Has anyone been on the Alpha Course?

Religion is an opinion.

As such, it is open to the same analysis, question and ridicule as any other opinion.

As for it being some 'special' kind of opinion that deserves different treatment from any other, well that's just playing into the hands of the deluded.
There is no right not to be offended.

All opinions, no matter how seemingly rational or deluded NEED to be challenged on a regular basis – it's how our human consciousness evolves.

Post reformation, we are allowed to discuss this issue rationally without the threat of death, but in some countries, questioning religious dogma still leads to death and torture.

Please think about this next time you get a bit offended because someone accuses you of believing in Faeries. That's the price you pay for BEING ABLE to believe in them.

Akin to a deathbed 'conversion'.

It always makes me laugh when you see murderers, rapists, child killers etc. on death row or in for life, that all of a sudden turn to religion… then a few years later you get someone like Lord Longford or Frank Bruno singing their praises and saying they need to be understood and given compassion.

Oh, and if you attempt to make the rest of us believe in them too, please expect the ridicule to be harsher and frankly, more thoroughly deserved than it would otherwise have been.

There are 5 main world religions.. all of them claiming to be the one true god (or Gods in the case of Sikhism). Therefore at least 4 of them are wrong.

Which are the 5 main religions? Would I be correct in assuming that you include Christianity, Judaism and Islam in that 5? If so, do they not all believe in the same God (the God of Abraham for want of a better term)?

Junkyard – Member

then told Loula Belle she was ……….. going to hell

Junkyard, you are obviously going repeat that as your standard reply to everything I say.
Because presumably, you can't think of anything else to say.

Which I have to confess, gives me a warm feeling of satisfied smugness 8)

Would I be correct in assuming that you include Christianity, Judaism and Islam in that 5? If so, do they not all believe in the same God (the God of Abraham for want of a better term)?

They may all believe in the same God but they're not always the best of friends. And will happily exclude each other from their own heaven. Christians, for example, require one to "accept jesus as saviour" (or something like that) to get a ticket to the big party. Not many Jews or Muslims would do that.

Let us have a show of hands:

How many non-believers have been persuaded to go to the Alpha Course by this thread?

How many believers have been convinced that their blind faith in an un-provable religion is wrong?

Quite. The conflict between Judaism and Islam has always makes me think of squabbling children. Christianity maybe slightly different since it follows on from the Old Testament, but I suppose the disharmony between Catholic and Protestant is not dissimilar.

IE, after claiming not to give people's religious views any sort of special treatment, you then dedicate almost a week of your life to slagging them off.

Who have I slagged off ? Most of the time on the thread I've been responding to comments or advancing theories. But this hasn't been "most of my life this week", just an occasional entertaining diversion. And forgive me, but I don't consider this to be special treatment – this is the topic we happen to be on, and I'm running with it. Another week it might be hifi or sports nutrition – however, one might suppose the the underpinning philosophy of life deserves more attention…

I'll have a guess Aristotle!

Is that a weapons training course?

Let us have a show of hands:

How many non-believers have been persuaded to go to the Alpha Course by this thread?

How many believers have been convinced that their blind faith in an un-provable religion is wrong?

Precisely. People who have already made their minds up are pretty much there for good. Religion attracts people who are undecided, have never even thought about it or who are suffering from some form of mental/sprititual crisis.

Atheism however, never took advantage of someone in a low place.

[Quote] Which are the 5 main religions? Would I be correct in assuming that you include Christianity, Judaism and Islam in that 5? If so, do they not all believe in the same God (the God of Abraham for want of a better term)? [/Quote]

Well I would agree with that but if you want to persuade the Jews and the Arabs (Perhaps you could start in Israel) that they worship the same God then best of luck to you.

ernie_lynch – Member
Junkyard – Member
then told Loula Belle she was ……….. going to hell
Junkyard, you are obviously going repeat that as your standard reply to everything I say.
Because presumably, you can't think of anything else to say.
Which I have to confess, gives me a warm feeling of satisfied smugness

I am flattered that your inability to answer the question makes you smug ernie… It really impresses me I am in awe of you and your hypocrisy and it makes me feel all warm inside to know I am helping to contribute to this. Someone has answered my prayers

and I bet god is more annoyed at those who have worshipped a false god

well, one might hope for gods to be less petty that we are…
and if there are any and they have stipulations then they can spin on them.

It's a nice story but I'm afraid Christians had a pretty poor imagination. Hinduism, now those guys knew how to create a god. Lets take Ganesh for example. Bloke with an elephant's head. Rides round on the back of a rat. Snapped one of his tusks off to write the Mahabaratha.

Sweet.

Well I would agree with that but if you want to persuade the Jews and the Arabs (Perhaps you could start in Israel) that they worship the same God then best of luck to you.

I can't today mate, going into town for a haircut then having some teeth out. Another time maybe.

Dobbo:

worst advert … you still don't sound like you're convinced

As I said, I'm not interested in converting people, or promoting religion in any way. I just want to love God, and not be ridiculed for it 🙂

Convinced? Of course I'm not convinced. It's faith. 😀

SfB – I think youre needed over on the 'has anyone done a ouija board' thread – you might like to invite that nice ernie as well…
I'll pop the kettle on.

