaf ears as far as I'm concerned.
And the grape thing... That's Kosher, like Pork and shellfish.
Jews got like 6 hundred or so things they have to look out for besides the ten commandments. I think the food thing phased out when Jesus traveled to the future and got a McRib.
If you really want fodder to promote your atheist religion (look at how you've been "preaching" it), then read the book of Timothy. There's all kinds of stuff in that that you could use to trip up Christians.

Man, It's REALLY getting HOT here!
Quote from Racer X NZ :

Sin is an interesting Christian concept, particually the concept of 'original sin.' Seem's a bit sad to assume that we're all guilty, but provided you accept christ died for you and you seek forgivness, especially when you do something 'wrong' then your automaticly 'cleansed of sin'.

That's why I prefer the theory of Kharma, which is (very) simply put, all life forces attract positive and negative kharma through their actions during each life. the plus or minus kharma gets carried over at each reincarnation, in which realm you are reborn reflects that kharma.
( There are books written about this, the above is vastly simplified )

The difference is, in christianity you are not responsible for your actions, khamic law you are completely responsible, and it will bit you !

Sorry, just don't believe in it. ... uh Kharma this time.
To quote Mickey (Woody Harrelson) from Natural Born Killers, "I am the God of my world".

"The difference is, in Christianity you are not responsible for your actions..."
Yep, the devil made me do it

Here you'll get a kick outta this. Kinky Friedman, The Greatest Jew since Jesus Christ. he's running for Ag commissioner here in Texas. He favors making weed legal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-wAlp7PDYM
LOL, you might enjoy this.

"God was drunk when he made me," all their tracks are good though.
http://myfreemp3.eu/music/Parcel+Of+Rogues+%28+NZ+%29

NZ band Parcel of Rogues, Twisted country roots.
( Free MP3 download, their album is availible for free on the net too )
Quote from Racer X NZ :LOL, you might enjoy this.

"God was drunk when he made me," all their tracks are good though.
http://myfreemp3.eu/music/Parcel+Of+Rogues+%28+NZ+%29

NZ band Parcel of Rogues, Twisted country roots.
( Free MP3 download, their album is availible for free on the net too )

LOL I like that song.
They're kinda like a cross between Mearle Haggard and Drop Kick Murphys
Try Arlene as well, sort of the ultimate stalkers* anthem.
Mates of mine who I've seen heaps live.

* I, in no way, support the context of this song, I do however really appreciate the art behind it. Twisted Country Root's is the name of the album.....
Quote from Racer Y :The Christianity that got rammed down my throat said all sins are equal.
So no, my argument isn't false. Or are you trying to decide for me what is Christian and what isn't?

No I am not telling you what is Christian and what isn't.

I am pointing out that:
  • The Christian bible prescribes different punitive actions for different sins.
Therefor, in contrast to the Dogma which claims sins are equal, the sins are not equal. If you guage a sin only on the basis of heaven and hell then there is only 1 sin - to not believe in God.



There are also many things which are not regarded as sins but also carry chronically severe punishments, such as a wife's husband dying before she bears him a son.


If you believe in the bible and voluntarily choose to worship the evil pedophile voyeur God, then you might want to consider separating the dogma from the actual text.


Better yet, understand the concepts in their original - ancient - language, you'll be surprised how meanings have changed in the translation to English and the 1950's re-translation (which added homosexuality as a sin by translating using modern translations for words like Malakoi which had earning their meaning BECAUSE of the church).


You might also want to look at the history of how the bible was written, the when and who. For instance, there is an awful lot of that pesky annoying evidence stuff that says categorically that the entire religion was a contrivance of the Roman senate who failed to secure affirmative military victory against the rebellious Israelites (who in a fit of irony with today's world: took issue with paying taxes) and who instead sought to subjugate the Israelites by serving them with a modified form of Judaism.


But don't dwell too much on the facts that bother you or interfere with your faith if you find that uncomfortable because you cannot be a true Christian if you let facts get in the way of your faith. Just do at the least understand the difference between what your bible actually says on various subjects instead of what the established dogma interprets - and then interpret the bits that you like and ignore all that awkward slavery and misogynistic stuff.
Quote from Becky Rose :No I am not telling you what is Christian and what isn't.

I am pointing out that:
  • The Christian bible prescribes different punitive actions for different sins.
Therefor, in contrast to the Dogma which claims sins are equal, the sins are not equal. If you guage a sin only on the basis of heaven and hell then there is only 1 sin - to not believe in God.



There are also many things which are not regarded as sins but also carry chronically severe punishments, such as a wife's husband dying before she bears him a son.


If you believe in the bible and voluntarily choose to worship the evil pedophile voyeur God, then you might want to consider separating the dogma from the actual text.


Better yet, understand the concepts in their original - ancient - language, you'll be surprised how meanings have changed in the translation to English and the 1950's re-translation (which added homosexuality as a sin by translating using modern translations for words like Malakoi which had earning their meaning BECAUSE of the church).


