In terms of sheer and utter stupidity, which religion (Islam, Christianity, Juda

[Deicide]

-ism) takes the cake?

Which has the silliest, most laughably impossible tenets?

Discuss....

I say Christianity...

[Nordic Superman]

I say islam.

This this thread require information to back up your opinion?

[Deicide]

I say islam.

This this thread require information to back up your opinion?

Of course...

You say Islam because of its abhorrent morals, but I am talking about sheer abundance of silliness and 'miracles'.

[Dos Equis]

Atheism.

[tonymctones]

Atheism.

agreed, the idea that there is no higher being or higher level of existence is just as laughable. I dont pretend to know what God but i do believe that there is a God.

[Dos Equis]

agreed, the idea that there is no higher being or higher level of existence is just as laughable. I dont pretend to know what God but i do believe that there is a God.

Yep.  And the fact they are an organized group, and in essence a religion themselves, is sort of funny. 

[Deicide]

Yep.  And the fact they are an organized group, and in essence a religion themselves, is sort of funny. 

Atheism is not a religion. It has no rituals, no creed, nothing of the sort.

The entirety of atheism is contained in this response. Atheism is not a philosophy; it is not even a view of the world; it is simply a refusal to deny the obvious. Unfortunately, we live in a world in which the obvious is overlooked as a matter of principle. The obvious must be observed and re-observed and argued for. This is a thankless job. It carries with it an aura of petulance and insensitivity. It is, moreover, a job that the atheist does not want.

It is worth noting that no one ever need identify himself as a guy or a non-alchemist. Consequently, we do not have words for people who deny the validity of these pseudo-disciplines. Likewise, “atheism” is a term that should not even exist. Atheism is nothing more than the noises reasonable people make when in the presence of religious dogma. The atheist is merely a person who believes that the 260 million Americans (eighty-seven percent of the population) who claim to “never doubt the existence of God” should be obliged to present evidence for his existence -- and, indeed, for his benevolence, given the relentless destruction of innocent human beings we witness in the world each day. Only the atheist appreciates just how uncanny our situation is: most of us believe in a God that is every bit as specious as the gods of Mount Olympus; no person, whatever his or her qualifications, can seek public office in the United States without pretending to be certain that such a God exists; and much of what passes for public policy in our country conforms to religious taboos and superstitions appropriate to a medieval theocracy. Our circumstance is abject, indefensible, and terrifying. It would be hilarious if the stakes were not so high.

Consider: the city of New Orleans was recently destroyed by hurricane Katrina. At least a thousand people died, tens of thousands lost all their earthly possessions, and over a million have been displaced. It is safe to say that almost every person living in New Orleans at the moment Katrina struck believed in an omnipotent, omniscient, and compassionate God. But what was God doing while a hurricane laid waste to their city? Surely He heard the prayers of those elderly men and women who fled the rising waters for the safety of their attics, only to be slowly drowned there. These were people of faith. These were good men and women who had prayed throughout their lives. Only the atheist has the courage to admit the obvious: these poor people spent their lives in the company of an imaginary friend.

Of course, there had been ample warning that a storm “of biblical proportions” would strike New Orleans, and the human response to the ensuing disaster was tragically inept. But it was inept only by the light of science. Advance warning of Katrina’s path was wrested from mute Nature by meteorological calculations and satellite imagery. God told no one of his plans. Had the residents of New Orleans been content to rely on the beneficence of the Lord, they wouldn’t have known that a killer hurricane was bearing down upon them until they felt the first gusts of wind on their faces. And yet, a poll conducted by The Washington Post found that eighty percent of Katrina’s survivors claim that the event has only strengthened their faith in God.

As hurricane Katrina was devouring New Orleans, nearly a thousand Shiite pilgrims were trampled to death on a bridge in Iraq. There can be no doubt that these pilgrims believed mightily in the God of the Koran. Indeed, their lives were organized around the indisputable fact of his existence: their women walked veiled before him; their men regularly murdered one another over rival interpretations of his word. It would be remarkable if a single survivor of this tragedy lost his faith. More likely, the survivors imagine that they were spared through God’s grace.

Only the atheist recognizes the boundless narcissism and self-deceit of the saved. Only the atheist realizes how morally objectionable it is for survivors of a catastrophe to believe themselves spared by a loving God, while this same God drowned infants in their cribs. Because he refuses to cloak the reality of the world’s suffering in a cloying fantasy of eternal life, the atheist feels in his bones just how precious life is -- and, indeed, how unfortunate it is that millions of human beings suffer the most harrowing abridgements of their happiness for no good reason at all.

Of course, people of faith regularly assure one another that God is not responsible for human suffering. But how else can we understand the claim that God is both omniscient and omnipotent? There is no other way, and it is time for sane human beings to own up to this. This is the age-old problem of theodicy, of course, and we should consider it solved. If God exists, either He can do nothing to stop the most egregious calamities, or He does not care to. God, therefore, is either impotent or evil. Pious readers will now execute the following pirouette: God cannot be judged by merely human standards of morality. But, of course, human standards of morality are precisely what the faithful use to establish God’s goodness in the first place. And any God who could concern himself with something as trivial as gay marriage, or the name by which he is addressed in prayer, is not as inscrutable as all that. If He exists, the God of Abraham is not merely unworthy of the immensity of creation; he is unworthy even of man.

