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Re: Please God, forgive my already paid debts - ExChristian.Net - Articles

boomSLANG — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:42:25 -0000

Testing.

Not to mention, if "God" knows a person's fate and/or purpose before conception, then "God" aborts more babies than all abortion doctors, combined.

Re: Atheists... do you have a purpose? - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

boomSLANG — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:11:50 -0000

Well, Sconner, my original statement was that I didn't want to come across like I'm getting my jollies trying to refute the latest hypothesis you offer. But in retrospect, "refute" was probably the wrong word choice, because as we both know, no one can really "refute" anecdotal evidence, such as people's personal experiences. People from all cultures; all faiths; all walks of life, etc., have bizarre, unexplained "experiences". I cannot "disprove" any of them, nor can anyone else, as we've discussed many times here. Hell, there are documented cases of people who have 15 or more separate personalities inside them.

In any event, I'm not saying - nor have I ever said - that indepth study into the LAD field should be halted. Nor have I said that people are making all of this stuff up. I believe that people believe that their experiences are real. It's merely my contention that if such "experiences" - "spiritual", or otherwise - are dependent on a "mind", that ultimately, a mind is dependent on a living brain. I'm sticking by this until a "spirit" can take up residence in a dead, or defective brain.

If there is a mind/body duality, then that should be entirely possible.

Best regards, boom'

Re: Born again religion reporter loses faith - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

boomSLANG — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:43:57 -0000

Dear Nate,

You answered my very simple and pointed question with 6 very colorful paragraphs. And I must be honest in that I have no fricking idea what any of them said, other than you believe you know the "Truth ", oh....and that said "Truth" is found in the "gospel of Christ". According to what little I can decipher, you "know" this to be true because of the following:

Nate: Because the gospel reveals a love greater and further than what could be otherwise fathomed; being founded upon an immovable, eternal God, dwelling first and foremost in the spirit, heart, and innermost thoughts, then revealed through works obedient to that internal drive.

No offense, but the above amounts to bare assertions and special pleading in my mind. 'Just letting you know.

Back to my original question---thus far, we've established that people can believe just as passionately; just as fervently; just as faithfully as Nate does. Fine. My next question was very simple, and that was the following:

Me: "...safely assuming that you take the position that billions of people believe erroneously, we can infer that if one believes something with passion, fervent devotion, and especially faith, that they can still be dead-wrong, yes?"

To which the closest thing I can find that resembles a yes or no answer, is the following:

Nate: I certainly don't think there is any lack of evidence that people can and do dedicate themselves to things that are demonstrably wrong. Naturally, I don't include faith in Christ in the "wrong" category.

Yes, "naturally", and oh-so- conveniently. Nonetheless, we've already established, per your very own answer, that having "faith"..i.e.."faith in Christ", doesn't mean someone isn't dedicating that faith to a belief that is wrong, despite your opinion that it's not wrong. But at any rate, we should probably give you the opportunity to see if what you say holds true. That said----Nate, please show us the "evidence" you have that demonstrates that Muslims, Mormons, and Buddhists, etc. believe erroneously.

Something else for your consideration----I'd like to point out that this "gospel of Christ" that you extol so much, is a type of revealed "knowledge". In other words, it was not directly penned/authored by the supposed "Divine Being" that it claims to be centered around, that being, "The Creator of the Universe". Again, it is a type of revealed "knowledge", just as are, the Holy Qu'ran, the Book of Mormon, the Enuma Elish, the Rigveda, and on and on.

I'm also am curious to know why you'll "be thinking" of us. If this is a round-about way of saying you'll be "praying for us", well, why would we need your "prayers"? 'Just curious.

Re: RELIGION vs. SCIENCE -- a familiar story? - ExChristian.Net - Articles

boomSLANG — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:59:42 -0000

"Just popped in with some petrol for the fire! :-)"

We don't need "petrol", or any other kind of "fuel for the fire"; we need objective evidence, that is, if we are to believe your fanciful, mystical, magical, religious blatherings have a referent in reality. You had no such evidence upon your arrival; you evidently still have none.

Bye now.

