Let me just say that as long as Christians admit the absolute lunacy that their religion is in regards to rationality, I have absolutely no problem with them. Once they admit that there really is no universal argument for religion, I simply don't care any more. At that point, not to offend anyone, it is like trying to tell an autistic kid to stop trying to organize his toys when he should be doing something else. The same goes for altruism or anything else of that sort.
But when you get like this:
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You guys just don't know how to look at the bright side, do you?
This is actually a very inspiring story, in the sense that someone like him who has everything surrenders his earthly possessions for the sake of the poor. If I were him, I would've done the same. He's old, and it's too late for him to fix his life (family and such), so what's there to do? Life is not all about material things anyway. We can't bring them to our death.
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Then the autistic kid is trying to tell me that I should organize my toys and that it would be better to do that all day than go to work and other important things.
Let's break this down. Azumi wants us to sacrifice ourselves, everything about us including or enjoyment, for the sake of people. Not just any people, but people who really won't help us back. Even if they would help us back, we shouldn't accept it either because that would be thinking in our interests. If the said poor man pulled out a gun and tried to rob us afterward, well the ideal is to take up the cross and take the bullet. Anyone who would do that is a lunatic, crazy-ass, solipsist who questions whether pain or pleasure exist.
Then she goes on to say, "If I were him . . . " as if the morality of Jesus was one where you take his ethics in different contexts. The irony is, that is the exact opposite. Divine commandments are to be obeyed always regardless of your interests, and that it because any divine work is to be done solely in the interest of the divine being. God should be the highest interest in your heart, not yourself.
Then she clings to the age-old idea that one's guilt is lasts for a lifetime. Of course, in the context of Christianity she would be correct. However, how does one "fix his life" when he has sinned but once? How does it take any longer with more sins than it does with one sin? And of course, you are born from sin anyways so fixing your scum-ridden, dust-of-the-earth self is impossible. That is true, unless, you sell your soul to the loving God who provides a way out from the hell, which you just-so-happened to be in because of your Greatx1,000,000 Grandfather. He went to Hell because he disobeyed the God who put a tree that could be used only for evil, in the garden. But, of course, that tree was put in the garden so that humans would have . . . free will.
Of course life isn't all about material things, but you'd be a liar to say that material value doesn't exist. Also, a lot of material value stems from spiritual (and by spiritual I mean it in the non-religious term) value. Money in its physical form has material value. That material value comes from the material value that it took to create that object. That material value stems from a man who created the ideas. All of these creators of value were driven by their spirit, the spiritual value.
Oh, and you would be right in saying you cannot bring material value to your death. What you didn't mention is that fact that once you are dead value doesn't exist because you don't exist (at least in a living state) anymore. You can say, "Well, I don't believe that!" However, you're just digging your
own grave (CWUTIDIDTHER).
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This place has lots of agnostics and atheists who have no respect for others' beliefs and faith.. so sad. And pathetic.
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I have no respect for Nazis. I have no respect for racism. I have no respect for druggies who tell me that getting stoned is the way to enlightenment. I would hope that, as far as their beliefs go, you wouldn't respect them either. You don't just tolerate every belief or idea that wants credit. A respectable idea at least has a legitimate amount of possibility or at least a pretty legitimate argument.
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Spanish Inquisition. Holy Crusades. Persecuting homosexuals. Condemning all non-believers to the fiery pits of Hell.
Yeah. We're the disrespectful ones.
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Like Tab said, it isn't a valid argument. The Great Purges could be used with the same logic as a way to deter people from atheism. Also, while I believe there isn't much integrity in the teachings of Christ, "love thy neighbor" was pretty clear.
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“Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”
— (Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right)
thank you, karl marx
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There is no better alternative to a lifetime of slavery to God than a lifetime of slavery to everyone on this planet.
Edit: Misquoting common sayings is embarrassing.