You might also want to look at the history of how the bible was written, the when and who. For instance, there is an awful lot of that pesky annoying evidence stuff that says categorically that the entire religion was a contrivance of the Roman senate who failed to secure affirmative military victory against the rebellious Israelites (who in a fit of irony with today's world: took issue with paying taxes) and who instead sought to subjugate the Israelites by serving them with a modified form of Judaism.


But don't dwell too much on the facts that bother you or interfere with your faith if you find that uncomfortable because you cannot be a true Christian if you let facts get in the way of your faith. Just do at the least understand the difference between what your bible actually says on various subjects instead of what the established dogma interprets - and then interpret the bits that you like and ignore all that awkward slavery and misogynistic stuff.

.... Who are you posting this to?
Did you bother to read my posts on this matter? Or just picking things to make arguments with?
I'm just stating the stuff that they threw at me. Not what I believe. Gheesh. Get a clue.
But to be honest, all your history channel interpretations of the Bible would get you shot down in flames if you were to prop all that up in a debate with a real deal Jesus freak.

>>> Yes I Do know about the canonization process and what criteria the books had to have to be considered in the New Testament.

Hey I gotta idea. Why don't you tell us about the Mysteries of the Yule Log?

"There are also many things which are not regarded as sins but also carry chronically severe punishments, such as a wife's husband dying before she bears him a son."

Testament? Book? Verse? Or did they tell that on the TV?

"You might also want to look at the history of how the bible was written, the when and who. For instance, there is an awful lot of that pesky annoying evidence stuff that says categorically that the entire religion was a contrivance of the Roman senate who failed to secure affirmative military victory against the rebellious Israelites (who in a fit of irony with today's world: took issue with paying taxes) and who instead sought to subjugate the Israelites by serving them with a modified form of Judaism."

Why? It's most likely more half baked nonsense with more flimsy evidence than the Bible it attacks.


"Just do at the least understand the difference between what your bible actually says on various subjects instead of what the established dogma interprets - and then interpret the bits that you like and ignore all that awkward slavery and misogynistic stuff."

You mean sorta like what you're doing?
The following is a post on behalf of my partner who is a Christian.

It is more than possible to be a believer in Father without buying into the crap that the 'church' rams down your throat, and other bits.
What matters is how you live your life, that's it. The rest is just crap. If you love people, behave with honesty and integrity, that is living the message.
That's what Christ asked you to do, if you can do that then you are a Christian.

Back with me, I actually support this, ignore the 'time' issue that most people have no concept of. If you claim that the world is 4000 years old, you have no concept of 'time'.

Time does not exist in any form other than movement. Our 'time' is simply the movement of the sun around our planet. The speed of light is simply the movement of light. Therefore time is movement.
Edit, yes we move around the sun, etc, etc.........

So, ignoring human pollution of a message of love, what is really important in this life ?
When you can identify that, ignoring all the crap that may have happened in the past, which is gone and can never be changed, what can you do to change the future, which is yet to happen, so therefore can be changed ?
What I wonder is why other religions are not brought up more often in this thread. I suppose many of them have their own scritpure or narration concerning the creation of earth.

The main problem with Christianity (and most, if not all other religions) is their dogmatic nature. They're all basically saying: "We know the only absolute truth, and everyone else is wrong and damned for it, lest they change their ways". Now, as there are many forms of religion and beliefs out there, you don't need to be very smart to figure out that not all of them can actually be true, especially as most tend to contradict each other. So, in my humble opinion, thinking that all the others are mumbo jumbo, while the one you're subscribed to is the true one, is both arrogant and delusional. Chances are that your "faith-club" is the very same mumbo jumbo...

To quote Stephen Roberts:
“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”

Just found a nice site to both drive my point home and rattle some cages in here:
http://godisimaginary.com/index.htm
Well, we've had technocrical, atheist, agnostic, Christian and Buddhist. I doubt any Muslems would post here given the response to Christians.
Be great to hear from others regarding their beliefs regarding liff, the universe and everything.

And, as a Buddhist, I have no issue with others being 'wrong'.
A; I may well be wrong myself so it's not up to me to tell anyone what's right or wrong.
B; If I am right, then that's fine because you'll all have more chances to get it right.
Quote from Racer X NZ :
B; If I am right, then that's fine because you'll all have more chances to get it right.

haha, I like this bit
Quote from Racer X NZ :Well, we've had technocrical, atheist, agnostic, Christian and Buddhist. I doubt any Muslems would post here given the response to Christians.
Be great to hear from others regarding their beliefs regarding liff, the universe and everything.

And, as a Buddhist, I have no issue with others being 'wrong'.
A; I may well be wrong myself so it's not up to me to tell anyone what's right or wrong.
B; If I am right, then that's fine because you'll all have more chances to get it right.

