This is just a nitpick but I think genocide would be covered by "Thou shalt not kill/murder."

Genocide is not just about killing, so I think his point stands.

And I suppose you could interpret rape as coveting thy neighbor's wife. Yeah right. Not the same.

Not to mention slavery isn't one. That alone is enough to make the entire thing bullshit to most people.

Of course reading the bible makes no difference to religious people, even moderate ones.

You know why? one simple little word: Rationalization. Unless you're a religious extremist, but you are a religious person still, then you rationalize the fuck out of your religion.

No decent, proper person would read all the insane stupidity, ignorance, violence, contradiction, and plain and simple lies, and not have to distort their own view of religion, so that the book that is supposed to be the word of god, is actually just a loose collection of stories, and they were written long ago, and they are not meant to be taken literally, etc, etc, bla bla bla fucking bla.

What makes these celebutards think they know anything about the real world? Both are likely driven around in limos and have servants waiting on them, not to mention the orbiting sycophants. They have enough $$$ that higher taxes on the middle class (they most assuredly "weep" for) has no effect on them.

Unlike regular capitalists, Hollywood capitalists don't care about those evil profits...that's why so much filming is now done in (way cheaper) Vancouver.

IMO, the biggest challenge facing atheists is proving their way of life is so much better or happier than that of believers.

>> ^EMPIRE:

Of course reading the bible makes no difference to religious people, even moderate ones.
You know why? one simple little word: Rationalization. Unless you're a religious extremist, but you are a religious person still, then you rationalize the fuck out of your religion.
No decent, proper person would read all the insane stupidity, ignorance, violence, contradiction, and plain and simple lies, and not have to distort their own view of religion, so that the book that is supposed to be the word of god, is actually just a loose collection of stories, and they were written long ago, and they are not meant to be taken literally, etc, etc, bla bla bla fucking bla.


The same study found that the majority of Catholics don't know that their religion teaches that communion is literally transformed into the body and blood of Christ. Most incorrectly believe that it's a metaphor.

It's not that they've never been told directly, I'm sure they all have dozens of times. It's that the cognitive dissonance of being asked to believe something that they can taste and smell and see is patently false is too much people. Somehow they don't even deal with the contradiction directly, they just pretend it doesn't exist.

>> ^quantumushroom:

What makes these celebutards think they know anything about the real world? Both are likely driven around in limos and have servants waiting on them, not to mention the orbiting sycophants. They have enough $$$ that higher taxes on the middle class (they most assuredly "weep" for) has no effect on them.
Unlike regular capitalists, Hollywood capitalists don't care about those evil profits...that's why so much filming is now done in (way cheaper) Vancouver.
IMO, the biggest challenge facing atheists is proving their way of life is so much better or happier than that of believers.


I don't know about happier, but I will say it's infinitely preferable to willful self-deception.

Atheists are no more rational or free of self-delusion than Believers; these human flaws simply express themselves in different ways.

>> ^Longswd:

I don't know about happier, but I will say it's infinitely preferable to willful self-deception.

I love the way the crew laughs along...

As if Abrahamic monotheisms are the Only religion.

>> ^quantumushroom:

Atheists are no more rational or free of self-delusion than Believers; these human flaws simply express themselves in different ways.
>> ^Longswd:
I don't know about happier, but I will say it's infinitely preferable to willful self-deception.


You know, I cant believe you just wrote that. No facts, findings or arguments to back it up, just an assessment. "Atheists are just as delusional" Its like a fat kid comeback to a mean tease: "Your'e also fat!" The irony is that this kind of rationalization is itself an act of self-delusion.

The act of willful self-delusion is not hard to come by in religion, take for instance the replies to mother Teresa when she expressed her doubts:

...feeling Jesus is not the only proof of his being there, and her very craving for God was a “sure sign” of his “hidden presence” in her life; and that the absence was in fact part of the “spiritual side” of her work for Jesus.

What is essentially said here, is that the doubts are actually themselves evidence that the very thing you are doubting is true. A more complete, circular, delusionary argument is hard to imagine. Its a war with your own mind you cant win. "The more you dont believe, the more you should believe." Amazingly, this kind of "reasoning" is actually quite common in religious apologetics.

This kind of silliness only works in religion. Atheists may occasionally delude themselves like anybody else, but at least we reject the main tool to get it done: Faith.

Not true, QM. It should be obvious that atheists are at least more rational in the sole distinction of what makes them atheists in the first place; a non-belief in an unproven, magical post-hoc explanation that humans, at their wit's end and born out of a state of ignorance, came up with to fill the massive gaps in their knowledge (gaps which are slowly being filled over time, one by one). I don't deny that there are those who can arrive at their atheism through irrational, emotion-based means, but that's neither here nor there.

Unless you really think Christianity is at all a rational position, which would be the antithesis of what that establishment makes no secret in placing utmost importance on, faith; as much as they try to have it both ways when it best suits them.

The "atheist way of life" straw man you're thrashing around is not worth rebuttal, because its not even wrong. I don't feel like explaining what atheism is to you again for the umpteenth time, dude!