..i.e..beat it.

Re: From Depressed Christian to Happy Atheist- Testimonies of Ex-Christians

boomSLANG — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:16:45 -0000

Susan said: I grew up in an atheist family.

There's a big difference between growing up in a non-religious envirionment, that is, one where people are simply indifferent to theology and religion, as opposed to growing up in an actively Atheistic environment...for example, where "God" and religion are discussed, contemplated, but ultimately rejected.

Susan: I felt like the sense that I had that I and nature was eternal was gone.

Um.... whAT???? Perhaps you'd like to rephrase that so it makes some sense.

Susan: My entire life I searched for something to fill that emptiness. I wanted to feel the way that I did before I turned 12 again.

'Sounds like the emptiness that I experienced the day my friends told me that Santa didn't really exist. I wanted to feel the way I did when I believed in Santa. Of course, that good ol' time feeling's an impossibility. Why?....because I cannot convince myself that Santa exists, simply because it makes me happier. Anyway, boy, that was a disappointment. Luckily, "girls" were my next interest, which permanantly took my mind off the fat man.

Susan: The day that I became born-again when I was 22, that horrible empty feeling left and I felt wonderful again like I did the day before I turned 12 and I felt like I and all of nature was eternal again

I'm sorry, but "nature" is not "eternal"; only "super"-nature is thought to be "eternal", which, incidentally, there's not one scrap of evidence for anything in this Uni-verse that is beyond nature.

Susan: All of this guilt and awful feelings fell away like a ton of bricks when I said that prayer accepting Jesus!

I'd be curious to know what a pre-teenager mopes around and feels "guilty" about. For me, it wasn't until I started believing that I was a wreched "sinner", and that "God" was watching my every move, that I felt "guilty". Before that?...heck, I was just a naive, innocent, care-free kid with the normal interests.

Susan: If you read the Word a lot you get all this joy.

That's odd, reading the "Word" is precisely what drove the last nail in the coffin of my former religious addiction. I personally find the bible to be a nasty, abhorent, vile, and repulsive piece of literature. Particularly, the part that requires me to hate my own parents, that is, if I want to be "Jesus'" disciple. F%ck that; f%ck him...and ditto for "Christianity".

Susan: Tell those RELIGIOUS people to hit the road and follow JESUS, not them.

Those "RELIGIOUS people" were following "Jesus". Let's see:

* The Bible is the Word of God, yes? "Jesus" is the "Son of God", yes? The "Word" says spread the Gospel, yes? The Gospel says accept "Jesus" or perish, yes?

If you answered "yes" to all those questions, congratulations!....YOU are religious!...::throws confetti::

Susan said: JESUS can give you peace, love, joy. HE is fabulous and VERY NICE

If your idea of "very nice" is to roast human beings for the trespass of non-belief, boy, I'd hate to see what your idea of "cruel" is.

Susan: He["Jesus"] will show you that HE'S NOTHING LIKE those atrocious religious people.

He first needs to "show" me that he exists outside the imaginations of his followers. In the mean time, YOU are "religious". See here*, above.

Re: Atheists... do you have a purpose? - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

boomSLANG — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:32:50 -0000

The majority of experiencers have feelings of peace and tranquility -- why doesn't their interpretation take them to a swinging hammock between two palm trees, on the beach

One reason could be - and I'm speculating too - is that human beings pre-condition themselves, through such things as repetitious thought and creative visualization, to the notion that at the end of this very bumpy road we call "life", that there is "peace and tranquility". We, in a sense, demand justice and relief from the hard knocks that come from "life". Having said that, I doubt that many people, when actually pondering the hereafter, think of worldly situations such as harems, hammocks, and beach settings, etc., and hence, that could be why you don't hear too many reports of such "experiences" from those who've had OBE's, or NDE's.

Furthermore, the "light"/"tunnel" that both children and adults claim to see could be a natural phenomenon that occurs when the brain shuts down, or likened to when we see "stars" due to exercising too hard, or receiving a jolt to the head. It seems highly plausible to me that seeing such things can happen when/if blood is shunted away from certain parts of the brain, and from the eye muscles in particular.

