Anonymous
12/04/2013 14:22
Subject: Theology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Anonymous wrote:No. The message is, as long as we have a dominating class, they are going to hell. All of us higher-income DCUMers should all pay higher taxes, contribute more to charity, and wash lepers' feet. Sounds like a radical leftist message to me.
If the dominating class believed that, then you would see that behavior.
Since you don't see that behavior from the dominating class who claims to believe in the message delivered by Jesus, which includes a significant portion of the priestly class who live very well, the dominating class clearly doesn't believe the message as you've interpreted it.
This isn't "my interpretation", it's in the Bible in black and white type. I actually believe that a lot of the right-wing social conservatives aren't actually following Christ's teachings, and I'm not alone in this. Finally there's a backlash starting up against those guys, like Jim Wallis and Sojourners.
Anonymous
12/04/2013 14:10
Subject: Theology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
No. The message is, as long as we have a dominating class, they are going to hell. All of us higher-income DCUMers should all pay higher taxes, contribute more to charity, and wash lepers' feet. Sounds like a radical leftist message to me.
If the dominating class believed that, then you would see that behavior.
Since you don't see that behavior from the dominating class who claims to believe in the message delivered by Jesus, which includes a significant portion of the priestly class who live very well, the dominating class clearly doesn't believe the message as you've interpreted it.
Anonymous
12/04/2013 13:55
Subject: Theology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Anonymous wrote:you aren't inferior or sad.. But you have no soul.... So you just .. Are... Like a bug or a rock. I assume
I assume you're also the person who wrote
The good thing is that since atheists have no soul ... Killing them is more moral than killing a chicken since they negatively impact the environment more than a chicken.
... Twisted ... Illogical .. Defense of atheist importance in an existence without God in.... 3...2...1.
Given your perspective, any answer to this probably won't matter to you, but I'll give it a shot and maybe give you a little something to think about.
At the very least, each person is a unique entity - unlikely to be replicated ever again (unless we're all existing in a Matrix-like simulation). That uniqueness provides an inherent value over and above that of an animal because we are the sum of our experiences, and that summation in humans goes far beyond the capabilities of most animals.
As Roy Batty said at the end of Blade Runner, "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe - Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die."
But the value in human life goes beyond the sum of the person's own experiences. The value in a life is in its relationship to others and in its ability to make the world a better place.
Just like currency, which only has the value others assign to it, a human life has the ability to be important to friends and family in a way that a rock - as an example of an inanimate collection of matter - or a chicken - as an example of a non-human - don't.
A human can conceive of long term planning and sacrifice to make the world a better place in a way that animals do not. The value of a human - whether believer or atheist - is in the value that person's family, friends and acquaintances place on the person, and the potential for that person to do make the world a better place for others.
A person fights against the entropy of the universe by building something that lasts longer than themselves or by cooperating with others to build something that each as an individual could not achieve.
I don't believe I have a soul. Cogito ergo sum. I have value in being a unique creation in the universe, I am the sum of my experiences and the potential for all I will create in my life. But my value goes beyond that. I have value for the good I do in the world and how I help my friends. I have value because I am loved by my family and I challenge you to deny the "value" that shows in my daughter's eyes when she looks at me.
To me, relying on a soul to give you "value" in the eyes of a deity and which makes you equal to everyone else in the eyes of that deity is a political creation of religion.
When a centralized authority wants to avoid revolution by the dominated majority, the most effective way to do it is to convince the dominated majority to be happy with their position.
"Blessed are the meek" and "blessed are the poor" and the concept that the poor and downtrodden will be rewarded in the afterlife are all concepts that cause the dominated majority to accept their position in life. The idea that the "souls" of the poor and downtrodden are somehow valued more by the deity than those of the dominant minority enables the dominated class to feel superior and reduces the likelihood of revolution.
So, no, I'm more than a rock or a bug or a chicken, and so are you, and if you think you need a soul to have "value" in the universe, then that's unfortunate for you.
^^^^. Lol,. That is quite a hilarious religion you have there! Seems based on your feelings and opinions ,. Good luck with that !
... Btw ... A rock is unique as well and wil be here long after you and your rediculous religion are gone. It is cleaner than you , does not kill and eat innumerable living things for no purpose in eternity. A rock isn't stupid enough to waste others time with dumb opinions or whiney feelings . A rock also has no soul. The rock wins.
