The Hazards of Belief

Brian Shanahan

Geomy wrote: »

Not really gullibility
Aren't the people who think great thing's
about Dawkins and his like quite gullible too...

No, because Dawkins takes great pains to produce valid and substantive evidence which backs up his point of view, and when better evidence arises which contradicts his point of view, is quick to abandon it, as is right and proper.

Geomy

Ye all have valid answers,ill choose my favorite one and click a thanks

Nodin

25 minutes long, but worth a goo

In remote parts of India, illness, poor harvest and bad luck can sometimes mean only one thing: a curse in the family.
Villagers will often consult an ohja, or witch doctor, who has the power to undo evil spells and identify people who placed the curse.

Sixteen years ago, Chhutney Mohato was stripped naked, beaten and nearly killed after she was accused of being a witch in her village in eastern Jharkhand State. She was forced to leave her home and all of her property.
Today, Mohato runs a small organisation in eastern India that helps women who have been lucky enough to survive a similar fate. Many women who are accused of witchcraft are killed by mobs of villagers.
This film unveils a volatile world of land conflicts and abuse of power where women and their families fall prey to false accusations and are driven off their land.
We meet women who tell first-hand how their lives have turned for the worse after being accused of being a witch and meet the people levelling the accusations against their neighbours.
As India modernises and gender roles change, some of these persecuted women are fighting back. But can they change traditional beliefs or will they succumb to the collective ignorance and abuse of power around them?

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/101east/2013/01/2013121101834161718.html

Nodin

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, forced to resign by the pope last week, has admitted to sexual misconduct and issued a sweeping apology to individuals he has "offended" as well as to the Catholic church and Scottish people.

He stated: "In recent days certain allegations which have been made against me have become public. Initially, their anonymous and non-specific nature led me to contest them. However, I wish to take this opportunity to admit that there have been times that my sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal.
"To those I have offended, I apologise and ask forgiveness. To the Catholic church and people of Scotland, I also apologise. I will now spend the rest of my life in retirement. I will play no further part in the public life of the Catholic church in Scotland."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/03/cardinal-keith-obrien-admits-sexual-misconduct

He seems to have omitted "Bishop" for some reason. He doesn't seem to have bothered to cover his hypocrisy vis a vis gay marriage etc either....

Turtwig

Nodin wrote: »

He seems to have omitted "Bishop" for some reason. He doesn't seem to have bothered to cover his hypocrisy vis a vis gay marriage etc either....

A Cardinal is a bishop with the power to elect the next Pope. Other than that they're more or less identical.

robindch

A priest studies human trafficking for ten years. Reaches conclusion. Nods head, then announces that it's "founded upon contraception.". Fr Nix, take it away:

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/priest-says-modern-slave-trade-rooted-in-abortion-contraception

Turtwig

robindch wrote: »

A priest studies human trafficking for ten years. Reaches conclusion. Nods head, then announces that it's "founded upon contraception.". Fr Nix, take it away:

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/priest-says-modern-slave-trade-rooted-in-abortion-contraception

Well without contraception there would always be another solution.

recedite

robindch wrote: »

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/priest-says-modern-slave-trade-rooted-in-abortion-contraception

“porn is the demand” he said, “children are the supply, even if you’re looking at adults.”
While not everyone who looks at pornography will be lead to the child sex trade, Fr. Nix says the industry is so interconnected that no aspect of it is isolated from the other. If a consumer supports one part, he or she is contributing to the entire issue at large.

“Every time you look at pornography,” Fr. Nix stated, “you’re making sure children stay in slavery.”
...........“the shame of a girl who has been raped tens of thousands of times by the time she is 15 years-old" .......”

After 10 years studying child pornography, you'd think his "research" would have yielded something more......well, just more.

Hotblack Desiato

Telling people that looking at porn killed kittens wasn't working.

Bannasidhe

ninja900 wrote: »

Telling people that looking at porn killed kittens wasn't working.

**** kills pussies? :eek:

Who knew!

