Christians Terrify Children with Visions of Hell
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The United States is made up of 84% religious folk. Almost all of them are Christian. Now the jury is still out on whether or not Catholics are Christians, so you would have to ask the Catholics about that. Don’t ask your run of the mill Christian because they will tell you they, the Catholics, are not. As a matter of fact they will probably tell you that they are Papists, and Mackerel Snappers, and other not so nice things. The Catholics on the other hand will probably tell you that they are the only true faith and all others are interlopers and have no chance in hell of going to Catholic heaven; the only real heaven.
That being said one thing many of these Jesus Jumpers have in common is their penchant for abusing children with horror stories of hell and eternal damnation. This is a form of verbal abuse not dissimilar to the traditionally accepted form of negative expression called child abuse.
I grew up in a Catholic family. I went to Catholic school for the first 12 years of my young life. I remember the nuns telling us if we didn’t pray every day we would get stomach cancer and die. I remember them telling us if we entertained “indecent” thoughts we would be taken by the devil in our sleep. The very idea of masturbation was never mentioned because the horror that would follow would be too terrible to even mention. That and the fact we were about 8 years old.
I remember waking up at night covered in sweat, after having dreamed that the devil was coming to get me and I didn’t know why, only that the nuns had said he would, for even the slightest transgression.
A friend mailed me this little cartoon the other day and it seemed to fit the occasion quite well. It is yet another expression of the horror that is perpetrated on the young and innocent by the religious zealots:
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I’m really inspired along with your writing skills and also with the format on your weblog. Is this a paid topic or did you customize it your self? Either way keep up the nice quality writing, it’s rare to see a
great weblog like this one these days..
I’ve seen this image as a tee-shirt: http://www.cafepress.com/+hell_threats_are_child_abuse_fitted_tshirt,18600814
I’m very sensitive to childhood indoctrination. I think it’s disgusting.
Not just disgusting, it is really child abuse. Much as smoking around children is abuse, destroying their minds is as bad as damaging their bodies.
Silent? I am still praying. But I don’t need to hear your vituperations. What good does that do you or me?
You are the one who argues in a plastic bag, James. I never said anything about “pretending,” yet you snatch a word from the air and argue against your own imaginations because you have not seen. This confusion surely is reflected in your own life. Once you believe the lie (The Lie is that there is no savior), then you are an easy candidate to believe more lies.
The path of no good would be the one away from Jesus Christ as your Savior. I used to work for a man who was agnostic or atheistic. He was one of the best people I’ve ever known–he was a good man. Some of mankind has the ability to be good with little guidance though those individuals are rare indeed. Having been an attorney since his youth, I would guess he had much time to consider good vs. bad. He chose his own limited good, the limited good that an intelligent man can choose, over bad.
But good does not get a person to heaven. To get to heaven, you have to recognize that Jesus is the Son of God and man. You also have to accept His free gift of salvation which He purchased on the cross for you as He hung, dying to pay for your sins. You can, at any time, call out to Him and ask Him to give you his free gift of salvation–at least as long as you are on this earth. You can also ask Him, James, to help your unbelief. When your time here ends, your time to be saved from damnation ends. You have only this short time, and then your options end. You know the truth, now let it set you free. Believe the truth and not the lie.
I won’t contend with you that Christians are inherently evil because I believe in the depravity of man. All that makes mankind good is Jesus Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Because Jesus is the powerful creator, he can change us into something that is less than inadequate.
We Christians have Him working in our benefit which gives us a decided advantage but only if we are willing to take it. Few actually do even though they do become Christians. I equate that to the few of mankind that matures into a giving, loving being instead of a selfish, hateful, self-absorbed, imbalanced creature.
As a non-Christian, you only have yourself, and since man is depraved, how can you ever hope to do real good? You, like all mankind, only do your own definition of good which, like all mankind, is like an offering of used sanitary pads as a gift.
As far as whether or not I am a former Mensa member, you are believing another lie because once you believe a single lie (the one that tells you that Jesus is not your Savior), then you are open to believe any other lie. I am a former Mensa member. Of course, you do not believe this, therefore you believe yet another lie just as I said above.
