Are atheists more likely to be morally good than Christians?

by FusionTheism in

i have no problem saying atheists and christians are equal.. but some people seem to have the belief that atheists are more likely to be morally good, or more likely to change the world for good, than christians and theists.. but what evidence do you have to support this claim?.

if atheism is what causes people to do great positive things for the world, then why weren't martin luther king, jr., william wilberforce, isaac newton, francis collins, barack obama, mother theresa, abraham lincoln, or john f. kennedy atheists?.

fulltimestudent

cofty: Mother Theresa
Odious old hag.

Haha- you beat me to it Cofty!

Don't these theist advocates know how to use a search engine?

Mother Theresa was pure evil in her belief, that because Jesus suffered, her 'victims' should also suffer.

42

No end to JW logic, Oranges can make you gay

by James Mixon in

i was told that today by a jw...no more to say.

fulltimestudent

More "f***wit thinking!

And here's another one - my friend's daughter (still in) raised it with him recently.

"Soy is feminizing, and commonly leads to a decrease in the size of the penis, sexual confusion and homosexuality. That’s why most of the medical (not socio-spiritual) blame for today’s rise in homosexuality must fall upon the rise in soy formula and other soy products."
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2006/12/39253/#WFsL0f0R2RexVcWW.99

I have studied one ancient society (ancient Greece) and one early modern to modern society (Japan from the 17th century) in which male to male sex/romance was common, and while soy products, used for food, have a long history in East Asia, there is little evidence of their use in ancient Greece.

31

The Devouring Mother Archetype(jungian) And the Watchtower Corporation's Self Identification As Mother And Jehovah As Father

by Brokeback Watchtower in

the devouring mother must be always listen to and obeyed it is the negative side of the anima image and it rules over the watchtower corporation.

jehovah(corporation's imaginary sock puppet) is the father figure with his masculine macho swagger he gains victory over every detractor and his huge narcissistic personality demands exclusive devotion from everyone or it's the death penalty, he suffers from an inflated ego and has a very dark and evil shadow due to denial of his dark nature/satan(scape goat).

the children or rank and file pee on dedicated members of the corporation must now engage in worthless pursuits to satisfy a mood swinging domineering mother and a murderous self righteous father all the while being shown a very contemptible form of conditional love, accompanied with constant death threat reminders and a carrot on a sting to keep them focused on such and busy with worthless pursuits for a hopeless cause.

fulltimestudent

Imbuing something that is non-human, with the characteristics of a human is fraught with risk. Few people seem to think that Yahweh's organisation is as kind and loving as a human mother is commonly imagined (Galatians 4:26)

Aside from the harsh treatment that many here have experienced at the hands of their 'mother,' there's the not so small problem, tha, in the imagination of Christians 'she' is shortly going to kill billions of people.

So most here have come to picture their supposedly loving 'mother' as just another vicious, wicked old bitch!

7

The moral problem of Ephesians 5:23

by opusdei1972 in

for the husband is the head of the wife as christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the savior.

(ephesians 5:23).

if jesus is the head of the church, jesus is responsible for the many contradictions contained in the new testament.

fulltimestudent

what kind of head is he? haha!!!!!

the only answer is that he is a 'deadhead'.

How could he be alive somewhere in the universe and allow the terrible things that have been done by people called by his name? His non-response can only mean that he too is dead.

The first Soviet animated film (1924)

by fulltimestudent in

social history - the first soviet animated film (1924).. this morning, the never still tides, that move the oceans of human activity, threw this item of useless data (like driftwood), up onto the rocky shores of my mind.

so in a spirit of generosity, i share it with all.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on5ufl14n7s.

you will need some additional information to decipher its satirical intentions, but even so not all of dziga vertov's (the maker) satire will be clear, so what remains obscure, will remain obscure.. and, for assistance in reading vertov's satire:.

fulltimestudent

Social History - The first Soviet animated film (1924).

This morning, the never still tides, that move the oceans of human activity, threw this item of useless data (like driftwood), up onto the rocky shores of my mind. So in a spirit of generosity, I share it with all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on5Ufl14N7s

You will need some additional information to decipher its satirical intentions, but even so not all of Dziga Vertov's (the maker) satire will be clear, so what remains obscure, will remain obscure.

and, for assistance in reading Vertov's satire:

(We can only wonder at the interpretations made by his audiences).

http://www.openculture.com/…/dziga-vertovs-unsettling-sovie…

13

I'm okay with the "fruitage of the spirit."

by cappytan in

jw
friends

though i now consider myself a secular buddhist, i just realized today that i'm okay with trying to pursue the qualities mentioned by paul as the "fruitage of the spirit.".

the only one i take issue with is "faith" in the context of religion.

what are your thoughts on the matter?.

fulltimestudent

4 days ago

cappytan: Though I now consider myself a Secular Buddhist, I just realized today that I'm okay with trying to pursue the qualities mentioned by Paul as the "fruitage of the spirit."
The only one I take issue with is "faith" in the context of religion.
What are your thoughts on the matter?

