I've been seeing a lot of reports lately about China arresting Muslims and sending them to camps where they are brain washed into renouncing their faith and worshiping the communist party instead of their god.
Today there was this article in the WSJ: China, Ending Denials, Defends Muslim Detentions as Vital for Stability.
I find it particular appalling their claim that some Muslims chose to go to the "reeducation camps". Right! Who wouldn't dream of being stuck in a place like that?
People...

I read about half of this article and it looked pretty bold.

https://phys.org/news/2018-09-atheists-rational.html

What forms of Idolatry can Christians perform without even noticing???

The sciences are the most reliable method of inquiry that humanity has yet devised. The emphasis here is on "method of inquiry". What distinguishes the sciences from other fields, such as philosophy and theology, is the method of inquiry employed in the sciences.

Whether the sciences have but one core method of inquiry or several is a matter of how you slice and dice the various procedures used in the sciences. In this post, I'll take the view there is but one core method -- largely to...

I think this is common to many/most religions, not just the ones I know something of.

When the recruiters, Missionaries, or what have you try to get you into their belief systems, they seem to dispense the forgiveness of God out like Cotton Candy.

Yet, once you have gotten to be a member, to them there are still multiple levels of repentance and contriteness, as if it is they and not God who dispenses it. That is far too cheeky for me.

As always the "mind reduces to the brain" absurdity has risen up again. And as always I discussed my evidence against it at length only to be met with cries of "you haven't presented anything!" So where one such materialist, as usual, couldn't even address the points enough to acknowledge their existence, I'll repost them for their peers. Can't wait to see how differently it goes this time!

1. The mind and matter have wholly contradictory properties and so must be wholly separate things by...

"Facts" as gleaned from Christian theologies

1) Satan does a lot of bad things to people.
2) Satan makes people do a lot of bad things.
3) God allows Satan to stick around.

So what purpose do all these serve?
1) _____________________________ .
2) _____________________________ .
3) _____________________________ .

.
.

Whilst flipping through Ussher's 'The Annals of the World', I came across an interesting appendix (G) entitled 'The Seder Olam Rabbah - Why Jewish dating is different'.

The appendix states the following,
'As Old Testament Scripture is the basis for Seder Olam dating, we would suppose the Jewish chronology to be similar to that of Ussher's and thus expect them to place the creation date around 6000 years ago. Yet rather than 4004 BC, the Seder Olam places creation at 3761. The question thus...

The Bible and the Koran essentially says that people will be tortured in the next life if they are unbelievers or they do or fail to do x y and z.

What do you think God's motives are for torturing people in the next life, if you believe that happens?

Scripture says there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth, and the rich man in Hades was being burned by flames.

If God is love, I could see him putting people out of their misery like you would a sick dog. I cannot fathom why a God who is...

Of most of the theists I have met, of all stripes, none are theists because they:

- Want a purpose in life so they look for a theistic religion that gives them something to do. Not only is this shallow, the illusion will die quickly. Even religions may not propose a concrete idea as to the purpose of life and this may be found in a mystical philosophy or otherwise.

- Are afraid of death.This is insincere and, again, the illusion will die quickly.

- Are born into it. Most serious...