Hotblack Desiato

Only when taken to excess, B.

In other news...

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/nobel-peace-prize-winner-lech-walesa-accused-of-homophobia-after-saying-gay-people-should-take-a-backseat-29107919.html

Walesa, a former shipyard worker from the socially conservative port town of Gdansk, claimed in a television interview that gay people had no right to a prominent role in politics.

The 69-year-old said they did not deserve to be the front benches in parliament, and should instead be relegated to the back or “behind a wall”.

“They have to know that they are a minority and must adjust to smaller things. And not rise to the greatest heights ... spoiling things for the others and taking from the majority,” he told the private Polish broadcaster TVN. “I don’t agree to this and I will never agree to it. A minority should not impose itself on the majority.”

Amid the fallout from the interview yesterday, Walesa was accused of having “disgraced the Nobel Prize” by the leading Polish television journalist Monika Olejnik. Prosecutors launched an investigation following complaints that he had advocated hate crime.

Will Oslo be calling looking for their gong back?

PopePalpatine

ninja900 wrote: »

Will Oslo be calling looking for their gong back?

They haven't tried to take it off Mother Teresa yet. :rolleyes:

Penn

robindch wrote: »

A priest studies human trafficking for ten years. Reaches conclusion. Nods head, then announces that it's "founded upon contraception.". Fr Nix, take it away:

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/priest-says-modern-slave-trade-rooted-in-abortion-contraception

Wait.... what?

I honestly don't understand that. Is he saying that the reason girls are being trafficked for sex (and being made to take the morning after pill by their traffickers) is because they take the morning after pill?

Surely that's like saying the reason some guy was shot was because there was a bullet in him. Am I missing something? I'm genuinely confused.

robroy1234

Penn - you are obviously looking for some logical reasoning here, but this so-called research was done by a priest - hence, no logic, no reason....remember the church is full of people who believe anything - except science, facts and reality...

robindch

Penn wrote: »

Is he saying that the reason girls are being trafficked for sex (and being made to take the morning after pill by their traffickers) is because they take the morning after pill?

Nearly, but not quite. So far as I can understand the excellent reverend's logic, it seems that The Pill facilitates the underage prostitutes as it stops them from getting pregnant, hence keeping them working for longer, making them more profitable.

But my understanding falters at that point, since I don't see how he's planning to use that fact to do anything useful -- I wonder if he's considering setting fire to every contraceptive factory in the world or winding back the clock to 1959 or something like that.

Knasher

robindch wrote: »

Nearly, but not quite. So far as I can understand the excellent reverend's logic, it seems that The Pill facilitates the underage prostitutes as it stops them from getting pregnant, hence keeping them working for longer, making them more profitable.

But my understanding falters at that point, since I don't see how he's planning to use that fact to do anything useful -- I wonder if he's considering setting fire to every contraceptive factory in the world or winding back the clock to 1959 or something like that.

Afraid 1959 won't be far enough, after he is done with contraceptives he will be moving onto roads, which facilitate underage prostitution as they are often involved in both the trafficking of children and allowing easier movement of pedophiles towards their victims.

Nodin

robindch wrote: »

Nearly, but not quite. So far as I can understand the excellent reverend's logic, it seems that The Pill facilitates the underage prostitutes as it stops them from getting pregnant, hence keeping them working for longer, making them more profitable.

But my understanding falters at that point, since I don't see how he's planning to use that fact to do anything useful -- I wonder if he's considering setting fire to every contraceptive factory in the world or winding back the clock to 1959 or something like that.

Sure it's a well known undeniable fact there was no prostitution before contraception or the cure for syphillis.

joseph brand

You know you're crazy when you're reading sh1te like this! (large image)

"Mam, are you ok?" "What's with the crazy book mam?"

Nodin

joseph brand wrote: »

You know you're crazy when you're reading sh1te like this! (large image)

"Mam, are you ok?" "What's with the crazy book mam?"

