Aixelsyd wrote:

And I don't know about the people reading this, but I see hating someone without knowing if it's their fault for doing something or not is the pinnacle of asshattery.

I personally don't believe that homosexuality is right but I do not hate the people who choose that lifestyle..I may dislike it but I won't go out of my way to treat them malevolently so to speak.

Feel free to believe in whatever you want, but if God is the asshole that the Bible portrays him as and if a hell and a heaven exists, then it seems like hell is a much better place than heaven.

And I "guess" hell wouldn't be THAT bad if you only end up in the first circle..

Well, as I said, I was only posting to give an explanation as to why people believe the bible. I have nothing else to add to this discussion.

Aixelsyd wrote:

Homosexuality can't be right or wrong because it's not a choice. But you are much better than the majority of people that consider themselves Christians on that matter. My mom is sort of a hardcore Christian and she tells me "not to trust gays". That's just ridiculous.

And Dante's inferno scares the crap out of me sometimes, even though I don't really believe it.

Yeah not all Christians are like the Westboro Church guys for instance but a decent quote from someone whose name I forgot and I wrote down somewhere..."Christians are the worst examples of Christianity."

Thinking about it a little further, the situations aren't all too different...Just because you're aetheist doesn't mean you're immoral and nor does being Christian mean you're discriminatory...

I'm not an atheist (I believe in the existence of a god), nor do I think all Christians are the same. I've just had some bad encounters with Christians and their beliefs.

Popisfizzy wrote:

Though there is a significant amount of scientific evidence in favor of sexual orientation being innate and determined before birth.

For example, a chromosomal defect causes homosexuality. I think it might be XXY, though I forget (my reasoning: Y makes you a man regardless, the second X induces female qualities).

Popisfizzy wrote:

It causes feminine features (as well as infertility), but it doesn't cause homosexuality.

Eh, I know there's some chromosomal defect that causes it, I just forget what. My biology teacher spent an entire period detailing tons of them.

Jeff8500 wrote:

My biology teacher spent an entire period

well then that makes you an expert, here's your Ph.D

i'm not here to bash the crazies, stupot. i'm here to bash the religion itself

Stupot wrote:

My question is, why was homosexuality even brought up?

It seems as though the pictures and the discussion up to that point were along the lines of Atheists use logic to determine what they perceive to be true and Christianity does not. Homosexuality, regardless of whether it is a choice or pre-determined is not logical. It really has no merits in this conversation.

Actually, the last image discussed homosexuality; it appears you haven't really examined the images or the discussion all that much.

The homosexuality discussion falls in line with using logic to perceive reality insofar as the bible says that homosexuality is bad, however (as was presented in one of the images) the reason for believing the bible is circular logic; in addition, logic would mandate that one should think for oneself about what's right or wrong, instead of blindly trusting one source.

The way these posts come about irks me. The only way the atheistic argument can function is from presumption of greater knowledge than the theist.

However, since religion must really be understood as a social instrument and not truly a matter of faith creating this kind of argument belies ignorance on the part of the atheist.

The fact is that the atheist in the argument doesn't really get it, in fact he gets it worse than the theist. The theist is at least working within a system of social cohesion - the atheist is functioning on a more base revenge ethic for perceived maltreatment in his/her life.

Religion is a primary instrument for social cohesion and morality in every part of the world. It sprung up independently in every single civilization. Whether you believe it to be divinely inspired or an evolutionary imperative it is surely one of the two.

On studies of Kibbutzim in Israel(small secluded farming communities) the religious communities were significantly more generous towards their neighbors than their secular counterparts. This is just one study out of many, and whether or not you believe it to be some sort of horrific imposed morality it produces real tangible benefits with a limited personal toll.

The instinctive reaction is to point to religious massacres throughout the world. I in turn point to atheistic massacres - Communism, Nazism and many doctrines killed millions upon millions.

While doctrines can be inherently flawed, this is a function of human vice. American Nationalism can end world war two and Communist Nationalism can murder millions of people. Buddhists can feed millions of poor and Islam can ensnare half of its population in subservience.

This is a function of human vice not so much general ideological flaw(specific ideological flaw is common but a function of vice). Religion is a function of society(for morality) and follows the course of society not visa versa.

I did read the discussion, although I will admit I didn't look at the last picture, nor do I really plan on it.

Once again though, you can't use the homosexuality argument to prove your circular logic theory, so I still don't see how it applies. Rather, it seems to me as though it was brought up because it is a controversial topic.

As far as your bashing religion itself, you are failing to do so. There have already been examples of religious people that use evidence to support their belief in the Bible rather than the word of the Bible of itself.

If you want to bash religion, feel free to do so. But if you want to actually debate instead of sounding like an atheist-fanboy, you're going to have to bring more to the table than circular logic. It wouldn't hurt for everyone in the world to learn some theology (especially the crazies).

Let me start with this one: the origin of the universe.

Science is very much the study of cause and effect. If certain things occur, than what happens next can be predicted. Humans evolved from monkeys, monkeys evolved from something else, that something else evolved from something, until eventually you've got the very first living cell. How did that living cell get there? The Earth was created from some explosion of gases in the great abyss. How did those gases get there? No matter how far back you go, science can never explain why anything IS. Science cannot explain how something gets created from nothing. Therefore, the only explanation for why anything exists must lie outside of science, Vis-à-vis divinity.

Theology is a great way to expand your ability to think critically, whether you agree with the proposed idea or not. I highly recommend to anyone to read up some theology. If nothing else, it'll help expand your mind.