You say that I should provide one bit of evidence that there is a god. If all things were only accidents, then eventually nothing would exist because of accidents. If this had been true from the beginning, nothing would have come into existence because all things would have been accidents. Or if by a mere quirk, something accidentally came into existence, it would have ended because all things were accidents. What came into existence would have ended because of accidents. Therefore, if man was an “accident,” an accident would have taken fragile man out because all things were accidents. (The fragility of man is proven in nature.)
So we see and know that all things come into existence from something that already exists–not an accident. If nothing existed in the beginning, nothing could begin–fragile man would not have begun, or, if brought in by accident, fragile man would have not remained–and we know this is false because fragile man has remained.
Therefore, something had to exist in the beginning. This something can only be what man calls “God.” Furthermore, something or some One has to exist, caring for fragile man–a very inadequate, failing, falling, fragile, illogical, emotional species. How could we have continued with our inadequate, destructive natures? It is only by arrogance that mankind could ever argue that we could have continued as a species on our own. What a lark!
We also have to recognize that fragile man is not only fragile, fragile man is insane about caring for the existence of fragile man and fragile man’s environment. Fragile man kills its own species, poisons its own species, preys on its own species, and debilitates its own species while devastating and destroying fragile man’s own personal and collective environment. Fragile man cannot find peace but wishes to steal from, kill and destroy fragile man so that fragile man’s own offspring may not even survive. Where is the logic in that? If no logic, then where is the value in that? If no value, then what is this species called mankind except weak, a failure and only maintained by the Hand of God?
If there were no God, fragile man would have destroyed the entire race centuries ago. But, miraculously, fragile man still exists. With our own limited intelligence and self-destructive nature, fragile man has little to cause its species to survive. If fragile man was not being cared for by a higher being, what could allow anyone to believe we would be here? Thus, even the ancients looked for god. This premise was correct, but the implementation was flawed. Ancient man often settled for a god they created out of wood and stone. They often accepted a god that would mutilate his very followers! This, in itself, shows the inability of fragile man to even think logically.
Finally, with fragile man’s innate sense of arrogance and emotional machinations, it is amazing that fragile man has existed for centuries. Fragile man has little to offer the world except to attempt to think, which he does poorly using only a very small portion of the brain he has, and with this sporadic and miniscule thinking he does, he believes he is above all, the beginning and the end. This is arrogance to the point of absurdity. Fragile man takes the liberty to believe he is something and God is nothing–an emotional conclusion based on his own feelings–which shows his arrogance and further shows his lack of reasoning, a reasoning which could give him some advantage over animals. But he cannot take that advantage being arrogant.
Fragile man is as foolish as he is fragile–a baby in the universe–a baby that must be protected and cared for because he is so fragile. Fragile man, like a baby, hurts others, destroys his own environment, demands his needs be met by someone else, and what environment he has closest to him, dirties it up so badly that he lives in his own filth and degradation which would likely eventually make him sick and die if it wasn’t for some greater being caring for this fragile baby. Yet from infancy to adulthood, fragile man does little changing. He continues to fail himself and mankind.
Because fragile man is so fragile and foolish, it is most logical that some One watches over the species to keep this weak, worthless, stupid, selfish, destructive species alive. Therein lies the proof of God. And with that, therein lies the love of God which love I often marvel at its endless possibilities.
I find it harder and harder in myself to love mankind. But with God, all things are possible. And so I struggle on with Jesus Christ as my example though I am less than perfect in love.
I cannot imagine how sacrificing babies could possibly equate to praying. This proves again to me that all mankind is depraved, and your suggestion of the possibility and the fact that this happens shows the depravity of mankind. It also shows fragility and lack of maturity–a mature being in the universe would not have implanted in his thinking process any thoughts to destroy his own species especially a baby that may have some potentiality.
Man needs God if for no other reason than to have an example how to live peaceably and with wisdom within his own species which would include not sacrificing babies. Our species show a decided lack of ability to live within the parameters he is given–a sad state of affairs indeed.
