Marinus
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Everything posted by Marinus
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Denying that Christianity is in serious trouble in Europe is rather ignorant, but knock yourself out: https://www.google.com/search?q=decline+of+Christianity+in+europe&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:nl:official&client=firefox-a
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I didn't know that making a distinction between true Christians and people that have a watered down version of the religion fell in the realm of generalization. In other words, I explicitly say that there are different types of believers. which absolute(s) are you referring to? History however isn't an opinion. You cant just sweep the countless atrocities perpetrated in the name of Christianity under a rug and pretend it never happened. Atrocities aren't a good way to create unity. Actually, while I do like to bash Christianity to entertain myself, I rather explicitly say that I don't mind certain heretic forms of Christianity. It just isn't true Christianity in my opinion.
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1) we started out with 100% about 1-2 centuries ago, so Christianity is in decline i.e. "a goner" 2) I would really like to see how the got the 80% for Europe. Even if you count all the people who're officially Christian, but couldn't care less about the religion that 80% is a long shot. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Europe According to this source 52% believe in a God. Believe in a God is essential to be a Christian. Of course this doesn't mean there's 52% Christians in Europe, other religions are theistic too. So Christianity more then halved in a matter of less then 200 years and the steepest decline was in the last couple of decades. This wikilink also shows only 3 countries were more then 80% of the pop views religion as important. One of those countries is predominantly Islamic. Most of Europe is secularized and you better get used to that because it'll only get better.
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I think 16th century European Christianity was a lot more "authentic" your 21st century American McDonalds version of it. For most of it's existence the OT was used to condone all kinds of heinous shit, from slavery to witch burnings. Right until the moment normal people (not all of them non-Christians btw) made such things illegal. That's probably one of the reasons Christianity is pretty much a goner in the Western World.
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Probably, but I don't think you get my point. I also think the monarchy shouldn't exist in this day and age. But it is an insignificant flaw of my society, nothing more. Not something to emigrate over...
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US DEATH PENALTY. No More State-Sanctioned Murder Supported by the EU.
Marinus replied to mpohl's topic in Speakers Corner
Actually, when executed ( -
The royal family costs me a whopping 6-7 Euros a year. And our RF is very expensive, the Brits pay less then a Euro per person each year apparently. That sucks, but it isn't anywhere near the amount of money the financial crisis has cost me, and it certainly isn't a reason to emigrate. So the answer is: nope, people shouldn't emigrate because something insignificant is wrong with their country. I'm not an OWS supporter btw, but you sort of imply that anyone who doesn't support the Royal Family should move to another country.
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Yes, I can see 911 in it if I use my fantasy and look hard. If I try a little less I see a nice example of innovative architecture.
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Speaking for myself, I don't really cherry-pick. I actually admit there's some good stuff in the bible too. And while I have an opinion of what a True Christian should believe, I actually like the main-stream watered down versions better. But it's ironic that a non-believer has a cover2cover interpretation of the Bible. It's ironic btw that you're trying to show your righteousness by generalizing us non-believers. It somehow looses it's shine a bit especially since non-believe isn't always accompanied by a dislike for religion. Some religions try to bring people together, but Christianity isn't one of those religions. I really don't have a problem with all religions, and not even with many (what I consider to be heretic) versions of Christianity.
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We both try to work during the holidays because of the extra pay, other then that we ignore the holidays as much as we can. So should I vote boobs or penis?
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Well what can I say, I'm a cover2cover apatheist. And unless you picket on funerals with signs that say "God Hates America" or stone people who work on Sunday to death, you'll burn in hell. As for our side depending on the Bible being meant as the literal Word of God: of course we do. Else you Christians have a Carte Blanche to cherry-pick whatever you like from that pile of books you should consider as the Absolute Truth that fell from Heaven.
