h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I DON'T WISH TO COMMENT ON THIS MANS BOX. I'M WHAT YOU WOULD CALL A "newbie',BUT I HAVE ALREADY LEARNED THAT WHAT I WOULD SAY TO HIM, WOULD BE CALLED "SPITTING". I'VE FOUND THAT TO BE A FAULT THAT IS HARD TO CONTROL. "NEWBIE", I WOULD LIKE TO CALL MYSELF A " NEW-BEE". I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR A BOX LIKE THIS FOR AWHILE. I WISH TO REMAIN POSITIVE. LIKE A BEE, I HOPE TO POLINATE THIS AREA, BUT I ALSO WISH TO GAIN NOURISHMENT FROM ALL THE PEOPLE THAT STAND ON THIER BOXES, GIVING US ALL A BETTER LOOK AT GOD AND ALL HIS WISDOM. YES, FROM ALL YOUR FINGERS COME THE WORDS THAT GOD HAS INSTALLED INTO THIS PLANET, ITS PEOPLE, ITS BOOKS, ITS MUSIC AND OF COURSE ALL THOSE CRIES. NOTHING IS COINCIDENT, EVERYTHING IS RIGHT ON TIME, NO ONES GOING TO MISS THE BOAT. GOD IS PRECISE. EVERY WORD SPOKEN OR WROTE IS MEANT FOR THAT ONE PARTICULAR PERSON TO HEAR OR READ. GOD HAS PLACED SIGNS EVERYWHERE, MOST WOULD LIKE TO COVER THIER EYES OR PLUG THIER EARS, BECAUSE THE SIGNS ARE TRUE BUT THE TRUTH IS SO HARD TO BEAR. IT'S EASIER TO DROWN THIER SENSES WITH DRUGS OR BOOZE,SOME DROWN IT OUT WITH THIER VANITY,MONEY OR JUST PLAIN DENIAL IN GOD. WE AS A PEOPLE SHALL OVERCOME THESE DISABILITIES. WE WILL WALK TALL, KNOWING THE ARROWS POINT TOWARD THE SKY BECAUSE OUR GOD IS SHOWING US HIS WAYS AND WANTS US AT HIS SIDE. I'LL BE BACK.

Which 'God' would you be referring to and why is it the right one?

Also, I believe the researcher was commenting on problems associated with organized religion (there are many), not the existence of a supreme being.

What a scary response. The over-use of CAPS doesn't help your (rather weak and zealous) arguement. From your reply it is clear that you haven't read the article properly, instead you make a ton of assumtions and then go off on a rant about people who have differing theological perspectives than you. The article mentions religion being responsible for many wars, possible due to people with such fanatical beliefs as yourself.

Religion has such terrible spokespeople...

I think all the potentially decent spokespeople, the ones who could actually argue a simple point, are quite happy with their religion and don't feel the need to shout about it.

Just a theory...

Basically, what this person is saying is that God controls everything, am I right? In that case,
God is in every man that beats his wife.
God is in Every man that rapes someone
God is in every man that molests a child.
God i in every Murderer.

See, whoever wrote that, God sure is great to have installed all those things to test our faith.

Couse, I never had any faith. Please don't type in all Capitals.

I'd just love that person to come back to try and qualify and discuss what he wrote.

Never happen, because there's nothing of substance to defend, so he'll stay away.

Shame, it's really good fun, albeit pointless fun, agruing with someone like that.

Yeah, I agree, but hey, what can you do?

find them and beat them with a very large stick?

find them and beat them with a very large stick?

err, twice?

Good idea.

I agree, but then wouldnt that enable him to become a martyr? Fanatics such as him, perplex me. Does anyone think that maybe they might know something we missed? Or do you need to be slightly mad to be that fanatical? what I mean to say, is that religion itself seems to have sprung out of our need, to make sense of our existence, and to make some sense out of death. so are fanatics just more needy? I am a lapsed catholic and I see friends close to me who have amazing levels of faith, do they possess something us doubters have skipped merrily past? its scary the levels some will go to in the name of God

I sometimes think that too, that the faithful know something we don't. But whenever I try to figure it out or ask someone I never get a satisfactory answer. I'm an athiest, my beliefs (or lack of them) came about because of my fascination with science, more spefically biology. To me there simply is no need for a deity.

I think the fellow who wrote the first bit in this conversation is unusual in his aggresive nature of his faith. Perhaps anyone who is reading this who has faith (and hopefully a talent for explaining themselves) could enlighten us.

Hmmm, the trouble is though, that organised religion does not just require belief. To join in, you need to be prepared to sacrifice substantial amounts of freedom, endure guilt (on a grand scale), and suspend any intelligence or understanding,with relation to science, whether it be the immaculate conception, or jesus` miracles, or even the big bang and evolution. And to question any of these points openly is akin to thought crime, and is rarely encouraged. How much faith does that require? Particularly when you consider how far some go. Does any one think that maybe the attraction is simply a fear of death (and the unknown). And also that maybe that was deliberate? And may I add still is?

Erm...

You don't need to suspend intelligence to believe in the immaculate conception. It means that the Virgin was not born with the original sin.

I think I'm right...

Yes, but how is that possible, exactly, for someone to be born without their parents having sex? To believe that, I'd have to suspend my intelligence, but then, I don't believe in magic, so maybe that's why I don't really accept it.