Why does it seem the SL population hates Christians?

Says who?




This is one thing I never understood. How come are you so sure it's YOUR religion which is right? For instance, why do you reject Ra, and Zeus, and all other deities? How are you so sure that your belief is the right one, and not simply adopted from your environment? For instance, had you been born in Japan, would you still be Christian?

Um... sex is about children? Are you saying we should think about children while we are having sex?!?

Um...ewww

Come on Lewis, you can answer that one... The usual reply is something along the lines of "If it was obvious that God exists and does miracles all the time and makes everything clear to everyone then nobody would need faith and the choice to believe wouldn't be a choice. God wants us to love him, and it wouldn't be love without choice.".

Let's take this the fun extra mile.

Since SLex is sexual activity between two or more people via avatars, is that technically sex out of wedlock?

Because that would either kill the argument or mean that we need to be thinking of our little prim babies! No SLex before Partnership! ::chuckles::

Let us also not forget about 10 years ago a group of fundies parked their cars in a parking lot next to a Wiccan Book Store that was having its grand opening. They got out huge speakers and bombarded the store with "Gospel" Music forcing it to shut down

The Sheriff was too afraid to do anything because the leader said they had James Dobson on their side. This happened in Central California.

*ignoring Magnum*

Now I could be wrong about this, however..... The 'No Sex Before Marriage' thing was actually added by a Pope much much later. THe actual commandment is Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery, meaning don't sleep with someone who's married, or someone else if you're married.

Now, I could come up with a couple reasons why this new interpretation was made, but they'd be baseless and likely start a flamewar, no matter how likely the reasons are.

...has nothing to do with the Da Vinci codes. In the council of CE 326, members of the christian organization saw that Pagans were returning to their own religion because, infact their own religion was better. The concept of Hell and the Devil were dug out of the Jewish scripts (Which the jews themselves have long abandoned (The concept of the devil that is)) and introduced it into the ce326 (I.E What would become the King James Bible) Bible .

Other books were left out due to personal reasons.

I'd say it was because of part of the NT.

In the OT, the people thought sperm was limited in quantity and holy, and the bible instructs literally that it's better to cum in a hooker than it is to masturbate. Thus, boom in business for the hookers.

In the NT, a slutty woman was told by Jesus that her new husband was not her real husband, but that she had married herself to the men she'd slept with, as she'd not yet had sex with her husband. That's probably where the abstinence thing comes in. The church needs to control marriage, else it lose control of society.

So... You admit parts of the bible are wrong eh? or no longer apply

Wow what does that say for a book constructed in 326 CE

It's not so much a matter of hating Christians (or members of any of the other organized religions). More like "disdain" and also somewhat "fear" (in much the same way you fear someone who is mad). At least we can all be thankful that most modern Christians don't really read their whole religious text or take it seriously, or we'd still have people being killed for heresy. The God of Abraham makes it abundantly clear that's what he wants (want some scripture quotes to prove it?), which is why people used to do it all of the time. They DID really read the Bible and DID really take it seriously. And that's frightening stuff.

Even as things are, organized religion inflicts incredible suffering through both law and individual action even in pseudo-secular America, let alone the insanity it inspires in the Middle East. It's actually hard to say which is the greater of possibly the two most incredible evils in the world: capitalistic greed or organized religion.

Please don't take this as a flame. Most individual religious "moderates" are perfectly decent, well-meaning people. They just happen to believe some very ridiculous, incredible things, and the beliefs to which they adhere are themselves responsible for some of the most incredible evil in the world (and have been throughout history).

You would look askance at someone who claimed to be an alien ninja master from Jupiter, wouldn't you? Then why ask how someone could question you for claiming (with zero evidence save a book) that the creator of the universe is invisible, is simultaneously three beings and one, had a son who was born of a virgin and could walk on water, then died but came back to life, and is now available in Catholic churches everyone for literal consumption in the form of little wafers and goblets of wine?

Believe whatever you like, but just don't be so surprised when especially crazy beliefs with no evidence provoke some people to question you. That's all.

To be more detailed, the other books were declared "Pseudepigraphal", meaning that they contradict with what the Council had decided was the best way to present the Bible to the people. It didn't matter whether or not there was truth to it. Scrolls found in Chateau de Rennes, for instance, dated to be of biblical age and hoarded in its bowels, are declared pseudepigraphal because they chronicle Jesus's life outside of what the Bible shows. It indicates that he married Mary Magdalene, like the D.C. claims, as well as had children by her.

