Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; Or he can, but does not want to; Or he cannot and does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. But, if God both can and wants to abolish evil, then …
Amazing! The Pope comes to the U.S apologizing daily about the priestly sex scandal and telling us that his heart bleeds for the victims. He asks the faithful (unbelievably, there are still some left) to pray for the bishops and support the clergy. Does he actually suggest any beneficial changes? No, absolutely not. He wants …
British review of a hard right-wing "Christian" book "Become a Better You" by Joel Osteen, televangelist Cheesy smiles: one on the front cover; two on the back. Cheesy stories: every couple of pages. Self-fulfilment advice for complacent and inexplicably sad rich people. Veneer level: Christian truisms follow each other like rides at Disneyland. Spiritual nutrition? …
"To be happy, to cease striving and admit you are powerless . Islam, the religion of surrender….No man’s life is worth anything. It’s like the wind. We’re in the world for only one reason, and that’s to act out what was written for us . The man whose destiny is bad, he’s lucky, because all …
Missionary to Capitol Hill and Evangelical leader Rev. Rob Schenck is concerned that Obama may in fact be a Muslim because, as he put it, the issue is really how the Muslim world defines being Muslim. As he sees it, Muslims inherit their religion from their parents, specifically their fathers. Thus, to be born of …
Leviticus 24: 16 tells the reader that the blasphemer is to be put to death; Luke 12: 10 says that blaspheming against the Holy Spirit is "unforgivable", and Mark 3:29 says blasphemy is an "eternal sin". Blasphemy laws violate civil liberties and freedom of speech. People, must be able to exchange ideas in public, in …
"…our present moral state of affairs, morbid as it is is the result of having accepted the whole materialist package, of which Darwinism was an essential part. The larger materialist package supports all kinds of things which are morally repugnant to Christians , not only…Social Darwinism and eugenics, but also sexual libertinism, abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, …
Intelligent design …”seeks to wedge religious and moral concepts of a teleological and foundationalist nature into the social sciences and humanities. The goal is to undermine the materialist-humanist notion that it is human beings (in their interaction with the natural environment) that are the sole designers of the human-historical world.” Clark, Foster and York in …
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? — Epicurus
Non-theists do not believe in a supreme being, particularly not an all-seeing one that organises the minutiae of life comfortably for believers. A recent poll showed that over 50% of Americans would refuse to vote for a Presidential candidate who was a non-theist. Only one member of the current Congress is a non-theist, and he …
If the gods listened to the prayers of men, all humankind would quickly perish since they constantly pray for many evils to befall one another.— Epicurus, quoted from Eugene O’Connor, The Essential Epicurus
Xiouding, on this blog, makes a good point – in one’s exasperation with the religiosity (genuine or otherwise)of the candidates in the US election campaign, he has reminded me that Epicureanism means tolerance and that millions of decent, kind, humane Americans obtain solace and inspiration from their religion. That should be the end of it. …
As mentioned previously, I have just returned from Syria and during the tour visited Palmyra and the great temple of Baal. For much longer than Christianity has been around people worshiped Baal and made sacrifices to him for better harvests, more sons, success in battle etc. There is the niche, still standing but now empty, …
According to reports* (is this a spoof?) Catholic priests are so over-worked in Europe and have to take so many communion services that they are tipsy a good part of the time and unfit to drive between their country parish churches. Epicurus would approve. It is better to have them tipsy and merry than to …
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Thus former Republican National Committee official, John Lofton: "It is ridiculous on its face to say that Christians can vote for non-Christians. It’s Christ denial, its something that’s very serious. And in fact, in a way things have gotten even worse by saying that religion doesn’t matter. Well, that’s the same as saying, whether …
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