George Carlin on God

[Thorum]

I wish I could speak so well!! I love this piece!! Sleep well George...

MeSSwKffj9o

:D

[Gooding]

LOL, good points, all. So, Carlin was a sun worshipper who prayed to Joe Pesci, eh? Well, we've all got our points of devotion.;)

[Beorn]

You know what I found funny about this video? George Carlin is dead and either sucking the pole of the Devil, sucking up the ass of God, or just simply doesn't exist.

Either way, the man is yet another example of someone twisting and dismantling his own misinterpretation of someone's religion.

Doesn't it make you feel proud to be human that people can come across as so angry, sanctimonious and offended by something and be just as offensive about it in turn.

Tell me, who are the "enlightened" people again?

[Psychonaut]

You know what I found funny about this video? George Carlin is dead and either sucking the pole of the Devil, sucking up the ass of God, or just simply doesn't exist.

Why is it that people who propose a Pascal's Wager type of situation only take into account the Judeo/Christo/Muslim God? Isn't it equally possible that Carlin is standing next to Tantalus in Hades, chilling with Hel, being tormented by Ahriman, or by Yama?

[Beorn]

Why is it that people who propose a Pascal's Wager type of situation only take into account the Judeo/Christo/Muslim God? Isn't it equally possible that Carlin is standing next to Tantalus in Hades, chilling with Hel, being tormented by Ahriman, or by Yama?

He could be, but for the sake of having to write out every single deity and religion...

[Beorn]

I think a lot of people are sick of religion and the way it's been shoved into their faces for their entire lives.

An understandable position to come from, but does that excuse being rude and offensive to people who have religion as a central aspect of their lives on this board?

[Birka]

Here is some Carlin on Saving the Planet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eScDfYzMEEw

[Loki]

An understandable position to come from, but does that excuse being rude and offensive to people who have religion as a central aspect of their lives on this board?

Institutions that constantly feed their members with untruths, and are responsible for the destruction of countless lives, deserve to be mocked and ridiculed and shown for what they are.

I was also a Christian for many years. I've read the Bible through literally hundreds of times. Was in church every Sunday, and more than once at that. Prayed every day. Lead others to Christ. Abstained from "sins" in order to please God. Curtailed my personal mental development in order to be "spiritual" and "deny myself to follow Christ". This is all bullshit, wasted many years of my life, and put me at a distinct disadvantage to those who did not give religion a second thought. I feel justified in ridiculing religion. In fact, I feel it is my duty to warn others of this folly.

[Treffie]

Institutions that constantly feed their members with untruths, and are responsible for the destruction of countless lives, deserve to be mocked and ridiculed and shown for what they are.

I was also a Christian for many years. I've read the Bible through literally hundreds of times. Was in church every Sunday, and more than once at that. Prayed every day. Lead others to Christ. Abstained from "sins" in order to please God. Curtailed my personal mental development in order to be "spiritual" and "deny myself to follow Christ". This is all bullshit, wasted many years of my life, and put me at a distinct disadvantage to those who did not give religion a second thought. I feel justified in ridiculing religion. In fact, I feel it is my duty to warn others of this folly.

This is what annoyed me when I was involved in Christianity too. I found there to be a lack of objectivity and selected tolerance in the Evangelical and Pentecostal circles that I used to be in. In addition to this, my fellow followers never really studied Theology like I did and did not dare to question the accuracy and content of the Bible. Many respected theologians now believe that there were over 100 Gospels, but why were only 4 chosen for selection in the New Testament? My personal opinion is that the chosen works have been used for the exploitation of the masses and if the Bible is supposed to represent the truth, why is it that so many of the original gospels are missing? I'm not a fan of conspiracies, but in this case I can make an exception.

[Beorn]

If you choose to justify your actions by the experiences you suffered by the hands of men preaching their views of religion, then go ahead! ridicule and offend your fellow man. Why should you care what others say about their oppressive and bestial religions when you know the truth, and think all man should hear your views.

Complete the cycle. Does this world actually fucking care anymore? Does this world have anymore decent and respectful characters left that can simply hold their tongues in the face of others exposed souls and beliefs?

Go ahead, be as nasty and inciteful as you can be. After all, religion did it first.

[Loki]

If you choose to justify your actions by the experiences you suffered by the hands of men preaching their views of religion, then go ahead! ridicule and offend your fellow man. Why should you care what others say about their oppressive and bestial religions when you know the truth, and think all man should hear your views.

