Why do you reject Religion?

[darin]

Without trying to stump for my particular faith, I'm curious why those of you who don't have a particular belief tend to reject religion? I've heard it from friends a lot: "...because look at all those hypocrites!"

I try to explain the fact that somebody is a hypocrite does not mean what they are saying is wrong.

Look at me - Some of you would call me a fornicator, a liar, a thief, and more - yet I claim Christ and Christianity. Those things about me 'were' true of me. Indeed. Yet my past does not mean what I'm saying now is invalid, ya know?

I'm curious if we can see replies from people who state their reasons without simply insulting the faithful or the religious. I know there are VERY smart folk who'd be able to state their reasons without ad hominem, etc.

So - anybody care to discuss? I won't preach to you or try to get you to convert, and hope OTHERS do the same. I'm genuinely interested in your reasons, though.

[Missileman]

Without trying to stump for my particular faith, I'm curious why those of you who don't have a particular belief tend to reject religion? I've heard it from friends a lot: "...because look at all those hypocrites!"

I try to explain the fact that somebody is a hypocrite does not mean what they are saying is wrong.

Look at me - Some of you would call me a fornicator, a liar, a thief, and more - yet I claim Christ and Christianity. Those things about me 'were' true of me. Indeed. Yet my past does not mean what I'm saying now is invalid, ya know?

I'm curious if we can see replies from people who state their reasons without simply insulting the faithful or the religious. I know there are VERY smart folk who'd be able to state their reasons without ad hominem, etc.

So - anybody care to discuss? I won't preach to you or try to get you to convert, and hope OTHERS do the same. I'm genuinely interested in your reasons, though.

Religion is dismissable for a myriad of better reasons than the existence of hypocrites. However, that there are "believers" who routinely place their standing with their deity at risk tells me that there are a lot of people who are either really stupid or they don't REALLY believe in their religion. Either way, hypocrites have no credibility.

[diuretic]

I dno't make value judgements about people who profess religion and act outside the tenets of their religion, that's between them and their conscience. I'm not religious because I don't believe in a deity, simple as that.

[Guernicaa]

It's hard for me to answer this question.

I don't "reject" all parts of religion.

There are parts of religion that I reject:
-Christianitys story of creationism.
-The bible contradicts itself WAY too many times, which suggests that they are merely stories, and not the true word of god:


Christians need to think:
In one area of the bible, it says no homosexuals, but do you know what else it says no too? Eating shelfish.
Does that stop Christians from eating shelfish?

[darin]

It's hard for me to answer this question.

I don't "reject" all parts of religion.

There are parts of religion that I reject:
-Christianitys story of creationism.
-The bible contradicts itself WAY too many times, which suggests that they are merely stories, and not the true word of god:


Christians need to think:
In one area of the bible, it says no homosexuals, but do you know what else it says no too? Eating shelfish.
Does that stop Christians from eating shelfish?

I deleted a LOT of what you posted because you didn't cite a course. And let me help you keep this thread about religion and NOT a thread so you can attempt to prove one particular belief to be false.

[PostmodernProphet]

The bible contradicts itself WAY too many times

that's some pretty sad shit you quoted, there Obama....I suspect I know where you got it and I am surprised you thought you could get away with it.....

not going to waste a whole lot of time with it, but for example....

"In that count how many fighting men were found in Israel?
(a) Eight hundred thousand (2 Samuel 24:9)
(b) One million, one hundred thousand (IChronicles 21:5)"

2 Samuel 24
9 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.

that makes a total of 1.3 million

1 Chronicles 21
5In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.

ah you say, but that still leaves us 200,000 short....true, but in verse 6 it states that number did not include the men in the tribes of Levi and Benjamin


all the rest of the comparisons in the list can be handled similarly, but I refuse to take the time to do it again.....

[PostmodernProphet]

except this one, this one is one of my favorites....

How many stalls for horses did Solomon have?
(a) Forty thousand (I Kings 4:26)
(b) Four thousand (2 chronicles 9:25)

1 Kings 4
26 Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses.

1 Chronicles 9
25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horses

check it out if you don't believe me
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...9;&version=31;

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...4;&version=31;

gotta love it.....

[diuretic]

It's hard for me to answer this question.

I don't "reject" all parts of religion.

There are parts of religion that I reject:
-Christianitys story of creationism.
-The bible contradicts itself WAY too many times, which suggests that they are merely stories, and not the true word of god:


Christians need to think:
In one area of the bible, it says no homosexuals, but do you know what else it says no too? Eating shelfish.
Does that stop Christians from eating shelfish?

From memory the shellfish prohibition is in Deuteronomy. Actually it's highly practical. You know how dodgy shellfish can be even in a stable society with modern food hygiene practices it's always possible to get a bad prawn. So for a nomadic, desert-dwelling group, it would be wise to avoid food that is likely to make its members sick. Pretty horrible trailing around the desert with a severe case of food poisoning. In other words, you have to look at context and not fall for the fundie fallacy.

[JackDaniels]

I dno't make value judgements about people who profess religion and act outside the tenets of their religion, that's between them and their conscience. I'm not religious because I don't believe in a deity, simple as that.

I completely agree with you. My atheism is built on the simple foundation that it is not logical to believe in God.

[PostmodernProphet]

I completely agree with you. My atheism is built on the simple foundation that it is not logical to believe in God.

However, it is necessary to make some foundational faith choices before a legitimate logical framework can be constructed that leads you to that conclusion......

[diuretic]

However, it is necessary to make some foundational faith choices before a legitimate logical framework can be constructed that leads you to that conclusion......

I would think it's incumbent on parents to introduce their child to the prevailing religious ideas of their society and then gradually allow their child, as he or she matures, to make their own decisions. As the child develops intellectually then they can begin to formulate their personal philosophies.

[SpidermanTUba]

Without trying to stump for my particular faith, I'm curious why those of you who don't have a particular belief tend to reject religion? I've heard it from friends a lot: "...because look at all those hypocrites!"

I try to explain the fact that somebody is a hypocrite does not mean what they are saying is wrong.

Look at me - Some of you would call me a fornicator, a liar, a thief, and more - yet I claim Christ and Christianity. Those things about me 'were' true of me. Indeed. Yet my past does not mean what I'm saying now is invalid, ya know?

I'm curious if we can see replies from people who state their reasons without simply insulting the faithful or the religious. I know there are VERY smart folk who'd be able to state their reasons without ad hominem, etc.

So - anybody care to discuss? I won't preach to you or try to get you to convert, and hope OTHERS do the same. I'm genuinely interested in your reasons,
though.

Anything which attempts to prevent individual thought is no good.

[avatar4321]

Anything which attempts to prevent individual thought is no good.

The point of individual thought is to propel people to learn and discover the truth. Individual thought is a means and not an ends.

[diuretic]

The point of individual thought is to propel people to learn and discover the truth. Individual thought is a means and not an ends.

First part I disagree with, second part I agree with. And that's because we're coming at the issue from very different perspectives.

[SpidermanTUba]

The point of individual thought is to propel people to learn and discover the truth. Individual thought is a means and not an ends.

And the point of religion is to shackle people and obscure the truth.