I missed the part where someone elses opinion of Mormons was my problem.
Boston Marathon explosions......
- Thread starter Duck Rodgers
- Start date
I missed the part where someone elses opinion of Mormons was my problem.
This is something that many totalitarian despots have held in common. No regard for anything above their own designs/purposes/power. It is truly an arrogant claim equivalent to presuming to be the relevant "God", and it often is the case with people who believe they hold unlimited power. Not many cases of folks who believe they are God's "right hand" on the world stage in the past century. However, this second class of actual believers in God who presume to be serving God have killed their own millions across history. Can't be too sure if they actually did believe in God, or merely claimed to, though. For sure they were somehow mistaken.
Stalin did kill more Jews than Hitler, but it was no "Final Solution". Many of his useful idiots were Jews, and unless they got too much power and stayed safely useful, they had fine "careers". It's just that in the forty million folks hauled away to the camps to die miserable hopeless deaths, there were probably a lot of Jews.
Mao killed even more people than Hitler and Stalin combined, I believe. It's just there's nobody left to tell the story.
But the wars of expansion of Islamic crusaders, and the Christian crusaders, across the centuries. . . . and all the conquests around the world under colonial flags. . .. were all in some sense for the glory of God in the minds of the principal protagonists. . . The Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabs.
The British today might still think they rule over distant sandy strands according to the Divine mandate of the Throne of David. . . .. well, whatever it is that rock in Winchester Cathedral really is.
I have my doubts about what God might think of the whole charade.
no doubt. Every ignoramus can find that one convenient any day of the week.
Darkwing Duck
Well-Known Member
So then it would be fair to say that as a whole, monotheism is tyrannical, yes?
NAOS
Well-Known Member
I'll go tell that ignoramus Nietzsche. What a doof.
The Black Swordsman
Well-Known Member
You gotta admit though many atheists consider those three people I mentioned as atheists many times. If the criteria for an atheist was as such then Hitler would also be categorized as an atheist. But with your criteria, and my criteria as well Hitler was not an atheist. If people are saying Hitler was an atheist several times a month trust me atheists say the same about Sagan, Twain etc.
Here is a link of a pretty vocal popular atheist Penn Jillette saying Mark Twain was an atheist for example.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3LnVa7zXgc&t=16m59s
(I linked the link instead of embedded to I can link to a specific time)
Sorry, I forgot that you were never bothered by what other people said. It's why you're so well known for never objecting to other people's positions.
What is it they say about it being in the eye of the beer holder? There lies the rub, I think; Is anything in this thread over the top, or even close to "persecution"? In my opinion, no. What about TBS though? What do you think Dalamon would have to say about it? I am all for "calling out" on just about everything, but there is a very thin line when it comes to ones faith, or lack thereof. I suppose it is a weakness of mine, and I'm sure it stems from listening to the mass of idiots blame Mormonism for all of their woe. I try not to get butt hurt over it, but knee-jerk reactions have always been my bane. That being said, what is offensive or persacutive (new word!) to me is nothing to a guy like babe. I see your point, and on most levels, I agree with you.
Sagan didn't believe in any supernatural force or person. Einstein did not believe in any supernatural person, but may have accepted some sort of unifying supernatural presence. Twain pretty clearly believed in some sort of person, but AFAICT one so far removed from humanity that we would consider them basically immoral/amoral (ala The Mysterious Stranger) and not interested in worship. Hitler accepts some sort of supernatural person that takes an interest in people and wants us to behave a certain way.
If you use "atheist" as an objective category, any reasonable definition would include Sagan and some would include Einstein, but I don't see that for Twain (deist, probably) or Hitler (theist). However, as I said, a person should have the right to choose their own identity. Regardless, the four cases are not equal, much less identical. If you use "atheist" in any objective way, Sagan is an atheist, Twain and Hitler are not.
I don't think anyone is surprised that Jillette said something ignorant.
PearlWatson
Well-Known Member
Talk about tribalism.
You are unwilling to acknowledge differences within the God-denier cult, so you must accept and defend them all. The excommunication process involves grasping at God-accepting straws.
I find it highly amusing.
For some one that tries to seperate and distinguish every little nuance of every sentence you sure do seem to use broad statements alot.
Everyone is a god-denier. I just deny more gods than most.