Complete the cycle. Does this world actually fucking care anymore? Does this world have anymore decent and respectful characters left that can simply hold their tongues in the face of others exposed souls and beliefs?

Go ahead, be as nasty and inciteful as you can be. After all, religion did it first.

Ridiculing religion is not the same as ridiculing people. It is an effective way to bring across the hard truths. Sometimes people need to be shocked back to reality. Offending their most sacred beliefs is one way of doing so.

If what you hold dear is really the truth and really beneficial, then being persecuted (well, not really in this case) for your faith should strengthen it ... if it has any real value for you. In the times of the Roman Empire and the early church, countless Christians gladly chose to give up their lives in the arenas before denying Christ. They chose to be burnt alive, rather than betraying their faith. You may have this same resilience as a believer, but I doubt even 1% of today's Christians have that. It is mostly superficial, traditional nonsense. And I suppose that most modern Christians subconsciously know in the back of their minds that the religion is not the truth, hence immense personal struggles and battling with your own intellect; denying your own logic -- I had that too. It is harmful and mind-numbing in the end. People die for all sorts of causes, but do they really gain anything from it? If it is eternal life, then great. But I very much doubt the Pearly Gates would await you because you chose to defend Christianity. As another guy said: if it is so great to die and go to heaven, then why are you still wearing a seatbelt?

Shocking and offending people is one way of getting them to think for themselves and question their beliefs. If these beliefs survive this questioning, they will be stronger for it. But if they don't, then you will have made progress in your life already.

[Beorn]

You make the mistake in believing I am talking on behalf of just Christianity.

I am speaking on behalf of all religions that are judged to be open for ridicule and inciteful attacks by others.

[Loki]

You make the mistake in believing I am talking on behalf of just Christianity.

I am speaking on behalf of all religions that are judged to be open for ridicule and inciteful attacks by others.

In the olden days, people were put on trial and punished for blasphemy. Thank God we have moved on from that stage. Being able to ridicule religion is a basic human right, the right to freedom of expression. In countries like Saudi Arabia people don't have that right. Thankfully, here they do. :thumb001:

[Beorn]

No offence to the stance of yourself, but you and every other person who feels they always want to have one good swing at religion ALWAYS mentions the past as if it were pertinent to the present.

"Oh, the Christians raped, murdered and ate children on their advance in to Europe"

"Oh, the Christians tortured and maimed all unbelievers and stopped them from eating apple crumble on Tuesdays"

That's great. That's lovely. That's fine. But does it excuse people to wantonly barge into people with their thoughts and opinions and believe they have a right to?

You say it is a human right, well then have the rights of humans at the fore and consider the feelings of your fellow humans.

[Loki]

That's great. That's lovely. That's fine. But does it excuse people to wantonly barge into people with their thoughts and opinions and believe they have a right to?

You say it is a human right, well then have the rights of humans at the fore and consider the feelings of your fellow humans.

How about preachers who wantonly condemn non-believers to eternal hellfire from the pulpit every Sunday? Believers who force their morals on the rest of us? Christian believers do not respect non-believers for what they believe. Let me give you an example: When I announced to my family that I no longer believed in God, I was effectively excommunicated from the family. Sisters and brother sending me messages for years that I was going to go to hell, that they won't talk to me again until I repented, etc etc. You'll have a hard time convincing me to show respect for religion.

[Gooding]

In the olden days, people were put on trial and punished for blasphemy. Thank God we have moved on from that stage. Being able to ridicule religion is a basic human right, the right to freedom of expression. In countries like Saudi Arabia people don't have that right. Thankfully, here they do. :thumb001:

If the religious ought to have freedom of expression, ought not the secularists? At least here in the U.S., the religious have had disproportionate favor shown to them for the last twenty nine years and that lopsided fusion of church and state is still ongoing, completely counter to the intentions of our founders.If they can tell us that our hinder end is Hell, can we not tell them that they are full of shit? Perhaps Europe is differently situated, with the Freethinkers in power and the religious suppressed, I honestly don't know.It would be nice if the theory of religious freedom, as in freedom to practice whatever religion you wanted to or to practice no religion at all, were actually applied by people with no fear of being censured.

[Beorn]

How about preachers who wantonly condemn non-believers to eternal hellfire from the pulpit every Sunday?

What about them? Are they seriously the true reflection of what Christ preached?


Believers who force their morals on the rest of us?I suppose you found them quite offensive and impersonal to your belief systems?
How did you react?