Perfect love drives out fear, and I have no fear of eternity or death or World War III causing my death. I am very thankful for that because it gives me so many chances to find joy since I do not have to focus on what will happen to me. Death is not fearful because I know I will be safe. It is very comforting to me–a comfort which you do not have. I am sorry for that James.
As to Mithra and Horus, it only proves that Romans and Egyptians also believed there was a god that they should seek–a very logical conclusion (that there is a god). And as far as Attis, this–the illogical and profane Greeks’ god–would be the least likely logical god to worship since being a priest and a eunuch would be a dissuading tenet. My adoration of this Attis would have waned upon my discovery that this god would have demanded mutilation of my own body and denial of my own ability to procreate. This requirement would have affected my choice to follow him prior to my inception, and I would have had to reject Attis for his illogical demands. I hold a priesthood within the God of God’s eyes, and I value that above all else I possess. My God does not require me to mutilate myself or give up my ability to procreate which would show lack of logic and intelligence. It would also show lack of care for my own species.
But I cannot understand your thoughts, James. If even the ancients believed in a god and you quote their ancient examples, why do you resist God so?
Lies do bother me. But then, all men are liars so if I let it bother me too much, I’d be constantly in an emotional upheaval. I would be unable to think only emote. The lie that bothers me the most, and the reason I have responded to you personally, is the lie that you have believed–there is no god. That lie is not logical. And yes, after having been a member of Mensa, I do know that many of them believe the lie–many are atheists. The test results then, may be false.
It is sad that, when a person has been given something very special, they seem to be unable to see past their own holdings. (This is daily demonstrated in Hollywood, Wall Street, governments, and individuals including Mensa members.) They think they are too wonderful to be wrong which goes back to my points above–fragile man is so arrogant that he is dangerous to his own existence. Fragile man’s actions often do not show intelligence or maturity. And just because a test says a person is intelligent does not make him intelligent. Obviously, if these especially intelligent or beautiful or chosen men and women don’t believe in God, then we can see already the lack of intelligence in designing this fragile man’s test and in fragile man’s choices in selecting those he chooses to emulate and adore! Once again, man is arrogant beyond his own ability to think. He lives quite definitely beyond his own ability to see truth–another form of fragility.
I do not have to convert you. At some point in time, you will see the truth, and the truth will set you free. If you do not choose to convert, then at least live in peace as best you can in your humanly fragile way. I do not hope for much.
Sadly, “made to stop” indicates the fragility of man once again. Shall we limit thinking and ideas just because we cannot fathom them in our own fragile and limited ability? Shall we discount things we see because we choose not to believe what we see or because we choose not to see the miraculous in what we could see? I shall not which, in my opinion, shows at least some hope for mankind.
I am bored with this subject. I am worn thin with the lies. If you must live the lie, let me at least live my life.
How are you different than those you condemn when you suggest World War III will destroy Christians and bring in a new and better era of thinking? The idea holds truth, but the conclusion is a lie. With the destruction of any of this species who actually can think, mankind will only cause more limitations on mankind. Godlessness is not the answer because it is limiting.
What else could one really expect than the desire to steal, kill and destroy if one takes into consideration the source? One could expect only more fragility and foolishness from this species as evidenced by these several, violent suggestions. Sadly, my ideas are throw out as pearls to the swine. So that it is clear, swine are most interested in gluttony and fulfilling their own needs and desires to the destruction of their environment with no regard to their future. Sadly, our species is no greater than swine.
You are really one stupid theist aren’t you? You ignore the similarities between Mithra and your mythical jesus. But to acknowledge that might be to raise doubts and questions. Those are not permitted are they?
You continue to quote your idiotic nonsense as if any rational person could believe it. You also ignore my direct questions. You provide not one shred of proof for any of your nonsense, yet you expect everyone to believe it. How are you theists so arrogant? You believe your mythical god will answer your prayers while allowing 27,000 children around the world to continue to die from starvation.
Then you claim you are “tired” of this. Maybe you are tired of being unable to reply logically with any evidence of religion at all?
I am tired of you arrogant christians attempting to force your sick, twisted beliefs on everyone else while doing all you can to stop free speech and logical thought.
