Are you an atheist?

[Galaxiom]

I also believe that whatever faith you have it is your obligation to respect other faiths.

Do you respect Pagan religions and others that worship nature? How about religions with multiple gods such as Hindu or the Roman, Norse and Greek gods. Abrahamic religions typically despise them for not following their "one true God".

How about the Mormons who believe the Israelites went to Utah (the True Promised Land) and base their holy text on a golden plate buried by angels, discovered and translated by their founder who interpreted it by looking at a special stone in his hat. (Nobody else ever saw the golden plate.)

Or Scientology which was founded by a science fiction writer and believes we are aliens. Their god took away many of our genes, put us in a volcano where we came out with an eruption to populate the planet.

What about David Koresh and the Branch Davidians? Or Jimmy Jones? Jessa O'MyHeart and his church, "Infinity Forms of the Yellow Remember"?

How about Satanists? You respect all of them too as part of your obligation?

I have read a few of the Holly Books - and am still to find somewhere where it states to hate other people's religion.

Jesus spoke of the "hypocrites at the synagogue" and advised that worship should be done in private. Aside from the fact that overt every Christian fails to follow His advice I don't see much tolerance there.

What about those whose "faith" is that there is no god? Do you respect their beliefs? Mohammed claims Allah says they should be treated harshly. No tolerance there.

Religion is a cause of love. If you love your God - whatever name you call it - how can you prefer yourself over someone else. That was the golden rule taught by every prophet.

This is the greatest myth promulgated by believers. Why don't you read the books and discover the truth?

The Abrahmaic religions are rotten to the core with prejudice, bigotry and intolerance. I suggest you start by reading about the brutal genocide perpetrated by the Hebrews under the leadership of Joshua as the massacred every man, woman and child in at least thirty tribes who were already living in "The Promised Land" when they invaded.

Their success with so few over much greater numbers of victims is held up as evidence for the glory of their god. Two tribes sent representatives to negotiate a peace treaty with the Hebrews and pretended they lived outside the area targeted for invasion. For "their deceit" the whole tribes were enslaved by the Hebrews. God then punished the Hebrews for failing to kill them.

Many believers claim that god is about "unconditional love". Clearly they have not read the "manual for life" either. Far from being unconditional, God will forgive any crimes like murder and ra** provided the person repents and believes in Him.

What He wont forgive is those who don't believe in Him, worship Him and follow His every command. They will be cast into an eternity of suffering.

The God of the Bible and Quran is misanthropic psychopath.

 

[Galaxiom]

Many religions limit the rights of women, treating them as possessions of their fathers and husbands. Why should I have the slightest respect for their faiths?

Islam supposes that it should be able to enforce Sharia Law over everyone on the planet regardless of the will of the people. That is fascism. Why should I have any more respect for Islam than I have for Nazism?

The concept of respect for all faiths is promoted by the religious in an attempt to suppress all criticism. It is a concession they make to other religions to avoid criticism of their own in places where they cannot archaic blasphemy laws which they would actually prefer.

Modern secular democracy affords the right to free speech so the faithful will just have to get used to criticism. I for one will not be holding back on pointing out the truth about religion wherever I can.

 

[Adam Caramon]

The concept of respect for all faiths is promoted by the religious in an attempt to suppress all criticism. It is a concession they make to other religions to avoid criticism of their own in places where they cannot archaic blasphemy laws which they would actually prefer.

Agreed. I think it is part of the growing pains of religion. An objective look at most religions reveals that they are purely control devices. However, when raised with a religion, it is often very difficult for the believer to see this fact.

The more moderate religious people know this, but feel that a lot of good morals come from their religion. They enforce the things they agree with in their holy book, and explain away those that they don't.

I'm hopeful that in the next 50 years the The USA will be a mostly secular nation (the rural southern states will likely be the exceptions).

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Galaxiom:

Sexual preference is nobody's business except for consenting adults who choose to be together.

Please explain exactly why you are so disturbed by others' homosexuality.

To which Ken Higgs replied:

I'd rather get clarification on if it's a choice or hardwired. The difference takes the discussion in two entirely different directions...

Ken, you might or might not care to research this yourself, but the answer to the choice/hardwired question might by found by reading articles available through this web search: brain scan + homosexual

If you read some of the articles, you would find that some UK physicians were using Positron Emission Tomography (a.k.a. PET scans) to do research into brain structure. A couple of important points relevant to your question....

1. There is a measurable physical difference between male and female brains. That difference is described in the articles and brain anatomy isn't my strong point so I'll leave it to you to find what differences exist.

2. There are documented cases in which a person's brain (the wiring) and genitalia (the plumbing) are of opposite polarity. If you will allow the coarse description, the wiring and the plumbing don't match for many homosexuals.

Whether this leads to a statement that homosexuality is ALL nature or just "more strongly influenced by nature" is perhaps a matter of interpretation. However, in New Orleans we have a strong gay community in some parts of the French Quarter (away from Canal Street). I personally know some people (from my days as a struggling college student musician) who claim they felt as though they were born into the wrong body. After reading the study, I had to agree that they might have been right.

 

[AnthonyGerrard]

Galaxiom:

Sexual preference is nobody's business except for consenting adults who choose to be together.

Please explain exactly why you are so disturbed by others' homosexuality.

To which Ken Higgs replied:

I'd rather get clarification on if it's a choice or hardwired. The difference takes the discussion in two entirely different directions...

Ken, you might or might not care to research this yourself, but the answer to the choice/hardwired question might by found by reading articles available through this web search: brain scan + homosexual

If you read some of the articles, you would find that some UK physicians were using Positron Emission Tomography (a.k.a. PET scans) to do research into brain structure. A couple of important points relevant to your question....

