God // Current

The Beguiled

Gay haters and the like have been beguiled by organized religion.
I used to be one of your kind. I too fell into the group of being someone that was self elevated and bigoted. In time I became educated to the reality of what it means to be gay.

I watched someone dear to me deal with the fact they were gay. They lived in the heart of a racist and bigoted land. You know I am speaking of Utah when I say this.

From an early age, this boy knew he was attracted to people of the same sex. He listened to his father and stepmother make jokes with his friends about all of those "gay bastards."

He decided he was going to make himself not gay. He tried everything he could think of to entice himself with things from the opposite sex. Relentlessly for two years he pursued this endeavor with no avail.

He sought out advice from counselors and numerous friends as to what he should and could do. He found nothing that could resolve his issue of being gay. He chose not to be gay but it wouldn't go away.

Facing great fear of condemnation and bodily harm from the Mormon masses and others he often contemplated suicide. For a period of about two years he toiled with the battle of whether or not he was worthy of living or if he should end it all by killing himself.

Having observed his intense struggle, I came to the conclusion that being gay was not his choice, but rather being something he was born with. Since this observation I have become an advocate for gay rights.

Hopefully you will witness someone near and dear to you go through this same struggle. I do not mean that I wish this experience on anyone that is gay.

However, if you are fortunate enough to have someone you care about that is gay, you will come to understand as I have. It will literally change your life and perspective if you have any dignity what so ever as you watch them try to deal with it.

Being gay is not a choice!

Is this really the cross they must bear? The things written in the bible as to this subject were written by people such as you. They neither could understand it nor could they accept it. Thus they invoked God and condemned it. Since, how many have been tortured by the likes of you?Gay haters and the like have been beguiled by organized religion. I used to be one of your kind. I too fell into the group of... more

JuliusBC
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32 responses

1 day ago

Is it logical to believe in god?

I think this video is fascinating. It's been a question which I've been going over in my head as of late so I was kind... more

middle_east
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8 responses

17 hours ago

Atheist billboards to debut during holidays

A controversial billboard will likely be popping up in a neighborhood near you, just in time for the holidays.

The billboard is paid for by a Colorado atheist group. The message sits against a blue sky backdrop and says, "Don't believe in God? You're not alone."

Ten billboards will pepper metro Denver, while one will be put up in Colorado Springs."And we're putting them up in November and December because of the holidays, when church and state issues tend to come up a lot," said Joel Guttormson, with Metro State Atheists. "To let non-believers, free-thinkers and atheists know that they are not alone, especially in a country like ours that is predominantly Christian."

Pastor Willard Johnson of Denver's Macedonia Baptist Church called the billboards a desperate effort to discredit Christianity.

"The Bible is being fulfilled. It says that in latter days, you have all these kinds of things coming up, trying to disrupt the validity of Christianity," Johnson said. "If they don't believe in God, how do they believe they came about? We denounce what they are doing. But we do it with love, with gentleness, with decency and with compassion."

Bob Enyart, a Christian radio host and spokesman for American Right to Life, said it's hard to ignore the evidence.

"The Bible says that faith is the evidence of things not seen. Evidence. If we ignore the evidence for gravity or the Creator, that's really dangerous," said Enyart. "Income tax doesn't not exist because somebody doesn't believe in it. And the same is true with our Creator."

The billboards will go up Nov. 17. The atheist group, called Colorado Coalition of Reason or COCORE, also wanted to put up signs in Fort Collins and Greeley, but a billboard company there refused to carry the message.

Johnson said atheism is a rebellion against Biblical principals and the billboard will likely offend many Christians.

COCORE said this is about rights.First Amendment

"And I've read the First Amendment up and down and nowhere does it say that I have to care about your feelings. We're either 10 to 16 percent of the population, and the reason we don't really know is because people are scared to come out because they're ostracized by the people around them," said Guttormson.A controversial billboard will likely be popping up in a neighborhood near you, just in time for the holidays. The billboard is... more

Manatee_man
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172 responses

3 days ago

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"Whether or not there is any type of god I'm not supposed to say And today I don't really... more

wiredbirds
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2 responses

5 days ago

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"Whether or not there is any type of god I'm not supposed to say And today I don't really... more

wiredbirds
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0 responses

5 days ago

5 Reasons Sarah Palin Would Lose a 2012 Presidential Bid

In an interview with Matt Lauer, Sarah Palin said, “if there is a door open in 2012 or four yeas later…then... more

politicsjunkie
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0 responses

6 days ago

Holiday ads ask, 'Why believe in a God'?

