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I have often wondered what makes an intelligent person fall for the religious Moderator cut: edit With all the information out there, and the documented links to crimes, abuses, rapes, atrocities, and just poor business decisions made by the major religious organizations how can a person continue giving them money to support their crimes? When you look at the sirens song being sung by so many religions and the promises of everlasting life, and endless virgins, I have to think many of the followers just don’t listen to what is being said. Than again it might be theyare blinded by their own fears and grab for any straw thrown to them. How many child rapes, or suicide bombers will it take before humanity wakes up and tells these Moderator cut: edit of past cultures to shove off?
Even a very intelligent person can go outside, look at the beautiful world around us, gaze up at the stars, and conclude there is some kind of a divine force that gave us all of this.
Once they reach that conclusion, many other ideas can follow.
I have often wondered what makes an intelligent person fall for the religious Moderator cut: Orphaned With all the information out there, and the documented links to crimes, abuses, rapes, atrocities, and just poor business decisions made by the major religious organizations how can a person continue giving them money to support their crimes? When you look at the sirens song being sung by so many religions and the promises of everlasting life, and endless virgins, I have to think many of the followers just don’t listen to what is being said. Than again it might be theyare blinded by their own fears and grab for any straw thrown to them. How many child rapes, or suicide bombers will it take before humanity wakes up and tells these Moderator cut: orphaned cultures to shove off?
Oh! Well, I don't give them any MONEY...I thought from the title this was going to be some other argument.
My money goes to support my basic needs of food and shelter. Charity begins at home.
There's no difference between atheists patting each other on the back because they call each other intelligent for not following a religion and (fundamentalist) Christians who believe that every one who doesn't follow their religion can only end up in hell; both believe that everyone who disagrees with them can only be ignorant.
I guess it is a typical characteristic of the herd animal.
There's no difference between atheists patting each other on the back because they call each other intelligent for not following a religion and (fundamentalist) Christians who believe that every one who doesn't follow their religion can only end up in hell; both believe that everyone who disagrees with them can only be ignorant.
I guess it is a typical characteristic of the herd animal.
There's a huge difference....as religious follows ARE the herd.
I have often wondered what makes an intelligent person fall for the religious dog and cat shows. With all the information out there, and the documented links to crimes, abuses, rapes, atrocities, and just poor business decisions made by the major religious organizations how can a person continue giving them money to support their crimes? When you look at the sirens song being sung by so many religions and the promises of everlasting life, and endless virgins, I have to think many of the followers just don’t listen to what is being said. Than again it might be theyare blinded by their own fears and grab for any straw thrown to them. How many child rapes, or suicide bombers will it take before humanity wakes up and tells these parasites of past cultures to shove off?
Excellent question and I am sure many opinions but certainly it is easier to follow the crowd for fear of being ostracized, or lack or career advancement, and certainly for politicians, absolutely no chance of being elected to a national office.
Perhaps in the next 50+ years the non believers may be in the majority and then the band wagon folks will jump onboard.
There's a huge difference....as religious follows ARE the herd.
Moderator cut: Off topic And atheists aren't?
If atheists aren't herd animals then explain to me why they often behave exactly like theists?
BTW do you really think that it is a sign of intelligence to call others stupid because they follow a religion? Isn't that not the same as the medieval Christians who believed that the non-Caucasian races can only be ignorant because they aren't Western (or Christian)?
Never underestimate the power of the mystical and the misunderstood. There are many who actually want such unknowns in their lives. After all, if their God really did exist and stopped by your local church (simultaneously, all around the world, since He is, after all, omnipresent and omniscient...) to explain it all, what would be left?
This way, the flock of Sheeple can remain suitably charmed and enchanted. Not to mention maintenance of the residual fear-factor: having a "trembling fear of God" component allows the teaching of discipline or retribution, especially to those easily frightened children!
"Monsters under the bed!" but don't worry: God will stave them off! Only if you fervently pray tho'... every single night! "Now I lay me down to sleep...etc. etc.... If I should die or be frightened by a Bed Monster or atheist crawling in through the window before the dawn, God will save me... if'n I don't yawn..."
(This is called the "Establishment of a Mantra" and a "Schedule of Obedience". Can you imagine then trying to break your trained mind free of this established behavior learned when you were, say, 5 or 7 years old, when you are starting to rebel and think for yourself, at about 18 or 19 yrs old? Nearly impossible. Just the thought of independent thinking about religion itself would be quite frightening, since you'd fully expect a lightning bolt from heaven. They GOTTCHA!)
This well-rehearsed and programmed Christian belief paradigm** all fits together nicely, unlike the open-minded & unfettered atheist's mind-set that follows the rational, SM***-derived accumulation of knowledge. Which, of course, also frees you up to explore, think & speculate. Which leads to further advancement of knowledge and intellectual freedom. Et cetera, and so on.
Remember, children; Heaven help you if God finds you speculating! It'll be off to Hell with you! But only after the Bed Monster has his way with you first. He's Satan, you know!
__________________________
*genuflection: to demonstrate, on bended knees, a servile and unquestioning obedience to a particular concept or paradigm.
** paradigm: a set of beliefs, principles or processes, defined and accepted by a group of followers; an outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype
*** SM: the Scientific Method: a well-established, proven-in-reality, evolving and field-proofed process for answering questions. Kept honest by a rigorous peer-review process that finds flaws and biases before conclusions are accepted. The best method to date to accumulate reliable knowledge. The bane of organized religion's persistent myths.
Not intelligent? How do you explain then Dr. Ben Carson, renowned Neurosurgeon, who is also a Christian? I knew a member of my church who held a Th.D (Doctorate of Theology), the guy spoke seven different languages, but I guess he wasn't intelligent. How is your assertion, that no one who believes in God/religion is intelligent, any different then many of the ludicrous assertions that are made by the extreme religious zealots?
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There's no difference between atheists patting each other on the back because they call each other intelligent for not following a religion and (fundamentalist) Christians who believe that every one who doesn't follow their religion can only end up in hell; both believe that everyone who disagrees with them can only be ignorant.
Isn't that not the same as the medieval Christians who believed that the non-Caucasian races can only be ignorant because they aren't Western (or Christian)?
Never speculate when you can genuflect*!
