tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post7206362962750800025..comments2024-03-25T17:35:02.238-04:00Comments on Debunking Christianity: Christian GroupThink ChallengeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-87778308284613985392007-10-22T21:24:00.000-04:002007-10-22T21:24:00.000-04:00I am a Christian from another country but reside h...I am a Christian from another country but reside here in the United States. I read a lot at this site about how sexually explosive some Christian songs are. Don't you think that there is cultural influence on the views of your contributors? I don't think of sex any time someone says "hold me close". If you have ever been to some other cultures of the world you would know that the United States is a very sensual society so that everything is SEX to some people. I would love to suggest that your contributors stay with matters of serious substance or they will turn your website into a big gripe party. I think that doubt has its place in Christianity or in any faith; it produces true faith or no faith. I think that those who contend that there is no God are as "guilty" as those who claim that there is one. They both represent the two ends of the swing of the pendulum. I think Christians are more honest because they call their claim about God FAITH. None believers just KNOW that there is no God. Well there lies the bigger problem, how do you KNOW? I will read any intelligent discussion on both sides, but calling Jesus Christ a polygamist doesn't bring any serious conversation to the table. And if he was, how does that prove God as non-existent? I respect all of you and your opinions - at least that is what I was told when I got to the United States that no one person's opinion is superior to another. You must however present a convincing argument, and not name-calling. As the good old preacher said, "sarcasm is the psychology of avoidance". Thank you for accepting my contribution.BullHornshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05228971678004406630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-13288960171260919172007-10-11T09:17:00.000-04:002007-10-11T09:17:00.000-04:00metaphyzxx, why don't you set up your own religiou...metaphyzxx, why don't you set up your own religious study group. I don't know your church, of course, but when I was a church-goer, independent church groups were set up all the time to study all sorts of things, including apologetics. Why not start an apologetics course for interested people, and then use one of the many great anti-apologetics books (John's being one of them) as your goal--"we should be able to answer all of these questions within our faith".Shygetzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12587529149916263563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-70894540973360752762007-10-10T19:18:00.000-04:002007-10-10T19:18:00.000-04:00To be honest with you, I'd like to take you up on ...To be honest with you, I'd like to take you up on your offer, were it not for the fact that I'm not of the majority mind in my church. There are many in my own organization that would wish to 'rein in' my manner of zealotry. Let's face it though, even if Christianity IS the truth, it sure enough doesn't show up in the current incarnation of the church.metaphyzxxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02702037868258045003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-55728982302240236622007-10-10T19:17:00.000-04:002007-10-10T19:17:00.000-04:00To be honest with you, I'd like to take you up on ...To be honest with you, I'd like to take you up on your offer, were it not for the fact that I'm not of the majority mind in my church. There are many in my own organization that would wish to 'rein in' my manner of zealotry. Let's face it though, even if Christianity IS the truth, it sure enough doesn't show up in the current incarnation of the church.metaphyzxxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02702037868258045003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-43661234698016708662007-10-09T04:51:00.000-04:002007-10-09T04:51:00.000-04:00What do they have to lose? Their religious identit...What do they have to lose? Their religious identity, the only purpose for their own existence, to glorify their make believe god.<BR/><BR/>Christianity's only purpose is to try to justify our own existence, by our being here from the natural course of sexual desire of our fathers. <BR/><BR/>Our existence has nothing to do with a god's holy divine will that we are here, it has all to do with the heterosexual males' desire to inseminate every female he comes in contact with.<BR/><BR/>Even if a woman is raped, the baby is called one of god's little miracles, but in Deuteronomy it says that a bastard child shall not enter the kingdom of heaven, even into his tenth generation.<BR/><BR/>The only reason that we, and all other animals are here is because of the propagation of the species, not from a pre-ordained will of a god. But the church preaches that our only purpose is by the predestination of their god, anyone will have a tough time trying to convince believers otherwise, since they are taught that they were put here for a the sole purpose to complete the divine predestined will of their god.