And Hindu holy men tend to be crazy mud-smeared tramps. That's definitely another point in their favour.

The wise man mocks the man.
The mocked man mocks the mocker!

😉

accept God's forgiveness

Let's be honest here. That doesn't mean a Quaker-style belief in God in a personal sense does it? That means get involved with organised religion, attend a church, and do what the bloke at the front of it tells you to do.

Aristotle – where's that t-shirt from?

buzz-lightyear

As I said, I'm not interested in converting people, or promoting religion in any way. I just want to love God, and not be ridiculed for it.

Please have a read of my post at the top of the page. You can't have one without the other.

Am I too late to claim post number 666?

A curse on you rustyspanner. I'll just make do with the number after the number of the beast.

No that was me 😀

And as I'm a rationist, it means nothing to me at all. Your views may vary, etc………..

You can be the Neighbour of the Beast instead. Ba-dum, tish!

Oh and here's a lovely quote from that Jon Ronson article, featuring Nicky Gumbel, the founder of the course:

"I was talking to a homosexual friend," says Tony, "and he said that ever since he was a child he found himself attracted to other boys. So why does the church think he's committing a sin? Are you going to Hell if you commit a sexual act that is completely normal to you? That seems a bit unfair, doesn't it?" There is a murmur of agreement from the group.

"First of all," says Nicky, "I have many wonderful homosexual friends. There's even an Alpha for gays running in Beverly Hills! Really! I think it's marvellous! But if a paedophile said, 'Ever since I was a child I found myself attracted to children', we wouldn't say that that was normal, would we?" A small gasp. "Now, I am not for a moment comparing homosexuals with paedophiles, but the Bible makes it very clear that sex outside marriage, including homosexual sex, is, unfortunately, a sin." He says he wishes it wasn't so, but the Bible makes it clear that gay people need to be healed.

"Although I strongly advise you not to say the word 'healed' to them," he quickly adds. "They hate that word."

Sounds like a lovely chap.

if wisdom grew on trees,
you would be a bush

LOL – there's quite a few whom this applies too 😀

LOL @ great ape
Dont try tomorrow or day after both busy worshiping same God on different days in different ways

well, one might hope for gods to be less petty that we are

one would but apparently not from Exodus (no not the movement of Jah people the other one in that book)

2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;
3 Do not have any other gods before me.
4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,

Seems only fair and what any all knowing all loving god would do .

And forgive me, but I don't consider this to be special treatment – this is the topic we happen to be on, and I'm running with it. Another week it might be hifi or sports nutrition – however, one might suppose the the underpinning philosophy of life deserves more attention…

Complete nonsense. There is a 3 page thread titled "Who will you vote for at the next election?"
What is your contribution on that thread ? As far as I can figure out, zero.

Now as someone who calls himself an "anarchist" I would have thought you might have had something to say on the subject. But clearly not. Despite the fact that "underpinning philosophy of life deserves more attention", as you put it. Because apparently challenging people 'religious views' is far more important to you, than challenging their 'political views'.

Fine – maybe there's nothing necessarily wrong with that, if that's what you want to do. But don't come out with all this bollox "I treat people's religious views exactly the same as any other opinion they might hold" You clearly don't. And you obviously single out people's religious views for special treatment. So get off your sanctimonious high-horse, and stop making false claims.

Junkyard – your repeated attempts to 'pretend' that you believe my "LoulaBaby you're going to hell" comment was a serious one, smacks of desperation. Can't you think of something else ?

one might hope for gods to be less petty that we are…

All I can say is it's a good job nobody gave me the ability to rain down a plague of frogs, flood the Earth on a whim or turn myself into talking shrubbery. I'd have used all three by the age of 14.

In fact I'd quite fancy being a talking hedge for a while, with or without the fire. Perhaps on a golf course?

What are Nicky Gumbel's views on knocking one out then? I'm fairly sure that the big G wouldnt approve, but then again, why would he have given us the equipment and not expected us to at least have a go, given human nature and all that?

I'm really starting to enjoy this now……..

Zazzle.com

This is better though, from Jesus Hats!:

….and for Frankie goes to Hollywood fans:

That's beatiful Aristotle, I'm on the mofo..

Barnsleymitch, I think Christians are generally of the opinion that cracking one off is bad. God supposedly killed this chap for doing it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onan

I think since the advent of the Internet, warm duvets and disposable tissues there has been an epidemic of mysterious and sudden deaths, but no-one has managed to establish the connecting factor. Or perhaps God just sends them to Hell instead, he's nice like that.

Now as someone who calls himself an "anarchist" I would have thought you might have had something to say on the subject. But clearly not. Despite the fact that "underpinning philosophy of life deserves more attention", as you put it. Because apparently challenging people 'religious views' is far more important to you, than challenging their 'political views'.

I wasn't aware of an obligation to post to every thread. This is the one I've chosen. The politics one didn't attract my attention

Fine – maybe there's nothing necessarily wrong with that, if that's what you want to do. But don't come out with all this bollox "I treat people's religious views exactly the same as any other opinion they might hold" You clearly don't.

I think I actually said that I level the same degree of scepticism. But for the life of me I cannot see why sticking only to certain topics for their entertainment value is hypocritical – one cannot do everything and I find politics mostly boring (and I'm scared of ouija boards)