Religion Thread: We Could Say a Prayer

[5mn_Major]

Re: Religion Thread: We Could Say a Prayer

I was not referring to Gibbon's thesis, and to be candid I was just throwing some shade to the Death Cult to be a jerk, so, sorry.

Might want to talk to someone about this.

However, there are still plenty of folks who note the importation of an Eastern mystery cult into the heart of a western culture was part of the destruction of Roman identity and confidence. Christianity was certainly to blame for Rome's turning its back on science and reason.

Of course, that's not true either.

In addition to ridding Rome of much of its early brutality and godlike dictators, their monasteries were local intellectual centers on nearly every front imaginable and shepherds of ancient thought that would spur the renaissance.

[Kepler]

Re: Religion Thread: We Could Say a Prayer

Might want to talk to someone about this.

You're right about that. No point in having the superseded tech live on in my head.

In addition to ridding Rome of much of its early brutality and godlike dictators, their monasteries were local intellectual centers on nearly every front imaginable and shepherds of ancient thought that would spur the renaissance.

After having destroyed a millenium's worth of learning, closed the academies, and taken 4 centuries off to pick their nose in the ruins of the Forum.

Reason is the enemy of faith. I didn't say that. The Patristic fathers did. And their head-in-their-orifice insistence on denying reality when it conflicts with their myths has persisted down through the ages.

"Reason is a whore, the greatest enemy that faith has; it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but more frequently than not struggles against the divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God." -- Martin Luther

We finally broke that spell with the Enlightenment. You can stay in your cave, but don't try to peddle that nonsense out here in the sunlight. The figures you cower before are merely your own shadows.

[5mn_Major]

Re: Religion Thread: We Could Say a Prayer

After having destroyed a millenium's worth of learning, closed the academies, and taken 4 centuries off to pick their nose in the ruins of the Forum.

For a skeptic who thinks he has a monopoly on science...why are facts so hard? From wiki:

Intellectualism: Monasteries were important contributors to the surrounding community. They were centers of intellectual progression and education. They welcomed aspiring priests to come study and learn, allowing them even to challenge doctrine in dialogue with superiors.

Hospitals: Medieval hospitals in Europe followed a similar pattern to the Byzantine. They were religious communities, with care provided by monks and nuns.

Literacy: During the Early Middle Ages, the monasteries of the Roman Catholic Church were the centers of education and literacy, preserving the Church's selection from Latin learning and maintaining the art of writing.

The University: The university is generally regarded as a formal institution that has its origin in the Medieval Christian setting.[5][6] Prior to the establishment of universities, European higher education took place for hundreds of years in Christian cathedral schools or monastic schools (scholae monasticae), in which monks and nuns taught classes. Evidence of these immediate forerunners of the later university at many places dates back to the 6th century AD.[

Preserving Wisdom: Greek Christian scribes played a crucial role in the preservation of Aristotle by copying all the extant Greek language manuscripts of the corpus. The first Greek Christians to comment extensively on Aristotle were Philoponus, Elias, and David in the sixth century, and Stephen of Alexandria in the early seventh century.

[5mn_Major]

Re: Religion Thread: We Could Say a Prayer

You're right about that. No point in having the superseded tech live on in my head.

Seriously man. Christianity is not your enemy. It plays the role of helping many both in giving them strength and offering charity to millions in order to save and improve lives of those less fortunate.

[Kepler]

Re: Religion Thread: We Could Say a Prayer

Seriously man. Christianity is not your enemy. It plays the role of helping many both in giving them strength and offering charity to millions in order to save and improve lives of those less fortunate.

Seriously man. When the Death Cult does good things that's good. When it does bad things that's bad. In other words, it is the same as every other human invention. It's a tool to be used but which can never be permitted to use us.

As long as you can see that, we're all good. And even if not, then I don't mind your delusions if you don't harm anyone else with them. When you start telling people they have to wear your shoes because {MAGIC} then we are going to have a problem.