Also(hope no one minds), if there are non-religious, naturalistic reasons that the conscious exists in the first place, it seems to me that that would pretty much rule out any logical reason that "souls" would need to take up residence in homosapiens at all. If the ultimate goal is to simply exist forever, then what 's the point of doing a 70, 80, 90-year "stint" in a homosapien's body? I mean, if homosapiens didn't exist, or if they one day ceased to exist, does the purpose of the eternal "soul" then become pointless? Stuff to ponder.

Peace.

Re: From Depressed Christian to Happy Atheist- Testimonies of Ex-Christians

boomSLANG — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:12:47 -0000

Susan is back with: Actually, the family that I grew up in was outright ATHEIST, making a definate decision to not believe.

Fair enough---and did any one of them, or all of them, push you to not believe in "Jesus", or any other deity for that matter? Or did you have the free will to believe as you wished, to also include the absence of any threats of bodily harm for non-compliance to Atheistic principles? 'Just curious.

You continue..Because I grew up not going to church at all and an atheist, that is probably why I had a lot of guilt by the time I was 22 years old.

Perhaps I missed something----why, again, did you have "guilt"? Millions of people don't go to church and suffer no guilt. And besides, you said "religion" is bad.

As for the notion of not having a belief in "God"/gods causing "guilt", how on earth would such a thing cause "guilt", that is, if the premise that one "needs God" is not present to begin with?

You: I thought that was just bad feelings about myself. I didn't know that it was guilt until the day that I said and meant that prayer accepting Jesus.[bold added]

Yes, of course, which answers my last question perfectly. Belief in "Jesus" instills the notion that you are wreched, inherently defective, and worthy of damnation, and of course, only "God" can "save" you. So naturally, any previous feelings of inadequacy point to the notion that you NEED "God". 'Funny how that works, isn't it?(rhetorically asked).

This is precisely the goal of the religious meme...i.e...to cause the host dependency. BTW, all young adults go through periods of feeling inadequate and insecure. It is part of human nature.

You: The peace, joy and sense of eternity all came from the Holy Spirit who is real and comes to dwell in the believer.

There is nothing dwelling in you but belief. Granted, "beliefs" can change people, and alter their lives for the better in some cases. However, it is nothing more than a placebo effect. The reason I can make this statement is because there are billions of people on this earth who experience "peace" and "joy", yet, they believe that "Saviors" other than "Jesus" are "dwelling" within them. The common denominator is "belief"; not "Jesus". Even if you jump up and down and insist that the other guy's heart-dwelling deities aren't real, the fact remains that their belief is that it is so.

You continue...Are you sure boomSLANG whether you ever really became BORN AGAIN - born of the spirit - of the Holy Spirit, or did you just follow religious beliefs?

Ask yourself where and how you acquired your beliefs about "Jesus". Your answer will reveal where I got mine.

The bottom line is that you did not just wake up one day with the Christian philosophy implanted in your noggin. You acquired that information via the same way all human beings acquire it...i.e..revelation.

You: Being a Christian is knowing Jesus personally.

No, I'm sorry, but you cannot "know" someone "personally" on "faith". It's contradictory and nonsensical. For instance, my neighbor's name is Ken Smith. I can tell you all about him, how nice he is, how tall he is, and how he even carries my trash cans back for me. However, you can never "know him personally" until you meet him IN person. If you expect the dynamics of a personal relationship to change simply because your invisible friend goes by the name "God", you are sadly mistaken. Yes, I believed I had a "relationship" with a being that I never saw, nor heard, nor touched. It's called self-deception.

You His Spirit dwells in me and I KNOW HIM and HE is adorable!

Specifically, in which organs or tissue does this "spirit" reside???

You: He is a moment away.

Why is "He" a "moment away" if "He" presumably resides in your physical body? Is that why children can get sodomized?..because it takes "Jesus" more than a moment to get there?

You: All you have to do is ask Him and He'll be there.

Be WHERE?

You: JESUS does exist unlike your Santa.

Prove it.(and please don't tell me to prove "Jesus" doesn't exist, unless you are prepared to prove to me that "Santa" doesn't exist)

You: I experience him literally through the Holy Spirit.

Unsupported opinion.

You: Everything in life is enhanced and better when you are born again.

Unsupported opinion.

You: I heard this expression once and it's really true. Living life not being born again - born of the spirit - is [like] a can of soda pop without the carbonation

I heard this expression once, and it's really true--you don't need to be born again, if you'd just grow up the first time.

You: RELIGION is not Christianity

True, "RELIGION" might very well be Islam, as well..... or one of a bazillion other doctrinal philosphies. On the other hand, "Christianity" IS religion.

You: There are a lot of things in the world to enjoy but they don't give you love, peace, joy.

Really? Your friends, family, interests, aspirations, personal freedoms, etc., don't give you any love, peace, or joy? But on the other hand, the thought of perpetual reverence to an invisible being gives you all those things? I find that rather odd.

(stopping here, due to bordem, and disappointment)

Re: Atheists... do you have a purpose? - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

boomSLANG — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:24:31 -0000

The majority of experiencers have feelings of peace and tranquility -- why doesn't their interpretation take them to a swinging hammock between two palm trees, on the beach

Peace.

Re: Atheists... do you have a purpose? - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

boomSLANG — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:28:07 -0000

I don't what the %$#@ happened, but I made a few edits on the above post, and clicked "save", then when I refreshed the page, my post vanished. I copied and pasted it from the recent comments section.

Re: Atheists... do you have a purpose? - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

boomSLANG — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:24:16 -0000

RE: NDE's & LAD and a mind/body duality.

Again, the human brain is very complex. I don't deny this. And we certainly don't understand all there is to know where "conscious" is concerned. However, we do know enough to conclude that these OBE "experiences" are the product of neurotransmitters and enzymes in the brain. As mentioned, these types of "experiences", or ones very similar, can be produced in a laboratory. Not-to-mention, no human being can physically levitate off a gurney, and/or, physically astral-project into the cosmos, and/or, physically be in two or more places at once, and the like. In other words, these types of "experiences" are a product of the mind. And not to strum the same harp, but there is no evidence to support - and in my opinion, no logical reason to believe - that a "mind" can exist without a physical, properly functioning brain(I will gladly concede that there are myriad emotional reasons to believe it, some of which I went over previously)

Another thing that doesn't quite logically stack up for me concerning LAD, is the notion of a "Spiritual Enlightenment", that is, where the goal is presumably to exist in a state of perpetual, unadulterated bliss. Such would surely soon become pointless, whether there is the concept of time, or not. If one wants to argue that their "personality" will exist unaltered from its previous earthly existence, then there's no reason to think that any sort of "Enlightenment" will have been acheived, as the potential for all of the same undesirable human emotions remains. On the other hand, if one wants to argue that the remedy for this is that "Enlightenment" is to be stripped away of any or all potential of undesirable human characteristics and emotions, etc., then there is no longer a frame of reference for being "human".

Emotions such as "joy", and "peacefulness" are relative. To illustrate, a K9 scratching its ass on the carpet, or chewing on some road-kill might bring it "joy". To a monkey, picking mites off its sister, or sunning itself on a branch for 8 hours might provide a sense of "peacefulness". Again, the point is one of emotional relativity. For a human "spirit" to exist stripped away of its "human-like" characteristics, is contradictory and pointless, IMO.

Re: From Depressed Christian to Happy Atheist- Testimonies of Ex-Christians

boomSLANG — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:05:08 -0000

Susan: why did you all start believing in something that you didn't know for sure was real to begin with ?

Oh, good grief. You're kidding, right? Um, the answer to that question should be a no-brainer for any "Christian". Why did we believe something we weren't sure of? Why of course, FAITH !.

Let's review: for it is written so that you shall believe.(the Holy Bible)

Susan: I found out for sure before I started believing in something that it was real.

Okay, well, bully for you. So then you evidently don't have or need "faith", right? In which case, you can provide the type of evidence to substantiate your claims that won't require "faith" on our part to believe it. Please feel free to submit that evidence at any time.

Susan: There are demonaic forces in atheist families.

There are no such things as demons and devils. There are, however, different forms of mental illness that might give the illusion that one is "possessed".

Susan: I'm telling you stuff is real.

Stuff? Which "stuff"?...r u twelve years old? Anyway, there are gaggles of "stuff" that humans claim is "real", but upon closer inspection, it more times than not is simply the product of wishful thinking and over-active imaginations, or something with a natural explanation.

Susan: The Holy Spirit is real and those other things are real

Muhammad is real.

'Believe me?

- Muhammad is real

Hope about now? Do you believe me now?

That point I'm trying to make is that the mere repetitious asserting of something as fact, as seen by you in every one of your posts, doesn't make said assertions true, or believable. 'Get it?

Re: Atheists... do you have a purpose? - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

boomSLANG — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:32:19 -0000

how did you pick boomSLANG as your display name?

As a kid, I was always infatuated with reptiles, mainly snakes. I always caught and kept them as pets, but eventually become bored of domestics, and have since moved up to exotics. Currently, I keep a Royal python(more commonly refered to a "ball python"), and a Borneo short-tailed python(more commonly refered to a "blood python"). The "boomslang" is a tree snake indigenous to Africa, and is reported to have the longest fangs of any arborial venomous snake. I like the idea of symbolically sinking my fangs into the Theist's arguments, and deflating them.

Re: Born again religion reporter loses faith - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

boomSLANG — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:22:35 -0000

...the dead-silence reveals a greater truth and further than what could otherwise be typed out

Re: Atheists... do you have a purpose? - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

boomSLANG — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:15:08 -0000

Sconner,

If you scroll up you'll see where I answered the question on the origins of my profile name earlier today.

"Also, evidently, you retain memories and emotions in the ultimate reality or absolute consciousness or whatever you want to call it."

Yeah, I know this is a common axiom in the LAD ranks. This is a point I touched on earlier when I said that if we retain our past memories and emotions as mortal beings, then that pretty much makes the notion of an eternal existence of pure, uninterupted bliss highly unlikely.(paraphrased) Not to mention all of the physical experiences that actually depend on the physical actions themselves, which will not be possible in a non-physical existence.(assuming for sake of argument that there is a mind/body duality)

Then again, some Christians and other spiritualists believe that our physical bodies will be resurrected.....a la Jebus style....you know, night of the living dead.

Re: From Depressed Christian to Happy Atheist- Testimonies of Ex-Christians

boomSLANG — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:59:59 -0000

For now, I'll only comment on a few things:

Try my little empirical test and see what happens. . .

I can only conclude that you must have a severe reading comprehesion problem.....either that, or your short-term memory is shit.(or you are a troll)

WE'VE READ THE BIBLE. Honestly, I could read it for "3 hours", 3 minutes, or 3 days---the problem, Susie, is when I get to passages that require me to HATE my parents, or passages that condone, and promote, the killing of people who are not "Christian", or passages that condone and promote the dashing to pieces of children against ROCKS.

Now, I'm curious how you reconcile such passages, and hundreds more like them, that depict the Christian biblegod as a pugnacious, tyranical, merciless, K.I.L.L.E.R.

I enjoy talking with you all actually.

Frankly, I cannot say the same. In fact, your words make me sick, knowing that I was once a Christian.

Your attacks on my comments don't bother me, because my belief is as concrete as cement.[bold added]

Yes, it's called a religiously-based conviction. And it's thick with irony.... that is, considering that you describe as "cement", the part of the body that generally does the "thinking". Good luck with that.

Re: From Depressed Christian to Happy Atheist- Testimonies of Ex-Christians

boomSLANG — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:02:20 -0000

Warning: Troll alert.

Re: Obsession -- Radical Islam's War Against the West - ExChristian.Net - Articles

boomSLANG — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:53:09 -0000

White Ginger: It was phrophysied in the Torah that they[the Jews] would be blind. But had they not been then salvation for the Gentiles would not exist.