(Nov. 11) - You better watch out. There is a new combatant in the Christmas wars. Ads proclaiming, "Why believe in a god?... more

bedeboop
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119 responses

6 days ago

Why Believe in a God? - American Humanist Association

The attack against religion continues as an ad campaign will now tackle the question of whether there is a God. What would our... more

doithengiaorg
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18 responses

7 days ago

Palin: 'God' will show me the way to White House

Bansheewail can show Mrs. Palin to the nut house. Defeated Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin said Monday she... more

bansheewail
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29 responses

7 days ago

Does Religion make you a nicer person?

"Where there is no God, all is permitted."
"Religion poisons everything.""

Are the religious happier than the secular? And does that make you a nicer person? In his article, Paul Bloom talks about this. The conclusion he comes to is less about religion and atheism than it is about a community: joining one or rejecting one--or rejecting one because it rejects you.

(Edited. Check out the link for more.)
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Many Americans doubt the morality of atheists. According to a 2007 Gallup poll, a majority of Americans say that they would not vote for an otherwise qualified atheist as president, meaning a nonbeliever would have a harder time getting elected than a Muslim, a homosexual, or a Jew.

Arguments about the merits of religions are often battled out with reference to history, by comparing the sins of theists and atheists. (I see your Crusades and raise you Stalin!)

In a review published in Science last month, psychologists Ara Norenzayan and Azim Shariff discuss several experiments that lean pro-Schlessinger. In one of their own studies, they primed half the participants with a spirituality-themed word jumble (including the words divine and God) and gave the other half the same task with nonspiritual words. Then, they gave all the participants $10 each and told them that they could either keep it or share their cash reward with another (anonymous) subject. Ultimately, the spiritual-jumble group parted with more than twice as much money as the control. Norenzayan and Shariff suggest that this lopsided outcome is the result of an evolutionary imperative to care about one's reputation. If you think about God, you believe someone is watching. This argument is bolstered by other research that they review showing that people are more generous and less likely to cheat when others are around. More surprisingly, people also behave better when exposed to posters with eyes on them.

Maybe, then, religious people are nicer because they believe that they are never alone.

In a 2004 study, twice as many religious people say that they are very happy with their lives, while the secular are twice as likely to say that they feel like failures.

In general, you might expect people in less God-fearing countries to be a lot less kind to one another than Americans are. Countries worthy of consideration aren't those like North Korea and China, where religion is savagely repressed, but those in which people freely choose atheism. And—even without belief in a God looming over them—they murder and rape one another significantly less frequently than Americans do.

American atheists, by contrast, are often left out of community life. The studies that Brooks cites in Gross National Happiness, which find that the religious are happier and more generous then the secular, do not define religious and secular in terms of belief. They define it in terms of religious attendance. It is not hard to see how being left out of one of the dominant modes of American togetherness can have a corrosive effect on morality. As P.Z. Myers, the biologist and prominent atheist, puts it, "[S]cattered individuals who are excluded from communities do not receive the benefits of community, nor do they feel willing to contribute to the communities that exclude them."

The sorry state of American atheists, then, may have nothing to do with their lack of religious belief. It may instead be the result of their outsider status within a highly religious country where many of their fellow citizens, including very vocal ones like Schlessinger, find them immoral and unpatriotic. Religion may not poison everything, but it deserves part of the blame for this one."Where there is no God, all is permitted." "Religion poisons everything."" Are the religious... more

seeviv
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49 responses

8 days ago

It's God's fault

"Michigan just legalized medical pot. Liddy Dole is gone. John Sununu is gone. The Dems picked up at least six Senate seats.... more

DeliaTheArtist
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71 responses

10 days ago

Who or What is the Antichrist?

In First John 2:18, 22; 4:3; and Second John 7 you will find the answer. The Antichrist is a person that deny that Jesus is the... more

carrolraypugh
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0 responses

11 days ago

Pope appeals to Muslims to end violence in God's name

"Pope Benedict XVI has appealed to Muslims gathered for an historic meeting in the Vatican to join Christians in opposing violence "carried out in God's name". He said that although Muslims and Christians have "different approaches in matters regarding God, we can and must be worshippers of the one God who created us and is concerned about each person in every corner of the world."

Speaking two years after his controversial speech on Islam at Regensburg University, in which he appeared to suggest that Islam was inherently violent and irrational, the Pope added; "Together we must show, by our mutual respect and solidarity, that we consider ourselves members of one family: the family that God has loved and gathered together from the creation of the world to the end of human history."

In a reference to persecution of Christians he deplored "the discrimination and violence which even today religious people experience throughout the world, and the often violent persecutions to which they are subject". These were "unacceptable and unjustifiable acts, all the more grave and deplorable when they are carried out in the name of God. God's name can only be a name of peace and fraternity, justice and love. We are challenged to demonstrate, by our words and above all by our deeds, that the message of our religions is unfailingly a message of harmony and mutual understanding. It is essential that we do so, lest we weaken the credibility and the effectiveness not only of our dialogue, but also of our religions themselves".