When I announced to my family that I no longer believed in God, I was effectively excommunicated from the family. Sisters and brother sending me messages for years that I was going to go to hell, that they won't talk to me again until I repented, etc etc. You'll have a hard time convincing me to show respect for religion.I'm sorry for your troubles in life. I really am, but let me give you an example.
My sister knew a person who was gay and a devout Christian.
He was scared to come out and declare his homosexuality to both his family and his religious community.
My sister coaxed him from his fear and stood by him as any good Christian would whilst he faced his moment in life.

His family accepted him, as did his religious community.

I'm sure I've heard that there is a section in the Bible about homosexuality being a sin against God, yet there was the people of the Christian faith welcoming him with open arms.

Perhaps we should go force upon them the video by Doug Stanhope? 'FUCK YOUR GOD!' and shout about it being my "human right, man!"

[Thorum]

If the religious ought to have freedom of expression, ought not the secularists? At least here in the U.S., the religious have had disproportionate favor shown to them for the last twenty nine years and that lopsided fusion of church and state is still ongoing, completely counter to the intentions of our founders.If they can tell us that our hinder end is Hell, can we not tell them that they are full of shit? Perhaps Europe is differently situated, with the Freethinkers in power and the religious suppressed, I honestly don't know.It would be nice if the theory of religious freedom, as in freedom to practice whatever religion you wanted to or to practice no religion at all, were actually applied by people with no fear of being censured.

That is why I belong to 2 important organizations here in the States:

Americans United for Separation of Church and State (http://www.au.org/site/PageServer) - The best and most respected force for maintaining and protecting the separation of church and state in the U.S. They are not anti-religion, only pro-separation of church and state. Their website is really well done and very interesting.

I also belong to the Secular Coalition for America (http://www.secular.org/). They provide a voice for atheists, agnostics, humanists and freethinkers in US government. Finally, we have a voice!! They also have a very well-done and interesting website: "The Secular Coalition for America is the new national lobby representing the interests of atheists, humanists, agnostics, freethinkers and other nontheistic Americans."

I know these are American organizations but I can certainly recommend European sister organizations and you can find links to them at the above websites for my European friends and comrades. Remember, America is way behind Europe regarding religion and the fight to rid ourselves of religious interference in our personal and public lives has really only just begun.

[Loki]

What about them? Are they seriously the true reflection of what Christ preached?


Actually, yes:

Luke 14:25-33


Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.



I suppose you found them quite offensive and impersonal to your belief systems?
How did you react?


Offensive, yes. It made me realise that I had to cut my losses and go my own way.



I'm sorry for your troubles in life. I really am, but let me give you an example.
My sister knew a person who was gay and a devout Christian.
He was scared to come out and declare his homosexuality to both his family and his religious community.
My sister coaxed him from his fear and stood by him as any good Christian would whilst he faced his moment in life.

His family accepted him, as did his religious community.

I'm sure I've heard that there is a section in the Bible about homosexuality being a sin against God, yet there was the people of the Christian faith welcoming him with open arms.

Perhaps we should go force upon them the video by Doug Stanhope? 'FUCK YOUR GOD!' and shout about it being my "human right, man!"

Goodness in human nature can come out everywhere, regardless of their religious adherence. :) There are some great people around. One of them is you ... an awesome guy, regardless of your religious adherence. :thumb001:

[Lulletje Rozewater]

I am somewhat taken aback.
I have ridiculed plenty of church goers in their own church especially the Happy Clappies.
Never--except the CI-- on the INTERNET--
If we as a white man allow to ridicule the Muslim,why not Xian fanatics.
I strongly believe that no amount of ridicule to a person, will bring him/her to abandon the believe.
Believe is a personal matter.
When the Catholics and the Orthodox had been "fumigated" by a Constantine for selfish reasons(read his history) and made it mandatory to only accept the 4 Gospels(Only Jesus knows why) then indoctrination sets in.
Indoctrination,be it in politics,economy,religion(all) is the curse of all humanity.
It feels like a normal being strapped into a straight jacket.

When I am visited by the Mormons or Jehovah Witnesses,or Happy Clappies or priests or pastors or any cleric I say in advance
"Wipe not your feet when you enter, but as you go out

Every year Jesus of Nazareth meets Jesus of the Christian in Gethsemane And they talk for many hours;and each time Jesus of Nazareth goes away saying to Jesus of the Christian."My friend,I fear we shall never,never agree