The atrocities of Christianity

Discussion in 'Religion Archives' started by Magical Realist, Oct 25, 2012.

  1. Mazulu Banned Banned

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    First of all, I don't think anyone should be tortured, forced or threatened to read the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Next, thank God that the printing press was invented so that access to the scriptures was widely available. Thank God for freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of religion here in America so that we can discuss and argue ideas without oppression from the state. Thank God for human rights and civil rights that protect us here in the west. It took thousands of years and the sacrifices of millions of human lives to be able to argue the merits of religion without killing each other. And as deeply moved as I am about religion and God, I am thankful that I can beat on you wicked and evil atheists with nothing more hurtful than words, ideas and an occasional insult.

    Here it is. Book of Mark, chapter 13:
    "13:10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations."

    There's you're proof that Christianity was supposed to be spread by publishing the Gospel, not killing & torturing.
     
    Last edited: Nov 2, 2012
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  3. Magical Realist Valued Senior Member

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    If you believe in the Bible then you must also accept its teaching that atheists like me will burn in hellfire. Can you tell me how that differs in any way from believing I deserve to tortured just for not sharing your beliefs? It matters not whether you do it or if your God does it. It comes to the same thing: my happy existence as an atheist will not be tolerated. I must suffer eternally for the sin of simply not believing in your God.
     
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  5. wynn ˙ Valued Senior Member

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    And no, you won't get away with abusing the leniency of atheists toward abortion and animal slaughter.

    Just in the past hundred years, Christians have probably killed as many people in abortions, as they have killed in other ways since 33 AD combined.
     
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  7. Mazulu Banned Banned

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    You might have to look for those specific Bible verses. You might have to pray for guidance. If you look at the NDE data, it doesn't support the premise that non-believers (automatically) go to Hell. I can't think of a simple/easy solution to the "am I going to hell" question. If it bothers you that much, you're going to have to go to the source.
     
  8. wynn ˙ Valued Senior Member

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    In that case, we're back to the complete dependence of non-theists on theists, in matters of "God."
    That one topic you keep avoiding.
     
  9. Mazulu Banned Banned

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    Huh? I thought Christians were pro-life?
     
  10. wynn ˙ Valued Senior Member

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    They certainly are - in words. Deeds are another matter.
     
  11. wynn ˙ Valued Senior Member

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    IOW, you seem to be working with an expectation that other people owe it to you to treat you like what you deem a human being is to be treated.
    And when they don't, you're upset, and then you have a go at them, and treat them in ways that are opposite to what they deem they should be treated like.
     
  12. Mazulu Banned Banned

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    Huh? I'm sorry. I could not understand that sentence. Can you rephrase it?

    I can't think of any historical events, in the last hundred years, in which Christians committed atrocities. Can you name some?
     
  13. Cheezle Hab SoSlI' Quch! Registered Senior Member

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    The Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda. The leader Joseph Kony was a spokesman of God and (this might sound familiar) a spirit medium. Anyway it is fairly recent so you probably read about it in the paper. Child soldiers doing unspeakable acts. There are other examples.

    While we are in a relative peaceful stage of Christianity right now, there is no way to know what things will be like in the future. Christianity in 500 years could be every bit as horrific as in the past. Or maybe it will be a dead religion. Religion in general has the ability to say one thing and do another. All they have to do is say God commands it and the believers must follow. Just label someone as "evil and wicked" just as you have with atheists, and you can justify anything.
     
  14. Mazulu Banned Banned

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    If you have proof that Joseph Kony is committing unspeakable atrocities, then you have my permission to bring Kony to justice.

    It's equally possible that an atheist will commit horrific acts of violence against humanity. Violent people don't need religion to make them violent. They are perfectly capable of being violent with or without faith. Sadam Hussein wasn't a religious man. Nor was Joseph Stalin. Adolph Hitler was into mysticism.
     
  15. Neverfly Banned Banned

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    Hussein was a religious man, a Shia Muslim.
    Stalin was not a religious man.
    Hitler was a religious believer in God, non-denominational and only in Indiana Jones movies was he into Mysticism. In Real Life, however, Hitler had no interest in mysticism. Other members of the Nazi party and high ranking officials did have an interest int he occult, however, Hitler himself believed that pursuing occultist mysticism was a waste of resources and counter-productive to party goals.
     
