Any one here religious?

By the way Christians. What is with the obsession with Jesus's death device? Imagine Jesus comes back and what does he see? Everyones that "loves" him is wearing a cross. If I was him I'd be thinking "What a bunch of assholes!"

The answer to this question is a pretty easy one actually (I was raised in a Catholic household, but as stated earlier have chosen to not follow any particular religion). Christians, in particular Catholics where crosses or more specifically a crucifix as a remembrance of the pain and suffering of Christ so that they could by-pass the consequences of sin.

Also of note is that Christians do not worship the cross; but honor or venerate it as they are not supposed to worship idolatry, but this is where things get quite confusing as it seems to depend on which branch of Christianity you practice, as some clearly have significant use of idols while others have chosen to go in a very much nondescript direction. Roman Catholics as an example use the term "On the Divine Image" to defend their use of idols, where as conservative Protestant groups forgo and outright avoid the use of most religious icons and imagery.

Truly a point of contention across Christianity.

Just wanted to answer the question.
 
You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

2nd one
 
1_the_right_to_bear_arms.jpg
 
you shall not bow down to them nor serve them

But you see my friend - Christians do not worship (bow down to them nor serve) these idols, but they venerate (to regard with respect, reverence, or heartfelt deference) them. It's how they get around that whole little commandment issue. :)
 
But you see my friend - Christians do not worship (bow down to them nor serve) these idols, but they venerate (to regard with respect, reverence, or heartfelt deference) them. It's how they get around that whole little commandment issue. :)

hah, thy're experts in ignoring their own contradictions :lol:

the meaning in Spanish is so clear BTW, same goes with diff languages, so the interpretations maybe
 
You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

2nd one

That's why Pentecostal Christians don't have Jesus hung on their crosses; they have bare crosses, because Jesus rose to heaven. He did not remain on the cross forever.
 
Great posts by coldthrn.

I always wonder why people are unable to ignore the religious side of all these storys and just take a look at how all these tales spread historically and geologically by pure boring humans.
But it's probably the inherent loyaltytrap of religion that keeps them from doing this.
 
To answer the original question, I am an Atheist, and have found Mr. Murphy has most closely detailed my position.

But I'm also an Anti-Theist. That's right, religion poisons everything, including this lovely message board.

Apply the P.E.A.R.L. principle to pretty much anything. Physical Evidence And Reasoned Logic.
The worship of magical invisible sky creatures from another dimension clearly does not meet any of those (very) basic criteria.
And is of course the result of indoctrination meeting wishful thinking.
Auchom's Razor states that all things being equal the simplest answer tends to be correct. Not that the questions religion seeks to answer are simple (quite the opposite), however the answer they posit it simplistic.

Although I recognize that there is no way to state this without sounding derisive, but religions answer to everything, in the end, is that A MAGIC MAN did it.
All of it.
Everything.
 
To answer the original question, I am an Atheist, and have found Mr. Murphy has most closely detailed my position.

But I'm also an Anti-Theist. That's right, religion poisons everything, including this lovely message board.

Apply the P.E.A.R.L. principle to pretty much anything. Physical Evidence And Reasoned Logic.
The worship of magical invisible sky creatures from another dimension clearly does not meet any of those (very) basic criteria.
And is of course the result of indoctrination meeting wishful thinking.
Auchom's Razor states that all things being equal the simplest answer tends to be correct. Not that the questions religion seeks to answer are simple (quite the opposite), however the answer they posit it simplistic.

Although I recognize that there is no way to state this without sounding derisive, but religions answer to everything, in the end, is that A MAGIC MAN did it.
All of it.
Everything.

An appeal to ignorance is not confined to the realm of religious or spiritual thought. I've three heard 'definitive' arguments on a big bang theory (there was one that created everything, there was a second that made it grow, and a third that finally made the processes of evolution), alien involvement and a million versions of the primal ooze that just was.

If you have researched and genuinely thought about your position, I applaud you. The more we think, research and ask questions for ourselves the more interesting the debate becomes. But please refrain from lumping all religions into one statement of a simple appeal to ignorance?
 
Auchom's Razor states that all things being equal the simplest answer tends to be correct. Not that the questions religion seeks to answer are simple (quite the opposite), however the answer they posit it simplistic.

Be careful with Occam's Razor, it's sharp and hence dangerous if used incorrectly.

The simplest description of the universe would work from a handful of basic rules, from which everything can be extrapolated.
The "God" answer, although it appears very simple, is in fact incredibly complex as it relies on incredibly complex ideas such as love and purpose
 
The "God" answer, although it appears very simple, is in fact incredibly complex as it relies on incredibly complex ideas such as love and purpose[/QUOTE]

Sorry....what? I'm guessing you certainly don't mean that I am, or anyone else who shares my position is simply too...err...simple to understand...right?

So you must mean...

Purpose? Like, clouds are for raining, trees are for shade? That kind of purpose? Put there for us? As was everything else?

I said simplistic. In fact, the God "answer" raises questions of complexity and sheer improbability that bring Occam's razor into play.

There's no miss here, the monotheistic religions do all specify as a tenet of faith that 1 single and by definition VERY magic fellow did it.
 
The "God" answer, although it appears very simple, is in fact incredibly complex as it relies on incredibly complex ideas such as love and purpose

Sorry....what? I'm guessing you certainly don't mean that I am, or anyone else who shares my position is simply too...err...simple to understand...right?

So you must mean...

Purpose? Like, clouds are for raining, trees are for shade? That kind of purpose? Put there for us? As was everything else?

I said simplistic. In fact, the God "answer" raises questions of complexity and sheer improbability that bring Occam's razor into play.

There's no miss here, the monotheistic religions do all specify as a tenet of faith that 1 single and by definition VERY magic fellow did it.

Sorry should have added at the end that i wasn't disagreeing with you, just trying to clarify
 
no need to go the philosophical way. I'm getting tired of religious not to talk about the actual facts in today's churches. None of my reasonings were refuted here and then you go philosophical. Much more simple:

FACT TODAY:

-In most countries, including Spain, Clergy is not judged and condemned by the same laws as civilians.
Yep, unbelievable, isn't it? So, why not? Arent they citizens too? WHY a PRIVATE corporation has the right to ignore the civil justice in the name of Divine justice??¿?¿


So what's the shelter for pedophiles?¿ (A clue: "Let the children come..."). Some days ago, a bishop said so much child abuse in the church could be due to the sexual abstinence they practice WTF, so justifying? If they commit abuse, they don't go to jail, rehabilitation or something, they send them to another town where they're not known. Maybe, after some short time of conversations with god :S


IF YOU SUPPORT CHURCH HERE'S 1 EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOU GET!!!!!!!!!!!



refute