Pope Benedict was speaking at the end of a three-day "Catholic-Muslim Forum" between the Vatican Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and representatives of 138 Muslim leaders who signed an Open Letter to Christian leaders called "The Common Word" in October 2007, after the Regensburg address.

He said the gathering was "a clear sign of our mutual esteem and our desire to listen respectfully to one another. I can assure you that I have prayerfully followed the progress of your meeting, conscious that it represents one more step along the way towards greater understanding between Muslims and Christians". This dialogue was not limited to a small group of experts and scholars but "a precious legacy to be placed at the service of all, to bear fruit in the way we live each day."

The Pope declared: "The Christian tradition proclaims that God is Love..... It was out of love that he created the whole universe, and by his love he becomes present in human history." The Muslim tradition was "also quite clear in encouraging practical commitment in serving the most needy, and readily recalls the "Golden Rule" in its own version: your faith will not be perfect, unless you do unto others that which you wish for yourselves. We should thus work together in promoting genuine respect for the dignity of the human person and fundamental human rights, even though our anthropological visions and our theologies justify this in different ways."

He called on Muslims and Christians to "unite our efforts, animated by good will, in order to overcome all misunderstanding and disagreements. Let us resolve to overcome past prejudices and to correct the often distorted images of the other which even today can create difficulties in our relations; let us work with one another to educate all people, especially the young, to build a common future. May God sustain us in our good intentions, and enable our communities to live consistently the truth of love, which constitutes the heart of the religious man, and is the basis of respect for the dignity of each person. May God, the merciful and compassionate One, assist us in this challenging mission, protect us, bless us and enlighten us always with the power of his love." "Pope Benedict XVI has appealed to Muslims gathered for an historic meeting in the Vatican to join Christians in opposing... more

DeliaTheArtist
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12 days ago

Paddy Power offers odds of 4-1 that God exists

Paddy Power, a betting agency, is accepting bets as to whether or not God exists. The odds? 4-1, in favor of the big guy in the... more

nazbags
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12 responses

15 days ago

No God in Bill Nye "The Science Guy"?

Posted By: Sorenthia @ 11/01/2008 8:57:01 PM Comment: Bill Nye, the harmless children's edu-tainer known as "The... more

NYChris
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2 responses

16 days ago

Pope sees Stephen Hawking at evolution gathering

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict told a gathering of scientists including the British cosmologist Stephen Hawking on Friday... more

TyMarshal
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95 responses

17 days ago

Oct.31-Birthday Celebration Protestant Church

The western world knows October 31 is Halloween, but what is seldom mentioned is that it is also the day the Protestant Reformation began. In the Protestant world the day should be a celebrated because the birth of all the Protestant/Sabbath keeping/Sacred Name/Messianic, etc. churches was made possible by the unfolding events beginning on this day in 1517.

Think about it, what does the term “Protestant” Christian mean? Most do not even know that October 31, is their holiday. It’s really a shame because so much blood was spilt to break the chains of religious dictatorship, give the world the Bible, and give most of the western world religious freedom. America was founded as a Protestant nation, and it was a very important step in government, but watch the news today; you will not hear anything regarding the great Reformation movement – not even from the pulpits of the American Christian churches! In my humble opinion, at the very least this day should be called Religious Freedom Day! Unfortunately, the only thing you will hear a lot about is Halloween, and that’s pitiful. (The stories of the Bible translators and Protestant reformers are heartbreaking, read through chapters 9-20 of Fox’s Book of Martyrs for the complete story.)

Most know of the story of Martin Luther the lawyer/scholar turned Catholic monk, who in 1517 C.E. sounded the call to religious change in an unchanging world by calling for a debate on his 95 theses of church reform. To make his theses public, he daringly posted them on the castle church door in Wittenburg, Germany, and by his act he unknowingly ignited a religious explosion called the Protestant Reformation. His 95 points of reform rebukes various traditions added on to God’s Law by the feudalistic Roman Catholic Church. As always, challenging the Roman status quo was done at your own peril. Luther would have been branded a heretic and swept away to a dark jail cell like many before him, but paper making and moveable type were invented in his time, and his open letters of debate appearing in print for all to see helped fuel the protesting movement against the dogmatic Roman Catholic rule.

Martin Luther began the Protestant revolution and America was founded as a Protestant nation that honored our CREATOR instead of an earthly king, our founders boldly answered the GOD question for all the world to hear, but few today even know what the word Protestant means or represents. Generally, the religious powers to be do not like any talk of a protesting laity, being lovers of their own words the religious scholars, over time, covered up and smothered the original meaning of the Reformation movement. The pure Protestant beliefs or concepts are a philosophy not a religion, and the Protestant philosophy still causes some hand ringing amongst the traditional Jews, Catholics, and other religious leaders who want to control people via dogmatic purity and mute obedience.

