Religion is the root of all evil.

OMG you guys are so smart, yes, the concept of evil DID INDEED COME from religion!! I never mentioned that at all from the first post DID I!!!!?? I don’t deserve to use the English language or even use our national calendar. [font=&quot]And I’ll need to pay restitution for Christmases I’ve celebrated too! [/font]

This would all make so much more sense 200 years ago when all you had to do was put a rope around my neck and hang me from the nearest tree.

“Blasphemers being aloud to use OUR words”, “well I never…”!!!!

LOL, hung up over a word!!! I didn’t think it was going to be that easy!!!!



-- ATTENTION ALL ATHEISTS -- ATTENTION ALL ATHEISTS –

This just in:

We are no longer aloud to use the word Evil. Please add this to the ever growing list of things religious people can’t deal with. I know, I know, it’s in the dictionary but you can’t make these people mad. They’re just too psychotic and unpredictable.

 

Evil may be a concept used by religions, but it is not a concept created by religion.

Of course if you are one of those bible believers who think evil comes from lucifer's fall then you'd probably disagree with me.

 

Yes, it is a religious concept.
If you dont have 'religion' and by that Im refering to at least some sort of Deism - then you have no right or reason to even include the concept in your world view.
Do you?
Why and how do you use the word 'evil'.

For the slower people in here, we are not talking about using a 'word' but where are you getting the concept.
The notion
The meaning behind the word?

As Relaxxx finally admitted - you can only borrow it from a religious world view and standard.
As an Atheist it does not exist for you.
Its not a 'thing'.

Some of you need to keep thinking this through before replying again.
Think.
Think some more.
Hmmm?

 

Funny how relaxxx is completely ignoring all the questions and counter-arguments put forward...

relaxxx, the questions put forward to you here are very reasonable and totally valid. If you really find them that absurd, as suggested in your slightly disturbing emotional outburst, then you should have no problem in answering them.

Calm down for a second, breathe in, breathe out, have a cup of tea, go for a walk, whatever. Then really think, THINK, what we are actually saying without going hysterical...Please, don't have an aneurysm. Because as it stands you are completely misunderstanding.

 

Just a reminder

Evil has nothing to do with religion
As a subjective emotional [and rational] position.
It existed before any organised religion.
It is the gratuitous destruction or harm by one individuall or group.
Appon personal rights to existance and freedom.[from gratuitous harm]

If u dont believe each of has such rights.
Then you dont believe in evil and do not have a rational basis for argueing on
this thread

Occam

 

Dont bother trying to be cute with your little 'organised religion' copout.
Its been cleared up for you already - we are talking about religion in the sense of at least some Deism.
If not Theism.

Your definition, if I could keep myself from puking at the whole stoned-college-kidness of it doesnt become 'Evil' until you have a God/s in there.

But yeah, nice try to shift it over to 'organised religion' turkey lol!

 

I am sorry because I cant read the whole thread, I read say the 10 firsts posts and jumped to last page.
If I may relaxx, we don't have the same (mis)conception of what religion is. As Occam told you since the really beginning, religion isn't the root of evil.
'Evil' (or behaviours that are defined as being evil by a religion) is here since the beginning.
Some human use various excuses to give a 'rational' reason to their 'sins'. It can go thru religion, it often does.
But think about what money is, don't you think you:
could also blame money to be the root of evil?
could also blame money to be a way for evil to take a materialistic form?
could also blame money to be the incarnation of every evil action?

Money is sometime useful, say, to buy your dinner and raise your family, and it's sometimes well earned too...
Tell me if you can see any positive sides that lies behind the term 'religion'? I do see some.

 

ELprox

Sorry.. But it certainly is not 'cleared up' for me.. You extend your rational abillity to state u can clear up occams 'reminder'.

It states that organised religion "DOES NOT ' factor in..Yet you say occam suggested such.. please show where?

Your refference to 'puking' and 'turkey' is dissapointing. Have u not read
any philosophical essays..Personal comments and attacks are the anethema of rational thought. Emotion in arguement has no place..

Occam


PS...Grow up son...

 

But yeah, you really are a turkey.
although being a turkey (as a subjective emotional [and rational] position for crying out loud lol) has existed before organised you.

But again I will ask the question here...
If you are coming from an atheistic perspective, where are you getting 'evil' or really any concept of 'right and wrong' from?
Occam you are not 'getting' this either so a little more effort next time ok.
Thx

 

ElProx...

Well thanks my friend.. u have made it easy for me...

Occam tollerates no personal comments.
They are for the mentallity of the schoolyard..
Thus.. occcam ceases to reply to your ignorance from this point on...

