Fundies ridicule New Age beliefs with no sense of irony.

[Deep13]

http://rr-bb.com/showthread.php?t=6320

Apparently there is some New Age event or something today. Well, our friends at Rapture Ready Forum, people who believe that Jesus is now warming up the car to take them all to heaven, cannot believe that anyone would fall for that stuff.

Here is a hilarious sample post (#9).

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Delusion is getting prevalent isn't it? What a bunch of hogwash. These people are so decieved...I just don't know why the real supernatural (God, angels etc) isn't "good enough" for them, they have to go waaaay out there....

(I hope I don't get in trouble for this...be gentle mods, this was written by Christians to inform others about what is going on in the new age movement..)

New Agers also believe in the "rapture"...here's a snippet (I don't want to get in trouble for posting the link), get a load of this:

The Rapture According To New Age Channelers

"The people who leave the planet during the time of Earth changes do not fit in here any longer, and they are stopping the harmony of Earth. When the time comes that perhaps 20 million people leave the planet at one time there will be a tremendous shift in consciousness for those who are remaining."

Barbara Marciniak, "Bringers of the Dawn"
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In summary, don't believe superstitious and completely made-up New Age crap. Instead believe superstitious and completely made-up neo-Fundy Christian crap. I like how each group blames a deceptive spiritual power to explain the other group's difference of opinion. In other words, the New Agers are not wrong to believe in spirits or whatever. Instead, Satan is manipulating them to turn them against Yahweh. The New Agers cannot say the Rapture is just wishful thinking. Instead, they invent a New Age-friendly explanation for it. Neither can say that the other is just making shit up because that suggests the possibility that his or her own group is also a lot of crap.

Here's an example (post 37-referencing the N.A. event in question)
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I think this may go unnoticed in the world short term,but the spiritual significance will be huge IF this is a move of satan then we"ll have all these folks world wide, praying for his intervention and peace! We need to pray about this.
* * * * *

I guess Fundies only pray for war. The next post (#38) explains how neither group accepts natural selection and neither group can get it through their thick heads that humans are naturally occurring critters and that divinity is a product of our own imagination. We can't be just animals, after all. We must be gods or at least created by one.

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These religions where people think they are a God themselves amazes me. It's basically the same lie Satan told Adam and Eve and people still haven't learned we are not God's. We are nothing without God; without God we wouldn't even exist.
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Apparently Satan is disguised himself as a New Age god in order to bring universal socialism to the world. That's what gods do, after all, is screw around with the social structure of some of the primates on that speck of dust on the edge of that one galaxy. Post 29:

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this is not to be taken lightly. literally millions and millions of these people all believe this stuff and are actively praying to satan whether they realize it or not. they talk about the 'global council' and a one world religion and government and creating 'communities' where everything would be self sustained. pretty creepy
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Post number 49 gives us a Fundy math lesson. Apparently this genius is unaware of the place value system in Indian (a.k.a. Arabic) numbers. For example adding the 1 and 7 in 17 to get 8 while overlooking the fact that the "1" is actually a "10." Also his fretting over the '6' ignores that it falls 660 short of his evil number in Indian numbers and 12 short in Roman numbers.

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I thought everyone was looking at 07/07/07 not July 17, 2007, at 11:11 GMT.

I looked at that website its defiantly numerology at work !!!!! NWO and all of that, to much coincidence for me look at what they are saying ......

July (07) + (17) + (2007)

That's 7 + 8 + 9 = 24 = 6

My Lord, it sticks out like a sore thumb for those with eyes to see ....
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I don't have time to read anymore. It is pretty hilarious to see these folks work themselves up because someone else's delusions are at odds with theirs.

On edit: spelling.

[Marrah_G]

1. Pagans were here before they existed

and we will be here long after they are gone. They have the same disdain for nature as they have for science. I'd wish I could get annoyed at them, but mostly I just feel an extreme amount of pity.

I wonder, when you are that dumb, do you realize it or do you actually believe you are more intelligent then all of Academia and are sitting in your mobile home purely through bad luck?

[Deep13]

2. One of their posts accuse pagans of ripping off Xtian ideas.

Wow, what a short memory! Flipping through the OT and the rituals and theology of the OT is distiguishable from other ancient mythologies only in the number of gods and its severity. All the Xtian holidays were selected to replace pagan ones and the rituals and symbolism do the same thing. Of course these Protestant extremists point out that it was the early, corrupt Catholic church who did that and not their true, Evangelical churches.

[Yavin4]

5. I Have A Question For You

You said: "All the Xtian holidays were selected to replace pagan ones and the rituals and symbolism do the same thing. Of course these Protestant extremists point out that it was the early, corrupt Catholic church who did that and not their true, Evangelical churches."

Isn't Christmas one of the Xtian holidays that replaced the Pagan ritual celebrating the Winter Solstice? If so, then why do they get so angry at WalMart for not saying, "Merry Christmas"?