Most of the problems of the world are, and always have been, caused by religion. Look at Northern Ireland, the Middle East, the crusades, and the inquisition. Then think about the time when the church ruled most of the world. It was caused the “Dark Ages”. Get the idea?
Mankind will never truly be free until the black yoke of religion is lifted by the clear light of truth and rational thinking.
“If all things were only accidents, then eventually nothing would exist because of accidents. If this had been true from the beginning, nothing would have come into existence because all things would have been accidents. Or if by a mere quirk, something accidentally came into existence, it would have ended because all things were accidents. What came into existence would have ended because of accidents. Therefore, if man was an “accident,” an accident would have taken fragile man out because all things were accidents. (The fragility of man is proven in nature.)”
ROFL That is the funniest and stupidest argument for a “god” I have ever heard. It is so full of logical fallacies that it was hard to find a phrase which was not part of one.
You start by using two completely different meanings of the word “accident”. Then we romp through one hilarious non-sequitur after another until we get to the appearance of “fragile man”. If you think like this then no wonder you cannot see the gaping flaws in the religious views you are regurgitating like a mindless parrot.
If you ever qualified for membership of Mensa you must have cheated and the person who graded the test must have been blind.
The more likely explanation is that your morals are expedient. You will break the socially agreed code not to lie if you think you can get away with it and if you can convince yourself that it is in the interests of your particular version of a particular denomination of a particular religion.
A really good post, Rosita. You make excellent points in a logical manner, supported by facts.
Unfortunately, you are using truth and rational reasoning with someone that has rejected those very things as being useful in their delusional world. As the Doctor said on “House”, “If you could reason with theists, there wouldn’t be any theists.”
Still, it is often amusing to see how they squirm and prevaricate to avoid having to respond to direct questions or requests for evidence of their claims. Predictably, they often ignore those requests and questions, quote babble verses and then claim “victory through the power of christ.” They don’t even seem to be aware of how ridiculous it makes them appear.
There are some very interesting discussions going on over here. I hope this gets passed around again. It is an important subject.
I am sorry, James, that you do not believe. I am not sorry for me or for the sake of some religion you have rejected. But I am sorry that you have chosen a path of no good.
You may say I am duped, but saying I am “not intelligent enough” is wrong since I am a former Mensa member. I have used my intelligence to realize that this world could not have been created without a Higher Power. I’m sorry you have not been able to come to the same conclusion.
However, you cannot say I have “no redeemer…no god” because I do. Some day, you will see Him. I only hope that it is with a repentant heart and the spirit of joy and happiness I will have when I see Him.
I pray the Lord God enlightens you in your blindness and deception and gives you long enough life to come to the truth. I pray you will see the truth, and the truth will set you free.
All must walk the path alone, James. All must find their own proof of a life after death and a God who is loving and caring and will receive you if you accept His free gift of salvation. Have you seen the rejected commercial for the Super Bowl–John 3:16? It is your salvation, James–or not.
When the day comes that you die, you will have that path to walk alone. And when my day comes, I will be met by my Savior. I hope you will be met by Him too. Be blessed.
Don’t be sorry for me. I have chosen the path of rational thinking. You have chosen willful ignorance.
How have I chosen the path of “no good”? Do you believe the lie that atheists cannot be good without god? That’s is a deliberate and knowing falsehood. Christians are inherently evil. That’s why you must have a system of rewards and punishments to keep you from performing all kinds of evil deeds. Most of you do anyway because you fall back on the premise, “I am forgiven, no matter what it was I did.”
YOu are a former Mensa member? I doubt that. DO you know that 90% or more of Mensa members are atheists? No, I didn’t think you would. But I know that 100% of theists are liars, fools, or hypocrites. Very often they are all three at the same time.
No, I will not see god any more than I will see Paul Bunyan or Pecos Bill. None of them exist and never have. Your blathering on about it will not change the facts. I challenge you, provide one bit of verifiable evidence of any god. If you do not, or evade the question, you are admitting that I am right and you are wrong. But I already know that anyway. But you are welcome to try.