Satan, You Can’t Have My Children provides clear, powerful spiritual tools that can be used to nurture and raise godly children. One chapter is filled with Scripture-based prayers that can be used by readers to pray for their children—young and old. This book is a tool for showing parents that, with God, the impossible is possible. To the parent struggling with a disobedient or rebellious child, this book provides calming encouragement and godly principles that can bring about a transformation in the home. It reinforces the promise that God’s power is greater than the power of the enemy over their children’s lives. It taps into the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to aid parents, and it advises readers: Never give up in the face of adversity. Prepare yourself to see the Word of God in action in the lives of your children, and believe that God will perform His Word.

http://www.amazon.com/Satan-You-Cant-Have-Children/dp/1616383690

Bannasidhe

Nodin wrote: »

http://www.amazon.com/Satan-You-Cant-Have-Children/dp/1616383690

Wow - the reason my son couldn't find the laundry hamper despite me drawing maps/putting little footprints leading to it/placing it outside his door so he fell over it was because I didn't pray....:eek:

Nodin

Bannasidhe wrote: »

Wow - the reason my son couldn't find the laundry hamper despite me drawing maps/putting little footprints leading to it/placing it outside his door so he fell over it was because I didn't pray....:eek:

This is true. Have a bag of guilt.

Bannasidhe

Nodin wrote: »

This is true. Have a bag of guilt.

I'll just pop that down to the VdeP as I have given guilt up for Lent. :pac:

the_eman

Acts of the Apostles chapter 2
19 I will show portents in the sky above and signs on the earth below.
20 The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the day of the Lord comes, that great and terrible Day.

Look what God sent on the first friday of Lent this year

Awesome isn't it. A lot of us end timers have been waiting for such a sign.

Check these out

These are warnings for what is coming. Time to think about Jesus.

God bless and peace.

What the world refers to as climate change , global warming HAARP etc.. Prophecy calles these events birth pangs, the beginning of sorrows.

kiffer

Satan, You Can’t Have My Children because you don't have a womb... where's the fetus going go gestate

Sarky

How absolutely fascinating.

lazygal

Ummmm know your audience?

I'm still not convinced. Until, like Santa, God gives me stuff into my hands I'm not buying it.

Sonics2k

Just a shame these 'prophecies' show up every freaking year isn't it.

Bloodwing

Well that's done it. Can anyone advise me on how to repent for my 27 years of sin? I don't want to piss off the big guy now that I have seen irrefutable evidence of his existence. Maybe I should slaughter all of my neighbours first born? Or perhaps I'll build a big boat so I can save all the animals? I'm sure I can get a good deal on the timber seen as the building trade isn't doing too well at the minute. Oh how I wish I had a son to sacrifice to the lord.

Bannasidhe

kiffer wrote: »

Satan, You Can’t Have My Children because you don't have a womb... where's the fetus going go gestate

India.



:pac:

Sarky

Good old outsourcing, solves every problem.

Galvasean

It's back...

robindch

FYI - the_eman's post moved to Hazards of Belief.

lazygal

Ah it should be in funny stuff.

Hotblack Desiato

robindch wrote: »

FYI - the_eman's post moved to Hazards of Belief.

Can't be, it's still here, wait a minute...



....AAAAAARGH! BILOCATION!!!!

Calibos

Eman doesn't know what he is talking about. Nothing to worry about. Just thank your lucky stars that the Russian Meteor event didn't happen on the first Tuesday of Lent. That would have been the true sign of the end times.

robindch

Elderly man chucks a cross into a pond. Surprisingly for the Daily Mail, they've included a picture of the guy smiling and looking quite friendly!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2289179/You-say-cross-Atheist-82-hurls-crucifix-duck-pond-church-plants-village-green.html

Daily Mail wrote:

A retired lawyer was so offended when his local church placed a wooden cross in the village green for Lent that he threw it into a duck pond in anger. The five feet cross was placed on the small green in the upmarket village of Brearton, near Harrogate, North Yorkshire, for the duration of the Christian festival.