[Deep13]

6. Yes it is.

Further, there is a specific OT passage that commands the reader not to have Xmas trees.

I'll know why they get pissed off by "happy holidays" as soon as I figure out why they are NOT pissed off when Walmart is open on a Sunday.

[Left Is Write]

28. There's an Old Testament prohibition against Christmas trees?

That's a little...strange.

[Nevernose]

29. Sorry, that was an Internet hoax

It was going around a couple of years ago, but it turned the passage was a hoax, much like Nostradamus' predictions of 9/11.

There IS Jeremiah 10:1-5, but most people (including me) read that chapter as a diatribe against LITERAL false idols. As in, "don't be afraid of pagan deities, or worship them, because the real god will kick your ass." I suppose that if one were to cut the tree and decorate it in celebration of Jesus' birth, it wouldn't be a false idol, but a true one, and therefore okay; intentions may make it better in that case. Of course, a literal reading of the Bible will dispute that logic.

Then again, I'm an atheist these days, so it's purely an intellectual work for me.

[Deep13]

36. Well, here is that passage from KJV. Readers can see for themselves...

...and decide what it means.

"Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:"

Jer 10:2 "Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them."

Jer 10:3 "For the customs of the people vain: for cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe."

Jer 10:4 "They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."

Jer 10:5 "They upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also in them to do good."

[Marrah_G]

8. Yes it is

There are a number of holy days that were put in place on certain days specifically to help make conversion easier on the rural people.

They did not get as upset as long as they could still have their feast days and their traditions, things everyone looked forward to.

The christian church also started using characteristics of the European Pagan Horned Gods as the visual of their Devil. If they could scare the new generations into thing that the God of their families was actually a demon it made conversion through fear easier.

If these methods failed there was always just out right killing, which they did in numbers that made the Jewish Holocaust look minor in comparison. (that is in no way trivializing what happened to the Jews)

[noonwitch]

12. All Saints' Day, St. John the Baptist's feast day, and so on

All Saints' Day is November 1, to take people away from the old Samheim (Halloween) celebrations. St. John the Baptist's feast day is June 24, which is at Midsummer time. There are more, of course.

[ikojo]

24. I think it might come as a surprise to the

Catholic church, who usurped pagan dieties and made them saints, to hear that the pagans ripped of Christians!

[Deep13]

33. Well, the Catholic Church at least is monotheistic.

They have have one god in three distinct parts. Each part has its own seperate identity and characteristics, but it is just one god. Plus the Virgin Mary. And all the saints. Each saint apparently has magic powers over particular aspects of life. Somehow, that is totally different than pagan gods. And angels too consisting of numerous orders.

[anarch]

3. "Apparently Satan is disguised himself as a New Age god in order to bring universal socialism..."

oh damn, they're on to me.

:yoiks:

[wildhorses]

4. it takes a certain intellectual depth to appreciate irony.

fundies seem to lack the needed qualifications.

[Yavin4]

7. Belief In The SuperNatural Is Nothing More Than A Fear Of Death

A lot of people have a fear of death, and they use religion as a coping mechanism. Without religion, they would not be able to function in life because their fear would over take them.

[Deep13]

10. Yeah, but religion is often what makes them afraid of death.

I'm not actively afraid of death and I have no religion. I'm not afraid of something that can only occur when I am no longer around to experience it.

[realisticphish]

14. I don't believe in God

or psychics, or palmistry, or astrology, or Qi, or a soul. Yet, somehow, I function in every day life :shrug:

Though, I think they DO believe partly from fear. But it's hardly impossible to cope.

[Marrah_G]

15. You really should not make assumptions on why people believe

Everyone comes to their own opinions for different reasons, through different experiences. I have no fear of death. I have fear of pain when dying, but not of death. I have my own spiritual beliefs and I suppose if I am right or wrong I will find out when that day comes.

[Akoto]

9. To quote Stephen Colbert ...

"Give me a burning bush or a virgin birth. Something that makes sense!"

[Deep13]

11. Shameless, self-promotional kick. nt

[realisticphish]

13. My irrational beliefs are valid!

Your irrational beliefs are not!

--Summary of the Pagan/Christian argument (But mostly from the Christian side. Mostly.)

[Marrah_G]

16. That was pretty rude

Your need to add "irrational" must make you feel pretty superior. You can now puff out your chest and say " I told those silly believers". What you don't understand is that you have told us nothing, except that you are rude and intolerant of people who see the world in a different way then you do.

The difference between you and I is that I respect your beliefs and even understand them, you do not even show a modicum of respect to others when it comes to religion or spirituality.

But hey, if that makes you happy, you go with that.

:shrug:

[realisticphish]

18. I DO respect your beliefs

But, at the end, I find them irrational. I don't hate people who believe, or think they're stupid. I just see no evidence for them, and so do not believe.