Bye

Occam

 

Come back when you are ready to admit you are stumped.
Or
Better yet, you have an answer for that question.

ttylt

 

this is indeed precisely the point to the whole concept and to which themnax aggrees 100% as well.

i would even venture to speculate that every revealer of organized belief,
if we could ask them in person,
would say some form of very nearly the same thing.

not a one of them did not warn against fanatacism.
and it seems pretty clear from context
this must be at least one of their reasons for doing so.

this right is not some mere abstraction in persuit of sainthood however
nor a matter of placating whatever exists that is hidden and unseen
but a universal personal intrest intrinsic to the nature of existence
that if there is less harm we are less likely to suffer it
if there is more we are more
each of us individualy
and if we want to improve the odds of not suffering
and improving the odds is all we CAN do
then it makes the most basic and simple sense
not to contribute to increasing the amount of harm that there is.

reality, being impartialy diverse, guarantees no rights,
rather it is both our capacity and in our intrests individualy
to at the very least concern ourselves with our own individual contribution
to the conditions individualy experienced by each and every individual
awairness that exists.

and we do contribute to those conditions, both individualy and togather,
to the greater extent unconscously, by the motivations our priorities,
conscously known or not, togather create.

with or without, whatever else, may or may not, also exist.

=^^=
.../\...

 

Does everyone realise that Skip (or S.K.I.P.) can pretty much click a button and there are IP Addys displayed on every post.

Just wanted to ask that out loud for trivias sake?

 

does ANYone NOT realize that u.s. law, defacto requires
admins and mods to have that capacity.

=^^=
.../\...

 

Why wouldn’t I use the word? I grew up in a Christian society, even went to Sunday school. I understand exactly what the word means. Every word originates from somewhere, who cares where, we just use it in out vocabulary. Evil just happens to be the best way to describe the terrible aspects of this world, especially when it comes to the terrible acts of Man himself. Ignorance, hatred, racism… all things that religion breeds like wildfire.



I was like 12 years old and remember reading in the Bible that circumcised people can’t be trusted. I asked my mother because guess what, I was. No, they were talking about Jews. That’s when I started questioning everything and realizing that this old book has some serious flaws.



You’re hung op on the word and can’t get over its origin, let alone understand it’s full meaning. I’ll use the world like anyone else, it is by far the best way to describe negative aspects of religion regardless of where it originate. Is it a coincidence that the most evil instrument of man also originated the best way to describe itself? I don’t really give flying you know what.

You need serious help if you can’t get over this word. You’re hanging on syntax like an old DOS computer from the 80’s. Basically you’re saying you don’t understand how civilization and language developed, it’s beyond you grasp.


You keep saying it like you're trying to erase it from my mind...


it doesn't exist....
it doesn't exist....


yup, still there, I'll keep working on it though... for you...
because I know you can't deal with it.

 

Originally Posted by ElProximo
For the slower people in here, we are not talking about using a 'word' but where are you getting the concept.
The notion
The meaning behind the word?

As Relaxxx finally admitted - you can only borrow it from a religious world view and standard.
As an Atheist it does not exist for you.
Its not a 'thing'.

You still wont deal with this.
Why not?
Maybe I can narrow it down here:

Do you or do you not believe there is a concept, notion, thing as 'evil'?
Just start with answering that?

 

bennifit is bennifit, harm is harm.
religeous pretentions are a smoke screen the vail us from
that simple reality.

the only such thing as "evil" is an extreme of the harmfulness that causes suffering.

=^^=
.../\...

 

So the whole reason you are so totally pissed off at religion is because you are circumcised???

That's all you had to say.

 

So you’re brain is probably looped on the 5% of the definition that refers to spiritual baddies. I don’t believe in supernatural spirits good or bad. So for that tiny, narrow, little fraction of a definition that your brain has decided was absolute then no, I do not believe in Evil supernatural spirits. Did I ever say that Religion was an “Evil supernatural spirits”, no I did not!

I say “Supernatural Spirit” even though I assume your brain will define “spirit” as a supernatural essence even thought “Sprit” has more meaning than just a supernatural essence.

Sometime I might say something like “I’m feeling evil today”. I don’t mean that I’m possessed by some supernatural evil force. It simply means that I’m in a bad mood.

If your still confused about the definition of evil, type “Define: Evil” on google and tell me what percentage of the definitions actually mention some bad SUPERNATURAL force.

 

I don't need to be a diest to be of the opinion that something or some act is evil. I don't have to believe in deamons roaming the earth to have the concept or notion of evil.

Evil is not just a noun. It can be used as an adjective, verb, it doesn't have to be just a thing. It doesn't have to indicate something supernatural.


How do I, as an atheist, use the concept of evil?:

My neighbor's dog attacks anyone that comes near it. "Man, that pup has an evil temper!"
When I vote for president I generally choose the lesser of two evils.
I don't smoke tobacco because it does some evil things to your body.
I've also read plenty in the news about people doing evil things to eachother. Some people behave just plain evil.
I believe that religious fundamentalists have some evil effects on society.

How do I not use the concept of evil?:

There are evil spirits that can possess you if you don't have the holy spirit in your heart!!
There's an evil spirit that haunts my house at night! (okay, I use that one if I am telling ghost stories to my little siblings)
Those deamons from hell are just plain evil!
There's evil lurking in every corner ready to turn you away from god!!



Sure evil is a concept used by religions, but it is not a concept born out of or created by religion. It is not a purely religious concept, and not a concept used only to refer to the supernatural.