Different Takes: Should we abandon idea of hell? Editor’s note: The new documentary "Hellbound?" explores Americans' ideas about hell. We asked two prominent Christians who featured in the film to give us their very different takes on hell. My Faith: The dangerous effects of believing in hell Editor’s note: Frank Schaeffer is a New York Times bestselling author. His latest book is "Crazy For God." By Frank Schaeffer, Special to CNN Is it any coincidence that the latest war of religion that started on September 11, 2001, is being fought primarily between the United States and the Islamic world? And nowhere on earth have conservative Christians been closer to controlling foreign policy than here in the United States. What a pair George W. Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter And so my view of "hell" encompasses two things: First, the theological question about whether a land of eternal suffering exists as God's "great plan" for most of humanity. CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories Why does our view of hell matter?
An Essay by Einstein -- The World As I See It "How strange is the lot of us mortals! Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people -- first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving... "I have never looked upon ease and happiness as ends in themselves -- this critical basis I call the ideal of a pigsty. The ideals that have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. "My political ideal is democracy.
The Dragon In My Garage by Carl Sagan "A fire-breathing dragon lives in my garage" Suppose (I'm following a group therapy approach by the psychologist Richard Franklin) I seriously make such an assertion to you. Surely you'd want to check it out, see for yourself. "Show me," you say. "Where's the dragon?" "Oh, she's right here," I reply, waving vaguely. You propose spreading flour on the floor of the garage to capture the dragon's footprints. "Good idea," I say, "but this dragon floats in the air." Then you'll use an infrared sensor to detect the invisible fire. "Good idea, but the invisible fire is also heatless." You'll spray-paint the dragon and make her visible. "Good idea, but she's an incorporeal dragon and the paint won't stick." Now, what's the difference between an invisible, incorporeal, floating dragon who spits heatless fire and no dragon at all? Imagine that things had gone otherwise. Now another scenario: Suppose it's not just me. » Read this in Belorussian! » to Atheists of Silicon Valley Homepage «
FBI The FBI’s Reading Room contains many files of public interest and historical value. In compliance with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements, some of these records are no longer in the physical possession of the FBI, eliminating the FBI’s capability to re-review and/or re-process this material. Please note, that the information found in these files may no longer reflect the current beliefs, positions, opinions, or policies currently held by the FBI. The image quality contained within this site is subject to the condition of the original documents and original scanning efforts. These older files may contain processing procedures that are not compliant with current FOIA processing standards. All recently scanned images posted to the Reading Room adhere to the NARA 300 DPI standard. Some material contained in this site may contain actions, words, or images of a graphic nature that may be offensive and/or emotionally disturbing.
How “god” evolved « EvoAnth Religious belief is very common in Homo sapiens, with almost all cultures having some kind of supernatural belief that is important to their sense of identity, although that’s about the only unifying characteristic of these ideas. Within the spectrum of human society is a similarly broad spectrum of religious beliefs. These range from the simple “animal spirits” who are responsible for the unexplained (but not much else) to a “High” or “King” God who takes an active role in the world, dictating morals of a people he created. Some suggest this handaxe – nicknamed “excaliber” – is the earliest evidence of ritual, being “buried” with several hominins. Given the prevalence and importance of these religious ideas studying them is obviously something which greatly interests many evolutionary anthropologists. However, anthropologists have managed to identify certain factors which seem to be associated with the rise of complex religious beliefs (such as the “high” god). Like this:
Color Psychology & Infoplease.com by David Johnson Like death and taxes, there is no escaping color. It is ubiquitous. Yet what does it all mean? Colors often have different meanings in various cultures. Black Black is the color of authority and power. White Brides wear white to symbolize innocence and purity. Red The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. The most romantic color, pink, is more tranquilizing. Blue The color of the sky and the ocean, blue is one of the most popular colors. Green Currently the most popular decorating color, green symbolizes nature. Yellow Cheerful sunny yellow is an attention getter. Purple The color of royalty, purple connotes luxury, wealth, and sophistication. Brown Solid, reliable brown is the color of earth and is abundant in nature. Colors of the Flag In the U.S. flag, white stands for purity and innocence. Food for Thought While blue is one of the most popular colors it is one of the least appetizing.