But my comment was not aimed at "believers." I'm not some militant atheist. I'm aiming at people who attack others beliefs for being irrational, while refusing to see that their own beliefs are no more grounded in fact. I'm glad that you respect others beliefs, as do I. I like seeing respect; God knows (ha) that it would improve relations between the various faiths and non faiths. But respect doesn't mean that I can't voice my opinion on the matter. I did. Am I supposed to shut up just because I don't believe?



And thank you for having the incredible depth, clarity, and omniscience to outline my personal outlook on life, faith, and tolerance from a 2 sentence post on an internet message board, in a thread about how stupid findies are for finding pagan beliefs irrational. Well met!

[Marrah_G]

19. Perhaps it's the lack of vocal or facial queues

I read your post as a snarky attack on people with religious beliefs. If I read that wrong then I apologize. The use of irrational as a qualifier just rubbed me the wrong way.

[realisticphish]

20. and I'm sorry

that i didn't qaulify better. It's all good, let's go back to mocking fundies :hi:

[Marrah_G]

21. Deal !

:bounce:

[Deep13]

23. If a belief is based on faith, then it is irrational by definition.

I have respect for you as a person. I have no respect for anyones religious (or spiritual if you would rather use that term) beliefs because those beliefs are not worthy of respect. They are based on nothing (actually less than nothing since they are usually held in opposition to contrary evidence). The supernatural, whether it is god, magic or whatever, either exists or it does not. There is only one right answer to that issue. Carrots either exist or they do not and whether I feel respectful about someones belief in carrots is irrelevant to the issue.

No one has a right to have his or her opinion respected and it is only religious arrogance that assumes they do. If you believe that the Earth is flat, am I required to respect that belief even though it is plainly wrong? Well, I would not and religious beliefs have no better claim to respect than a flat Earth. There is only one reality regardless of subjective acceptance. The way I see it, faith is the tool of authority and the enemy of democracy.

My mind was poisoned with faith when I was small by my well-meaning, but misguided parents. It has taken me a long time to overcome that. I know I don't know everything or even most things. I do, however, know that one cannot fill in the blanks with wishful thinking. Doubt and inquiry are virtues. Faith is a cage for ones mind.

In the Rapture Ready discussion I cited, it is a case of one group of delusional believers ridiculing another group of delusional believers. You may find it rude, intolerate or arrogant for me to say it, but that does not affect the veracity of my statement. One that I can tell you for sure is that I do not come to my conclusions out of ignorance.

[Marrah_G]

30. Respect doesn't mean you have to believe, it does mean treating others with courtesy.

Your view on religion seems to be limited only to ones based on the God of Abraham. Mine have led me in another direction. Your views on religion are due to your own experiences. I find my religion not to be a cage of any sort, doubt and inquiry are not taboo. The difference is that I have enough respect for others not to hurl insults at you.

[Deep13]

31. I do treat others with courtesy. And I respect them as people.

My employer, an elected Democratic official, is an Evangelical Christian. I respect and admire him and agree with him on most practical things. I don't pick fights with religious people. When it comes up, though, I do not let courtesy shield nonsense from critical analysis. People cannot accurately be defined by religious beliefs. I think relying on belief is harmful to the country and, therefore, have a duty to speak up and protect our secular Constitution. If people find my arguments insulting, it is only because I am pointing out the rediculous nature of their beliefs.

I am not just thinking of the Abrahamic god. All gods rely on the supernatural for their imagined existence. Since there is no reason to accept the veracity of supernature and every reason to reject it, gods cannot be real. Politeness should not be used to shield lies and delusions.

If your beliefs let you be content to ascribe things to magic or some other divine influence, then it is a cage for your mind. Those ideas prevent you from seeking the real answers. Relying on prayer or magic or whatever prevents a person from acting effectively against a problem. A national day of prayer is more socially acceptable than camping out on Bush's front lawn precisely because it does not work and does not challenge authority.

I've said my peace on this and am going to move on now, though I'll check back to read any response. Unless you bring up something new, I'll just have to agree to disagree.

[Marrah_G]

35. I too will agree to disagree

I doubt this is a topic we could ever come close to any sort of meeting of the minds about.

[Bossy Monkey]

17. It's that defiant numerology that gets me n/t

[Blue Poppy]

22. Ahhhh, fundies...

Go read some of the other topics in the forum.
Both entertaining and disturbing at the same time...

[Deep13]

25. Especially their morbid obsession with chastity. nt

[Jade Fox]

26. What's really funny is how Christians are adopting New Age ideas.....

Joel Osteen, and some others I've clicked by while channel surfing.

So damn typical: Liberals/Progressives start an idea, then Conservatives water it down a bit and claim it's their own.

[baldguy]

27. Irony is the Devils' werk

[Deep13]

32. I thought it was a blacksmith's work.

Oh, wait that is just iron, not irony.

[Dragonbreathp9d]

34. Its always funny when one belief criticizes another for not making sense

One Christain railing on Mormons said "Oh yeah, like an angel really showd this guy some golden tablets buried in America." I said "Do you believe that God talked to Moses in a burning bush?" "Yeah." :banghead: