Religion and Atheism

[Sip]

Re: Religion and Atheism

Is this REALLY the holy hand? haaaaaaaaaaaaa ahahahahaahah ahahahahah hahhaahahah ahahahahahaa haaaaaaaahahahaah ahahahahaahaah ........

[Siggie]

Re: Religion and Atheism

Is this REALLY the holy hand? haaaaaaaaaaaaa ahahahahaahah ahahahahah hahhaahahah ahahahahahaa haaaaaaaahahahaah ahahahahaahaah ........

How did I miss that?! *dies* And they say the church is against @ss play!!!!

[yerazhishda]

Re: Religion and Atheism

I think people should give this podcast by Dr. J. Constantinou a listen:

Apostolic Faith And Apostolic Doubt

"This site was very deceptive and very clever. It said: there's no proof that the Apostles died as martyrs because that is not in the Bible...Well think about this, if it was in the Bible, would that website have accepted it as proof? Of course not, because that same website when it talks about Christ does not accept the Bible as proof. So what they accept as proof is constantly changing, like shifting sands, and it doesn't matter what you point to because nothing satisfies as proof or evidence. If you point to early Church history, they'll say, 'but it's not in the Bible'. If you point to the Bible as evidence they say, 'well it was written long after the events, they were not eyewitnesses or the early Christians invented these things or Constantine the Great invented it.

If you point to the miracles they'll say, 'that was your brain chemistry' or 'it was positive suggestion'. So nothing stands as proof or evidence for skeptics. So really, you can never find answers to your questions by going to these websites; nothing counts for them. They will never accept anything because they're not interested in an open discussion of the issue, but they're interested in destroying faith."

-Presvytera Dr. Constantinou

[KanadaHye]

Re: Religion and Atheism

Is this REALLY the holy hand? haaaaaaaaaaaaa ahahahahaahah ahahahahah hahhaahahah ahahahahahaa haaaaaaaahahahaah ahahahahaahaah ........

How did I miss that?! *dies* And they say the church is against @ss play!!!!

Question for you guys. WHERE DO YOU THINK THE "shocker" HAND GESTURE CAME FROM?





Sevanavank, Armenia, Khachkar 13th C.

From one of the finest stone memorials in Armenia: the 13th century medieval Khachkar in the Mother of God Church, Sevanavank. God the Father raises right hand in Armenian blessing, surrounded by symbols of the four Evangelists.





A painting of the Christ Pantokrator, probably 17th C., in the recently restored monastery Church dedicated to the Transfiguration of Christ, on top of the highest mountain in Corfu, Greece.

[Siggie]

Re: Religion and Atheism

The description of the hand you originally posted is wrong by the way. It says thumb and index finger.

I think people should give this podcast by Dr. J. Constantinou a listen:

Apostolic Faith And Apostolic Doubt

"This site was very deceptive and very clever. It said: there's no proof that the Apostles died as martyrs because that is not in the Bible...Well think about this, if it was in the Bible, would that website have accepted it as proof? Of course not, because that same website when it talks about Christ does not accept the Bible as proof. So what they accept as proof is constantly changing, like shifting sands, and it doesn't matter what you point to because nothing satisfies as proof or evidence. If you point to early Church history, they'll say, 'but it's not in the Bible'. If you point to the Bible as evidence they say, 'well it was written long after the events, they were not eyewitnesses or the early Christians invented these things or Constantine the Great invented it.

If you point to the miracles they'll say, 'that was your brain chemistry' or 'it was positive suggestion'. So nothing stands as proof or evidence for skeptics. So really, you can never find answers to your questions by going to these websites; nothing counts for them. They will never accept anything because they're not interested in an open discussion of the issue, but they're interested in destroying faith."

-Presvytera Dr. Constantinou

This is an excuse to dismiss the idea of evidence at all. It's only difficult to find satisfactory evidence because there isn't any.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Religion and Atheism

"They will never accept anything because they're not interested in an open discussion of the issue, but they're interested in destroying faith."

BINGO. They aren't irreligious, they are in fact hostile towards people of faith.

[Sip]

Re: Religion and Atheism

BINGO. They aren't irreligious, they are in fact hostile towards people of faith.

I am ONLY hostile towards stupidity. If you are willing to say you have faith just because you want to have faith, I have no problem with it. I have a problem if you say you have faith because what you believe in is "True". For something to be "True", there has to be a way to verify the "trueness" and the scientific method is the best thing we have for that. The rest is just our best guess. Which again, it is fine if you are willing to acknowledge that it is a guess

[Siggie]

Re: Religion and Atheism

That and toward religion being forced onto others insofar as it permeates government and influences decision making that impacts other persons. I have a problem with a member of government using religion to inform their decision making, voting, etc.

Examples:
Trying to teach creation in science classrooms.
Banning stem-cell research based on religious objections.
Spending government money on giant statues of the commandments.
Women dying because no one in a hospital or medical facility has learned how to perform an abortion because of their religious beliefs.

And yes, I have a problem with "under God" in the pledge of allegiance too. It wasn't there originally; it was added and it should be removed because it violates separation of church and state.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Religion and Atheism

That and toward religion being forced onto others insofar as it permeates government and influences decision making that impacts other persons. I have a problem with a member of government using religion to inform their decision making, voting, etc.

Examples:
Trying to teach creation in science classrooms.
Banning stem-cell research based on religious objections.
Spending government money on giant statues of the commandments.
Women dying because no one in a hospital or medical facility has learned how to perform an abortion because of their religious beliefs.

And yes, I have a problem with "under God" in the pledge of allegiance too. It wasn't there originally; it was added and it should be removed because it violates separation of church and state.

Then move.

[Siggie]

Re: Religion and Atheism

Then move.

No. The US was founded with these ideals and it has swayed from that. The solution is not to move.


Is that what you would tell Armenians unhappy with the state of the RA? Move? THAT attitude is part of the problem, no? Isn't it better to stay and try to fix it, than to leave?