Corona

[Googly]

I’m guessing you’re a moderate?
I don’t think anyone can adequately defend any of the religions, not one of them stacks up to any sort of scientific scrutiny. They’re all faith based and frankly they’re all bullshit.
I’ve got zero time for any religions, if you’re unable to get along without an Imaginary Boss and require the threat of eternal damnation or 70 Virgins and a Heaven to be a fundamentally decent person then you’ve got problems. If you can’t pray to your God alone and require to be in a herd, intoning rehearsed incantations and the boss needs a tithe or a donation I’d suggest you’re being sold something. If it works and gives you peace in your soul then all power to you. Cultures and communities require a crutch and some commonality, if it’s not a pure religion then it’s a political system or a combination thereof, it’s not really that different, we need something that identifies us and keeps us pulling in one direction and not many are evolved enough just to be thoroughly decent people without Big Brother.
There are a large percentage of militant Moslems out there that make life exceedingly difficult for sections of the planet. They have expansionist plans and do some barbaric stuff. The Jews are at it as well, albeit on a smaller scale in Israel, but it’s no less obnoxious.
Most of the other major religions are at it as well, but it’s usually a little more subtle and involves keeping people impoverished, compliant and unquestioning.
I’m an RC by birth and early life so have had more than my fair share of it, but am all better now. Catholicism has a shameful past and present and equally antiquated ideas that keep people below the poverty line because of God’s will. I’m still not averse to a church service, it does give me a sense of peace, but I’m aware of why, but so does fishing and beer and watching some cricket. and doesn’t leave me wringing my hands with guilt.

[Googly]

And if there genuinely is a Heaven I’ll get there way before the Pope, the child molesting priests, the Mullahs that will happily stone someone or condone an honor killing and all these other religious freaks of that I’m entirely confident.
Just be kind. That’s all. Except to China.
#chinamustpay

[zimbos_05]

There's really no point in me saying much. You've obviously determined that regardless of anything, if I'm nice and 'normal' then it can't be from religious teaching and therefore I can't actually be Muslim because I'm not following it properly.

However if I was extreme and brutal, then that would fit your view regarding religion.

At the end of the day, you really have drawn assumption, not based on study or full understanding, but on general consensus.

I don't define as any type of Muslim, but I guess I fit the 'moderate' stigma if we are saying that. Being a Muslim isn't about one extreme or the other. There is a clear path defined and it clearly states a no towards the extreme cults you talk off, and a no to a pick and choose kind of Muslim (eg..don't eat pork but will drink)

Again though, it matters not what I say. You will define me and draw assumptions about me. You will tell me if I'm wrong or right based on your belief and views. Just by mentioning I'm a Muslim, I've been defined way too many times and made judgement of. It's nothing new, and won't stop. My religion will always get in the way of people defining who I am as a person and human being.

All I do now is try to be a kind and nice human to everyone around me. As long as I can try uphold positive and correct values towards everyone, and make judgements based on certain principle (and whether you believe that that is from religious teaching or not, is I guess more of an issue for you than me) then I know I'm doing the right thing, and following my teachings correctly.

[Googly]

I’ve got 5 pretty good friends who are Moslem, I don’t judge anybody by their religion, I don’t pre-judge anyone actually, you need to walk a mile in their shoes before you do that. Two of them always used to pitch at my house on Fridays and I’d have to lock my dogs up and they’d grab their mats and use my verandah , I did manage to convert the one chap to beer, grade A coke and Christian girls for about a year, but he’s back in his PJ’s, but we had a laugh and still do. I just wait and see what people do from day to day and assess, if I don’t like what I see I just practice social distancing.
Simple. Calm down, bud.

[ZIMDOGGY]

I’m guessing you’re a moderate?
I don’t think anyone can adequately defend any of the religions, not one of them stacks up to any sort of scientific scrutiny. They’re all faith based and frankly they’re all bullshit.
I’ve got zero time for any religions, if you’re unable to get along without an Imaginary Boss and require the threat of eternal damnation or 70 Virgins and a Heaven to be a fundamentally decent person then you’ve got problems. If you can’t pray to your God alone and require to be in a herd, intoning rehearsed incantations and the boss needs a tithe or a donation I’d suggest you’re being sold something. If it works and gives you peace in your soul then all power to you. Cultures and communities require a crutch and some commonality, if it’s not a pure religion then it’s a political system or a combination thereof, it’s not really that different, we need something that identifies us and keeps us pulling in one direction and not many are evolved enough just to be thoroughly decent people without Big Brother.
There are a large percentage of militant Moslems out there that make life exceedingly difficult for sections of the planet. They have expansionist plans and do some barbaric stuff. The Jews are at it as well, albeit on a smaller scale in Israel, but it’s no less obnoxious.
Most of the other major religions are at it as well, but it’s usually a little more subtle and involves keeping people impoverished, compliant and unquestioning.
I’m an RC by birth and early life so have had more than my fair share of it, but am all better now. Catholicism has a shameful past and present and equally antiquated ideas that keep people below the poverty line because of God’s will. I’m still not averse to a church service, it does give me a sense of peace, but I’m aware of why, but so does fishing and beer and watching some cricket. and doesn’t leave me wringing my hands with guilt.

