A recent survey shows that atheists and agnostics outscored Protestants and Catholics on a test of religious knowledge. This does not come as a surprise to me since atheists are often former theists who tried desperately to make sense of their faith and finally concluded that their faith was...
I often hear monotheists make some pretty incredible claims about their God. Not all of them are illogical, but some clearly are. When pressed about these particular claims, I am often told, in essence, that it is a mystery that we cannot understand.
For example, some approaches to the...
I have often heard monotheists claim that God influences things on earth by using us humans. This story from another thread illustrates:
A family was stranded on the roof of their house during
a terrible flood. The water kept rising until they were
forced to retreat to the peak of the...
In the debate about the existence of Leprechauns, the aleprechaunist typically demands evidence for their existence, and will quickly dismiss the possibility that they exist, if none can be presented. The aleprechaunist generally claims that he or she is on the side of science, and those who...
In a thread on speaking in tongues, someone posted this passage from the Bible.
But so far, the only thing I see some Christians doing is praying in tongues (conveniently un-debunkable). So:
Where are the poison-proof Christians?
Where is the laying on of hands and healing?
I don't see...
I cannot of course speak for all faiths, but as an ex-Christian, I know that God was understood to be a spiritual being. He was also purported to have interacted directly with the physical world through miracles and the sending of His son to earth. My questions to theists are:
Is your God a...
I was a Christian as a teen. Like many Christians, I started ro have questions about my faith, both in concept and experience. Like everyone who holds a belief, I also did not want to stop believing. As a result, I started doing some of the most intense and ultimately silly mental gymnastics...
Is human experience time bound? I believe it is and that the following statements would all be true:
You cannot do something before you have done it.
There are actions that you have not yet taken.
Actions you have already taken cannot be changed.
etc.
Do you also believe human actions...
So, I recently met a new friend who has a somewhat odd religion. He believes we are all ruled by a demi-god who, among other things, makes it rain pink snow every day in every location on earth simultaneously. Specifically at 9:00 AM. I will not get into why his demi-god does this....
I'm...
Humans are amazing animals with tremendous capacity for creativity and moral excellence. Given our track record here on earth, though, it must be easy for God to expect the worst of us, but do you think that God is ever surprised by the choices some of us make?
The Forum 'Jesus Daily' on facebook is against moral values and mutual respect for all cultures. This forum contains quotations from the anti-secular book "The Bible", and defamatory slogans and images stating that atheists are wrong. Despite my strongly worded emails against this group as hate...
Are there times when you should be denied access to information because someone who knows better deems it to be potentially damaging to you?
FOX News - Top Stories - Top Stories - Pakistan blocks access to YouTube in growing Internet crackdown over 'sacrilegious' content
In Malawi, two gay men were sentenced to 14 years in prison for homosexual acts. Where do you suppose the judge got the idea that homosexuality was such a punishable offense?
BBC News - Malawi gay couple sentenced to 14 years in jail
I have asked the following question in several threads and I have not yet gotten an answer. Many religions believe homosexuality is a sin. Sin, by its nature, involves temptation. We are tempted to steal, covet our neighbor's wife, etc. We are even tempted to commit murder when we get angry...
God is not happy with the way we are treating his creation. To show us his displeasure, God is making the antarctic bleed!!! It is a miracle and proof positive that God exists!
I put a similar thread in place to try and guage the Christian view on preventing pain and suffering, however some people found the hypothetical too unrealistic for their tastes. In an effort to accomodate everyone's ability to think hypothetically, I am offering this poll.
Unlike my other...
It has been made clear to me thorugh some pretty tough love here on RF that Christians are all about preventing pain and suffering where possible. Never was I happier to be proven wrong. :)
With that in mind, I'd like to take another, more specific poll. For Christians, if you had had the...