There is another possibility, of course, and it is both the most reasonable and least odious: the biblical God is a fiction. As Richard Dawkins has observed, we are all atheists with respect to Zeus and Thor. Only the atheist has realized that the biblical god is no different. Consequently, only the atheist is compassionate enough to take the profundity of the world’s suffering at face value. It is terrible that we all die and lose everything we love; it is doubly terrible that so many human beings suffer needlessly while alive. That so much of this suffering can be directly attributed to religion -- to religious hatreds, religious wars, religious delusions, and religious diversions of scarce resources -- is what makes atheism a moral and intellectual necessity. It is a necessity, however, that places the atheist at the margins of society. The atheist, by merely being in touch with reality, appears shamefully out of touch with the fantasy life of his neighbors.

[Nordic Superman]

Of course...

You say Islam because of its abhorrent morals, but I am talking about sheer abundance of silliness and 'miracles'.

There are many.

How about muhammad flying to Jerusalem one night on the back of a donkey with wings. Nobody even noticed he was gone!

This is all in one night, there and back on a donkey with wings

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

Also might have had the face of a women.

[Deicide]

There are many.

How about muhammad flying to Jerusalem one night on the back of a donkey with wings. Nobody even noticed he was gone!

This is all in one night, there and back on a donkey with wings

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

Also might have had the face of a women.

Hmm...how about this:

[Nordic Superman]

I don't get your position here tho mate.

Here's my view: in regards to "logical impossibility" (which is what I think you're trying to get at with "stupidity") they are all equal in that respect for the simple fact of the belief in a God(s).

The Abrahamic religions all have a second coming, which nullifies the above image because they all subscribe to that in some form or other.

[Deicide]

I don't get your position here tho mate.

Here's my view: in regards to "logical impossibility" (which is what I think you're trying to get at with "stupidity") they are all equal in that respect for the simple fact of the belief in a God(s).

The Abrahamic religions all have a second coming, which nullifies the above image because they all subscribe to that in some form or other.

But the whole 'I am the father of the son of whom I am also the father bit' just takes the cake....just my opinion.

[Nordic Superman]

What about religions with reincarnation, where an organisms spirit is TRANSFERRED to another organism (not necessarily the same i.e. from a human to a goat).

Now THAT is some wacky shit right there.

[Lord Humungous]

Atheism is not a religion. I has no rituals, no creed, nothing of the sort.

Incorrect,

rituals- atheists spend the bulk of their lives trying to convince everyone that religion is wrong, when in truth no one really cares what an atheist has to say.

Creed- be out spoken, obnoxious, and unbending.

Ultra critical of others- will take the time to poke fun of others (even if they cant spell or proof read themselves) 

[Deicide]

Incorrect,

rituals- atheists spend the bulk of their lives trying to convince everyone that religion is wrong, when in truth no one really cares what an atheist has to say.

Creed- be out spoken, obnoxious, and unbending.

Ultra critical of others- will take the time to poke fun of others (even if they cant spell or proof read themselves) 

Even if it were true, this is not a ritual. Do I need to provide the definition of ritual for you, Mr. Thick Skull?

I am not unbending. Please give me evidence for the existence of your deity and I will gladly believe.

Please prove to me that Zeus does not exist.

Thank you.

[Dos Equis]

Atheism is not a religion. It has no rituals, no creed, nothing of the sort.

Wrong.  They have national organizations:   http://www.atheists.org/     http://www.atheistalliance.org/

They have a TV show called Atheist Viewpoint:  http://atheistviewpoint.tv/

They are have national conventionsl:  http://www.atheists.org/convention/

Sounds pretty organized to me. 

[Deicide]

Wrong.  They have national organizations:   http://www.atheists.org/     http://www.atheistalliance.org/

They have a TV show called Atheist Viewpoint:  http://atheistviewpoint.tv/

They are have national conventionsl:  http://www.atheists.org/convention/

Sounds pretty organized to me. 

Yes, it is unfortunate because atheism is simply the lack of belief in gods of any sort.  In the United States where the 'godly' far outnumber the 'godless', and seek to bully and intimidate those who don't believe, there is perhaps a need for such organisations.

[Dos Equis]

Yes, it is unfortunate because atheism is simply the lack of belief in gods of any sort.  In the United States where the 'godly' far outnumber the 'godless', and seek to bully and intimidate those who don't believe, there is perhaps a need for such organisations.

You're contradicting yourself.  You said "Atheism is not a religion. It has no rituals, no creed, nothing of the sort."  Now you say perhaps there is a need for organized atheism.  Which is it? 

Also, why do people who believe in nothing need to organize?  This is partly why they should sit atop your "sheer and utter stupidity" list. 

That said, I do admit that (outside of this board) most of the atheists I know are smart, honest, good people.   