Do not pray for me. That’s arrogant and very very offensive. What if I were a devil worshiper and said, “I’ll sacrifice a couple of babies to Lord Satan for you.”?
Yes, you are walking your path alone because there is no god, there never was a jesus, and you are suffering from delusions that, were it anything but religion, would have you in a facility for the mentally deranged.
When you quote the bible at me, I know that means you have no truth, no rational argument and fear looking into either. Both are fatal to any religion. You didn’t read my blog posts nor look up Mithra, Horus, or Attis, did you? Are you afraid of the truth? I am sure you are.
Don’t bless me, you are so arrogant and seem to enjoy being smugly offensive.
YOu will be met by nothing when you die. enjoy your life here, do good because it is the right thing toi do. Fear nothing and live like a decent human being, as I do.
Arguing with the infected will do no good.
There is only one thing they understand. Convert or Kill.
There is a new war coming. Between those who can think and those who cannot.
They will never stop until made to stop.
We can tip-toe around it all we like.. But we all know… It will come to this.
I think you gave a good point. But I also think we are now in WW III. It is the Muslims vs everyone else and “Convert or die” is their method. They are also smart enough to know they are fighting this war on social, political, financial, and military fronts. At this time, they are winning on all three.
The rest of the world does not seem to understand that this is a conflict unlike any other. There is no one country to invade, no particular ground to occupy, and “boots on the beach” will not be effective here.
You’ll notice that “christian” went strangely silent. Either he actually looked up my references and is humiliated to learn I was right. More likely, he is using the typical theist tactic of ignoring anything he can’t answer and elsewhere is crowing “Victory through the power of christ.” That’s it would be a lie won’t bother him. Lies never bother theists.
As “stage” so accurately observed:
“arguing with the infected will do no good.”
Brilliant line and one I will use again and again.
James,it may be that, instead of being bowled over by your logic, or cowed by your name calling and painting all believers with the same brush, that Christian simply grew tired of your hate filled spewing. You don’t make a very good case for convincing anyone that they would be better off modeling their belief system after yours.
Your “clear light of truth and rational thinking” seems to be made murky with your rage.
Obviously, you disagree with my thinking. But instead of attempting to disprove even one word of it, you resort to accusing me of rage. What you perceive as insults are simply statements of observed fact.
What you call a “belief system” is typical muddy thinking. Atheism is not a “belief system” it is recognizing the truth and thinking rationally. Try it, you might learn to like it.
What you see as rage is nothing more than impatience with stubborn stupidity. Admittedly, it is a character flaw of mine that I have never dealt well with stupidity. So please try not to expose me to your own.
Tell me, exactly what have I said that you can prove is not true? If you cannot, perhaps you only prefer to criticize and put people down rather than think logically?
Oh James, James, Life is too short. I’ll just let you and Christian go about your pissing contest; but please aim outside the sandbox. Maybe we all need to get out more.
As I expected, you run just like Christian. Well, that’s what I have learned to expect from intellectual cowards. I give you a simple challenge to prove anything I said was not correct. Then you ignore it so you can pretend that you have “won”. Well, that’s much easier than thinking or actually doing anything, isn’t it?
I’d laugh it you were not so predictable and pathetic.
I didn’t say I won,(it’s hard for me to win a pissing contest; my prostate won’t allow that.) I am simply bowing out.
“Intellectual Coward” I like that. I think I’ll have a pin made with that on it, to go with the “Heretic” pin I also have.
You call it “bowing out” That’s is your code for running away because you have no answers? I directly asked you and politely to state where I was wrong. But you choose to ignore anything you can’t answer.
True, you didn’t say you “won” but that’s the impression you give. But anyone with your obvious mental deficiencies probably can’t tell the difference between winning and running away. Unlike you, I am willing to stand up for myself and state the truth. If you could show me where I was wrong with verifiable proof, you would get some respect instead of derision and contempt.
Walk the walk. Then maybe you will learn to believe.
I do not contend that I live a good life, and I do not believe that I will get to heaven on a good life. The road is narrow, and there is only one Door.
I’m sorry that you’re disgusted with my views and my post. I seem to find that the folks that aren’t sure are the most angry, volatile and loudest.