  16. Cheezle Hab SoSlI' Quch! Registered Senior Member

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    Religion is certainly the prime candidate. In every example of secular entities that go bad, there is a leader. Hitler, Stalin, etc. It is these charismatic leaders that enable things to get out of hand. In democratic countries our leaders are not very charismatic. Esp where free speech is the case. While many look at our current president as charismatic, most do not. We can say all kinds of bad stuff about him. And in 4 or 8 years he is gone. I can't remember the last time I voted for candidate and not just for the best of the two. Several times I voted against a candidate and not for one. No one I know would blindly follow any US politician. We see all their flaws. Our system of government is far less likely to produce a monster leader. Now in societies where there are leaders for life, or leaders that have complete control you might have a point. Kim Jong Il or now his son for instance.

    The problem with religion is that even though a leader might be flawed, he may still be God's favorite. And so people will follow him. Jim Jones for example. The leaders are just a proxy for God and we must all do what God commands of us. If that means destroy the evil and wicked atheists (or any other group) then so be it. Would you risk your eternal soul going to hell by disobeying?

    The thing about Atheists is that we don't tend to be a cohesive group. We have no leaders. There are some famous atheists that we look up to. But we would be unlikely to follow them on any crusade.
     
  17. lightgigantic Banned Banned

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    which brings us back to how it operates much like desire of what the said community offers plus tools of discrimination .... the one topic you keep avoiding.
    :shrug:
     
  18. lightgigantic Banned Banned

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    Kony is representative of contemporary Christianity?
    /chortle

    As for the notion that all one has to do is say god commands it, the history of reformation and the ever changing social bodies of theistic organizations clearly proves otherwise ...
     
  19. Gerhard Kemmerer Banned Banned

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  20. lightgigantic Banned Banned

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    This statement is wrong on so many different fronts.

    To start with, you have just nulled your previous statements about Kony being representative of christianity
    And secular/democratic society is most certainly not an automatic safe guard against going off the rails (waterboarding?)

    Each system has its inherent weaknesses. Arguably democracy is simply a protection measure for a society that can only manage inept/corruptible/etc leaders (or at the very least, forces them to relegate their nefarious activities to subterfuge or a shroud of political speak). The problem with democracy is that it rides on the back of the lowest common denominator, so its not the best tool for dealing with some sort of crisis thoroughly embedded into the psyche of its communities (environmental issues vs "but who is going to give me a job" is a good example).
    IOW democracy is an unlikely system to come across as capable of navigating a socially catalyzed crisis

    Jim Jones?
    God's favorite?
    wtf?

    religious communities are a zillion times more complex than this caricature you just rendered.
    The fact that the world is dealing with a handful of angry muslims (in geographic regions inextricably tied to internationally valued commodities I might add) instead of several billion plainly illustrates otherwise

    Its kind of silly to suggest that if a system has no leaders it is not capable of violence (since human society, by its very nature, requires authority, leadership etc in some form or other - if you don't believe me just try driving on the wrong side of the road).
    History is full of examples of the banners of atheism being drawn up for the very reason you are denying - to form groups.

    I mean what to speak of notable atheist philosophers, its a hard stretch even on this site to find an atheist that doesn't have a contingent social agenda and ideology.
    :shrug:
     
  21. lightgigantic Banned Banned

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    and as a further detail

    The biologically reductionist picture of human nature which Dawkins, Dennett and others present to us does not seem to provide us with any particularly good reason to suppose that morality will develop towards greater perfection and a diminution of violence, or even for why humanity should develop in this direction. Neither the history of modern atheism nor the political history of the twentieth century nor the New Atheists' own depiction of human nature seem to supply any obvious reasons for believing that a dramatic diminution of religious belief in the world would significantly reduce human violence.
    http://www.investigatingatheism.info/violence.html
     
  22. Gerhard Kemmerer Banned Banned

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    Hell fire and eternal torture are pagan/catholic doctrines not taught in the Bible. It is very difficult to undo this global misunderstanding, along with hundreds of other misrepresentations of the Bible by self appointed religions. The only way to prove that is to read it yourself - cover to cover, and then also an authentic version and not a false one. Now how can anyone tell the difference which is which? - yet another maize to get through.

    The Bible exposes the false religions, and political agendas from 500 BC to now. Religious leaders are counting on false versions and ignorance/ trust in their leadership, to prevent that knowledge from getting out, all the while remaining willfully ignorant themselves.

    The Papacy is the mother of them all and also the centre of all great finance, ie world bank, shipping etc
     
  23. Magical Realist Valued Senior Member

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    I disagree. Jesus is recorded as having made over 70 references to hell as a place of burning torment for sinners. The majority of Christians also share this belief. Here is a website chocked full of bible verses supporting that belief. Note I don't believe a thing the bible says. I'm simply showing you what Christians believe and support with their own bible:

    The Truth About Hell
    http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...eved in hell&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&prmd=ivns&strip=1
     

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