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If I'm so off the mark I'm sure you've no trouble whatsoever incorrecting me. If you don't reject certain parts of the bible on moral grounds, which would made you an heretic, you condone those parts. (or you're indifferent to it) This includes, for example the genocide on the Amelekites. which was so complete that even the animals were exterminated. This genocide was of course ordered by God himself. bThis doesn't mean you approve of all other genocides, or even that you approve of genocides in our day and age, but it means that according to you genocide is sometimes acceptable or even ethically sound.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaqC5FnvAEc
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That one came from a guy that confused dislike/hatred for religion with a dislike/hatred for ethnicity. Also your post has a complete lack of counter arguments.
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Okay, I'll bite: the new covenant seems to be a good cop out for Christians at first glance, but while it (for example) can be used as an excuse to not kill wiccans, people that work on Saturdays, obnoxious teens, adulterers and homos, that doesn't mean that killing those people is immoral. It only means that killing people that wiccans, people that work on Saturdays, obnoxious teens, adulterers and homos is the right thing under certain circumstances. And since you don't have to kill to qualify as a bigot, you still have to be a bigot to be a good Christian. You also have to accept all other things that God did or God ordered. Genocide for instance.
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I make assumptions based on what you say. And of course you wouldn't be the first Christian that's clueless about his own religion. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/28/nation/la-na-religion-survey-20100928 But I'm already done with you, I really don't feel like wasting words on pointless one-liners.
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You should really read the NT. Loads of bigotry and hatred in there too. Not nearly as bad as the OT, but still bad. I think you really mean the 4 evangelies when you refer to the NT. Yeah, those books are odd exceptions and do conflict with the general tone of the bible.
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In contrast to popular believe the bible isn't all that hard to interpret and understand. Many Christians claim it is that way to dodge questions about the questionable texts in the bible. I reckon they've also trouble to reconcile those texts with their idea of a good and loving god. But if you read the book with an open mind you'll see that that good and loving god doesn't exist. You should have taken the hint when he murdered the ecosystem with the Great Flood.
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Not really, You don't have to be very intelligent to conclude that certain religions are violence orientated. Religions like Christianity and Islam are prime examples.
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I thought pops was referring to one basic religion on which all religions are based, but that makes a lot more sense. Of course (just to keep things easy and avoid discussions about interpretation ) I split Christians in two groups: True Christian TM, who are cover2cover believers, and heretics. What a True Christian TM exactly isn't that easy to establish due to conflicting texts in the bible, but I reckon they're a lot like the fictive Landover Babtist Church crowd. Or in other words: If you aren't a total bigot, you're probably not a good Christian.
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No, I don't think so. Buddhism and Christianity are two completely different things that both happen to be a religion and have some similarities when one looks at the details. It's even better visible if you compare the Aztec religion and Jainism with each other. Both aren't based on the same foundations. No, But I blame religion for a lot of BS. Or more precise some religions. Jainism for instance isn't very useful when you have to justify atrocities, but Islam certainly is. Just read the quran, it's very clear about that.
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I've read the quran, And while it's hard to concentrate on something that's hardly coherent and boring as hell, it's rather clear that violence is one of the cornerstones of that religion. There's nothing ambiguous about the different texts that state that infidels etc. must be exterminated. The message is clear, Islam should dominate the world and all means are permitted to get to that goal. We can be glad that most Muslims suck at their own religion and replace it by more benign beliefs. I'm sorry, but this is simply not true. Buddhism isn't "another flavour" of Christianity or visa versa. Both are two completely different religions. I really can appreciate it if people try to create unity, but in the area of religion such unity simply doesn't exist. That's why religion is the source of so much hatred.
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Except of course that religion isn't the same as ethnicity. You really need to warp reality to get criticism of religion on the same level as racism.
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So Israel condones it's own attack on Lebanon? And it never occurred to you they might be slightly biased?
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The fact you're in Kosovo really doesn't say a whole lot about your knowledge of Islam/Lebanon. Fair enough, still Israel fired shells onto the soil of a sovereign nation that didn't attack them first.