Yes, "phrophysied". I assume by that abortion of the English language that you mean a foretelling of the future, in this case, by "God", or those claimed to have "God" dwelling inside them. Nonetheless, I think it a bit inconsistant in attempting to use "Old Law" to validate "New Law".

White Ginger: Praise be to our God who knew us before the world was and sent a savior to deliver us from the depths of hell.

Yes, praise be to the person who knocks you in the head with a tire iron, sends an ambulance, and then insists you "owe him". Such a philosophy exudes intelligence.

White Ginger: I just wish that muslims didn't kill there own for even investigating the bible.

They are just doing as their Holy Book commands, similar to how if you killed non-Christians, you'd be honoring your Holy Book.

Re: Living a life free of the intrusiveness of any organized religion - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

boomSLANG — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:18:39 -0000

Xpi...I grew up Catholic. I remain Catholic.

I grew up Methodist. I changed my mind and remain Agnostic Atheist. On the other hand, unlike you, I'm willing to change my mind(again), provided I see a logical reason to do so. A good start would be seeing some convincing evidence for invisible, disembodied, conscious, beings. 'Got any?

Xpi... I think atheism is presumptious.

Then I take it that your disbelief in Allah, Neptune, Amon Ra, Quetzacoatl, and thouands more like them, is "presumptious" as well, yes? Feel free to elaborate.

Xpi...Thje Christian life, truly lived, is very difficult.

Yes, I can sympathize----trying to live up to a supposed super-human standard, all the while, being told that you cannot live up to it. Yes, I remember the days.

Xpi...The many abuses by people who say they are Christians is sad.

Irrelevant premise. ALL Christians "say they are Christian". If you are trying to make a distinction between "True Believers" and "false believers", you've wasted your energy. Likewise, if you are trying to disassociate yourself from "false believers"..i.e.."sinners", this is pointless too, as all people are "sinners", even supposed True Believers(According to scripture)

Xpi...However this world is sad.

Yeah; sad that it's over-populated. Sadder, still, that a large percentage of that population cling to ancient, out-moded, superstitious beliefs.

Xpi... The Communist regimes of the 20th century incorporated atheism in their constitutions.

Communism is a political philosophy, and has nothing to do with non-theism. It has everything to do with performing the function of "God", by imposing a "one-size-fits-all" philosophy on to the people, with an accompanying "Do as I say, or die!" 'Sound familiar?

*BTW, there exists "Christian Communism", FYI.

Xpi...We know full well what their extripation of religion and their political oppression caused, more deaths then can ever be laid at the hands of people who called themselves Christian.

Here's a few points for your consideration:

1) Even if that were true, that would be no reason to adhere to an unproven belief----religious, or otherwise.

2) Even if all those "killer Atheists" had converted to "Islam"(which is a belief in "God") you'd be bumping heads with them, instead. In other words, your problem isn't with non-theists; it's with non-Christians.

3) Every time you try to make a distinction between "Christians" and people who "call themselves Christian", your argument is redundant, and is ultimately fallacious. Again, even "True Believers" call themselves Christian.

4) Your Holy book condones the killing of non-christians, just like the Holy Qu'ran.

Xpi...Basically people become ex-Christians never really knowing the Gospel and rather because of their intent on rejecting the false expressions of Christianity.

Basically, this assertion is non-sensical. Of course anyone who contemplates and ultimately rejects something, does it with "intent". Once you found out that Santa wasn't real, did you "intend" to stop believing in Santa?...or was it an accident? Think hard.

Xpi...Another common motive in rejecting Christianity is the unwillingness of some to mortify the desires of their flesh.

Really? And you got this information from where: a) An Atheist? b) a Theist? or c) your imagination?

Xpi...Lust is the foundation of atheism.

Again, unsupported(ridiculous) opinion.

Re: Living a life free of the intrusiveness of any organized religion - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

boomSLANG — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:58:02 -0000

Xpi...I grew up Catholic. I remain Catholic.

Xpi... I think atheism is presumptious.

Then I take it that your disblief in Allah, Neptune, Amon Ra, Quetzacoatl, and thouands more like them, is "presumptious as well, yes? Feel free to elaborate.

