Faith and Religion

[Strontium]

16 minutes ago, Ne Moe Imya said:

Again, I understand why someone with an agnostic or atheistic worldview would look askance at anyone calling themselves a "missionary," but none of those people are volunteering to go live in the jungle to help the native population, are they?

 

Almost as if we're not arrogant enough to presume that those people need help from outsiders. Especially when that "help" boils down to - "Don't believe in those gods - believe in this one!"

[Mook]

19 minutes ago, Ne Moe Imya said:

I don't dispute that at all. The relationship between colonialism and missionary activity going back to the 19th century in Latin America where I grew up is full of really problematic stories.

 

However, if you go to the Amazon basin in Bolivia today you'll find that almost every single person who is there doing good is motivated by religious belief. The rest of them (mainly rubber/oil executives and anthropologists) are despised by the native people because they can easily see how they're just there to exploit them.

 

Again, I understand why someone with an agnostic or atheistic worldview would look askance at anyone calling themselves a "missionary," but none of those people are volunteering to go live in the jungle to help the native population, are they?

I'm a great believer in minding my own fucking business. If someone in the jungle needs a hand moving a telly or whatever, they can do a smoke signal & I'll happily help them out.

 

This is completely different to going in there to force my religious (or any other) belief system on them.

[Jose Jones]

Yes, there are plenty of non-religious humanitarians and humanitarian organisations so I am calling exaggeration on that one.

Although I do agree there are a lot of people inspired by their faith to do good work.

 

Mind you as we see with evangelicals in America overwhelmingly supporting Trump, in a lot of cases religion is just the vessel for cultural beliefs and religious beliefs are very much secondary concerns.

[Jose Jones]

12 minutes ago, Strontium Dog said:

 

Almost as if we're not arrogant enough to presume that those people need help from outsiders. Especially when that "help" boils down to - "Don't believe in those gods - believe in this one!"

Yeah, but if you knew your God was the one true God, it’d be a bit rude not to let other people in on it, right?

[Strontium]

6 minutes ago, Jose Jones said:

Yeah, but if you knew your God was the one true God, it’d be a bit rude not to let other people in on it, right?

 

Every religion's god(s) are the true gods, dontcha know.

 

Of course, even if you allow for the existence of deity/ies, given the thousands of mutually exclusive religions, the probability that any particular god or gods exist is extremely low.

[Jose Jones]

14 minutes ago, Strontium Dog said:

 

Every religion's god(s) are the true gods, dontcha know.

 

Of course, even if you allow for the existence of deity/ies, given the thousands of mutually exclusive religions, the probability that any particular god or gods exist is extremely low.

Well yes, but you’re only saying that because you are ignorant of the one true God innit?

[VladimirIlyich]

29 minutes ago, Strontium Dog said:

 

Every religion's god(s) are the true gods, dontcha know.

 

Of course, even if you allow for the existence of deity/ies, given the thousands of mutually exclusive religions, the probability that any particular god or gods exist is extremely low.

It again goes back to your own version of 'what is god?' While there a fair fair who actually say the believe in the 'bearded cloud sitter' there are also many who believe in a god which is simply a spiritual force for they and/or others to do good things. I can respect this view a lot more than the 'person type god' but many people prefer to keep that view to themselves.

[SasaS]

17 hours ago, SasaS said:

Imagine being a police chief there now. What do you do?

 

Apparently nothing, as they are allowed to kill you if you go there.

 

[Strontium]

23 minutes ago, VladimirIlyich said:

It again goes back to your own version of 'what is god?' While there a fair fair who actually say the believe in the 'bearded cloud sitter' there are also many who believe in a god which is simply a spiritual force for they and/or others to do good things. I can respect this view a lot more than the 'person type god' but many people prefer to keep that view to themselves.

 

Most people on the planet are Christian or Muslim, which means the god they believe in is the first type. Let's not pretend that deists make up anything other than a small minority of believers.

[VladimirIlyich]

11 minutes ago, Strontium Dog said:

 

Most people on the planet are Christian or Muslim, which means the god they believe in is the first type. Let's not pretend that deists make up anything other than a small minority of believers.

