British and Christian and Proud

[happybhoy]

Surely that would be Kinder Surpise?

[AdamM]

be more than a f***ing suprise

[fearisthekey]

Tescos have withdrawn the eggs from sale as the Resurrection story may contain 'pieces harmful to small children'.

[wader leg]

Easter/Oestre was also a pagan festival to celebrate the coming of spring and the egg symbolises the rebirth of nature after the winter.
Conveniently the early christian church decided that this was when Jesus died, they told the pagans they can still have their feast day but now it is to celebrate Christ rather than Nature.

If god does exist surely he is being mischievous by not showing himself clearly to the whole world. He could light up the night sky with neon lights saying which branch of religion is the correct one rather than leaving it to people to see the word Allah when they cut into a pineapple or people seeing what they perceive to be the image of christ in a concrete wall or whatever. It wouldn't be too hard for Him seeing as he created the whole universe in seven days!, it would also stop the people he claims to love killing each other because everyone would know who the true god was Allah, Yahweh, Buddha or whoever.
It's all well and good asking people to prove the big bang theory or any other non divine theory on the earths creation but we all now believe that the earth revolves around sun but can you actually prove it to the common man.
The Catholic church in particular has a colourful history in regards to scientists who knew the earth wasn't flat or believed that the earth revolved around the sun rather than the opposite.

For the record, although my parents forced me to go to their church until my early teens I have not been christened or baptised, I got married in a civil ceremony and although I don't have any kids my friends tell me that to get their children into a local primary school they need to attend church to get their child's name on the waiting list. No wonder they claim church attendance is rising.

I don't buy easter eggs primarily because you can buy a dairy milk bar for a quid and you get more chocolate than you do in a £3.99 easter egg.

[AdamM]

excellent. I knew about christmas being a highjacked pagan festicval, but not easter

flyingpig needs to get back on that google 

[wader leg]

excellent. I knew about christmas being a highjacked pagan festicval, but not easter

flyingpig needs to get back on that google 

http://www.aznewage.com/easter.htm

[tantrum]

Oh, it is good to be an atheist, at least I don't feel threatened by all those infidels.....

[FlyingPig]

Christmas and Easter are Christian festivals. These dates may of been chosen to co-incide with a calender at some point in time...But these are events to celebrate christian events. You can celebrate the pagan festivals if you so wish. But me thinks you will still probably celebrate Christian ones.

There is no denying that the church have created so many bad things over the years, but so has man and science. They both have killed groups of people in the past.

Start to think about the good things that Christianity has brought about. In years gone by, it has brought morals, and a certain way of life which was imposed by the social structure at the time. This has undoubtedly helped in the past when things may of not been so good. There are countless times when people have turned to the churches in times of help, and guess what, they have helped. They have provided help, hope, money, and much much more.

There are bad things about any group of people no matter who they are.

Its all belief and respecting others beliefs. I respect the fact that people take a leap of faith and believe that we are here of our own accord, and a chain reaction of events have got us here, and this is still a belief system. Where if you believe this, you cannot be superstitious of things, and most human beings are superstitious of some things by nature. I beleive that there is a God, and my belief system should be respected.

Surely this thread is coming to its end..... I feel like I am the God squad.......

[wader leg]

Christmas and Easter are Christian festivals. These dates may of been chosen to co-incide with a calender at some point in time...But these are events to celebrate christian events. You can celebrate the pagan festivals if you so wish. But me thinks you will still probably celebrate Christian ones.

If I go out for a meal on Easter Monday I'm not doing it to celebrate christianity or paganism any more than I'm celebrating Barclays just because it is a bank holiday.

There is no denying that the church have created so many bad things over the years, but so has man and science. They both have killed groups of people in the past.

I'd like to see the Church versus Science kill ratio

Start to think about the good things that Christianity has brought about. In years gone by, it has brought morals, and a certain way of life which was imposed by the social structure at the time. This has undoubtedly helped in the past when things may of not been so good. There are countless times when people have turned to the churches in times of help, and guess what, they have helped. They have provided help, hope, money, and much much more.

The bible is a bit ambiguous on morals, the Old Testament shows God to advocate ethic cleansing, slavery and prostitution among other things.Are you saying non christian countries have less morals than the early christians? where do buddists and sikhs for example get their morals from?
I agree churches provide comfort for their worshippers in times of emotional need, but I can get that from my family and close friends should the need arise.

