The mindset of religious fanatics in a nutshell:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

First comment on this (awesome) story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/07/street-preacher-schooled_n_382856.html

From: GodIs

Some people ask, “How can I relax and enjoy eternity in Heaven knowing full well that a close family member has been condemned to He|| for all eternity?”.
In Heaven, the righteous will fully comprehend the exceeding sinfulness of sin. They will understand God's perspective. They will look upon those sinful family members with utter contempt, guilty unbelievers who deserve their fiery fate.
God is love.

Although, to be fair, there's a little voice whispering "Poe's Law" at the back of my head.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Thanks, I finally understand it. God=love=utter contempt.

[jgraz]

2. Just reinforces the main function of religion

To give the stupid something to think about and the heartless something to care about.

[ForeignSpectator]

17. That's a pretty cool quote...

...do you have the copyright on this one? ;)

:hi:

[jgraz]

20. Not yet... I just thought it up.

See, religion DOES inspire you to new heights :D

(And yes, you have my permission to blatantly steal it)

[FiveGoodMen]

30. Very good choice of words!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. Repeat to self: I will not call attention to the transition from +4 to +3 and be a rec whore.

I will not call attention to the transition from +4 to +3 and be a rec whore.
I will not call attention to the transition from +4 to +3 and be a rec whore.
I will not call attention to the transition from +4 to +3 and be a rec whore.
I will not call attention to the transition from +4 to +3 and be a rec whore.
I will not call attention to the transition from +4 to +3 and be a rec whore.
I will not call attention to the transition from +4 to +3 and be a rec whore.

AAAARGH it's stronger than me.

[NRaleighLiberal]

4. The way I saw it early on (as the only protestant in a sea of catholics) -

The catholics could sin as much as they want all week as long as they sit in the little box and get their absolution each week. Perfect system - no accountability, because nothing matters anyway - either predetermined to go to the good place, or we all end up there anyway, so what happens here is insignificant.

Dangerous no matter what!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

5. Of course, "Whatever you do, if you're the wrong religion you go to hell" ain't much improvement. nt

[mrcheerful]

6. It's not just catholics that have that Baptists believe once they confess their sins and

are "born again" they get a free card into heaven no matter what they did before being "born again". Then as long as they don't pull their crap on other born agains they commit no sins, at least thats what I seen from the few born agains I have run into over the years.

[NRaleighLiberal]

7. Then there is my baptist friend who said I was going to hell just because I wasn't a baptist!

and he said this with a straight face.

Some religion they've got there!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

8. I had a Pentecostal friend^H^H^H^H^H^Hacquaintance tell me Catholics aren't Christians.

FUCK, did that get me pissed. And I'm an atheist.

[Progressive_In_NC]

14. And I have many Catholic friends whom I'd consider very devout folks who pursue

A personal faith that shows through much better than some of my Baptist friends. I go to a different kind of Baptist church though, there are people of all colors and religious backgrounds in my church.

[old mark]

15. Religions seem to me to have several common features -

Exclusivity - our way is THE way, all others are damned, even though doctrinal differences are of little importance.

Sadistic pleasure in proclaiming the eternal pain of others.

Desire to control bahavior, thoughts, opinions of others.

Love of persecution - no matter how minor or imagined.

Love of disparaging others beliefs, behaviors and even humanity-we are the best people,others are lesser beings, because this is god's will.

Many more, but these come to me after 12 years of "religious" education, several college courses on comparative religion, and many years of interested study and observation on the subject.

I'm an agnostic - I don't think it's worth the effort to so actively oppose such childish nonsense as many athiests seem to do. But hey, don't let me stop you...


mark

[TlalocW]

9. Best thing you could say to them in response is

"Oh, you poor dear. I'll pray for you."

TlalocW

[Progressive_In_NC]

12. He is so misguided I feel sorry for him

If you wouldn't mind PM me and tell me if you which church he goes to here in town (I'm in Raleigh as well).

[Progressive_In_NC]

10. Being a baptist, I have to say not even close

Being baptized in our baptist church is just an outward confession of inner confession of sins and a promise to follow God's teachings. The bible is very clear that you can claim to be "born again" and never even get into heaven, that is very heavily between you and God.

Your prayer life and pursuit of understanding through the bible tells you whether you will hear:

a) Well done, my good and faithful servant.

or

b) Depart from me, I never knew you.

The belief is that most will hear part B above, even those who lived their whole life in the church. Part A above is much, much harder to achieve.


I know many here are contemptuous of religion, but for those of us who believe it is much more complex that it is made out to at DU.

[Dogtown]

29. Not nearly as complex as you'd like to believe,

but equally as contrived.

[ThomThom]

32. I think Catholics are suppose to do the right thing

and if they play the game you suggest then the deal is off and to hell they go. They have to truly repent and give up their evil ways. Maybe someone forgot to tell them this part. I don't think the Catholics are a big part of the problem. Evangelism and frauds that lie to the believers create unthinking followers that are confused as to what is really right and wrong. They are destroying religion. I have been a non-believer since I was 13. So who cares what I think.

[Soylent Brice]

11. pretty much in a nutshell, yes. i personally enjoy Carlin's perspective:

Religion easily has the greatest bullshit story ever told. Think about it, religion has actually convinced people that there's an INVISIBLE MAN...LIVING IN THE SKY...who watches every thing you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a list of ten special things that he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish where he will send to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry for ever and ever 'til the end of time...but he loves you.

-George Carlin, from "You Are All Diseased"

http://atheism.about.com/library/quotes/bl_q_GCarlin.htm

in regards to "Poe's Law"--->:rofl:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

16. Best. Stand. Up. Routine. EVAH!

:applause:

[Soylent Brice]

19. the revised ten commandments has a special place in my heart as well.

lol

[mr blur]

13. And they can't bear to spell out the word "Hell",

for fear that demons will enter their bodies.



(well, it would be funny, if it weren't desperately sad.)

[Hardrada]

18. Some religions are scared of even spelling out "God"

so you see G-d. Weird.

[juno jones]

23. Yep. I don't get it either.

God is a generic word. Yahweh, Allah and Thor are all names of gods, none of which I see asterisked.

And the name of their g*d is supposedly unpronouncable, you're not going to be accidently able to take it in vain, so why the hang up with the astrisk thingy for the generic name of deity?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

25. Dupe, delete -nt

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

26. To advertise their piety.

Just like crooked auto repair shops that put on Jesus fishes to get the uncritical business of the brainwashed.

[juno jones]

28. That's a very good analysis.

Sometimes I just wish these whitened sepulchers would just go back to their closets. :shrug:

[Tailormyst]

21. So they can't even type the word "hell" .

I believe many of them are mentally ill and they hook onto religion which in turn just exacerbates their illnesses. I think religion aplifies the very best or the very worst in people.

[skypilot]

22. "They will look upon those sinful family members...

...with utter contempt..."

So heaven's full of assholes standing around gloating. Sounds nice.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

24. Nothingness beats the other two alternatives, hands down. -nt

[FiveGoodMen]

31. ...which is lucky for all of us.

[Orsino]

27. They will cheer on the torturers, just as they did in life. n/t