<BR/><BR/>By our sins (the fathers insatiable lust for the female body) are we justified for being here, therefore we all need to be saved because we are all born in sin, because the penis entered the vagina, but jesus was without sin, because no penis was used to pass on earthly sin, what a crock of BS.Steven Bentlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16139666223082953913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-51147255712466061272007-10-09T04:12:00.000-04:002007-10-09T04:12:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Steven Bentlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16139666223082953913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-57574342048699140862007-10-08T19:27:00.000-04:002007-10-08T19:27:00.000-04:00john, absolutely! Your challenge is better than m...john, absolutely! Your challenge is better than mine, because you have an immediate study tool. I hope some churches or christians will take you up on your offer.Don Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10624128241297548817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-17844731363140750322007-10-08T16:04:00.000-04:002007-10-08T16:04:00.000-04:00I challenge churches to get a group together to st...I challenge churches to get a group together to study through my book, debating it wherever possible. I argue that with so many other religious groups who are so sure of their faith that this is one way to test what they believe. After all, if their faith takes a hit, it wasn't solid to begin with. But if it strengths their faith, that's good. Either way they win! So why not do it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-88548774878549094452007-10-08T15:35:00.000-04:002007-10-08T15:35:00.000-04:00hey cipher, thanks for the comments. yes, I think...hey cipher, thanks for the comments. yes, I think this "groupthink" problem exists in all fundamentalist communities, including things like the Republican and Democratic parties. It is a survival mechanism for organizations, which tend to be small-minded because they are so mission focused. I am especially offended by the christian occurence of this phenomenon because christians are commanded by their god to "love your neighbor as yourself" and to "love one another." Even to support the weaker brother (though Paul does command for a brother who rejects certain moral elements of christian community to be cast out).<BR/><BR/>it is an inconsistency that christians are usually not willing to examine because it reveals their fear of rational argument and skeptical expression.Don Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10624128241297548817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-47223698321365845802007-10-08T13:39:00.000-04:002007-10-08T13:39:00.000-04:00I know very well just how firmly this mentality is...I know very well just how firmly this mentality is established within the church. The moment anyone expresses any measure of doubt or begins skeptical inquiry, he is patronized and treated as though he is a "weaker" brother needing gentle guidance and prayer to return to "spiritual health" - and that being the <I>best</I>-case scenario. If the doubt expressed is <I>too</I> strong or <I>too</I> frustrating for the other church members, the person is practically outcast (at least temporarily) while other believers are asked to pray for him in his "struggles" as he "wrestles with God."<BR/><BR/>This system is practically fool-proof. There is social reward for the elite, "strong" members of the congregation who are "steadfast in their walk" and blindly accepting of doctrine, while there is social punishment for the "weak" members who are "straying from their walk" and questioning the sacred, ineffable dogma of the church.<BR/><BR/>It is my experience that evangelical Christians are under the impression that this is absolutely false; typically they cite such practices as criticisms against the <I>Catholic</I> church while continuing naively all the while to do exactly the same.Calebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17175173998016520555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-63339477138078473372007-10-08T12:56:00.000-04:002007-10-08T12:56:00.000-04:00who would want to "come out" about their skepticis...<I>who would want to "come out" about their skepticism when it means that their family would be isolated, mistreated, their kids rejected, and perhaps even extended a "disinvitation" to the church because of their honesty?</I><BR/><BR/>This problem exists in the Jewish world as well, among the Hareidim, or "ultra-Orthodox". People become disaffected, but are afraid to express it openly as the result is often alienation, expulsion, estrangement from parents, spouses, children, etc. Also, a lot of them grow up in that world (though there are converts from less observant denominations), and are poorly educated in secular subjects. They haven't been given the tools with which to survive outside of the community. There are a couple of exit organizations that have been started within the past few years in an effort to ease the transition, but it's still very difficult and a lot of them elect to remain, living lives of silent despair. There is an online community of ultra-Orthodox agnostics and atheists offering one another support; a number of them have blogs. Naturally, they're beset by sniping commenters either castigating them or urging them to return to the fold. I imagine this problem exists in all fundamentalist communities.Jeff Eygeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11967707883565162538noreply@blogger.com