Its all belief and respecting others beliefs. I respect the fact that people take a leap of faith and believe that we are here of our own accord, and a chain reaction of events have got us here, and this is still a belief system. Where if you believe this, you cannot be superstitious of things, and most human beings are superstitious of some things by nature. I believe that there is a God, and my belief system should be respected.

On a personal level I respect peoples right to believe whatever they wish .
I'm open minded as to how we got here, I know what I don't believe rather than what what I do.
I know the bible is hypocritical, contradictory and chronologically incorrect so thats why I choose not to believe it but the scriptures say I'm going to an eternal fiery abyss for my sins, how can I respect an organisation that says that?

.

Surely this thread is coming to its end..... I feel like I am the God squad.......

Armageddon already?

I for one am glad that you have posted and you are so open with your beliefs, we'll have you converted in no time

[fearisthekey]

Christmas and Easter are Christian festivals. These dates may of been chosen to co-incide with a calender at some point in time...But these are events to celebrate christian events. You can celebrate the pagan festivals if you so wish. But me thinks you will still probably celebrate Christian ones.

There is no denying that the church have created so many bad things over the years, but so has man and science. They both have killed groups of people in the past.

Start to think about the good things that Christianity has brought about. In years gone by, it has brought morals, and a certain way of life which was imposed by the social structure at the time. This has undoubtedly helped in the past when things may of not been so good. There are countless times when people have turned to the churches in times of help, and guess what, they have helped. They have provided help, hope, money, and much much more.

There are bad things about any group of people no matter who they are.

Its all belief and respecting others beliefs. I respect the fact that people take a leap of faith and believe that we are here of our own accord, and a chain reaction of events have got us here, and this is still a belief system. Where if you believe this, you cannot be superstitious of things, and most human beings are superstitious of some things by nature. I beleive that there is a God, and my belief system should be respected.

Surely this thread is coming to its end..... I feel like I am the God squad.......

lol monkaments

flying pig without 2 sides there is no debate, you've done a great job. no one is trying just to get their point across, i put my position to you clearly so that i can learn from yours.

waderleg, 'Why I am not a christian' by Bertrand Russell is pretty good, a nice discussion between Frederick Coppleston (a catholic scholar) and Russell:
FC: so what if you do die and find yourself before God, what will you say to him?
BR: I'll ask him why he didn't make his existence clearer to me in my lifetime.

good post.

[wader leg]

waderleg, 'Why I am not a christian' by Bertrand Russell is pretty good, a nice discussion between Frederick Coppleston (a catholic scholar) and Russell:
.

Cheers, is there a box-set of all his work? I have about 5 of his on my must read one day list.?

[AndrewT]

Surely this thread is coming to its end..... I feel like I am the God squad.......

Part of me wants to wait until this thread has died, wait three days, then resurrect it.

Christmas and Easter are Christian festivals. These dates may of been chosen to co-incide with a calender at some point in time...But these are events to celebrate christian events. You can celebrate the pagan festivals if you so wish. But me thinks you will still probably celebrate Christian ones.

...

Its all belief and respecting others beliefs.

Except where those beliefs are 'I believe I don't celebrate Christianity when I get time off work in December/Spring'. In those situations, FlyingPig tells us what we really think.

There is no denying that the church have created so many bad things over the years, but so has man and science. They both have killed groups of people in the past.

Hmmm, people killed in the name of science? Off the top of my head I can think of very few. People deliberately exposed to radiation in the atomic bomb tests? That's all I can think of. Perhaps FlyingPig could provide a list of the examples he's obviously researched.

[AdamM]

while it's nice to be on the same side of a debate as you for a change Andrew, please ease up on the sarcasm.

there isn't a researched list and you know it.

he might take the time to do one. sounds like he's had enough though

[AndrewT]

I'd like to at least hear a couple, seeing as it's one of the arguments he gives supporting his viewpoint.

[AdamM]

well ask him nicely and I'm sure he'll oblige

here's another one that could go in a couple of threads.
He's been on before in the youtube thread
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIwiPsgRrOs
who says Amricans don't get irony