1. There is a measurable physical difference between male and female brains. That difference is described in the articles and brain anatomy isn't my strong point so I'll leave it to you to find what differences exist.

2. There are documented cases in which a person's brain (the wiring) and genitalia (the plumbing) are of opposite polarity. If you will allow the coarse description, the wiring and the plumbing don't match for many homosexuals.

Whether this leads to a statement that homosexuality is ALL nature or just "more strongly influenced by nature" is perhaps a matter of interpretation. However, in New Orleans we have a strong gay community in some parts of the French Quarter (away from Canal Street). I personally know some people (from my days as a struggling college student musician) who claim they felt as though they were born into the wrong body. After reading the study, I had to agree that they might have been right.

I dont disagree with any of that - however I do think that being gay is / has been for a couple of decades rather trendy - and can allow some people to behave in an althernative/flamboyant way that would be frowned upon as a straight person.

I do believe some choose a lifestyle/ group in which they are more accepted - without actually being born gay.

 

[rodmc]

And to think that Islam was at the forefront of science and progressive thinking for some time in the middle ages, unfortunately extremism in islam more or less destroyed that, such a pity!

 

[AnthonyGerrard]

And to think that Islam was at the forefront of science and progressive thinking for some time in the middle ages, unfortunately extremism in islam more or less destroyed that, such a pity!

Irans trying its best with nuclear technology - keeps getting stopped from progressing by the US.

 

[rodmc]

Irans trying its best with nuclear technology - keeps getting stopped from progressing by the US.

pmsl, thanks for that I need to wipe my screen down now

 

[Galaxiom]

I do believe some choose a lifestyle/ group in which they are more accepted - without actually being born gay.

And should it matter TO YOU what SOMEONE ELSE chooses for THEIR LIFE?

 

[AnthonyGerrard]

And should it matter TO YOU what SOMEONE ELSE chooses for THEIR LIFE?

It matters as much to me - as it does to you - which is why we are both talking of it - Simply an observation mate.

OK MATE!

 

[AnthonyGerrard]

pmsl, thanks for that I need to wipe my screen down now

Heard about this on the BBC world service the other day - quite interesting technology and cooperation!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20447422

 

[Galaxiom]

Irans trying its best with nuclear technology - keeps getting stopped from progressing by the US.

The really really sad thing about Iran is that the CIA destroyed the democratically elected government at the behest of Winston Churchill (one of the greatest arsh0les of modern history) who objected to the Iranian government seizing British oil assets in Iran after decades of blatant theft of their resources.

How different would the Middle East have been without that disruption?

 

[Galaxiom]

It matters as much to me - as it does to you - which is why we are both talking of it - Simply an observation mate.

OK MATE!

Sorry for the misunderstanding. My post was intended for the generic YOU.

 

[AnthonyGerrard]

The really really sad thing about Iran is that the CIA destroyed the democratically elected government at the behest of Winston Churchill (one of the greatest arsh0les of modern history) who objected to the Iranian government seizing British oil assets in Iran after decades of blatant theft of their resources.

How different would the Middle East have been without that disruption?

He did well with Gallipolli and the Gold Standard though?

 

[AnthonyGerrard]

Sorry for the misunderstanding. My post was intended for the generic YOU.

No worries.

 

[Galaxiom]

He did well with Gallipolli and the Gold Standard though?

I sense irony here.

For some bizarre reason Australia celebrates the futile massacre in the face of machine guns at Gallipoli as a national day of heroic action. Churchill's incompetence was the most spectacular aspect of the campaign.

What did he do with the Gold Standard?

 

[AnthonyGerrard]

I sense irony here.

For some bizarre reason Australia celebrates the futile massacre in the face of machine guns at Gallipoli as a national day of heroic action. Churchill's incompetence was the most spectacular aspect of the campaign.

What did he do with the Gold Standard?

Aye - Ive seen the gathering of a few thousand pissed up hoons on their travels every year - making the "pilgrimage".

Yes why Gallipolli wasnt the first or most deadly for Aussies was it?

Gold standard - I forget the details except he was chancellor at the time and it was another in his long line of **** ups.

 

[Dick7Access]

Irans trying its best with nuclear technology - keeps getting stopped from progressing by the US.

Clarification please, in your opinion, is it good thing, or a bad thing that US is trying to stop Iran’s nuclear technology?

 

[AnthonyGerrard]

Clarification please, in your opinion, is it good thing, or a bad thing that US is trying to stop Iran’s nuclear technology?

Well if its for energy purposes - I'd say bad.

If its for weapons - its a bit more complicated. Its then a case of do as i say and not as I do, which short or long term only feeds a sense of injustice, which is seemingly at he the heart of middle eastern problems already.

Though nuclear proliferation isnt something I would want either.

The nuclear powers should be looking at ridding the world of them completely - not just Iran. Singling out Islamic nations doesnt help.

Is Iran really after weapon tecnology anyhow - Well Iraqs WMD ididnt turn out to be much did they?

 

[Dick7Access]

Well if its for energy purposes - I'd say bad.

If its for weapons - its a bit more complicated. Its then a case of do as i say and not as I do, which short or long term only feeds a sense of injustice, which is seemingly at he the heart of middle eastern problems already.

Though nuclear proliferation isnt something I would want either.

The nuclear powers should be looking at ridding the world of them completely - not just Iran. Singling out Islamic nations doesnt help.

Is Iran really after weapon tecnology anyhow - Well Iraqs WMD ididnt turn out to be much did they?

Well spoken, but is there any doubt in your mind that if Iran gets a nuclear bomb they would attack Israel?