Anonymous
12/04/2013 13:41
Subject: Theology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Anonymous wrote:So the "blessed are the meek" message may be open misinterpretation, but in the context of Jesus' whole message the dominant class should be very far from complacency.
So the message to the dominated class is, it's better to be poor, so you can take comfort that those rich people aren't going to heaven and you are favored by god.
You, the dominated class, don't want to be rich, you don't want to challenge the existing paradigm, and you should feel sorry for those rich people because, while they might have Earthly pleasures, they aren't going to Heaven and you are.
Sounds like a political message to me.
No. The message is, as long as we have a dominating class, they are going to hell. All of us higher-income DCUMers should all pay higher taxes, contribute more to charity, and wash lepers' feet. Sounds like a radical leftist message to me.
Anonymous
12/04/2013 12:06
Subject: Theology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
So the "blessed are the meek" message may be open misinterpretation, but in the context of Jesus' whole message the dominant class should be very far from complacency.
So the message to the dominated class is, it's better to be poor, so you can take comfort that those rich people aren't going to heaven and you are favored by god.
You, the dominated class, don't want to be rich, you don't want to challenge the existing paradigm, and you should feel sorry for those rich people because, while they might have Earthly pleasures, they aren't going to Heaven and you are.
Sounds like a political message to me.
Anonymous
12/04/2013 11:53
Subject: Theology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Anonymous wrote:^^ you aren't inferior or sad.. But you have no soul.... So you just .. Are... Like a bug or a rock.
Excuse me, but are you a troll?
Anonymous
12/04/2013 11:53
Subject: Theology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Anonymous wrote:
When a centralized authority wants to avoid revolution by the dominated majority, the most effective way to do it is to convince the dominated majority to be happy with their position.
"Blessed are the meek" and "blessed are the poor" and the concept that the poor and downtrodden will be rewarded in the afterlife are all concepts that cause the dominated majority to accept their position in life. The idea that the "souls" of the poor and downtrodden are somehow valued more by the deity than those of the dominant minority enables the dominated class to feel superior and reduces the likelihood of revolution.
So, no, I'm more than a rock or a bug or a chicken, and so are you, and if you think you need a soul to have "value" in the universe, then that's unfortunate for you.
I agree you're more than a rock or bug or chicken. I don't know how a Christian could take the position that an atheist is one of these....
However, what you've written is a misunderstanding of Jesus' message. Jesus also said, "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to get into heaven." This saying was delivered when a rich young man asked Jesus how to be holy. Jesus' answer was that the man had to give away all of his belongs and follow Jesus as an itinerant disciple. So the "blessed are the meek" message may be open misinterpretation, but in the context of Jesus' whole message the dominant class should be very far from complacency.
Anonymous
12/04/2013 10:19
Subject: Theology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
21:24, thank you. Without meaning any disrespect to either the writer or to our religious readers, I think that was a beautiful sermon on the value of humanity. I think we could perhaps even extend it to the other species who inhabit our planet with us, and perhaps even to the rocks that make up the planet.
I'm an atheist, but I see no reason why we can't respect all who are (and all things that are) around us. Love and beauty exist. Whether of not you think they are part of God, let's place importance on what we agree about and not look for reasons to fight.
Shit, that sounds awfully pompous, doesn't it. Oh well, that's the way I feel this morning, so I'll post it anyway.
I'm an atheist, but I see no reason why we can't respect all who are (and all things that are) around us. Love and beauty exist. Whether of not you think they are part of God, let's place importance on what we agree about and not look for reasons to fight.
Shit, that sounds awfully pompous, doesn't it. Oh well, that's the way I feel this morning, so I'll post it anyway.
Anonymous
12/03/2013 21:24
Subject: Theology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
you aren't inferior or sad.. But you have no soul.... So you just .. Are... Like a bug or a rock. I assume
I assume you're also the person who wrote
The good thing is that since atheists have no soul ... Killing them is more moral than killing a chicken since they negatively impact the environment more than a chicken.
... Twisted ... Illogical .. Defense of atheist importance in an existence without God in.... 3...2...1.
Given your perspective, any answer to this probably won't matter to you, but I'll give it a shot and maybe give you a little something to think about.
