Irony

I wonder what a creationist would make of this one?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7798480.stm

A Catholic priest has been criticised by parents in a city in northern Italy for telling their children that Father Christmas does not really exist. On the plus side, at least he didn't let on that god does not really exist.

 

Mmmm... Can you imagine the Catholic Church waking up one day to the fact that there is no God...??? I just wonder how most of the World cope...? Me...? I do just fine thank you.

 

There are no such things as gays either. Just straights who are getting it wrong and can be 'cured' by prayer. Perhaps the priest thought that FC is gay and was just trying to be succinct.

 

I wonder why it is that the parents want to continue telling lies to their children? I can understand them telling their children about God if they belive in God themselves but not Father Christmas or the Tooth Fairy etc, which the parents know is a lie anyway.

 

And as for parents who read bedtime stories to their children, sheesh

 

At least with bedtime stories, they wouldn't get upset if someone told their children it was only a story.
Why on earth do they want so desperately for their children to believe in 'Santa'?

 

Do you have children? The Tooth Fairy, Father Christmas, etc are just harmless conceits, a little bit of fun and magic in a small child's world.

"God", on the other hand is a freakin mindreading weirdo on steroids who apparently "loves" us, but at the same time will happily condemn us to an eternity of unbearable torture if we transgress some arbitrary rules - such as not believing in god, having sex in the wrong way or with the wrong person, etc etc. I agree with Dawkins that telling small children about this monstrous invention constitutes child abuse.

 

The whole "God" thing is a bit odd when one remembers the Holocaust.

"A" God, maybe; Pantheism makes sense to me. The "God" of religion... hmmm....

 

Wow, you really do have a downer on the Christian church / faith, don't you?

Got rejected for the choir when you were 5?

 

I view all religions as forces for evil, except Buddhism (which is an atheistic religion). The point of them is social control, and most of them suppress and/or abuse women. Look at the trouble religions cause on a global scale.

 

That's one (jaded and cynical) view to take on religion.

The other way you could look at it is a way to keep people happy - to explain the difficult things to people.

The world has become a sadder and angrier place as we have moved away from religion.


Oh BTW, I'm not religious myself.....

 

Frankly, I never understood this God thing myself.

What is the purpose for a God? Are some of you that insecure about the world you feel a need for a superhero of sorts in order to sleep at night and get through the next day?

...and what is this worship thing? What kind of perfect being would want a bunch of dirt bags like us insincerely groveling at his feet for a seat at the Eternal Lunch Counter? Surely an all-knowing deity would know all of us are just moochers trying to guarantee the best spot before Armageddon and would actually drop him like a hot potato if a better offer came along. (Those who disagree are only fooling themselves)

One last question...just whose God is the real one and why should I believe you? Hell, why should you believe you? How do you know one of the other fruitcakes out there isn't right?

regards,

dave

P.S. Good to see you bub and Mike L!

 

Must say I side with the Devil on this too; I particularly object to my kids being taught this stuff as fact at primary school. I ask them to keep an open mind on the subject mythical/magical beings/creatures etc, but as far as God goes I try to balance their education out by being frank about my own non-belief, although I don't push the subject as a rule as they're strong minded and bright enough to make their own minds up in time.

 

Then the priest should suffer the possibility of excommunication by a separation of the reverse engineered J*sus connection from winter solstice... rebirth of the sun.
then he can leave the father of the fat basta*ds to their sherry and mince pies

 

And was it not the same religion that reckoned condoms don't protect against aids,and so helped spread the disease across large parts of Africa

 

Well, making up stories about what happens when we die is all very well, but the problems start when not everyone agrees about which stories are the ones we ought to believe in.

I'm not really certain how you have come to the conclusion that the world is "sadder and angrier" as Western countries move away from religion. How can this be assessed? The Eastern countries which are in the grip of Islam seem very sad and extremely angry at the moment, AFAICT!

P.S. Hi Dave

 

Religion is on the rise here in the US as well and look at the fine shape we're in. (if I hear "have a blessed day" one more time I might go postal)

 

An atheist (elsewhere) described living in the US at the moment as being like living in some fantasy land where everyone else sincerely believes in Father Christmas, and talks about him every single day.

Having long believed that Hell doesn't exist, now I know it does.

 

Hell would be having to spend an evening in the company of, umm, check PMs James...

 

Blackadder: Baldrick, have you no idea what irony is?
Baldrick: Yes, it's like goldy and bronzy only it's made out of iron.