Search results

The Old Testament already contains means of complete forgiveness. More forgiveness from the same deity is superfluous.

The only thing I can think of that would make a way of live intrinsically wrong is if it is based on objectively incorrect information. If it's a subjective philosophy, like stating what things are worth pursuing, then it can't really be intrinsically wrong.

Well, I was mostly just referring to TranscendHumanity's post, to kind of add my two cents to her question about what is wrong with hedonism. I don' think anything is intrinsically wrong with hedonism. If pleasure is what one desires most, then so be it, they can seek it. Epicurean's...

There is nothing wrong with hedonism in itself, it's just that such an approach is viewed as unattractive to some. The desires of one person may seem unimportant or insignificant to someone else, and so the other way around.

I think a lot of the Old Testament of the Bible is indeed ethnocentric in that it promotes the superiority of the Israelite religion over other nearby religions, and often uses this belief to justify the genocide of nearby civilizations in the story. In some ways it's understandable because...

So you believe every god ever believed in exists somewhere? How do you know this is true?

The devil is in the definition, but I don't see much of a difference really. A lot of people that consider themselves spiritual don't like to be viewed as religious because they view that as a negative connection with organized religion. But really, just about any spiritual or religious...

I think just about everyone has an atom of weight of pride, so it sounds like this paradise will be pretty empty. Maybe like 3 people there.... I think the concept of calling those who deny truth prideful is a pitfall. The problem arises when people can't agree on what the truth is, and...

This is kind of wide-sweeping. Not all religions contain fearful things. If that's how you view your religion, maybe it's worth looking somewhere else? I think I remember reading somewhere that some studies show that religious people on average, are slightly happier than non-religious...

That's extremely ethnocentric. There were plenty of civilizations on the other side of the world in the Indus Valley and other places while the Israelite civilization was still young. Some of them had some pretty remarkable sophistication.

I don't think there is any one reason. Religions popped up in virtually all cultures and come in a variety of forms. One of the earliest reasons was probably just to attempt to describe what was going on in the world. It's hard to imagine how one would view the world in an era that does not...

To clarify, I was referencing only sbvera's post, which was about the more personal aspects- possessions, demons, orbs, ghosts, abductions. I think abductions, demon-sightings in bed, that sort of thing, are all sleep paralysis. Seeing unidentified flying objects is definitely not a symptom...

Religions make sense in that they've likely been useful for the survival of mankind. In my opinion most religions don't make much sense in and of themselves. It's not that all people need them, but apparently many do, and it's kind of interesting that so many cultures around the world...

It was certainly a noble and benevolent philosophy to arise at the time. In a world that, being so long ago, might seem foreign to us today, Stoicism feels very modern and close. One thing that struck me when I first learned about it was the similarities it has with Buddhism. Founded not so...

Yes, it's rather common behavior to form groups and generate a tribal or "us vs them" mentality. It is what has kept humans alive for so long back long ago. Sometimes those instincts can be beneficial, but sometimes they can be harmful. The common things to form exclusive groups around are...

Would you find the same strange peace if you were the one laying crushed and dieing under rubble, or trying to dig through to save family members?

I'm not seeing villains getting enough love here. An interesting villain makes or breaks a good story! I'll have to include some villains. Girls: Rukia from Bleach (because she's just plain awesome all the time) Hinata from Naruto (because she's the most courageous character in the...

I agree. The inability to die would be terribly frightening. Definitely. When I seriously try to imagine belief in a deity, I imagine some vague, all-encompassing force or something. Maybe like the Hindu conception of god where god is everything and all of the universe is a subset within...

It depends on what definition you go by. Disrespecting anyone based on race is highly ignorant in my opinion. Alternatively I suppose simply believing that, factually, one race is somewhat superior isn't necessarily immoral in itself, but a) easily leads to destructive conclusions and b)...

What would you do after that? I notice that if I read even, like, the sixth book on a given subject I've already had enough. If one exists it's likely been longer than that. Perhaps it has never played with us, or even knows where Earth is and that there is life on it. That seems to be the...