Is Christianity Taken Seriously? Rating Options

[fameONE]

-United Methodist
-African Methodist Episcopal
-Missionary Baptist
-Non-Denominational
-Church of Christ
-Church of God & Christ
-Lutheran
-Church of Zion
-Etc.

Christianity is pretty busy religion. Based on interpretation, it can be a strict lifestyle or a strict business. Compared to other religions, Christianity doesn't seem to be taken as seriously. Is it the society we live in, or the fallacies found within Biblical text?

Debate.

[codyfrijole2006]

Religion is just a crock IMO.

I refuse to let a several thousand year old book dictate my life and tell me how I should treat others etc etc. I was raised with enough common sense to know to treat everyone (whether you agree with them or not) with the upmost kindness and respect. These "Christians" claim to be loving and accepting yet they are always the ones on tv protesting in some anti-gay march or judging some other group of people all because "the Bible says its wrong" well the Bible also says eating shellfish is an abomination and that it is ok to murder your disobedient child but I guess they just conveniently choose to ignore those phrases and other non-sense rules that the Bible contains. The fact that we have people out there who really take this book literally is just frightening, are people out there really that moronic? have they actually read this garbage? I guarantee alot have not and have been brainwashed since childhood to love this "God" and obey this "Bible"

It's just sad.

[smoke]

Religion is just a crock IMO.

I refuse to let a several thousand year old book dictate my life and tell me how I should treat others etc etc. I was raised with enough common sense to know to treat everyone (whether you agree with them or not) with the upmost kindness and respect. These "Christians" claim to be loving and accepting yet they are always the ones on tv protesting in some anti-gay march or judging some other group of people all because "the Bible says its wrong" well the Bible also says eating shellfish is an abomination and that it is ok to murder your disobedient child but I guess they just conveniently choose to ignore those phrases and other non-sense rules that the Bible contains. The fact that we have people out there who really take this book literally is just frightening, are people out there really that moronic? have they actually read this garbage? I guarantee alot have not and have been brainwashed since childhood to love this "God" and obey this "Bible"

It's just sad.

First off, why I'm posting in the Debate thread when I told myself I wouldn't ever again years ago is beyond me. But, I'm bored, and ignorance is calling out to be bashed by my YOU'RE-A-FcUKING-IDIOT hammer. Mmmm, I love wielding this baby... Good times.

What I was going to say has already been said and you've already been made to look like a fool, so I won't pull a rewind and press play here, but I thought I'd add a little something. I'm not holding my breath for a response 'cause I'm sure you've already left running from this forum with your tail between your legs. Warning: You may want to wear a helmet before reading this so you don't make a mess in your moms basement when I blow your mind.

Have you ever stopped and thought where those morals you were instilled with from childhood came from? It's undeniable that Christianity has been the biggest influence on this country's values and structure. I know people often try to deny that fact, but it's undeniably true. I believe the reason people are kind at all stems from religions like Christianity. They teach those basic principles to be kind, considerate, and to "Love thy neighbor." These teachings have been widely accepted for generations and generations. Over time, a very, very long time mind you, this created that "common sense" you speak of. That common sense you seem to enjoy flaunting is directly related to that several thousand year old book you obviously despise.

This thought process of mine is based on my belief that people are naturally animal like in behavior. Evil, if you will. That's a different debate entirely.

I don't mean to come off as such an ass, but really kid. Oh, and tell your mom I said hi.

[NoSex]

Your a type of person who thinks they are always right.. and I feel sorry for you. :(

you're the type of person who is an idiot... and, i barely, if at all, feel sorry for you.
you want to know what would be more convincing than this crock? if you actually attempted a rebuttal.

Have you ever stopped and thought where those morals you were instilled with from childhood came from? It's undeniable that Christianity has been the biggest influence on this country's values and structure. I know people often try to deny that fact, but it's undeniably true. I believe the reason people are kind at all stems from religions like Christianity. They teach those basic principles to be kind, considerate, and to "Love thy neighbor." These teachings have been widely accepted for generations and generations. Over time, a very, very long time mind you, this created that "common sense" you speak of. That common sense you seem to enjoy flaunting is directly related to that several thousand year old book you obviously despise.

WRONG.

1. secular societies with fewer religious believers tend to be less dysfunctional, less violent, & less crime ridden. more religious societies are more violent, suffer greater youth mortality, see more instances of teenage pregnancy & abortion, & are more crime ridden. [1]
2. our judicial system is based on british common law. british common law predates any introduction to christianity in the west. thus, exists independent of christian ideology.
3. the treaty of peace & friendship, passed by the senate & signed by our second president, john adams reads: "As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion." [2]
4. many of our founding fathers & brothers (including our first five presidents) were not christians. [3]
5. thomas hobbes introduced the idea of the social contract. essentially, our "moral character" is based entirely on pragmatic principles of self-interest. if i agree not to kill anyone, people will agree, in return, not to kill me. if i refuse to steal from others, in return, others will agree not to steal from me; this secures society as well as your individual person. [4]
6. evolution can rather easily explain the most basic foundations of moral behavior. even further, altruism is apparent in many animal species, observed both in laboratories & nature. if non-human animals can posses altruism, what does this say for religion as a necessary foundation in morality, or as a foundation at all? [5]
7. what came first, the social norm, the instinct? do you think that religion has been "revealed" to man for all of time? is there a greater explanation for the seemingly cohesive foundation of moral character within all of humanity? don't kill, don't steal, etc?

if we received anything at all from religion, it is only vicarious. society constructs religion, then religion enforces the norms and mores of society. what happens, however, when you give these norms and mores mystical connotations & metaphysical powers, you suffer the pains of social lag [6]. you see, the only things we're "getting from religion," right now... are homophobia, sexism, racism, ethnocentrism, bigotry, & popular insanity. we get a feeling of guilt from the act of masturbation, we get the fear of sexual contact before marriage, and we get banks & liquor stores closed on sundays. if christianity disappeared, those things would, likely, disappear. however, with or without christianity, america stands more or less as it was (the constitution & declaration of independence) & we still don't kill one another, & we still don't steal from one another (consider further, atheists are less likely to commit crime).