But retired lawyer Alan Pickard, 82, took exception to the 'arrogance' of St. John the Baptist Church, tearing the cross down and dumping it in the water. Mr Pickard even admitted that he had considered dressing the cross as fictional character Worzel Gummidge. After retrieving the cross from the pond, an angry parishioner and her husband sent a round-robin email to the residents of the village to hold a referendum on the cross's future.

To their shock the culprit owned up in a reply, saying that he thought the 'proper place for this artefact is within the church precincts'. His message read: 'I might have dressed the bit of wood up as Worzel Gummidge, but chose instead to pitch it into the pond and if it is replaced will continue to pitch it into the pond.' The village has a population of around 140 residents and 44 responded to the e-mail.

While six people said they did object to the cross's position on the green, 21 residents said they did not. When a second email was distributed revealing the results of the survey, Mr Pickard sent another curt reply, reading: 'If the cross appears on the green again it will end up in the pond again.'

ShooterSF

Darn new atheists!

Sarky

The main advantage I see to growing old is that people will be too embarrassed to tut at me when I refuse to give a single f*ck about propriety or any of that nonsense.

SebBerkovich

'If the cross appears on the green again it will end up in the pond again.'

Perfect example of Causation.... SCIENCE!

Dades

robindch wrote: »

Elderly man chucks a cross into a pond. Surprisingly for the Daily Mail, they've included a picture of the guy smiling and looking quite friendly!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2289179/You-say-cross-Atheist-82-hurls-crucifix-duck-pond-church-plants-village-green.html

Daily Mail wrote:

A retired lawyer ...

I like the cut of that guy's jib.

the_eman

2 Peter

"Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires."

Sarky

And how has that been going for the last 2,000 years?

Dades

the_eman wrote: »

2 Peter

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/member.php?u=5480

Peter hasn't logged on since 09-01-2010. Can someone else help?

Banbh

"Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires."

A prize for anyone who can put this into English.

Sarky

"If people call you crazy then it's proof that you're right!"

It's the magical get out clause that reinforces a stupid belief when it's shown to be stupid. It's essentially the theological version of "Does the medicine hurt? Good, that means it's working!"

Bannasidhe

the_eman wrote: »

2 Peter

"Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires."

Is this a ticket only event or does one just turn up?

the_eman

Calibos wrote: »

Eman doesn't know what he is talking about. Nothing to worry about. Just thank your lucky stars that the Russian Meteor event didn't happen on the first Tuesday of Lent. That would have been the true sign of the end times.

Fridays are kinda important for Christians. I wonder why. hmm.

Bannasidhe

the_eman wrote: »

Fridays are kinda important for Christians. I wonder why. hmm.

Because Christianity is essentially a Jewish sect and the Jewish Sabbath starts at sunset on a Friday?


Did I win something nice?

the_eman

Bannasidhe wrote: »

Because Christianity is essentially a Jewish sect and the Jewish Sabbath starts at sunset on a Friday?


Did I win something nice?

that made me giggle.

oldrnwisr

Banbh wrote: »

A prize for anyone who can put this into English.

OK, I'll give it a shot.

The basic jist of this snippet in the context of 2 Peter 3 is basically, you can laugh at us now but you just wait till Jesus comes back and then you'll be sorry.

The passage then goes on to say that God could be back at any moment so you'd better live good lives or else.

In the wider context of the New Testament, 2 Peter was written somewhere between 100-150 CE although not by Peter (it is pseudepigraphal). By this time we're about 70 years after the events of the crucifixion but more importantly we're about 20 years after the composition of the gospel of Matthew. This is important since Jesus makes a prediction in Matthew's gospel:

"Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened."
Matthew 24:34

The preceding passage depicts the signs which will accompany the second coming (or first coming depending on certain interpretations).

So Jesus makes the claim (or at least the author of Matthew's gospel does) that the second coming will be within one generation of the events of the crucifixion. So by the time we get to 2 Peter, that generation is pretty much dead which was no doubt accompanied by the same ridicule levelled at failed rapture and apocalypse prognosticators today.

So, do I win?