Think as you wish.
I’m very contented and happy with my belief. I have peace. I know who my Redeemer is. And He lives!
I am sorry that some of you have not had answered prayers. I do quite often. He lives. He answers.
Try it out. Maybe you’ll like it! *G*
I have tried it out until I reached the age where I could think for myself. Then I saw exactly how false ans even evil religion is.
YOu have no redeemer, you have no god, it’s all in the brainwashing you received and are not intelligent enough to overcome. I am using my intellect. Sorry about yours.
According to your silly beliefs, the kind of life you live in unimportant. Just believe in your non-existent Jesus and you are “saved”. Look up Horus, Mithra, and Attis. You’ll see how your religion was founded upon lies and has been lying ever since then.
All religions prey upon the ignorant and gullible. That’s a fact as is everything else I have said. I can prove it all while you cannot prove anything.
I was brought up in Northern Ireland, a society infested with ignorance and religion. I was taught from a young age that if I died without getting ‘saved’ I would burn in hell, and deserve it. Of course I believed it all, and was tormented for years with nightmares and an ever-gripping fear. I would tearfully pray (to no answer, of course). I would be too terrified to contemplate death at all. I sometimes wished I had been aborted in the womb, as I would have gone straight to heaven.
I have solemnly promised myself no child of mine will ever be taught such cruel lies.
If you’re right and I’m wrong, and there is no God, then I’ve lived a good life.
But if I’m right and you’re wrong, and there is a God and a hell, then you will go to hell.
You’d better be sure you’re right.
Eternity is a damned long time if you’re wrong.
That is the same tired old “Pascal’s Wager” that has been shown to be not just false, but ridiculous.
If your god is omniscient and omnipotent do you think he would be so easily fooled that he would accept someone pretending to believe, “just in case”? That he would judge someone on their false statements instead of their good life?
That you would even put this silly argument forth shows how little you have thought about your own religion and how it is supposed to work. But then, rejecting reality, truth, and rational thinking is a prerequisite for religion, isn’t it?
What if another religion is right, and you go to THEIR hell?
Naomi: You are going to give these theists nightmares! Many of them are already harboring secret doubts and now they might wonder if they should have been Methodists instead of Baptists or Presbyterians instead of Church of God.
How can you live with the guilt? ROFLMAO Good one, you go girl!
Worst of all, we’re supposed to respect and not offend them for their “personal choice” to do so..
I disagree. I think we should offend. So much in fact to the point of being cruel. Torment and ridicule them to the point where they consider taking their own lives to escape the persecution.
What are they going to do? Get mad? Lash out? Commit MORE genocide? Let them show their ugly faces again so we may spit upon it and drive them back to the dark ages where they belong.
Where was the mercy for the countless millions they have slaughtered, emotionally tortured, raped, burned at the stake, and even those that they themselves persecuted to the point they actually did take their own lives?
Where was the mercy then?
No.. but we’re expected sit, smile, be silent, and careful not to offend, and to allow them to continue to do as they have always done.. convert or kill. Not just kill physically.. but to mentally torture entire generations at a time, poisoning entire nations with their illness.
Imagine if we would apply the rules of interacting with the religious to other situations.
“Now Hitler.. We don’t wish to offend you.. But you really should not be killing all those jews..”
Would we allow a “new” Nazi party to take political office? As long as they claim their not the same ones from WWII? That they “personally” never killed anyone?
But the crimes of Hitler are nothing compared to those that have been committed by the religiously-infected.
Yet religion pleas for and is awarded mercy.. immunity.. and most importantly.. Respect.. and we allow them to function today as if nothing in the past matters.. So how long does it take for the crime of genocide to be wiped away? What is the statue of limitations on it?
Each and everyone of them should be looked upon as if they were personally the ones who have killed countless millions. They support the system that did it. They continue on the tradition, and they are happy to be doing it and show no signs of regret of their crimes.
Oh no.. The religiously-infected will get no respect and no mercy from me. They will be looked upon as any other wickedly destructive disease that poisons our culture. The only differences is that this disease has killed far more than any other, and this one lives in the mind rather than the cell.