The western world knows October 31 is Halloween, but what is seldom mentioned is that it is also the day the Protestant... more

resolute
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18 days ago

"Godless Americans"

Senator Dole has launched an attack against some of her constituents as part of her campaign for re-election. Dole attacks her Democratic opponent, Kay Hagan, by pointing out that she attended a fundraiser held by a couple of atheists, whom she describes as "vile" and "godless".
she describes atheists as people most North Carolinians would not be comfortable having over for dinner (Again, this is a U.S. Senator). My thought is as an American you have the right to choose who you want to be without being ridiculed.

Here is description of the one of her mailers

FRONT PAGE: Image of torn photo of children saying the Pledge of Allegiance. "Godless Americans PAC wants to remove 'Under God' from the Pledge of Allegiance. And now, they want Kay Hagan in the U.S. Senate ..."

INSIDE PAGES: Pictures of Hagan and supporters of the Godless Americans PAC. "Liberal Kay Hagan flew to Boston to pocket campaign cash from leaders of the Godless Americans PAC. What is Godless Americans PAC? Godless Americans Political Action Committee is a left-wing organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to 'Mobilizing America's nonbelievers for political activism.' They actively support political candidates who are Atheists and who also support their liberal agenda to remove 'under God' from the Pledge of Allegiance and force the Boy Scouts to accept atheists and homosexuals as troop leaders. Their goal is to remove any reference to God in the public arena, including eliminating the Christmas holiday.

"Kay Hagan & the Godless Americans PAC. Liberal Kay Hagan flew to Boston to pocket campaign cash from leaders of the Godless Americans PAC, Wendy Kaminer and Woody Kaplan. They held a private fundraiser for Kay Hagan at their home in Boston, Massachusetts on September 15th. In North Carolina, Kay Hagan says she shares our values. But, behind our backs she's the guest of honor at a fundraiser hosted by the most vile, radical liberals in America."

"We can't trust Kay Hagan to defend our North Carolina values."

Senator Dole has launched an attack against some of her constituents as part of her campaign for re-election. Dole attacks her... more

Nae78
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9 responses

20 days ago

Did Jesus exist?

"No one has the slightest physical evidence to support a historical Jesus; no artifacts, dwelling, works of carpentry, or self-written manuscripts. All claims about Jesus derive from writings of other people. There occurs no contemporary Roman record that shows Pontius Pilate executing a man named Jesus. Devastating to historians, there occurs not a single contemporary writing that mentions Jesus. All documents about Jesus got written well after the life of the alleged Jesus from either: unknown authors, people who had never met an earthly Jesus, or from fraudulent, mythical or allegorical writings. Although one can argue that many of these writings come from fraud or interpolations, I will use the information and dates to show that even if these sources did not come from interpolations, they could still not serve as reliable evidence for a historical Jesus, simply because all sources derive from hearsay accounts.

Hearsay means information derived from other people rather than on a witness' own knowledge.

Courts of law do not generally allow hearsay as testimony, and nor does honest modern scholarship. Hearsay provides no proof or good evidence, and therefore, we should dismiss it.

If you do not understand this, imagine yourself confronted with a charge for a crime which you know you did not commit. You feel confident that no one can prove guilt because you know that there exists no evidence whatsoever for the charge against you. Now imagine that you stand present in a court of law that allows hearsay as evidence. When the prosecution presents its case, everyone who takes the stand against you claims that you committed the crime, not as a witness themselves, but solely because other people said so. None of these other people, mind you, ever show up in court, nor can anyone find them.

Hearsay does not work as evidence because we have no way of knowing whether the person lies, or simply bases his or her information on wrongful belief or bias. We know from history about witchcraft trials and kangaroo courts that hearsay provides neither reliable nor fair statements of evidence. We know that mythology can arise out of no good information whatsoever. We live in a world where many people believe in demons, UFOs, ghosts, or monsters, and an innumerable number of fantasies believed as fact taken from nothing but belief and hearsay. It derives from these reasons why hearsay cannot serves as good evidence, and the same reasoning must go against the claims of a historical Jesus or any other historical person.

Authors of ancient history today, of course, can only write from indirect observation in a time far removed from their aim. But a valid historian's own writing gets cited with sources that trace to the subject themselves, or to eyewitnesses and artifacts. For example a historian today who writes about the life of George Washington, of course, can not serve as an eyewitness, but he can provide citations to documents which give personal or eyewitness accounts. None of the historians about Jesus give reliable sources to eyewitnesses, therefore all we have remains as hearsay.""No one has the slightest physical evidence to support a historical Jesus; no artifacts, dwelling, works of carpentry, or... more