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The most problematical claim by Galatians 5:22 is that good qualities listed by the author of the text are (in his view) the result of 'magic,' that is, an invisible, external force (the spirit) that can change your personality.

Possibly, some practising 'Christian' may want to quibble over the use of the word 'magic' to describe the process by which the author of Galatians 5:22 imagines personality change, however the word 'magic' is correctly used in this context.

Magic, as defined by the Oxford dictionary, is: "The power of apparently influencing events by using mysterious or supernatural forces."

A scholastic view of 'magic,' states:

Magic or sorcery is the use of rituals, symbols, actions, gestures and language that are believed to exploit supernatural forces. Modern Western magicians generally state magic's primary purpose to be personal spiritual growth.

(Source: Cicero, Chic & Sandra Tabatha () The Essential Golden Dawn: An Introduction to High Magic. pp. 87–9. Regardie, Israel (2001) The Tree of Life: An Illustrated Study of Magic, St. Paul, Minnesota: Llewellyn, p. 17. Crowley, Aleister Magic Without Tears Ch. 83.)

Clearly, if the power, by which the personality change process of Galatians 5:22 is supposed to occur, does not exist then the 'personality change' will not/cannot happen, which is often the experience of individual Christians and Christians as a group.

It is unclear as to whether Jesus thought of the process of 'personality change' in the same way as did the author of Galatians 5:22. In the so-called Sermon on the Mount, the instruction Jesus is conceived as teaching, certainly involves a personality change, but the process of change is imagined as being the result of personal decisions affecting behaviour. His audience is told what to do and what not to do.

-----------------------------------

Buddhism on the other hand takes a different approach. In the view of the Sakyamuni Buddhist, 'suffering' is the key problem in the world. So suffering must be elimnated. As a Buddhist web-site says.

"Alone among the world's religions, Buddhism locates suffering at the heart of the world. Indeed according to Buddhism, existence is suffering (dukkha). The main question that Guatama (c.566 BC - c.480 BC), the traditional founder of Buddhism, sought to answer was: "Why do pain and suffering exist?"
Buddhism teaches compassion toward all sentient beings. By contrast, Christianity and its secular offshoot, Western science, cling to a very un-Darwinian form of human exceptionalism. According to the Biblical Book of Genesis, God put animals on earth purely to serve Man, who exists to serve God."

The four Noble Truths of Buddhism, (supposedly) explains how we may eliminate suffering:

THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS:
All is suffering (dukkha).
Suffering is caused by desire/attachment.
If one can eliminate desire/attachment, one can eliminate suffering.
The Noble Eight-fold Path can eliminate desire. Extremes of excessive self-indulgence (hedonism) and excessive self-mortification should be avoided.

And the Eight-fold path is described thus:

THE NOBLE EIGHT-FOLD PATH:
Right Views.
The true understanding of the four noble truths.
Right Intent.
Right aspiration is the true desire to free oneself from attachment, ignorance, and hatefulness.
[These first two are referred to as prajña, or wisdom.]
Right Speech.
Right speech involves abstaining from lying, gossiping, or hurtful talk.
Right Conduct.
Right action involves abstaining from hurtful behaviours, such as killing, stealing, and careless sex.
Right livelihood.
Right livelihood means making your living in such a way as to avoid dishonesty and hurting others, including animals.
[The above three are referred to as shila, or morality.]
Right Effort.
Right effort is a matter of exerting oneself in regulating the content of one's mind: bad qualities should be abandoned and prevented from arising again; good qualities should be enacted and nurtured.
Right Mindfulness.
Right mindfulness is the focusing of one's attention on one's body, feelings, thoughts, and consciousness in such a way as to overcome craving, hatred, and ignorance.
Right Concentration.
Right concentration is meditating in such a way as to progressively realize a true understanding of imperfection, impermanence, and non-separateness.

Obviously, this is the result of an individual's own effort, and is not the result of some magical process, though some forms of Buddhism attribute the attainment of enlightenment to 'magical' occurrences.

(Source: http://www.bltc.com/buddhism-suffering.html )

I guess, in the end, if we wish to live in a well-behaved society, then there has to be some form of "behaviour training."

Singapore (to pick an example) is usually seen as a well-behaved society, where it is safe for a woman to walk the streets late at night (something that would not be advisable in Sydney). This is seen to be the result of 'social engineering,' (usually in the form of saturation advertising campaigns coupled with heavy penalties) something that was openly derided in the west some 30 years ago. I saw something similar recently in Nanjing (China) where my friend ( a Communist party member) pointed out huge street posters that sought to influence family life, and with a smile commented, that street posters were no longer political, but moral. Generally, I've found both Singapore and Chinese cities to be safe places at night, whereas my own city of Sydney is not. But all examples indicate a need to keep reminding people of certain behavioural standards

________________

PS: One final thought.

cappytan: The only one I take issue with is "faith" in the context of religion.