Would've posted sooner, but was afraid Ms. Rose was here waiting to tear me a new one

You're a Buddhist?....My Brother-in-law is a Hindu from Nepal. LOL internet dating. turning spinsters into cougars and illegal aliens into people with green cards...
You KNOW I have fun with him (his Nickname is either Slum dog or Apu or nevermind..). He's actually a good guy. he's got a good sense of humor. Dummer than a sack of hammers, but if you like Indian food, the dude can cook.
Anyways, he's from a pretty interesting sect. Apparently this sect is into smoking weed. ROFL when we found that out we RAN with it! If you made the mistake of being in our family, then you're open game. Unlike sex, racism is fun if you keep it in the family.
Anyways, heard of Joel Olsteen? Well this dude on Sunday, when they broadcast his show, sits around watching it, smoking dope.
After the laugh attack, the realization set in. he watched the show because since it was supposedly religious in nature, it provided the spiritual link his faith required. I ain't making this up. Wow. Get high and watch Joel Olsteen.... go figure.

Buddhism... It's been years since I seriously cared enough, so I don't remember where I got this from. Buddhism is a lot like Islam and Christianity as it's expansive in nature. In fact, they spread as far west as Babylon, thus coming into contact with the Ameraic people (Hebrews). There was evidence, not much, that in Jesus' early years, before Yoko. Wait Before he became the Jesus in the Bible, he was in Babylon and may have came into contact with the religion and it shaped his ideology. It could've been an influence if you think about it a little. What do you think?
A lot of the splits between Christianity and Judaism are similarities between Christianity and Buddhism, don't you think?


I dunno... there's this one church in Kentucky where they play blaring Rock-a-billy and let snakes bite them. Yeah, I could dig smoking dope and going to that church... Beats the hell out of Joel Olsteen.
Quote :Would've posted sooner, but was afraid Ms. Rose was here waiting to tear me a new one

I only do that when people are wrong. Why would you fear being wrong unless you KNOW you talk shit?
Quote from Becky Rose :I only do that when people are wrong. Why would you fear being wrong unless you KNOW you talk shit?

LOLOLOLOL
I love you too.
While this debate/discussion/ BS fest was happening, about ... I dunno 5-10 miles south of me a really gruesome murder happened. Not the same cartel/gang based homicide or two drunks fighting over the same parking space shooting we normally get. No. this was out there.

http://www.chron.com/neighborh ... teen-s-family-5224664.php

They don't into too much detail of the murder. What actually happened in detail would really be too much for them to put in the article. Trust me. It's really bad.

LOL too bad for them they're not in Norway. They could be playing video games instead of worrying about being punked out.
Wow, that is sick man, they hopefully stay a long, long time behind bars.
Perhaps we monkey meat bags have as incomplete theories about evolution as we do about creationism. Life is too exquisitely engineered and complex to have spawned from the mud with no influence whatsoever imo. There are entire periods of our ancient history we know worse than nothing about because we have a knack for making shit up to see if it sounds right.

We could be expressions of an ancient beyond ancient language written in chemical code. If we found evidence of an ancient or extraterrestrial code as complex but separate from DNA we would not assume that it just appeared out of the stardust, it was created.
Quote from flymike91 :Life is too exquisitely engineered and complex to have spawned from the mud with no influence whatsoever imo.

Natural selection is the influence. Random mutations which are more suitable to the environment tend to be passed on and those which are less suitable tend not to be. Creationists and people who believe in a supernatural/creator driving force like to make out that evolution is just a random process (as a means of diminishing credibility), but that's just the sort of bullshit distortion they like to use to try and muddy the waters.
Quote from flymike91 :Life is too exquisitely engineered and complex to have spawned from the mud with no influence whatsoever imo.

That sounds perfectly logical.

Until you consider that you are referring to the first ocurrance of single cell organisms, it wasn't mud, and we've found evidence of such simple single cell organisms on meteorites originating - we theorise - from Mars 6bn years ago (Hense the current search for signs of life there).

That puts a damper on "in Gods image" eh

Arguing against evolution cannot be done with logic or fact. To chose not to believe a cast iron repeatable fact that we can observe in the genetic evidence of each and every one of us (the one and 45000 genes that are not inherited) can only be done by voluntarily embracing a choice not to accept intelligent reasoned argument that is backed by evidence. Aka: choosing to be stupid, as a lifestyle choice.
The text below shows many claims made by creationists that are logically fallacious. Clicking each statement takes you to a page that demonstrates the reasoning behind why that claim is irrational.

Main list of creationist claims and their rebuttals:
http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/list.html


Individual creationist claims related to your claims (click for the responses):
Quote from flymike91 :Perhaps we monkey meat bags have as incomplete theories about evolution as we do about creationism.

"Evolution is only a theory. It is not a fact."

"Problems with evolution ... ce for creationism."

Quote from flymike91 :Life is too exquisitely engineered and complex to have spawned from the mud with no influence whatsoever imo.

"Life looks intelligently ... equires a designer."

"Design is self-evident. ... ur eyes and see it."

"Complexity indicates intelligent design."

"Systems are irreducibly ... they were designed."

"Even the simplest, most ... e arisen by chance."

"Some biochemical systems ... t must be designed."

"Complex organs and biolo ... d not have evolved."

Quote from flymike91 :We could be expressions of an ancient beyond ancient language written in chemical code. If we found evidence of an ancient or extraterrestrial code as complex but separate from DNA we would not assume that it just appeared out of the stardust, it was created.

"The genetic code is a la ... n-material reality."

FGED GREDG RDFGDR GSFDG