How religion can harm young minds...

[duszek]

He can create a stone so heavy that He cannot lift it up and yet He can lift it because he is omnipotent !

And how, pray, tell me, he can do both?

We are in never-never land now -- the periphery of human consciousness and the deep labyrinths of the mind!

Your mind is too small to grasp it, but for God nothing is impossible ...

[duszek]

Skip, you sound like someone who is blessed by God´s wisdom.

Applauso d´incoraggiamento !

[Ned]

So, what you are saying, Skip, that religion is an anthropological phenomenon.

As I said earlier:

Obviously, there are historical reasons why religions were invented in the first place, thousands of years ago. Otherwise they would not exist today. However, religions were established before we had proper science as an alternative and superior way to explain the universe.

The reason science has not replaced religion in so many minds is that people often lie, are often deluded and, the saddest fact of all, they often use psychological manipulation to achieve their aims: wealth or power over other people. Religions have been used for both over the millennia. Many bloody wars were fought using religion as an excuse.

In view of this, how much should we trust religious assertions, handed down to us over history? Wouldn’t it be safer to rely on our own observations and our own minds? Scientific thinking offers exactly that.

[David Handeye]

Skip, you sound like someone who is blessed by God´s wisdom.

Applauso d´incoraggiamento !

Perché d'incoraggiamento? Piuttosto direi una standing ovation.

[duszek]

To Ned´s suggestion to give up religion:

Love has been used as an excuse for murder, shall we give it up ?

[duszek]

Skip, you sound like someone who is blessed by God´s wisdom.

Applauso d´incoraggiamento !

Perché d'incoraggiamento? Piuttosto direi una standing ovation.

Si, caro Davide, sono d´accordo con lei.

But I also wanted to encourage Skip to share some more of his valuable insights with us.

[Ned]

Arguing with theists is like shooting fish in a barrel.

No challenge at all.

[David Handeye]

Ok duszek, anch'io sono d'accordo con te you are right, bravo

[thedoc]

He can create a stone so heavy that He cannot lift it up and yet He can lift it because he is omnipotent !

God can even lift a stone that is too heavy for Him.

But why would God bother to lift a stone that was too heavy for God to lift, when God can just move the universe instead?

If you really want a contradiction, explain a stone that is too heavy for God to lift. That is a contradiction, along with the assumption that God could or could not create it.

[thedoc]

Arguing with theists is like shooting fish in a barrel.

No challenge at all.

It would be if you were armed, but you are unarmed, so no challenge at all.

[thedoc]

A stone that is too heavy, is a human construct, and has nothing to do with God, at all.

[Ned]

doc, any intelligent ten year old would plug his ears and run screaming if he heard you.

You make absolutely no sense at all.

Less and less as time goes by.

[Ned]

To Ned´s suggestion to give up religion:

I never said that. Everybody is entitled to their delusions.

Even I am. My delusion is that I can get through to anyone. As usual, I am preaching to the choir.

Love has been used as an excuse for murder, shall we give it up ?

So have ordinary kitchen knives -- don't ask me to give them up -- I need them to make supper!

[thedoc]

doc, any intelligent ten year old would plug his ears and run screaming if he heard you.

You make absolutely no sense at all.

Less and less as time goes by.

Are you running away screaming yet?

[Ned]

Over and out, doc, over and out.

Let's not waste each others time any more.