[Deicide]

You're contradicting yourself.  You said "Atheism is not a religion. It has no rituals, no creed, nothing of the sort."  Now you say perhaps there is a need for organized atheism.  Which is it? 

Also, why do people who believe in nothing need to organize?  This is partly why they should sit atop your "sheer and utter stupidity" list. 

That said, I do admit that (outside of this board) most of the atheists I know are smart, honest, good people.   

This is a non-sequitur. Religious people in the USA seek to impose their will on the irreligious. These organisations are simply people coming together to protect themselves. There are no rituals, prayers or anything else even remotely related.

Atheism is in its purist form is simply the nonbelief in gods. There is also antitheism. I am an antitheist as well as an atheist because I believe religion does more harm than good in the world (beyond the harm of its claims simply being untrue). You can be both an atheist and an antitheist or just an atheist. I am sure the 'atheists' you know are fine people because they allow you to preach your mythology to them without much resistance.

[Dos Equis]

This is a non-sequitur. Religious people in the USA seek to impose their will on the irreligious. These organisations are simply people coming together to protect themselves. There are no rituals, prayers or anything else even remotely related.

Atheism is in its purist form is simply the nonbelief in gods. There is also antitheism. I am an antitheist as well as an atheist because I believe religion does more harm than good in the world (beyong the harm of its claims simply being untrue). You can be both an atheist and an antitheist or just an atheist. I am sure the 'atheists' you know are fine people because they allow you to preach your mythology to them without much resistance.

You're not making sense.  You can't be an unorganized organized group.  What are atheists talking about when they have these annual conventions?  Did you look at the websites for their national organizations?  The fact they have national organizations directly conflicts with your contention they are unorganized.  The whole idea of organizing just to talk about something you don't believe in is absurd.     

You like to make assumptions don't you?  In real life, I don't preach to anyone and do not talk about my faith unless someone asks.   

[big L dawg]

organized,unorganized, who cares i see your talking snake and burning bush and raise you alien infestation and tom cruse.

[MCWAY]

You're not making sense.  You can't be an unorganized organized group.  What are atheists talking about when they have these annual conventions?  Did you look at the websites for their national organizations?  The fact they have national organizations directly conflicts with your contention they are unorganized.  The whole idea of organizing just to talk about something you don't believe in is absurd.     

You like to make assumptions don't you?  In real life, I don't preach to anyone and do not talk about my faith unless someone asks.   

Then, there's the little matter that, in some spots like California, atheists actually have humanist centers where they go every Sunday, as a answer to their neighbors who attend church on Sunday. I saw this in an article from TIME magazine. According to one lady that was interviewed, she felt that it's tougher for atheists, when they have families, because unlike their Christian counterparts, they usually don't have support groups and centers to help raise their kids and pass their morals and values.

The term "atheist" and "anti-theist" tends to be interchangeable. The self-described atheists, on the sites you linked, don't just believe that there is no God. They are quite hostile to religion and religious people.

[Deicide]

Then, there's the little matter that, in some spots like California, atheists actually have humanist centers where they go every Sunday, as a answer to their neighbors who attend church on Sunday. I saw this in an article from TIME magazine. According to one lady that was interviewed, she felt that it's tougher for atheists, when they have families, because unlike their Christian counterparts, they usually don't have support groups and centers to help raise their kids and pass their morals and values.

The term "atheist" and "anti-theist" tends to be interchangeable. The self-described atheists, on the sites you linked, don't just believe that there is no God. They are quite hostile to religion and religious people.

As a life long atheist I have never had the need for such organisations, nor have my parents. I think the idea of 'humanist' centres is laughable but unfortunately man is a social animal and has the urge to be 'part of something' . Getting atheists together of a genuine sort that is, is like hearding cats and I am really only hostile to religion on the internet. Here in Europe I don't have a single friend who is a believer; all are fairly apathetic atheists and the subject of religion is so irrelevant it never comes up.

[MCWAY]

This is a non-sequitur. Religious people in the USA seek to impose their will on the irreligious. These organisations are simply people coming together to protect themselves. There are no rituals, prayers or anything else even remotely related.

Then again, it's awfully easy to "impose" on atheists. Mentioning Jesus Christ during the Christmas holiday really oppresses them. And, don't let them see a Nativity scene; they'll go into epileptic shock. If two rocks happen to resemble the tablets of stone, on which the Ten Commandments were written, let the weeping and teeth-gnashing begin.



I wonder if these same American atheists are (or will be) demanding that their bosses keep their place of employment open during Christmas. Will they take day off WITHOUT PAY? Are they going to give their Christmas bonuses back?

[wavelength]

I wonder if these same American atheists are (or will be) demanding that their bosses keep their place of employment open during Christmas. Will they take day off WITHOUT PAY? Are they going to give their Christmas bonuses back?

That doesn't make too much sense. It's not like Christmas bonuses are sent from above. Of course an atheist will demand all the benefits his coworkers get, regardless of the traditional motivation behind them.

[wavelength]

All religions are laughable, if you misinterpret them.
IMO the same could be said about sciences.