The Religion of Atheism

No the athiest disbelieves out of a lack of evidence.

 

Since humans made up Christianity it is bound to have the same flaws as humanity. Same gors for all other religions.

 

It's the standard response. The question is "Where did it all come from?" concerns
the natural world. We have no comprehension of a place without time and space.
We can't begin to even ask questions about such a place we cannot comprehend.

 

I don't know. I think it would be safe to say that Hindus.

 

Does the atheist now believe in King David?
Twenty years ago "some" atheists said there was no such king.
Thoughtful agnostics would have said "there is no evidence, but ...."
Lack of evidence means just that, and nothing more -- lack of evidence.
Just be honest with yourself and say you cannot tell, and thoughtfully
reserve your judgment.

 

You can't say that. But you CAN say the DISMANTLING of Christianity
has coincided with the rise of family breakdown, drug abuse, pornography,
contempt of authority, nihilism, narcissism, gambling and other negative
social trends.

 

Of course I can say humans made up Christianity because it is true. And claiming all those things are due to a dismantling of Christianity is absurd. First of course they have all existed since the beginning of man and seond they exist in societies that never were cursed with Christianity.

 

Yes, porn for instance has existed 'forever.'
But porn as we know it today? No way.
Same with gambling. Always been gambling, but not the epidemic it is today.
What society saw your average American woman have more lovers than kids?
It's the scale that I speak to. The stripping away of Christianity has led to this
I believe. Christian values helped develop our democracy, with the loss of
religious freedom will come the loss of political freedom. Happening already
with people being threatened with jail or losing business if they don't toe the
line on secular issues (ie the Jack Phillips wedding controversy.)

 

So what are you offering instead? Do you have a pipeline to perfection?

 

Nothing in the universe we know of is perfect.

Where did you come up with that standard?

 

In other words, you have no answer

You've never read the History of Rome.

A Hebrew adaptation if earlier creation stories.

 

That makes sense. Even though I oppose Christian ideology, it's good to see that you're intelligent and know to research what you follow. It never made sense to me that evolution and God's existence couldn't both be true. For example, a beast with seven heads is always considered a metaphor, but the story of Adam and Eve is always literal. The Bible never specifies, according to my knowledge at least, when something is meant to be literal or not. How do we know the fruit of knowledge isn't a metaphor for non-human ancestors choosing actions that made humans evolve and move away from God?

 

I believe the truth the Bible talks about has to do with human nature and not so much events. Being a book of spiritual guidance it seems literal events would not be the point of it.

 

That is the standard you are holding your view of religion to.

 

Yes, been to a Pompeii exhibit. Quite embarrassing!
But please understand, this was Pagan Rome. Christian
Rome held to higher values.
And there wasn't the cruelty and violence of current porn.

 

Absolutely. How can I explain a realm that I cannot humanly comprehend
in the first place?
Just for starters, in Revelations it speaks of the end of this world, and there
will be 'no more time.' How do you have a realm without time? I am lost, right
there.

 

Try to look at this from another angle.
Earliest Genesis people were not Hebrew. If other cultures echo
these stories then maybe the proto-Hebrews didn't invent these
stories, maybe there were common to many nations?
Think outside the square.

 

Actually I suspect you have no actual knowledge of the real levels of of any of those behaviors in the past. The only thing I will grant is society is more open now than in the days when Christian bigotry and repression ruled. Who knows if trends continue we may even someday elect a President who doesn't have to lie and pretend belief in god just to get elected.

 

Honesty.

 

There was a movie about 15-20 years ago about a two married people having
an affair. Probably in Holland 400 yeas ago, adapted from an old novel. It was
said of the movie it failed to capture the shock of adultery as it was back then.
In fact, adultery attracted the death penalty, as is the case in many cultures and
religions.
The Gallop poll on American morals finds that not only is gay marriage, living
together, polygamy etc on the rise, but slowly - even cheating on your spouse
is not as bad as it was just five years ago.

Call it bigotry if you like, but once marriage was marriage, cheating was cheating,
people earned a living, gambling was frowned upon, children were important, no
drugs around, most people never had a lock on their doors. In fact, police weren't
even invented.

We live in a happier world, don't we?

 

Spiritual guidance? Like don't eat shellfish or wear clothes of mixed fabrics?

 

There's a subtlety you are missing here.
Interposed with the Commandments of the Old Testament
there were the Ordinances (tabernacle, holy days, priesthood etc)
and the Judgments (divorce, diet, slaves etc..)
Jesus stated that there were things delivered to the Jews because
"of the Fathers", that is, what the Jews wanted (like in when they
wanted a king, and a temple)
Under the New Covenant of Christ there are no Ordinance or
Judgments - what you eat "enters in through the mouth and goes
out into the draft" said Jesus. But the moral code is more severe.

 

But you said there had never been porn like today. But there has. And this is not a Christian world. It's a world where there are many religions.

We didn't have police because, in the UK anyway, we had 'Manorial courts'. The Lord of the manor appointed his steward to try offenders for less serious crimes. There was a jury of 12 men who examined the evidence and prescribed any guilt. and punishment. For serious crimes there was the 'Kings Court'.

Are we happier today? Ask the gay community, ask those living together etc. etc. I have 5 grandchildren - 1 is still single at 30 years of age - the other 4 are girls who have happily settled down with their partners and have children who are part of their lives. Marriage is merely a commitment before the law. More important is the commitment to each other. A license doesn't ensure that. As an ex church organist I have attended many weddings and Christenings, I've heard many promises made to - or in front of - 'god'. That's the last you ever see them in Church.
I do not understand homosexuality. It's not for me. But these people have only one life to live. and you want them to deny them the life that will make them happy.. If you believe they're wrong then they will have to answer for it.

Are we happier? Well I'm certainly happier that I am not subject to die from diseases that were rife in the Middle Ages. I'm happier that science has given me a better life.
I'm happier that I don't have to go to church and believe what the Church tells me as in the Middle ages. I'm happier that slavery that plagued the world is almost dealt with. I'm happy that women no longer have to work 12 hours a day for a pittance. Of course there are drawbacks

Think outside the square?

The 'other cultures' did not echo anything - they were the originators. If you study ancient codes, cultures etc you will find that what is written in the Pentatuech with regard to all the various health regulation, foods prohibitions, family relationships - even the 10 commandments (apart for the first) were in operation before - or if you insist on the existence of Moses - contemporary with Moses. They were simply copied into the Jewish beliefs.

 

You were doing good till you said the bible gives us an accurate picture of how our world came to be.

 

We live in a world of increasing unhappiness not because of a gradual disappearance of religion but rather because of the massive/ overwhelming ever growing wealth inequality. Now if you can make the case blaming that on the decline of religion That would be worth reviewing.