I agree. Religion gets a free ride on almost everything. No taxes, no criticism, no questions, but yes, demands “respect”. Not from me and it never has since I was 13.
OK, I know I have a character flaw. I have never done well dealing with stupidity. Willful stupidity is the worst of all. I have never been able to smile and let it pass.
Yes, it has cost me friends and even some family. But I have my self-respect and that’s a lot more than anyone that embraces ignorance can say. If someone rejects truth, rational thinking and the evidence of their senses, they can expect nothing but contempt and derision, especially from me.
The assertion that Hell is made up is in fact a religious one. But in the minds of many, it pales in comparison to the vast charnel districts where tens of millions were slaughtered by Atheist regimes in the 20th century.
Are you saying that Stalin and Pol Pot, for example, did these things BECAUSE they were atheists? Then by your own logic, Hitler did his atrocities BECAUSE he was a catholic. Most of the people in prison at least profess to be religious. Perhaps they are criminals because they are christians?
Your thinking is as flawed as your religion. That will be no surprise to rational people. Theists have long been known to be liars, fools, and hypocrites.
The definition of Atheist is a Lack of Faith. Please can you direct me to where it instructs followers to slaughter people on a genocidal scale.
“A lack of faith”? Where did you get that definition? Atheism is a lack of belief perhaps, but faith, one way or another has nothing to do with it.
Atheism is mot often defined as a disbelief in any deity for lack of evidence.
I agree that there is nothing that tells atheists to kill anyone that disagrees with them. But atheists as a whole are not really organized enough to have any type of creed or set of rules anyway. 🙂
Exactly what “charnel districts” were those? Are you referring to the Nazi holocaust? FYI, Hitler was a devout catholic and had the support of the catholic church. I have pictures to prove it.
If any Nazi were atheist, he kept very quiet about it least he arouse the furor of “Der Fuhrer.”
If you are referring to STalin, there is some question about his atheism, it is unproven either way. Then there is Pol Pot, again unproven about any religious views.
In any case none of the horrible acts committed by these people had anything to do with atheism, it had to do with disposing of anyone they perceived as a threat to their power. Saddam Hussein was as murderous a dictator you can imagine. He gassed his own people, killed an associate who disagreed with him by shooting him, and committed other atrocities. He at least claimed to be a devout muslim. But he had no reservations about killing anyone, regardless of their religious beliefs if he thought them to be a threat to his power.
The real hell is the agony of the people the church has burned, tortured, mutilated, killed and otherwise abused. All for not adhering to the “official” line. Copernicus was murdered, Galileo was forced to recant what he knew was the truth, and millions of other forced to suffer shaming and guilt if not death for thinking for themselves.
Then there are the literally billions of children that have been raised to know fear and guilt in the name of various religions. Are you excusing that? I am not.
Hey people come and read my blog called:”Jesus didn’t look like that” You might like it. There are other articles on religion on my blog at: Shitdisturber41.blogspot.com Enjoy
Alright you ignorant atheists… if there is no god, then HOW DOES THE SUN KEEP ORBITING THE EARTH? BAM!
You see people, that’s how you deal with atheist skum. With LOGIC! Hit that bullseye and the rest of the dominoes will come down like a house of cards… CHECKMATE!
And on that note…
Dunt dun duuh DAAAAHHHH!
!!!!!!!!!MY ATHEIST STORE!!!!!!!!!
Aristotle’s Muse
This is my store. Maybe wearing an atheist T-shirt won’t change the world, but enough of them just might.
“…for such is the kingdom of heaven.”
There are altogether no supernatural phenomena, only supernatural interpretations of phenomena.
the anti_supernaturalist
Why shouldn’t theists lie about hell to children? They will lie and engage in distortions and deceptions for anything else. So why not abuse children, too? After all, it’s for a “holy” cause. That means anything they do, no matter how evil when others do it, is perfectly fine.
It’s my experience, MH, that that’s what many of those who have crossed over do…do!