[leswp1]

Re: Religion Thread: We Could Say a Prayer

THis argument is like Groundhog Day. Same argument, different month (or maybe year?)

[5mn_Major]

Re: Religion Thread: We Could Say a Prayer

THis argument is like Groundhog Day. Same argument, different month (or maybe year?)

Alright. So let me take you through groundhog day:

1) Kepler says something unprovoked and inflammatory about our faith.
2) I respond showing how he is both baseless and without facts in his assertion.
3) He starts to explain, but in reality it's just more attacks.
4) You create a false equivalency between he and I - even though he just called your God a terrorist or some such.
5) I occasionally ask you about this.
6) You flame me.

So how about let's just skip steps 5 and 6.

[leswp1]

Re: Religion Thread: We Could Say a Prayer

Alright. So let me take you through groundhog day:

1) Kepler says something unprovoked and inflammatory about our faith.
2) I respond showing how he is both baseless and without facts in his assertion.
3) He starts to explain, but in reality it's just more attacks.
4) You create a false equivalency between he and I - even though he just called your God a terrorist or some such.
5) I occasionally ask you about this.
6) You flame me.

So how about let's just skip steps 5 and 6.

I tend not to interpret some of the posts the same way you do. I think that is #6.

I must say the reactions are quite predicable tho.

[unofan]

Re: Religion Thread: We Could Say a Prayer

2)without facts

Dude, it's called faith for a reason. You have literally no facts to back you up.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

THis argument is like Groundhog Day. Same argument, different month (or maybe year?)

Pretty much. Just get out your popcorn and enjoy the mindless entertainment.

Same deal with Joe and abortion.

[Kepler]

Re: Religion Thread: We Could Say a Prayer

1) Kepler says something unprovoked and inflammatory about our faith.

Q. How many Christians does it take to change a lightbulb?

A. That isn't funny.

What else is the Cafe but people saying something unprovoked and inflammatory? It is the peculiar entitlement of the dogmatically religious that nobody is allowed to say anything about their folie a deux. They are the bully who threatens everyone else in the schoolyard but if somebody insults them then they cry and run for mommy.

Toughen up. Your gods (both the OT Middle Eastern sociopath and the NT Silicon Valley entrepreneur) like men with a little more backbone.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Religion Thread: We Could Say a Prayer

Q. How many Christians does it take to change a lightbulb?

A. That isn't funny.

What else is the Cafe but people saying something unprovoked and inflammatory? It is the peculiar entitlement of the dogmatically religious that nobody is allowed to say anything about their folie a deux. They are the bully who threatens everyone else in the schoolyard but if somebody insults them then they cry and run for mommy.

Toughen up. Your gods (both the OT Middle Eastern sociopath and the NT Silicon Valley entrepreneur) like men with a little more backbone.

This is quality.

I’m glad you’re back.

[5mn_Major]

Re: Religion Thread: We Could Say a Prayer

Toughen up. Your gods (both the OT Middle Eastern sociopath and the NT Silicon Valley entrepreneur) like men with a little more backbone.

I would argue that tough is calling out intolerance when you see it and that being a bigot is quite cowardly.

Dude, it's called faith for a reason. You have literally no facts to back you up.

The facts are that millions choose to turn to faith for self help.
The facts are that hundreds of millions are helped by faith via charity and volunteerism.
The facts are that skeptics here are so caught up in criticizing the means that they don't care whether people get helped or not.

[burd]

Re: Religion Thread: We Could Say a Prayer

I’m glad you’re back.

Very glad.

And that is not to say I don't appreciate most of what 5mn puts out there. He adds to the discussion, IMO, particularly when explaining his philosophy of Christianity.

[5mn_Major]

Re: Religion Thread: We Could Say a Prayer

Very glad.

And that is not to say I don't appreciate most of what 5mn puts out there. He adds to the discussion, IMO, particularly when explaining his philosophy of Christianity.

I have lots of skeptic friends who are capable of having meaningful conversations on faith. The skeptics here just can't. If it gets real, they just walk away.