yes religion is a tool. its a tool designed to control people.
"Religion is regarded by the common man as true, the wise man as false, and the rulers as useful."
~Seneca the Younger 4 b.c.- 65 a.d
crazy christians:Interracial Couples Banned From Kentucky Church
- Thread starter Free Thinker
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"Religion is regarded by the common man as true, the wise man as false, and the rulers as useful."
~Seneca the Younger 4 b.c.- 65 a.d
I see I am very late to this party.
FT, you give too much info to quickly. They cannot possibly process it all.
The difference between you and I is that I am younger than you, and I have not entirely made up my mind. I am hopeful that someone will answer these barb wire questions.
This latest fellow is the latest candidate, let's give him chance, shall we?
he is not interested in the evidence. he is only interested in defending his delusion.
in your case the fact that you are still questioning makes it likely that you will not fall into the trap. my advice would be to study religion from the outside looking in. learn about who wrote the bible and why. learn how christianity was created by borrowing myths from other earlier religions. once you understand you can see through it all. here is a good ebook that might enlighten:
Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions by T. W. Doane
http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=1643965&pageno=3
"I think I do understand god. I actually think a good working definition of "atheist" is "one who understands what a god is". It is like magic; once you understand how the trick is done it is no longer magic. Understanding destroys faith". (Mark Richardson)
the bible does not answer that question. the most accepted view is that cain married his sister. the bible story about adam and eve does not tell you how many children they had in total and the bible seldom talks about female children. so the best logical answer is cain married one of his sisters. ie incest.
I am familiar with all of these works, and between that and my skills as a Great Debater( see the movie), I had dissected many, many believers.
I regret that, it will be one of my greatest regrets, for I deprived them of their meaning for living. It was cruel, and it was wrong.
I am not deluded, but I will no longer jam logic down the throat of faith. It is limiting. Perhaps there may be something that our logic cannot yet explain. So I will hear every single believer.
Solomon did the same with non believers, and it led to Ecclesiastes. Which is probably the most depressing book in the bible, and my favorite.
I just want some believer somewhere to answer the questions that we both have. You have decided that there is no answer, I am not ready to give up yet.
the difference between us is that i think if people derive their meaing for living from myths it is sad. i think a mind free of superstition is true freedom.
Quote from Lucrum:
Holy Shit!
I see you dodged my earlier question. What actual plan does the GOP have that is better than Obama's?
See you are a one trick pony. You have nothing really to say.
a few pages ago no thinker was caught being a wacky fundamentalist claiming Christans are taught to kill homosexuals even though such a thought is clearly contrary to Jesus's teachings and actions.
And now all of sudden no thinker teams with the great debater in the equivalent of a puppet show? This is comedy.
Who did Cain marry? Who really cares?
If you were the first generation of humans and humans could only breed with humans... you would have a choice your mom or your sister. Incest? well perhaps for a pea brained fundamentalist but for most that would be survival of the species.
And now all of sudden no thinker teams with the great debater in the equivalent of a puppet show? This is comedy.
Who did Cain marry? Who really cares?
If you were the first generation of humans and humans could only breed with humans... you would have a choice your mom or your sister. Incest? well perhaps for a pea brained fundamentalist but for most that would be survival of the species.
you are right. nobody should care. the adam and eve story is nothing more than a primitive myth.
do we care how santa clause gets to every house in one night?
Is there an intelligent man or woman now in the world who believes in the Garden of Eden story? If you find any man who believes it, strike his forehead and you will hear an echo. Something is for rent.
-- Robert Green Ingersoll