Face it. It is over. Trump won.

[Soundwave]

WagnerPaiva said:

Soundwave said:

So basically, Leviticus is bunk. I went to Catholic school for 10 years. The whole thing is a mess, but it's basically just "lulz, don't believe the crazy stuff in the beginning, Jesus means all that stuff can be bypassed". It's just a bizarre middle eastern philosophy that even the Romans who co-opted it to try and keep their Empire going realized was full of too much crazy stuff that it had to be streamlined or bypassed entirely to be paltable to Roman society.

Jesus I don't believe even said anything about homosexuality or 10393938 other things, which is a bit bizarre being as how if its such a big deal you would think he could take 2 minutes to talk about it. 

I see your point. I respect atheists that say "I do not believe in God, period".

But when people say "I hate God because he forbids me to eat shellfish" then I am compeled to explain that the God christians believe is the one that the Holy Bible, all 66 books combined, tell about. If you take a single verse it does not show the whole history.

But I understand that you does not care about that, you do not believe, period. But it is unfair to say something that the Holy Bible clearly does not say. It is a book that tells the history of mankind and the plan of Salvation.

You can not believe, of course, but to say it is because of shellfish is just not true.

It is like me saying that all gay people want to sodomize little children, it would be simply untrue and unfair, it would be dishonest. 

I'm not an atheist, perhaps there is something beyond death (or perhaps not), but I don't believe middle eastern goat herders from 2000 years ago have the answers. Organized religion is large in my view just about control ... controlling people and gaining their money. This was vital to any poltical structure, so religion is a valuable tool. 

The honest truth is a religion could just say "don't be a dick head to other people, treat everyone how you'd want to be treated, reject arrogance, be humble" and that would basically cover most of the basics of being a good person. But that wouldn't fill a 800 page book. And of course they need to have power/control/money so there has to be a carrot to dangle, so it becomes that whole "we're this exclusive club and you only get gifts from Santa .... eeerrrrrrr, life in heaven, 72 virgins, etc. etc. etc. if you believe in our special brand of religion."

No serious enlightened being, whether it's Jesus or Buddha or whoever would ever ascribe to any kind of ridiculous bankrupt spiritual philosophy like that, anymore than a good parent would ever threaten to starve their kids or lock them into a dark room for all of eternity if they didn't worship them constantly. It's a ridiculous theory to be honest that "God" is so insecure in him/herself that he needs to be constantly worshipped in the first place. 

Beyond that I understand why religion needs to exist for the time being, as human beings death is a traumatic experience; losing others, our own mortality, etc. We need something to fill the "gap", religion provides a comforting stop-gap. At some point though even that incentive will minimize, I think in 200-300 years humans will be able to live basically forever (or for huge periods of time). Provided we don't kill each other first based our tribal stupidities. 

I don't mind religious people who are genuinely interested in being enlightened and using their beliefs for the betterment of society. Religion is an understandable crutch, life is a scary, brutal thing at times, until humanity can answer what happens after death, a lot of people need something to believe in.