Let’s get Bigfoot! All across cable television, earnest man-boys are frenetically hunting Bigfoot, ghosts and lake monsters — when they aren’t investigating UFOs and alien abduction. The past several years have seen such an onslaught of these paranormal programs that one wonders what took cable so long to barrage our species’ soft spot for the fantastical and absurd. In the mid-1990s Leonard Nimoy narrated the relatively tame A&E series “Ancient Mysteries,” a show spawned from the success of the series “In Search Of” that ran from 1976 to 1982. Both programs offered the standard fare of sasquatches and flying saucers, poltergeists and voodoo priestesses, as well as the occasional episode that transgressed against the OED’s opinion of “mystery” — killer bees, hurricanes, tidal waves — because, let’s face it, there really aren’t that many unexplained phenomena anymore. These programs, like their learning-disabled sibling “Ghost Hunters” on Syfy, are all mediocre intercourse and no orgasm.
Scientific proof of god's non-existence There were a couple of interesting (anonymous) comments in response to my post on what constitute rational and irrational beliefs. The writer said that I was overstepping the line that divided science from philosophy when I argued that religious beliefs were irrational. The arguments took a familiar form and went something like this: We cannot prove that god does not exist.Hence it is rational to believe that god exists.Scientists should stick to the world of data and not venture to question god's existence since that enters the realm of philosophy, not science. The author states that if a scientist is asked: 'In your scientific opinion, does God exist?' I will readily concede the first point, and in fact have done so previously (See here, here, and here.) But the other two statements do not follow from the first. The only time that you can prove a negative is if you have the ability to do an exhaustive examination of every possible situation.
m.guardian.co.uk The Bible has thousands of passages that may serve as the basis for instruction and inspiration. Not all of them are appropriate in all circumstances. The story of Saul and the Amalekites is a case in point. It's not a pretty story, and it is often used by people who don't intend to do pretty things. "Now go, attack the Amalekites, and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Saul dutifully exterminated the women, the children, the babies and all of the men – but then he spared the king. The story of the Amalekites has been used to justify genocide throughout the ages. This fall, more than 100,000 American public school children, ranging in age from four to 12, are scheduled to receive instruction in the lessons of Saul and the Amalekites in the comfort of their own public school classrooms. The CEF has been teaching the story of the Amalekites at least since 1973. "You are to go and completely destroy the Amalekites (AM-uh-leck-ites) – people, animals, every living thing.
Scientists Prove That All Religious Books Are Man-Made Nonsense "Fables should be taught as fables, myths as myths, and miracles as poetic fancies. To teach superstitions as truths is a most terrible thing." - Hypatia of Alexandria (370 - 415 AD) WASHINGTON DC - USA - Scientists at the Institute of Historical Research have finally released their findings after five years of dedicated research. The scientists, headed by Doctor Julius Sanreso, welcomed the research findings and said that it would be in the interests of those who believe in such nonsense as organised religion or creationism to accept the fact that religious books were written by men as a control system. "Just think for one second, if 'God' or a 'messenger of God' had written that particular religious book/bible, how come the writings only occur within a very limited period in human history? "The game is up for all religions, how long can this sham carry on, with their ridiculous outdated ceremonies?
Why Humanists Need to Make the Shift to Post-Atheism I’m getting increasingly annoyed by all the anti-religious propaganda that litters my Facebook newsfeed. Look, as a fellow humanist and atheist, I get it. Organized religion is a problem on so many levels that I don’t even know where to begin. I’d be the first person to say that something needs to be done about it and I’m delighted to see atheism become normalized in our society and culture. But seriously, folks, what are you hoping to achieve by posting such facile and inflammatory material? Who are you speaking to? It’s time to put these toys away and consider the bigger picture. The intellectual battle against religion has already been won — and a strong case can be made that the victory came at the time of the Enlightenment. For those of you who have been part of organized religion, you know how hard it is to break free. In addition, we need to figure out the best way to pull religious people out of their situation.
Rise of the Religious Right in the Republican Party Understanding Leviticus Dear President Bush: Understanding Leviticus Dear President Bush, Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from you and understand why you would propose and support a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage. As you said "in the eyes of God marriage is based between a man a woman." 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help. J.
Language, Religious The term “religious language” refers to statements or claims made about God or gods. Here is a typical philosophical problem of religious language. If God is infinite, then words used to describe finite creatures might not adequately describe God. The problem of religious language is worrisome to practitioners of the Abrahamic religious traditions because it has the potential to undermine those traditions. The problem of religious language also provides a challenge for philosophers of religion. Table of Contents 1. In contemporary discussions, it is not the question of God’s existence that generates the problem of religious language. The problem of religious language is also generated by the medieval doctrine of divine simplicity, which claims that God does not have any intrinsic accidental properties. 2. Historically, there have been at least four different solutions to the problem of religious language. a. Let us take the statement P1: “This key is made of iron.” A.J. b. i. ii.