May 21, 2011. The date of the Rapture.

I see the problem...

You know I never have understood this. Other than having a few Mormons come to the door, I have never had anyone forcibly push their religion on me that a "no thanks" wouldn't take care of. You will have to give some examples.

Bummer

Cross-reference Icarus. But no need, I have read the NT but have yet to read the entire OT.

Perhaps or maybe it will not matter in 10 minutes... are you ready?

 

Your lack of knowledge?

Next time someone asks you what religion you are, say you are an atheist. Watch the "saving" begin.

Indeed.

I'll await it with open arms...

 

This has resulted in some of the worst insults I have ever endured. People say things like "You're confused. I'll pray for you." Or "Oh, I'm so sorry. You must be such a lost and tortured soul." Uh, no. The automatic assumption is that an atheist is some twisted, evil monster. One mother clutched her young son and pulled him away from me. Keep it. I don't need that kind of evil sickness in my life.

 

Sorry you two had such bad experiences... it really shouldn't be that way.

As for hyo silver... I have no idea what your look like.

 

Like a twisted, evil monster. I only looked once, just for a second, but my life has been a tortured hell ever since. I just can't shake the image.

Tom

 

Looks like you are prepared to make it seem Christianity has tried to systematically exterminate a group of people and did it by the tens of millions (or equivalent for it's time)....I have no problem with you making responses like that, but figured you were smarter than that.

 

No, it shouldn't. That kind of behaviour is unacceptable. Especially from people who claim to be loving, accepting, and strongly in favour of freedom of religion. I think perhaps they're not so clear on that last concept.

Not nearly that repulsive; believe me.

 

Said it earlier in the thread - I have enjoyed the past few months break from this kind of banter. I could have said a lot more on religion, but all it does is entice someone to do more than describe their belief...they attack another's belief and this happens.

Even the Pew poll on American's knowledge on religion is something I hesitated to post as a few might somehow take that to a flame war, and that poll is not provocative.

Hope that cease fire resumes.

 

Perhaps "shoved down your throat" is a little strong for most situations, but religion is very pervasive in our society. It's not like you can just ignore the whole issue by not going to church and hoping it will all go away. It's printed on the money. It's in the national anthem, sung at most sporting events. It's in insurance policies. It's in the legal system.

Freedom of religion does not exist.

 

<cough> Crusades </cough>

 

So you are saying Crusades = Holocaust?

Go ahead, if you think that seems brilliant...

 

I'm sure a few million Native Americans throughout history, especially in what is now called Latin America, would have a thing or two to say on the subject.

 

The treatment of Native Americans and the Inquisition was bad - deplorable.

Having said that, this happened over centuries while the Nazis killed tens of millions, each one done in a more though and systematic manner over only 12 years.

In scale, intensity, and time frame, it should be apparent which inhumanity was greater - not even close.

 

Doesn't much of Islam view the Crusades in much the same way much of the West views the Holocaust?

 

Yes.

That and colonialism.

Many of the attacks on Christianity at PC are when the church got into politics and in the process went from spiritual to worldly.

 

Given the vehemence of your exhortations to others to read the thing, this is a completely inexplicable lapse, like demanding that others eat something distasteful because "it's good for them" but you've never eaten it yourself. Spiderman credibility rating: down 488 points.

 

So it is okay to murder people provided you do it slowly enough?

Slowly indicates to me a more systemic problem. Nazism could be attributed to one madman (with many gullible followers). The church atrocities are spread over generations, thus not curable by removing one man. Even now I see be gullible followers trying to minimize the perceived level of those atrocities. You're right, not even close.

 

The Inquisition.
Estimates vary widely, but anywhere from a few hundred thousand to a few million people, mostly women (widows who had inherited property), were accused of witchcraft and put to death.

Of course, the Church ends up with the property of convicted heretics.

Coincidence? yeah, not really.

 

"No one expects the Spanish Inquisition."

Tom

 

How do you draw that conclusion from my last post? You are putting words into my mouth, resorting to tortured logic to "win" in an embarrassing way.

Some of you are attempting to cast Christianity as the worst blight on humanity and the hostility blinds you to some of the absurd charges made. Even factoring in a smaller population and older technology, Christianity over the past 2000 years had not done the mayhem as Nazism in 12 years, the Soviet Union in 70, a few other regimes in the past century....this is reaching. Then many of the crimes cited are simply people not practicing what they preach....I am not justifying or rationalizing the Inquisition, etc.

This spitting match has gone on for years of irreligious people desperate to "prove" something they loath is the most evil and idiotic thing ever. It has not served them well, yet it goes on.