Quote Originally Posted by DemianHawthorne View Post
How did the Universe come to be? Why is their good and evil in the world. What is the meaning of life? How did life on earth come to be? Why are human begins the only creatures capable of advanced deductive reasoning? Is there life after death? How can I decide what is right and what is wrong? Why am I moved by art? Am I significant in the grand scheme of things? ...... Is there a grand scheme of things?
You don't think theist don't ask those questions? I could list numerous books written by Christians about just those subjects. The various catechisms of the orthodox religions are a reflection of just the questions you accuse us of not asking. But you, in your infinite ignorance, actually thonk people of faith cannot ask questions.This indicates to me you have not truly looked for the answers to the questions, you decided you didn't like the answers.

These are questions that any person of normal intelligence asks themselves from time to time..well in between episodes of the Real World and American Idol anyway. For an atheist, some of these questions have partial answers either objective or subjective and some do not. That is the nature of truth, it is something human begins must discover either through research or discovery or introspection. Theist don't have to worry about that. For a theists, these questions arrive at a single all-encompassing answer..GOD! The great forgone conclusion. A substitute for inquiry. A way to turn the great question mark in the hearts and minds of men into periods and exclamation points. THIS IS THE TRUTH! As if the declaration was the sole prerequisite for truth. Faith, boiled down to it's raw essence is the notion that passionate assertion is every bit as valid as observable reality.
We can agree on that, which is why Christians have debated them for centuries, and before us other people of faith. Truth sets us free, and God is not the answer to these questions. The answers are much more profound than the ones you end up with because the only true answer you have is "I don't know." Those of us with faith don't believe God is the answer, but that he has the answers. A bit like your own belief at one time in your own parents. Faith is not a blind acceptance that God is the be all and end all, but the acceptance of not knowing. One of the best songs I have ever heard says "Maybe questions tell us more than answers ever will." That was written by a man of faith, and spoke to my heart in a time of crisis to assure me that faith is stronger than the storms.

Luckily, little to no sacrifice is required as Christians of all stripes tend to select the brand of faith that is right for them, which is why my homosexual liberal uncle can still be a Christian simply by attending an ultra liberal Episcopalian church. His mind navigates the landmine field of homophobia in the bible as effectively as the mind of a Catholic can still worship graven images regardless of what the second commandment has to say on the subject.x
Now I get it, this isn't about people of faith, it is about your uncle. If you have a problem with him being homosexual you need to deal with your feelings and not try to blame everyone else on the planet.

Religious people, in my view, are morally reprehensible from the extremist to the enabling moderates. For every triviality they condemn, they commit ten atrocities with impunity. For example: Letting your daughter die of cervical cancer because you where afraid the vaccine would make her promiscuous is immoral. Teaching kids that condoms don't work and that only abstinence will prevent STDs(bad) and pregnancy(worse), is immoral. Suicide bombings are immoral. Tax exempt status for religious institutions with massive political and social influences is immoral. Denying a person medical treatment because your god doesn't believe in medicine is immoral. Bombing abortion clinics is immoral. Putting religious laws in front of a courthouse where everyone is supposed to be treated fairly is immoral. Telling people what they can and cannot do with their own body's is immoral. Denying us homosexuals the ability to enter into the same social contracts as everyone else is immoral. Slavery is immoral. Going to third world countries to indoctrinate those in poverty is immoral. Genocide of those whose invisible cloud king wears a different set of boxers than yours is immoral. Crashing aircraft into buildings because your sexually repressed ass has been told that heaven is full of virgins is immoral. The idea that a woman is worth 1/2 of a man is immoral. No nudity on TV is..if not..immoral..really lame.

Religion is where we get our morals from? Why than at the root of every inhuman act of cowardice and degradation do we find a Bible or a Quran or some other piece of religious icon? Why than is the justification behind the sum of all evils when boiled down to the naked essentials is "God said so." Why than did the Nazi soldiers wear the words "Gott Mit Uns" (God With Us) on their belt buckles as they tossed Jews, Gypsys and homosexuals into gas chambers to die? These are important questions are they not? The perpetual inability of theists to answer these and other important questions leads me to the conclusion that a theist claiming that God is the source of morality is akin to a dictator telling you that a nuclear arsenal is the root of all peace. The next time a theist tells you that you are trying to destroy morality, do not at all deny it. Instead, tell them if their idea of morality is the garbage found in their religious text, than you are proud to be among those working to put an end to their morals. Inform them that you believe not in God and his dark morality of guilt, suffering and repentance, but in a human morality with the virtues of happiness, justice and prosperity.
Now you are spouting ignorance. Grow up. If you were any more intolerant I could nominate you fpr some type of award.

The root of every inhumane act is religion? Then how do you explain the inhumane acts of animals? Or are you one of those people who think animals do not behave cruelly? If you are I will simply ask you to watch a cat toy with a mouse at some time in your life. Even when the cat is hungry and is going to eat the mouse it does not simply kill it.