At the very least, each person is a unique entity - unlikely to be replicated ever again (unless we're all existing in a Matrix-like simulation). That uniqueness provides an inherent value over and above that of an animal because we are the sum of our experiences, and that summation in humans goes far beyond the capabilities of most animals.
As Roy Batty said at the end of Blade Runner, "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe - Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die."
But the value in human life goes beyond the sum of the person's own experiences. The value in a life is in its relationship to others and in its ability to make the world a better place.
Just like currency, which only has the value others assign to it, a human life has the ability to be important to friends and family in a way that a rock - as an example of an inanimate collection of matter - or a chicken - as an example of a non-human - don't.
A human can conceive of long term planning and sacrifice to make the world a better place in a way that animals do not. The value of a human - whether believer or atheist - is in the value that person's family, friends and acquaintances place on the person, and the potential for that person to do make the world a better place for others.
A person fights against the entropy of the universe by building something that lasts longer than themselves or by cooperating with others to build something that each as an individual could not achieve.
I don't believe I have a soul. Cogito ergo sum. I have value in being a unique creation in the universe, I am the sum of my experiences and the potential for all I will create in my life. But my value goes beyond that. I have value for the good I do in the world and how I help my friends. I have value because I am loved by my family and I challenge you to deny the "value" that shows in my daughter's eyes when she looks at me.
To me, relying on a soul to give you "value" in the eyes of a deity and which makes you equal to everyone else in the eyes of that deity is a political creation of religion.
When a centralized authority wants to avoid revolution by the dominated majority, the most effective way to do it is to convince the dominated majority to be happy with their position.
"Blessed are the meek" and "blessed are the poor" and the concept that the poor and downtrodden will be rewarded in the afterlife are all concepts that cause the dominated majority to accept their position in life. The idea that the "souls" of the poor and downtrodden are somehow valued more by the deity than those of the dominant minority enables the dominated class to feel superior and reduces the likelihood of revolution.
So, no, I'm more than a rock or a bug or a chicken, and so are you, and if you think you need a soul to have "value" in the universe, then that's unfortunate for you.
Anonymous
12/03/2013 20:14
Subject: Theology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
^^ you aren't inferior or sad.. But you have no soul.... So you just .. Are... Like a bug or a rock.
Anonymous
12/03/2013 18:47
Subject: Theology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
I've heard God described as a loving presence in the universe, which to me suggests that the person saying this has an inner sense that this is so - they neither seek nor expect any confirmation , and though I don't believe that myself, I dont mind if others do, as long as they don't try to force it on me or assume that I'm inferior or sad.
Anonymous
12/03/2013 08:26
Subject: Theology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
I'm repeating myself, but before you answer the question of whether God exists, you have to answer the question of what God is (as the OP of another thread clearly understands). And if you say that God is love, or something else that we all agree exists, then of course God exists, but so what?
The question is what do you believe God to be outside of what an atheist accepts as part of reality? Such as, for example, a loving, intelligent entity that watches us and, at least sometimes, affects our lives in some meaningful way, for example.
The question is what do you believe God to be outside of what an atheist accepts as part of reality? Such as, for example, a loving, intelligent entity that watches us and, at least sometimes, affects our lives in some meaningful way, for example.
Anonymous
12/03/2013 00:01
Subject: Theology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Anonymous wrote:^^^^ God doesn't exist. God is existence itself .
And more.
Wow. What a deepity!
Anonymous
12/02/2013 20:37
Subject: Theology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
^^^^ God doesn't exist. God is existence itself .
And more.
And more.
Anonymous
12/02/2013 15:25
Subject: Theology of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The good thing is that since atheists have no soul ... Killing them is more moral than killing a chicken since they negatively impact the environment more than a chicken.
... Twisted ... Illogical .. Defense of atheist importance in an existence without God in.... 3...2...1.
Wow- we're up to chicken status now? You were so sure it was rocks just the other day. I'm so glad to see that your esteem for atheists is increasing. It's great to have a front-row seat to the opening of your fragile mind. Sniff.
God wins!! No logical defense of the value of an atheist.
Well, not exactly since the existence of "gods" is so unlikely to be essentially physically impossible. But certainly you've made a pretty good case for the existence of *religions*. I wonder what percentage of "believers" like PP would just as soon be genocidal nutjobs were it not for some mythical Sky Buddy to hold them back. Chilling!
Keep the religion coming please!