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but, since we're on the subject: a message of love, hope and eternal salvation would be grand if that was all there was to it. and i can see where all the biblical teachings and such had the best of intentions when they were originally written. but i'm sure you've heard the old maxim regarding the road to hell and good intentions.

an insanely high number of people have killed or been killed as a direct result of their religious beliefs. i guess that first commandment isn't too strict, eh? religious beliefs had and have been used for centuries to oppress large groups of people. religion, whether or not it was originally intended to be, is a very powerful tool for keeping the masses in check. what better way to ensure that a populus that will obey your laws than to convince them that some invisible guy in the clouds is going to send your soul to hell for all eternity if you disobey? why, it used to be that even the most corrupt of sinners could be guaranteed a place in heaven if they just paid the church off. people are superstitious and extremely afraid of the unknown. religion offers comfort. i can appreciate it for that. but it's just been corrupted so very, very much. it now promotes codependence, a lack of individuality, independent thought, and a false sense of security. bad things happen to good god-fearing people, too.

and, also, these days people have a habit of picking and choosing which parts of the bible they want to believe. err. it doesn't work that way. they're either the words of god or they're not. either the sun revolves around the flat earth and snakes can talk and women are inferior beasts that belong to men, OR the bible is a great collection of myths with some historical references and some attempts at teaching morality, much like roman or greek mythology.

my world is not devoid of love or hope because i have no religion. i am happiest believing that i am not a peon of a god who requires worship and adherence to dogma and ritual. i am my own person, i control what i can of my life and i take what i'm given of the rest that is left to chance. and as for eternal salvation, i don't think we necessarily need salvation. i have my own ideas of what should be really considered sins, and i don't do those things. morals versus ethics, i guess.

but: all that said, i am not trying to convince you to give up what you obviously feel is an important part of your life. if believing in god makes you feel better or whole, then by all means, continue. and i thank you for being polite and respectful in your statements so far, even though you (attempt to) remain anonymous for some reason.

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0CT0R0K

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an insanely high number of people have killed or been killed as a direct result of their religious beliefs.

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If we're measuring sheer numbers, let's add up the number of deaths due to atheism.

We'll start with the CCCP:
~25 million

Then Maoist China:
~35 million

Add in Pol Pot:
~3 million

That's ~63 million in just three of atheism's campaigns.

Here's a bit of atheistic hilarity:

When Stalin forced the kulaks of the Ukarine onto collective farms, 7 to 8 million of them starved to death in the early thirties.

When his census takers showed Stalin the population decrease from 1932 to 1937, Stalin did what any self-respecting atheist leader would do. He had the census takers shot.

vip.latnet.lv/LPRA/1PEREPIS.htm



Edited by - Laika on 07/16/2003 07:43:51 AM

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Probably one of the most embarrassing things an atheist (or anyone, for that matter) can say--how many have died in the name of (theistic) religion. Really something else.

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People just regurgitate what they hear. These are common:

"religious people are all hypocrites"
"more evil has been done in the name of religion than anything else"

They never have supporting proof of these blanket statements.

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Laika,

who or what are the CCCP?

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U.S.S.R. in Cyrillic

Haven't you ever seen their athletes wearing C.C.C.P. on their jerseys?




Edited by - Laika on 07/16/2003 11:24:54 AM