I would never assume the actual beliefs of others in the way you seem have done. As Jose says above, there are many who assume belief in many religions who aren't religious at all and just use it as an excuse for violence and intimidation. In a similar way that f***ball violence is often administered by people who we would never call genuine supporters or fans. Flags of convenience.

[Strontium]

1 hour ago, VladimirIlyich said:

I would never assume the actual beliefs of others in the way you seem have done.

 

Of course you can make assumptions about beliefs based on how people categorise themselves. By calling yourself a Christian or a Muslim or whatever, you are literally stating that you hold a certain set of core beliefs.

 

It's as reasonable to assume that a Christian believes in the God of the Bible as it is to assume that a vegetarian doesn't eat meat.

[Dr Nowt]

2 hours ago, SasaS said:

 

Apparently nothing, as they are allowed to kill you if you go there.

 

And to think I was prosecuted for hoying a slipper at that Jehovah’s Witness.

 

What a fucking life. 

[Anubis]

2 hours ago, SasaS said:

 

Apparently nothing, as they are allowed to kill you if you go there.

 

 

To be fair, they'd given him all due warning over the previous two days, having fired some arrows at him and having smashed his canoe up. John just wasn't getting the message.

[SasaS]

17 minutes ago, Anubis said:

 

To be fair, they'd given him all due warning over the previous two days, having fired some arrows at him and having smashed his canoe up. John just wasn't getting the message.

 

Or he was too much into Saint Sebastian to quit.

[Hades]

Why would natives want to give up authentic tribal living and animism for violent, conquering, montheistic desert religions that are going to turn this planet into a wasteland?

[Rico1304]

2 hours ago, Hades said:

Why would natives want to give up authentic tribal living and animism for violent, conquering, montheistic desert religions that are going to turn this planet into a wasteland?

So they don’t end up in your list? 

[Rico1304]

How would people feel if it were astrologer who was trying to convert them? Or a Scientologist? 

 

All as baseless as eash other. 

[Jose Jones]

9 minutes ago, rico1304 said:

How would people feel if it were astrologer who was trying to convert them? Or a Scientologist? 

 

All as baseless as eash other. 

The Scientologist would probably have an even harder time as they don’t have any money and wouldn’t know who Tom Cruise is.

[Rico1304]

5 minutes ago, Jose Jones said:

The Scientologist would probably have an even harder time as they don’t have any money and wouldn’t know who Tom Cruise is.

Or nuclear weapons and volcanoes. 

 

Funny how we can laugh at them because they are fucking ridiculous but...

[Anubis]

13 minutes ago, Jose Jones said:

The Scientologist would probably have an even harder time as they don’t have any money and wouldn’t know who Tom Cruise is.

 

But Scientologists are big on putting the little people to work in celebrity homes.

[Jose Jones]

7 minutes ago, rico1304 said:

Or nuclear weapons and volcanoes. 

 

Funny how we can laugh at them because they are fucking ridiculous but...

I’m not really sure what you’re trying to get across here. Nuclear weapons and volcanoes?

[Rico1304]

15 minutes ago, Jose Jones said:

I’m not really sure what you’re trying to get across here. Nuclear weapons and volcanoes?

What? You mean you aren’t aware of their religious beliefs?  Bigot.

 

Google is your friend here. It’s no more ridiculous than any other religion. 

[SasaS]

On 11/22/2018 at 12:33 PM, SasaS said:

 

Apparently nothing, as they are allowed to kill you if you go there.

 

Spoke too soon, Mr. Pathak apparently has other ideas.

 

"Dependra Pathak, the director of police in the Andamans, said a crime had taken place and police had an obligation to investigate – which could involve further surveys of the island to collect evidence to enable the issuing of a death certificate for Chau. “Based on requirements, further reconnaissance will be carried out,” he said on Tuesday. "

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/27/sentinel-island-calls-to-leave-body-of-american-killed-by-tribespeople?CMP=fb_gu&fbclid=IwAR1qb3wzD_IoQR421bd5VgnK-4PMDbCsnnNJvPJMpHstxvLNOJgPPRFNyN0

[Strontium]

Seems like the perfect location for the next series of Love Island. It would definitely add a certain frisson to proceedings.

[skend04]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-46798081

 

God's let his flock down big time by pulling the plug on Adam and Eve The Musical.