Xpi...Thje Christian life, truly lived, is very difficult.

Yes, I can sympathize----trying to live up to a supposed super-human standard, all the while, being told that you cannot live up to it. Yes, I remember the days.

Xpi...The many abuses by people who say they are Christians is sad.

Xpi...However this world is sad.

Yeah; sad that it's over-populated. Sadder, still, that a large percentage of that population cling to ancient, out-moded, superstitious beliefs.

Xpi... The Communist regimes of the 20th century incorporated atheism in their constitutions.

*BTW, there exists "Christian Communism", FYI.

Xpi...We know full well what their extripation of religion and their political oppression caused, more deaths then can ever be laid at the hands of people who called themselves Christian.

Here's a few points for your consideration:

1) Even if that were true, that would be no reason to adhere to an unproven belief----religious, or otherwise.

2) Even if all those "killer Atheists" had converted to "Islam"(which is a belief in "God") you'd be bumping heads with them, instead. In other words, your problem isn't with non-believers; it's with non-Christians.

4) Your Holy book condones the killing of non-christians, just like the Holy Qu'ran.

Xpi...Basically people become ex-Christians never really knowing the Gospel and rather because of their intent on rejecting the false expressions of Christianity.

Xpi...Another common motive in rejecting Christianity is the unwillingness of some to mortify the desires of their flesh.

Really? And you got this information from where: a) An Atheist? b) a Theist? or c) your imagination?

Xpi...Lust is the foundation of atheism.

Again, unsupported(ridiculous) opinion.

Re: Obsession -- Radical Islam's War Against the West - ExChristian.Net - Articles

boomSLANG — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:39:42 -0000

Ginger: I guess honesty is best. I would not support my beleifs if I did not have evidence to back it up. My own life has been my evidence, as well as thoses around me. I have said nothing hateful to anyone and yet mean and hateful comments are thrown my way. Evidence! [bold added]

Dear young lady(or man),

I'm sorry to inform you, but what you offer, above, is about the furthest thing from *objective* evidence you could possibly offer. The reasoning is blatantly circular, to boot...i.e.. "It's true because I believe my life experiences say it's true!!!!!!" or..."It's true because people who share my beliefs say it's true!!!!!"

Um, no.

If you are so inexperienced and naive that you expect this type of reasoning to carry weight around here, perhaps you should get accustomed to getting heckled if you are intent on sticking around. BTW, I don't "hate" you, but I fully intend to exploit your ignorance, and that might just include heckling.

Let's continue...

You said: The fact that everyone assumes I have always been christian and have not searched out other theories becuase if I had I would be persuaded. Evidence!

Firstly, no one has "always been christian", thus, smart people would never "assume" such a thing. Secondly, just because you searched out other "theories"(hopefully not by your previous definition of "theory") and settled on a particular belief, doesn't mean you've settled on a TRUE belief. 'Follow? Again, "evidence" of jack-shit.

You: The fact that animals are all fearful of us (exp. birds always fly away) Just as God said we are their masters. Evidence!

You've either got to be kidding, stupid, or you've never been to a zoo. First, I should probably inform you that there's a huge difference between a 500 lb, wild, preditory animal being "scared", and being non-confrontational. In other words, if you should ever happen to go on an African safari, you don't stay in the jeep because the animals are afraid of "Ginger", m'kay? BTW, you are NOT a 3 ton White Rhino's "master".

You: If they were not fearful of us they would over power us.

It's not a matter of animals "over-powering" us; it's a matter of mankind being intelligent enough to know how to avoid, and/or, protect themselves from the potentially deadly animals.

You: One of the reasons Dinosuars were not on Noahs Ark

Here's a more plausible reason: the "Ark" is mythology; dinosaurs are not. Forgive me for being unimpressed with your link, BTW.

You: If they were do you really think 8 people could survive and multiply upon the earth?

The better question is, do you really think that 8 Caucasians "multiplied" and populated the earth with the ethnic diversity we see today? What do you think would happen if 8 Caucasians were put on a remote island and left to multiply? How many years do you think it would be before a yellow-skinned baby with a single eyelid crease was produced?

