CIVIL RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION: General Religious Discussion...

[T.Lex]

Next time someone brings up Hindu terrorism...

Is India descending into mob rule? - BBC News

Or, for that matter, any breakdown of gov't WROL.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

"No Religion" Is Now Australia's Number One Religion

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Mark Zuckerberg says he's no longer an atheist, believes 'running for president very important'

 

[JettaKnight]

Mark Zuckerberg says he's no longer an atheist, believes 'running for president very important'

Let me know when he learns to dress like an adult.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

How Did New Atheism Fail So Miserably? | Slate Star Codex

 

[ChristianPatriot]

How Did New Atheism Fail So Miserably? | Slate Star Codex

I imagine we’ve been through this, but my memory fails me. Where do you fall in the religious spectrum?

 

[ChristianPatriot]

How Did New Atheism Fail So Miserably? | Slate Star Codex

My favorite part of the article:

This is 90% of popular intellectual culture these days: progressives regurgitating progressivism to other progressives for nothing but the warm glow of being told “Yup, that was some good progressiving there”.

 

[JettaKnight]

A theologian and a astronomer happened to be chatting at a party and after introductions and finding out the other's career the astronomer quipped, "Why do you make it so complex? All that pre/post/amellinial stuff, predestination, limited atonment, infralapsarian... Why can't it be simple like, 'love the Lord, and love your neighbor'?"
The theologian grimaced and paused, then uttered a reply, "Why do astronomers make it so complex? All the pulsars, quasars, black holes, Van Allen radiation belt... Why can't it be as simple as, 'twinkle, twinkle little star'?"


Credit to R.C. Sproul

 

[T.Lex]

https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/egypt/1.819676

Almost put this in the technology thread.

But, since it relates to Judaism, Christianity, and pharaohonicism, figured this might be more appropriate.

ETA: Biblical account of miracle helps archaeologists figure out the timing of a pharaoh's regime.

 

[indiucky]

I imagine we’ve been through this, but my memory fails me. Where do you fall in the religious spectrum?

GP is AI.....He IS the internet you see...We are blessed to have him on INGO...

 

[ArcadiaGP]

I imagine we’ve been through this, but my memory fails me. Where do you fall in the religious spectrum?

Dunno. Probably close to apatheism, I don't know one way or the other. I don't have enough evidence that there is or is not a God. I'm content to leave that argument to people far better equipped than I.

I live a decent and moral life. Maybe one day I'll understand better one way or the other.

Additionally, I defend religion when it's under attack, and for the most part really dislike militant atheists. Mostly of the libertarian attitude of "keep it to yourself" with regards to people very publicly denouncing religion.

 

[OurDee]

I attempt to not be religious. Rather I search for God and a relationship. My progress in the last 20 years has been to not have people get the impression that I am judging them. Just do not ask if I think you are going to heaven. Because it doesn't matter what I think. Have I been CIVIL enough?

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Bob Coy, Founder of Florida's Biggest Megachurch, Accused of Molesting a 4-Year-Old

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Actual quote from an Alabama pastor: “How these gals came up with this, I don't know. They must have had some sweet dreams somewhere down the line. Plus, there are some 14-year-olds, who, the way they look, could pass for 20."

I'm pretty sure "If there's grass on the field, play ball" isn't actually in the bible.


Why evangelicals are again backing Moore despite allegations of sexual misconduct - The Boston Globe

 

[T.Lex]

As a Catholic, I can only say that clergy say and do some things that are sinful and should bear whatever consequences flow from those choices.

ETA:
CSM's take.

https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Socie...f-Roy-Moore-an-aggressive-view-of-masculinity

 

[JettaKnight]

Remember the days of Bill Clinton running and conservatives of all stripes yelling "Character matters!"? It only took one adult woman to come forward.



The Babylon Bee's take on this:
Evangelicals Announce They Will Withdraw Support For Roy Moore Should Three Or Four Dozen More Women Come Forward

Poll: Majority Of Evangelicals Would Support Satan If He Ran As Republican Candidate

 

[ArcadiaGP]

3,500 Occult Manuscripts Will Be Digitized & Made Freely Available Online, Thanks to Da Vinci Code Author Dan Brown | Open Culture

 

[ArcadiaGP]

So here's a general religion question for the audience.

Thinking about the many religions in the world... : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_religions_and_spiritual_traditions

Many you could probably look at and say, yeah, that's a legitimate religion... based on whatever it's based on.

Then there are some that you see... and you think, yeah, that probably formed from a cult/fraud/deception/lie/joke, etc (Church of Scientology, the Cannabis Church, Jedi, Spaghetti Monster, etc)

Which ones do you think fit into the latter group?

I'd probably put Mormons somewhere in there. They aren't a bad group these days, and I think it's one of those religions that Christianity has just accepted because they're mostly harmless and get along.

 

[T.Lex]

For me, I kinda reject the presumption that I can even label something as "legitimate." (This is separate from the dogmatic/doctrinal question of whether anything other than a specific religion is the "correct" one and all others are false gods.)

I tend to view it as a combination of 2 factors:
- Do the practitioners believe in something bigger than themselves that is an active part of their lives?
- Does the "something bigger" reward people for being good/doing good works?

So, I think Jedi could fit this description. The FSM thing, probably not. Unless there are some who actually think the FSM exists and works in their lives. Which kinda defeats the purpose of the FSM.

Full disclosure, the only reason I think people like that might have a "legitimate" religion is that the God I believe in is unlimited. He could present Himself to people in ways that they don't fully understand and are a bit confused about. They may have the terminology wrong, but at some core level, it is the same God.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

I tend to view it as a combination of 2 factors:
- Do the practitioners believe in something bigger than themselves that is an active part of their lives?
- Does the "something bigger" reward people for being good/doing good works?

The creator of the religion (going back to Mormon again) could have misled and lied to what became today's practitioners... I mean, the creation of it, today, sounds so absurd that you have to believe it was a crock... so I'm not blaming the practitioners...

I think Smith was a fraud, but that's not to say anything negative about today's practitioners of Mormonism.

So while it may fit your two factors, could it still be considered illegitimate? Or perhaps we need a different word, if that one doesn't jive well.

Similar with Scientology... it's absolutely a cult, we all see it, we all know it... but those that are deep into it may see it a different way.