I got kicked out of parochial school as a child… I kept questioning accounts of ‘original sin’ and “hell”. Father Brice finally asked me if I thought I knew ‘better than god’? Well, can you imagine his face when I said yes? My mom actually giggled. My sister spent the rest of her time among the penguins defending me… I was sent off the boarding school for a better edu. My point is: if I had not made such a rowe and stuck to my little guns and had a mom who said ‘leave the child alone’ and then subsequently been expelled, well… I would not have asked some the questions I have asked … and studied the subjects I have pursued. So, in a way, hell was a great path in my life. LMFAO It’s true!
I agree that the use of ‘original sin’ and HELL is form of child abuse. I remember hiding under my desk for bomb drills too. I also remember that questioning the priest was tantamount of questioning “god”. It did make an impression, I mean, it’s why I sought out the answers I’ve sought, and still do. 🙂
Personally I loved the ‘visions of hell’ as a kid…they almost converted me with them. Living up on the Pennines as I did it was always cold – even for much of the summer – so I reckoned Hell was ok. I like a bit of warmth!
4D…I did as well. All of the Dante’s Inferno pictures…couldn’t get enough of them. Probably messed up my psyche somehow I’m sure.
Tried to balance them out with Wizard of Oz books
Good old HP Lovecraft got stomach cancer and died. Instead of watching us screw around, I hope that people looking out for us after their deaths give unspeakable nightmares to people like that nun you describe! I’m talkin’ to YOU HPL!!
Hey – where did you get that 84% number? I think it’s actually much, much lower. I think that many *might* believe in god, but that’s still a stretch to call them “religious.”
I read that 18% are atheists, so that doesn’t leave much room for the non-religious that believe in god. Those seem to actually be the majority or at least the huge majority of the people I know.
You are mistaken Helen but not by much 🙂 Atheists like me make up 16% of the population. The rest are not atheists. If you want to be shocked do the research on the number of “Christians” in the United States. It will be very close to the original number.
There I go, exaggerating our numbers again(wishful thinking)!
16% is not bad, really. Thanks, MadMike!
There is a huge intermediate area. Two or three years ago a survey by a Christian organization called the Barna group (which doesn’t seem to be online any more, unfortunately) came up with a breakdown of the US adult population as 30% true-believing Christians, 10% non-religious, and 60% what they called “Christian in name only”. That sounds about right to me. There are vast numbers of Americans who call themselves Christians but have only the vaguest idea what the Bible actually says (beyond a few well-known clichés) or what the Christian dogmas they’re supposed to believe in actually are, and whose behavior and attitudes are very little influenced by Christian taboos and prejudices. Giving up the self-designation as “Christian” is that last stage of the de-brainwashing process, not the first.
If anything, even that analysis is under-stating the decline of Christianity, since the 16% (not 10%) figure for atheists and agnostics is one I’ve seen elsewhere and is more likely to be correct. 16% is, by the way, twice as high as the figure was in the year 2000.
Yes, that 84% is only true if you define the term rather broadly. The Xtian-in-name-only people aren’t what I’d call religious. Nor are the secular Jews who never go to Temple and identify themselves as Jewish only because that’s their heritage.
Thanks for the great comment. That also sounds about right to me.
Our kids grew up with the threat of nuclear war right around the corner. I myself had to lead many a drill in which we would hide under our school desks, as if that would provide any hope for surviving one of those horrid bombs! To threaten children with any other hell just seemed cruel to me! Our former neighbors (the Curtises) put in an enormous bomb shelter in their back yard. Eugene told me he would dig a root cellar for us, but there was no way he was going to “Hide out like a bunch of rats and wait for death.”
So even though we were afraid most of the time, we put in a swingset instead.
Actually, I am old enough that I grew up having nightmares about nuclear annihilation. Good times.
My children have been raised hell free. I was too for the most part, haven grown up Episcopal in a semi-progressive congregation. Though I am not an atheist, the concept of heaven and hell are pure comedy to me.
No better than what Hitler did, start the programing and brainwashing while they are young. They are conditioning you to remain loyal to the church so that you will support them. The more followers, the more money they bring in. It’s all about MONEY$$$
Very good point Barbara.
You touched the right button there. Follow the money line.