You: The fact that the Lord said we would not live past 120 years after the flood. Evidence!

No, not evidence. I could author a book and say "after the next major hurricane, people will be born with only two legs!!!" If said hurricane comes, and human beings are born with only two legs, are the contents of my book automatically true, or "God-inspired"? No, of course not. Ridiculous.

You: Do you know any 121 year olds?

No, I don't. But are you trying to suggest that if in your life time modern medicine can increase the life span, and due to that, perhaps someone lives 121 years, that you'll except that as evidence that your religion is bullshit? No, of course you won't accept it. At that point, you could just play your "faith" card, and/or, claim a conspiracy, etc.

You: I could go on

Yes, you could go on, but until/unless you proffer some *objective* evidence for your religious blatherings, you'll convince no one but the already-convinced.

Bye now.

Re: Obsession -- Radical Islam's War Against the West - ExChristian.Net - Articles

boomSLANG — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:48:49 -0000

Ginger: I take Gods word as truth......not man's

I'm sorry, but "God" didn't write your Holy book.

PS: Would you mind disclosing your age?

Re: Obsession -- Radical Islam's War Against the West - ExChristian.Net - Articles

boomSLANG — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:15:36 -0000

Previously, I asked: "The better question is, do you really think that 8 Caucasians 'multiplied' and populated the earth with the ethnic diversity we see today? What do you think would happen if 8 Caucasians were put on a remote island and left to multiply? How many years do you think it would be before a yellow-skinned baby with a single eyelid crease was produced? "

Ginger responds: This should be up your ally?

I didn't ask you whose "alley" it was up---I asked you a specific question regarding time. I'm not arguing that human beings didn't evolve. I want to know, given the hyptothetical I gave, how long YOU think this "adaption"(as you explain it) would take to show such diversity. What?.. a few hundred generations, and the Caucasian people on the island would become "Pacific Islanders"?

Re: Obsession -- Radical Islam's War Against the West - ExChristian.Net - Articles

boomSLANG — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:31:59 -0000

Ginger: Show me in the bible where it said they were caucasian?

Since you are the "authority" on the bible here, why don't you tell me what ethnicity "the 8" were, and we'll run with that? Do you know why I suggest this?..because I don't give a rat's ass what they were, as that has ZERO to do with the point I'm trying to make, nor the information I'm trying to get you to give me. Pick whatever enthic background you wish, and just answer the question. I personally don't care if you get the info' from the bible, or your See-n-Say. ' K?

Now, do you think that you can manage such a simple request?

Re: Obsession -- Radical Islam's War Against the West - ExChristian.Net - Articles

boomSLANG — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:40:35 -0000

Ginger: Show me in the bible where it said they were caucasian?

Since you are the "authority" on the bible here, why don't you tell me what ethnicity "the 8" were, and we'll run with that? Do you know why I suggest this?..because I don't give a rat's ass what they were, as that has ZERO to do with the point I'm trying to make, nor the information I'm trying to get you to give me. Pick whatever enthic background you wish, and just answer the question. I personally don't care if you get the info' from the bible, or your See-n-Say. 'K?

Do you think you can manage such a simple request?

Re: Obsession -- Radical Islam's War Against the West - ExChristian.Net - Articles

boomSLANG — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:31:55 -0000

Ginger: "All scripture is inspired by the holy ghost therefore it is good for reproof and correction"

Once again, irrelevant to your original statement. For ease of comprehension, the part of the statement I refer to is in bold: "I take Gods word as truth......not man's"

The bible was redacted by "man"; not "God". To say that "man" was "inspired" creates two problems for you:

1) The bible insists that "man" is imperfect, thus, "man" may have understood the alleged message perfectly, but erroneously translated it. "Inspired" doesn't mean to become---they didn't become "God".

2) Your argument, once again, is totally circular, in that you rely on the bible to tell you it's "God-breathed", when you also claim the bible is true because "God" said so. FanTAStic strategy.

25 years is a long time, even minus the time before you were indoctrinated with the religious meme. Nonetheless, there's still hope. May reason find you.