Religion and Atheism

[Lucin]

Re: Religion and Atheism

Because being a proud Armenian and being an atheist are not mutually exclusive.

Nah that's not it, maybe you should read up a bit more on Armenian History to see what I meant...

[Siggie]

Re: Religion and Atheism

Congratulations, you are officially an intellectual! Curious, why have you then put proudly Vartan Mamikonian as your avatar?

Because being a proud Armenian and being an atheist are not mutually exclusive.

[Lucin]

Re: Religion and Atheism

What is wrong with being an atheist?

Congratulations, you are officially an intellectual! Curious, why have you then put proudly Vartan Mamikonian as your avatar?

[KanadaHye]

Re: Religion and Atheism

Now add the historical context and then you will come to the truth. The emperors that came after Constantine had more power than the ones that came before. Until Charlemagne there was only one emperor in the whole world and he spoke with the voice of god.

Christians didn't do no such thing most of the time the people breaking down the power were not the Christians but everybody but the Christians. Some of these Emperors ruled until WW1 in one form or another.

Didn't the Roman Empire divide into 2 somewhere in the 3rd century allowing 2 emperors to oversee the East an West half respectively?

[Siggie]

Re: Religion and Atheism

Not in the case of a breathalyzer malfunction for a DUI. You're guilty until proven innocent.

No ... The state would present their case and their evidence (the breathalyzer reading) and the defendant would highlight the error rate and whatever else. If the state's evidence isn't reliable, it will be given less weight, etc.
I knew when I was adding that bit about the criminal standard of proof that you'd run with that and ignore the larger point. ZOMG, I think I just proved I'm psychic!

[KarotheGreat]

Re: Religion and Atheism

Right... that's why the power was divided among more than one Emperor where in the past, authority belonged to only one. As Christians further expose the ruling bodies and breakdown all the government structures that protect the liars and thiefs, they will be left naked in the streets along with all the leeches protecting their institutions. Blood sucking thieves.

Now add the historical context and then you will come to the truth. The emperors that came after Constantine had more power than the ones that came before. Until Charlemagne there was only one emperor in the whole world and he spoke with the voice of god.

Christians didn't do no such thing most of the time the people breaking down the power were not the Christians but everybody but the Christians. Some of these Emperors ruled until WW1 in one form or another.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Religion and Atheism

While this makes a great topic for a film (see Roshomon; it's fantastic), I still don't see your point.
We're not always working from people's memories. The evidence is not limited to personal accounts. That's what you examine, as a first step, if it's not feasible to examine more reliable data.
You shouldn't need to prove that something didn't occur. It's illogical. The court system isn't even set up this way (that's why it's innocent until proven guilty).

Not in the case of a breathalyzer malfunction for a DUI. You're guilty until proven innocent.

[Siggie]

Re: Religion and Atheism

That's not what I said. I said half of each story was true and the other half of each story was made up to leave question or doubt in order to persuade the third party that THEIR version of the truth is what really occured. It's impossible to prove something that is entirely made up and difficult to prove that it didn't occur. It's hard to prove something that really happened when half truths of accounts are created to change the events and leave doubt.

While this makes a great topic for a film (see Roshomon; it's fantastic), I still don't see your point.
We're not always working from people's memories. The evidence is not limited to personal accounts. That's what you examine, as a first step, if it's not feasible to examine more reliable data.
You shouldn't need to prove that something didn't occur. It's illogical. The court system isn't even set up this way (that's why it's innocent until proven guilty).

[Siggie]

Re: Religion and Atheism

I guess living in western Europe will turn one into an atheist?

If you read about Perennialism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perennial_philosophy) you will understand that there as always been a Creator, but people throughout history have seen different aspects of the Creator. Some saw multiple gods, others a few, and more recently, only one. The answers are out there, but you will never get them from science because that is not what science was created for nor should do.

There being universal religion is not evidence of a creator. Yes, people have believed in deities for a looooong time, but that doesn't mean that one exists. One does not follow logically from the other. To say that some entity created the universe is an extraordinary claim and extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence (but really... I'll settle for any amount of evidence). Where's the evidence of a creator?

[KanadaHye]

Re: Religion and Atheism

Actually it gave him and his successors more power. After Vespasian no emperor was proclaimed god like Caesar, Augustus or Nero were. Vespasian was the last one to be proclaimed god. However after Constantine we see that emperors are viewed as the voice of god on earth. In the Middle Ages there were two emperors in all of Europe. Both of them taught they were messengers of god. It gave them something exclusive they were the most powerful being on earth safe for god that is what meant for Constantine to become Christian.

Then you don't know much about Roman/Hellenic religions. Still you haven't given real proof how your god is more real than the other ones.

Enlightenment? Are you kidding me?

Right... that's why the power was divided among more than one Emperor where in the past, authority belonged to only one. As Christians further expose the ruling bodies and breakdown all the government structures that protect the liars and thiefs, they will be left naked in the streets along with all the leeches protecting their institutions. Blood sucking thieves.