Faith is defined (in its basic sense) as: Complete trust or confidence in someone or something:

So faith is very close in meaning to the word 'belief.'

In Chinese societies, traditionally, 'doubt' (questioning) is more important than 'faith.' Do you think that may explain the contemporary success of China. (grin)

1

The Chinese 'Gaokao" college entrance exam.

by fulltimestudent in

near 10,000,000 chinese high school students have just completed the two and one half day exam known as the gaoko (college entrance exam).

china central television america sets out some of the questions students had to answer:.

http://www.cctv-america.com/2015/06/08/are-you-smarter-than-a-chinese-high-school-student.

fulltimestudent

Students taking a bus to their exam in Liu’an, Anhui province. Thousands of family and friends crowd the streets in support.

--------------

Some call on supernatural help during this stressful time. Buddhist temples are thronged, as are the temples dedicated to Kongzi, (Confucius) who is not regarded as a god, but as an immortal who could help. (Closest western analogy may be a Catholic/orthodox 'saint').

1

The Chinese 'Gaokao" college entrance exam.

by fulltimestudent in

near 10,000,000 chinese high school students have just completed the two and one half day exam known as the gaoko (college entrance exam).

china central television america sets out some of the questions students had to answer:.

http://www.cctv-america.com/2015/06/08/are-you-smarter-than-a-chinese-high-school-student.

fulltimestudent

Near 10,000,000 Chinese high school students have just completed the two and one half day exam known as the Gaoko (College Entrance exam).

China Central Television America sets out some of the questions students had to answer:

http://www.cctv-america.com/2015/06/08/are-you-smarter-than-a-chinese-high-school-student

4

More Chinese quick-build techniques developed

by fulltimestudent in

an american web-site, green builder media, reports a new chinese development in the use of 3d very fast building techniques.. in one project, winsun (yingchuang construction technique), used their technology to create and build the home in, what they say, was less than 24 hours.

in another project (last year) using last year, using " four huge 3d printers, yingchuang new materials inc. was able to print the shells of 10 one-room structures in 24 hours and at a cost of only about $5,000 per building.

the buildings had to harden at the factory and then be transported and assembled on site.".

fulltimestudent

berrygerry17 hours ago; This seems surreal.
Do they have any video?

Well, not really! When you realise how 3D printing is going to change the way humans do things, you'll start to see how different the future will be.

The Chinese have a great need for better construction techniques. It is believed that another 200 million Chinese will move to existing and new Chinese cities in the next 20 years. Thats in addition to the constant re-building of Chinese cities. Hence the experiments. The only video I found for the above is this one that shows the 10 one room structures built. (as noted in the above report):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYqBxEAtXZA

Note that the basic component is building rubble (from demolished buildings) mixed with liquid cement, so that it can be "printed."

Other nations are also experimenting with the technique. Here's a video of a project at the USC in the USA:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ_WqvjJtDw

The Chinese are also working with standardised, pre-fabricated components that permit very fast construction times.

Think of this!

Building a 15 storey hotel in 6 days

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNv13fY_3jY

It is not quite correct to say that it was built in 6 days. Yes! it was assembled in six days. But many hours of on-site construction work were saved by off-site manufacture of precisely dimensioned components.

4

More Chinese quick-build techniques developed

by fulltimestudent in

an american web-site, green builder media, reports a new chinese development in the use of 3d very fast building techniques.. in one project, winsun (yingchuang construction technique), used their technology to create and build the home in, what they say, was less than 24 hours.

in another project (last year) using last year, using " four huge 3d printers, yingchuang new materials inc. was able to print the shells of 10 one-room structures in 24 hours and at a cost of only about $5,000 per building.

the buildings had to harden at the factory and then be transported and assembled on site.".

fulltimestudent

An American web-site, Green Builder Media, reports a new Chinese development in the use of 3D very fast building techniques.

In one project, WinSun (Yingchuang Construction Technique), used their technology to create and build the home in, what they say, was less than 24 hours.

3dbuilding

In another project (last year) using Last year, using " four huge 3D printers, Yingchuang New Materials Inc. was able to print the shells of 10 one-room structures in 24 hours and at a cost of only about $5,000 per building. The buildings had to harden at the factory and then be transported and assembled on site."

- See more at: http://www.greenbuildermedia.com/celestia-updates/blog/china-company-builds-more-with-3-d-technology#sthash.1gjtrXEG.dpuf

fulltimestudent

Posts by fulltimestudent

4 days ago

Students taking a bus to their exam in Liu’an, Anhui province. Thousands of family and friends crowd the streets in support.

--------------

Some call on supernatural help during this stressful time. Buddhist temples are thronged, as are the temples dedicated to Kongzi, (Confucius) who is not regarded as a god, but as an immortal who could help. (Closest western analogy may be a Catholic/orthodox 'saint').

Building a 15 storey hotel in 6 days