So they could be true, but the Pope doesn't want them true, so they are treated as lies.

I'm not aware of that story... however I wasn't aware that it was a crime to play loud music from a car stereo, even if people found it obnoxious. Most young people would be in jail if that was the case.

Seems to me that people were just exercising their freedom of speech, and if the store shut down after such a silly little 'protest' - then I would blame it more on an unworkable business model than someone with a loud car stereo.

I find your comment about pagans returning to their old religion 'because it was better' rather amusing, because me and others have been attacked for making that very claim, that Christianity is The Truth.

You believe what you like, and let me believe what I like ... one day we'll find out who was right.

Lewis

Exactly. Before CE 326, the bible did not exist as it does now. It was a collection of writings and included all writings not just those choosen by the Council.

Now there is something we agree on Lewis

In many places, it is a crime and is ticketed accordingly.

Forcing a business to shut down is a crime. Typical of Fundies to try to justify their wrongs.

And don't pull that "You believe what you like, and let me believe what I like ... one day we'll find out who was right" On me. Thats just an escapism.

Exactly. There are people of deep and abiding religious faith - of several different religions - who I respect highly.

Lewis' type ain't it.

Most cities around where I live issue tickets for loud music, motorcycles, cars, etc.

It's called disturbing the peace, especially when in a private parking lot, where freedom of speech does not apply.

Want a protest? apply for the permit and do it legally, on public property.

Granted, Magnum may be employing a bit of hyperbole here, as he is given to do at times, but if the local sheriff wouldn't address it, then how do you suggest the business should cope with an illegal, peace disturbing assembly on private property? I'd go to the state level myself, but perhaps this outfit just decided it wasn't worth it, or moved to a neighboring town, who knows.

Actually, noise pollution laws and public disturbance and decency laws make just such an action illegal.



Go park outside of Harrah's Casino and exercise your "freedom of speech" that way. It IS illegal, as it's disturbing the peace. Plus, it was an intentional attack on a business for the purpose of trying to close it, in a manner that was potentially damaging to property and person, was a type of industrial sabotage, and was religious harassment of both the employees and the customers. There's so many misdemeanors that could be dragged into it that you'd be looking at 12 years in prison.



It's a bit different. Pagan religions often accepted the beliefs of others, believing that "this god is your god, this god is mine" and it's not a new concept to believe that all gods are aspects of one Deity. You're not attacked for claiming your truth is Truth, you're attacked for claiming the truth of others is a lie. The definition of God means it is limitless, therefore it's possible that everyone is right in their own perception.



Fine by me, just be prepared if noone is right.

A little bit of a back up from the current post but I had to respond to this:

He was simply offering outside sources to his arguments. Something Fundamentalist cannot do since they will not seek outside sources not related to the bible to prove it exist

Please dont' feed the Magnum, Lewis. You're commotion enough for this thread



Actually, if it was loud enough to cause a place of buisness to close, then it was definately loud enough to be considered disturbing the peace. There are actual decibel level limits that it is illegal to exceed. In Mag's story, those people should have been ticketed and finally arrested.



May I ask a serious question?
Why do you pledge your heart and faith to a Religion? Why not directly to your God?

Now now magnum... try reading the Bible, and you'd answer all your questions instead of having to rely on people to explain something that you should be capable of understanding.

Let's take your 'bacon' issue.



It's all there, if only you look.

Lewis

Ever heard of "Disturbing the Peace"? Typically, it is not a jailable offense, but a couple hundred dollar fine in my town. The event Magnum refers to underlines the "above the law" mentality that radical Christians in America receive; the cop clearly let them get away with it since they were Christians, so they must be moral. Teenagers playing Judas Priest would not have been given the same treatment. We're supposed to have separation of church and state over here; unfortunately, that has long since disappeared.

Regards,

-Flip

Very nice post. That scene in the Last Battle has stayed with me all my life. C.S. Lewis had some very good Christian commentary also.

Jesus Himself said "I am THE way, THE truth and THE life" ... singular. There are not "many ways to god".

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you strongly, magnum, that 'its possible that everyone's different view of god is right'. There is only one way to God, and that is through Jesus Christ.

That is the single issue that most people have a problem with - that they can't do their own thing and get by happily, instead of God's way. Garden of Eden, don't eat the apple, it can't hurt can it? .... sound familliar?

Lewis