Atheist=smarter and better person?

[MeDeFe]

I would say fighting in the name of peaceful god is just an excuse. A lot of poeople who belong to any religion really do live their lives like an Atheist/Agnostic. So,... Atheist/Agnostics have done most the killin'.

Since most of the people on here are Christian, I'll use them as an example.
As a Christian, what's your job? To be the best Christian that you can be, and that's about it.
I did an experiment back in high school. Only three people passed, and one was a Jehovah's Witness! All I asked them was to quote me five passages from the Bible.
If you can pass that test, then you're a Christian, or whatever religion.... But if you can't, then you're prolly more an Atheist than you want to admit.

Probably more agnostic as they believe in a god of some sort, but yeah, most people would probably have difficulty quoting one.

Make the "deist" instead of "agnostic", since an agnostic is someone who refuses to take a stance on whether there is a god or not or says it's inherently unknowable and futile to speculate about it.

[joecoolfrog]

Yes God has been used as a vehicle to gain power by Kings and Popes alike but that doesnt mean that religion is innocent and man solely to blame. The basic faith components were utilised to both inspire and put fear into those who ended up doing the fighting, soldiers went into battle on behalf of their leaders AND their religion, folly to pretend otherwise.
People did not question those above them so if told that they were fighting for God then they believed and did just that, the instructions came from man but the fighting was done because of faith.

[joecoolfrog]

How many people don't? I'd say more than half

Im sure thats true today but certainly was not in time gone by, thousands didnt flock to the holy land in order to get a tan !

[Juan_Bottom]

How many people don't? I'd say more than half

Im sure thats true today but certainly was not in time gone by, thousands didnt flock to the holy land in order to get a tan !

[tzor]

Yes God has been used as a vehicle to gain power by Kings and Popes alike but that doesnt mean that religion is innocent and man solely to blame.

Point of fact, generally speaking before Christianity and Islam generally put the "one god" model up for all the leaders to follow, kings and tyrants generally didn't use "god" as much as "godhood" often by claiming the rights and priviledges of gods. Roman Caesars often would declare their predecessors "gods" and a few declared themselves "gods." This was changed to the "divine right" of kings.

[MeDeFe]

Yes God has been used as a vehicle to gain power by Kings and Popes alike but that doesnt mean that religion is innocent and man solely to blame.

Point of fact, generally speaking before Christianity and Islam generally put the "one god" model up for all the leaders to follow, kings and tyrants generally didn't use "god" as much as "godhood" often by claiming the rights and priviledges of gods. Roman Caesars often would declare their predecessors "gods" and a few declared themselves "gods." This was changed to the "divine right" of kings.

So Christianity adopted something from other religions that had existed prior to it? I'm not quite sure what your point is.

[heavycola]

Yes God has been used as a vehicle to gain power by Kings and Popes alike but that doesnt mean that religion is innocent and man solely to blame.

Point of fact, generally speaking before Christianity and Islam generally put the "one god" model up for all the leaders to follow,

Uh, don't you mean Judaism and Islam?

[joecoolfrog]

Yes God has been used as a vehicle to gain power by Kings and Popes alike but that doesnt mean that religion is innocent and man solely to blame.

Point of fact, generally speaking before Christianity and Islam generally put the "one god" model up for all the leaders to follow, kings and tyrants generally didn't use "god" as much as "godhood" often by claiming the rights and priviledges of gods. Roman Caesars often would declare their predecessors "gods" and a few declared themselves "gods." This was changed to the "divine right" of kings.

Exactly
People have always been more inclined to flock to the banner of a ' God ' than to that of a mere mortal,even a Regal one.

[Ditocoaf]

I missed most of this thread, being gone on a backpacking trip, but it's no matter… because right after I left, this short exchange basically summed up everything. I feel that there is no more that I can, or need to, say.

I am just 99.9% sure God does not exist.

Good! Because I'm 150% sure that God does exist!

[kagetora]

I missed most of this thread, being gone on a backpacking trip, but it's no matter… because right after I left, this short exchange basically summed up everything. I feel that there is no more that I can, or need to, say.

I am just 99.9% sure God does not exist.

Good! Because I'm 150% sure that God does exist!

So does that prove that Visaoni knows more math sense than Jay?

[Ditocoaf]

I missed most of this thread, being gone on a backpacking trip, but it's no matter… because right after I left, this short exchange basically summed up everything. I feel that there is no more that I can, or need to, say.

I am just 99.9% sure God does not exist.

Good! Because I'm 150% sure that God does exist!

So does that prove that Visaoni knows more math sense than Jay?

It just sums up everything, ever. It's in what they said, how they said it, and what both of those things imply. There is so much meaning in those 8 words and 3 digits from each of them, that I'm sure I could never describe it all. Sure, there's the "math sense" thing. But also notice, for example:

Visaoni, said he was "just" sure, expressing that his sure-ness wasn't necessarily important, but nonexistance was just the option he figures is much more likely. Jay, representing religious arguers, counters by expressing that it is a competition between who is more certain: "I believe stronger than you believe, so my answer is more likely." This is the exact opposite of what Visaoni was just implying: the fact that Visaoni is not 100% sure, shows that his opinion is more reasoned and thought-out. So one interperetation of the exchange could be this: "The fact that I've thought about it so much means I'm only mostly certain, but the longer process also validates the outcome." "Well, I know there's a god for sure; I never even had to think about it."

That's just one way to look at those two quotes... I could go on for pages.

[DarkMalkin]

Here's something interesting for whom has an opened mind: (minute 11:00 - 40:00, approximately, is what I'm reffering to and has something to do with this topic)
Zeitgeist Movie

[joecoolfrog]

Well its been said before but......If you were an Omnipotent God would you choose to spend eternity in heaven with narrow minded twats like Jay ?