Posted on 06/08/2009 11:04:36 AM PDT by ventanax5
There is far more violence in the Bible than in the Quran; the idea that Islam imposed itself by the sword is a Western fiction, fabricated during the time of the Crusades when, in fact, it was Western Christians who were fighting brutal holy wars against Islam. So announces former nun and self-professed freelance monotheist, Karen Armstrong. This quote sums up the single most influential argument currently serving to deflect the accusation that Islam is inherently violent and intolerant: All monotheistic religions, proponents of such an argument say, and not just Islam, have their fair share of violent and intolerant scriptures, as well as bloody histories. Thus, whenever Islams sacred scriptures the Quran first, followed by the reports on the words and deeds of Muhammad (the Hadith) are highlighted as demonstrative of the religions innate bellicosity, the immediate rejoinder is that other scriptures, specifically those of Judeo-Christianity, are as riddled with violent passages.
(Excerpt) Read more at meforum.org ...
“Make me believe.”
You presume I care.
Thanks for posting that!
You see, this is the equivalent stumbling block for Theists, as is the one that stumps Atheists: What is our origin?
Theists merely created this imaginary idol of God so that they can give a stop-gap filler of an answer to the riddle, albeit the wrong one.
Really, you can’t “make me believe” if I choose not to.
However, when someone seeks the light, God will provide the info necessary to find Him. Bibles have been known to fall from windows at people’s feet shortly after making this decision.
Again, the decision has to be made first.
Jeremiah 29:13
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Well, until you solve the problem of creation — I humbly submit that you should not label yourself as an atheist. Because all of the evidence of creation points to a singularity.
And it’s not a stumbling block for Theists — because God tells us that His nature is not the same as His creation’s.
We all know those things are wrong because they shred the fabric of the single-most important weapon we have to face the hazards of competitive life on this planet: Human society. Mankind has merely used the idea of God to keep this weapon as durable as possible, albeit in an indirect way.
But if one realizes the essence of this truth, then the concept of God is no longer needed, as an ideological crutch. The direct reality instantly becomes evident.
No. You presume you can.
A. Your picture didn’t load.
B. Who voted the NAZIS in?
C. You haven’t convinced anyone of the polytheistic beliefs of the NAZIS.
Because a religion that teaches us to lay down our life for your enemy — gives it a competitive advantage to one that says kill the infidel.
The religion that says all life is precious and that it is important to help those who have no chance at contributing to society stay alive — because they are made in God’s image, gives us an advantage.
The religion that says that you must pray and bless those that persecute you — gives you an advantage. You are in my prayers, why should I take the time out to pray for you if it slows me down?
Tell me how 6 billion humans can descend out of two, and yet, cousins marrying today produces birth defects in their offspring at a very high frequency.
Also, what about a cyclical universe? _____ >< .....-----*****-----....._____ >< .....-----***** etc.
And its not a stumbling block for Theists
Oh, yes it is! You're just attempting to explain it with a God cure-all.
A cyclic universe is nonsensical if the universe has always existed — because the laws of thermodynamics would ensure that the amount of energy in an infinitely existing universe would be 0.
That man I love! Who, unto friend and foe |
Keeping an equal heart, with equal mind |
Bears shame and glory, with an equal peace |
Takes heat and cold, pleasure and pain; abides |
Quit of desires, hears praise or calumny |
In passionless restraint, unmoved by each, |
Linked by no ties to earth, steadfast in Me, |
That man I love! But most of all I love |
Those happy ones to whom tis life to live |
In single fervid faith and love unseeing, |
Eating the blessèd Amrit of my Being! - Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter XII, lines 59-69. |
The religion that says all life is precious and that it is important to help those who have no chance at contributing to society stay alive because they are made in Gods image, gives us an advantage.
Wherever, Indian Prince! |
Life isof moving things, or things unmoved, |
Plant or still seedknow, what is there hath grown |
By bond of Matter and of Spirit: Know |
He sees indeed who sees in all alike |
The living, lordly Soul; the Soul Supreme, |
Imperishable amid the Perishing: |
For, whoso thus beholds, in every place, |
In every form, the same, one, Living Lord, |
Doth no more wrongfulness unto himself, |
But goes the highest road which brings to bliss. |
Seeing, he sees, indeed, who sees that works |
Are Natures wont, for Soul to use, not love, |
Acting, yet not the actor; sees the mass |
Of separate living thingseach of its kind |
Issue from One, and blend again to One. |
The Souls light shineth pure in every place; |
And they who, by such eye of wisdom see |
How matter, and what deals with it, divide; |
And how the Spirit and the flesh have strife, |
These wise ones go the way which leads to Life! - Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter XIII, lines 95-110 & lines 121-125.
|
The religion that says that you must pray and bless those that persecute you gives you an advantage. You are in my prayers, why should I take the time out to pray for you if it slows me down?
I am alike for all! I know not hate, |
I know not favor! What is made is Mine! |
But them that worship Me with love, I love; |
They are in Me, and I in them!
|
Nay, Prince! |
If one of evil life turn in his thought |
Straightly to Me, count him amidst the good; |
He hath the highway chosen; he shall grow |
Righteous ere long; he shall attain that peace |
Which changes not. Thou Prince of India! |
Be certain none can perish, trusting Me! |
O Prithâs Son! whoso will turn to Me, |
Though they be born from the very womb of Sin, |
Woman or man; sprung of the Vaisya caste |
Or lowly disregarded Sudra,all |
Plant foot upon the highest path; how then |
The holy Brahmans my Royal Saints? |
Ah! ye who into this ill world are come |
Fleeting and falseset your faith fast on Me! |
Fix heart and thought on Me! Adore Me! Bring |
Offerings to Me! Make Me prostrations! Make |
Me your supremest joy! and, undivided, |
Unto My rest your spirits shall be guided. - Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter IX, lines 113-135.
|
Which religion, again?
The polytheistic bend of the Nazis is so well-known, only the intentionally ignorant ignore it.
No one voted the Nazis in, btw. Learn basic history.
Could you please elaborate?
"Free elections in 1932 under Germanys Weimar Republic made the National Socialist German Workers' Party the largest parliamentary faction; no similar party in any country at that time had achieved comparable electoral success."
You keep going around in circles. Name the deities.
Name the deities? Who cares?
This is simplistic stuff...
The two original humans, created before the fall, were physically perfect and their genes contained all the information necessary to produce all the variation we see today. After the Fall, the corruption allowed mutations and gene drift that cause the problems today.
A cyclical universe would require that the rate of observed expansion be slowing instead of accelerating, which is what astronomers are currently seeing.
The Nazis were into some pagan stuff - Witchcraft, etc, in pursuit of supernatural power to expand their earthly power.
Basically, there is always energy lost in any work and is not 100% efficient (such as in the fusion reaction of a star, energy lost in an engine due to friction, etc...)
Therefore the universe is always losing potential energy (you’ll probably know this as entropy). So an infinitely existing Universe would be expected to have 0 energy left in it. Since our Universe doesn’t have 0 energy, it has not always existed.
Interestingly enough, the Bible states that our Universe is subject to decay (entropy).
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