My issue with the jist of this post is without the book (whoever you believe in) how do you define what's good and what's not?
The world can be blurry and the rule books we know and even atheists use is that from Christianity usually.

My gripe with Islam is the violent war element that has a terrible effect on society. There is however another side to Islam that is good, that promotes healthy living, kindness to others and families. However I'd counter argue that Christianity offers the same if you follow it without the violence.

Apart from Googly, I don't think there are any other atheists in the forum. We have a large Muslim crew here and a few who are actively involved with the Protestant side of Church and Zimdoggy the Ukrainian (Greek) catholic.

[Kriterion_BD]

My gripe with Islam is the violent war element that has a terrible effect on society. There is however another side to Islam that is good, that promotes healthy living, kindness to others and families. However I'd counter argue that Christianity offers the same if you follow it without the violence.

I'm going to disagree with googly about one the most common misconceptions that atheists promote about themselves. That a world without religion would magically be peaceful. Lets not forget that men like Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin were atheists. And googly seems to be OK with a hypothetical nuking of China.

If its not religion, people will fight over politics or borders.

[ZIMDOGGY]

My gripe with Islam is the violent war element that has a terrible effect on society. There is however another side to Islam that is good, that promotes healthy living, kindness to others and families. However I'd counter argue that Christianity offers the same if you follow it without the violence.

I'm going to disagree with googly about one the most common misconceptions that atheists promote about themselves. That a world without religion would magically be peaceful. Lets not forget that men like Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin were atheists. And googly seems to be OK with a hypothetical nuking of China.

If its not religion, people will fight over politics or borders.

I'm with you 100% on that one.
For the life of me, I can't fathom why a belief system that holds no one accountable to misdeeds would result in better behaviour.
In Atheism, if you get away with it, you get away with it forever. YOLO!
I know a lot of atheists (not Googly) that would say 'karma' will sort you out, but I think that's very ironic to go down that path. Same how atheist bitches are knee deep into their astrology and tarot.

Not to mention, anywhere that atheism has been enforced has resulted in berserk dictatorships as you mentioned.

[Googly]

Well they fight over borders in the name of religion. I’m not disputing that without religion they’d find another reason though. These days fights stem over population pressures. The next big fight is coming over fresh water, especially in Southern Africa, our rainfall patterns are slowly and steadily declining and you combine that with an exploding population and it’s a giant insurmountable problem. Our water tables are all but dry.

I’m not an atheist by any means. If anything I’m agnostic. I was an altar boy, was confirmed, and did my time and had to dodge two sexually aroused elderly men in gowns, no jokes! And I did dodge them just in case you’re wondering I’m a little suspicious of guys that didn’t, you can always run!
I’ll fall on my knees at the very first God that really shows his hand, regardless of shape, colour or creed. Now would be a really good time, humanity is staring down the barrel at present.
If these various Gods are that all-powerful why don’t they just arrive on a chariot or something? That’s a bit antiquated, perhaps a space ship, or just get beamed here. I’m not being facetious, it’s a genuine question or desire if you like. Who doesn’t want to believe in an afterlife and some sort of judgment, it’s a comforting feeling, especially the idea of being reunited with your loved ones, whom we’d all like to think are up there somewhere.
What I would like to see for example is if Allah arrived, the Christians would be in a dilemma and vice versa. You’d still find the majority being convinced it’s a hoax because a whole chunk of the wrong religion would lose their livelihoods.
At the very least I’d like these Gods to email or WhatsApp some new clear rules that are actually pertinent to the modern world. All the old ones advocate killing people that piss you off in some unsavory way or turning the other cheek, there’s some confusing shit there that people just interpret to suit their current actions and agendas.

Communism in particular meets the definition of religion almost exactly. You’re slaving away putting the Greater Good ahead of yourself and your family and at the head of that Greater Good is a superior Being who must not be questioned and who considers himself a deity.
At the end of your miserable life you would have achieved something meaningful and will be rewarded in the knowledge that your family will be taken care of. Ring a bell?

It may not sound like it but I really don’t want to fight about religion, nobody changes their mind over religion or politics, even if there’s overwhelming evidence to the contrary. I do get a bit frustrated with the hardened zealots though, they need a slap, at least be open minded and question everything. If it doesn’t stack up it doesn’t stack up and there’s absolutely no requirement to take anything on faith, and unfortunately that’s the main thing they all try and sell. If faith based religions had been questioned from day dot we’d have a lot less problems, and that’s about the only real truth there is.
Zimbo I know a fair amount about a wide range of religions actually, I’ve done a lot of reading and pondering and have had some interesting experiences. We all search for our own truths, especially in times of hardship and bereavement.
Peace.

[Googly]

#chinamustpay

[Googly]

#ZCMUSTFALL