Research shows brain atrophy in born again's:

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
cross dressing, my man, the Romans and the Scots built world empires in kilts, chicks
dig them, you know its true! Vegetarian Haggis is nicer.

Catolisism is ruled by men in dresses. Even the Capo himself. Can we laugh at christians too...?

Originally posted by RJHinds
Is it really worth reading? I think not.

Sharp!

I might use that riposte myself in the future!

Originally posted by sonhouse
Plos one:

Took all of two minutes

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0017006

Thanks, I think if you want to discuss this interesting media sound bite with some level of integrity (rather than just throw it out there as a boxing day swipe at those here with an alternate view of life - which I’m sure is not your intention), then it is a good idea to post a link to the study, not the sound bite.

Anyhow, I find this topic interesting. There seems to be a plethora of related clinical work which has been carried out over decades looking at the relationship between mental well-being and religious affiliation; outcomes at the macro level seems have proved inconconclusive, in fact many studies indicate that religious affiliation/experience improves mental health.

Findings in this area of research vary hugely depending sample source and the criteria the researchers subsequently employ to sub-categorise the subjects. Furthermore, in studies of this topic it is important to document and consider related studies of similar and different sample modelling, not just in the referencing, but also in the discussion in order to provide commentary and perspective.

What do you think of the sample source and sampling process including the criteria for categorisation and the sample source as reported in this study, and also how the methodology and sampling process used in other studies producing differing results was called out as a possible error factor?

Originally posted by whodey
I think that Christ would agree with you, at least in part. You see, he only verbally abused the religious leaders of his day. Then again, he adamently defended those who worshiped in the Temple with a whip from the money changers. You might say that he was against people being used in the name of religion instead of doing their job which was to reach out ...[text shortened]... Christ came to visit.

Just out of curiosity, how have religious people tried to control you?

Religious people controlling me? One biggie was my grandmother, I was attending a Lutheran school, K-8, actually, and my grannie (pentacostal) told me I would burn in hell if I wasn't baptized in the PENTACOSTAL way, not those wimpy drops of water on the forehead I got in the Lutheran church. I was 8 at the time. I actually thank her now for that, it caused me to see the BS in christianity from then on, it all took a different light after that, I am so glad she brought me to see the light.

You see that kind of control in so many ways you don't even realize you have been duped, like going to church like a good little boy, and then not for a few months and then go back and all the cluck clucking about how we are SO glad to see you back....

Or my Mormon sister taking me to one of their meetings, the Deacon saying we have a special guest today, take it over Sam: Sam goes, You know, when you sang those hymns, the amen's at the end were just not very enthusiastic.

Now I will tell you why I am here. Some of you have not been giving your ten percent tithe. WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE. We will be sending teams to your house soon to discuss the issue.

Thank you and I'll see you all soon.

That is pretty much exactly what happened the one time I visited a Mormon meeting.

So a long time ago at work, a co-worker says, Are you completely satisfied with your life? No? Well come on down to our Kingdom Hall, we will put you on the right path.


Another time, maybe ten years later, living in Fort Walton Beach Florida, my new wife and I were staying at the Valpariso inn for a few weeks while we found our own place to live.

So one day the manager comes up to us and says "Did you ever burn your finger?

Well, that's what it's like in hell only all over your whole body forever and ever. We are having a revival meeting tonight and you would be more than welcome to attend". We politely declined.

Those are just a few of the many times things like that have happened. That does not even talk about the many times JW's have come to the door expounding their line of BS.

That enough for you?

Originally posted by sonhouse
Religious people controlling me? One biggie was my grandmother, I was attending a Lutheran school, K-8, actually, and my grannie (pentacostal) told me I would burn in hell if I wasn't baptized in the PENTACOSTAL way, not those wimpy drops of water on the forehead I got in the Lutheran church. I was 8 at the time. I actually thank her now for that, it caused times JW's have come to the door expounding their line of BS.

That enough for you?

It is not uncommon for parent's and grandparent's to try to influence those
they love into doing what they believe is best for them. You should not look
at your grandmother's concern for the welfare of your soul as an attempt to
control you, but as an act of love. The fact that she may have been wrong
does not mean she did not love you and her only intention was to control
you.

My wife also got a negative impression from our only visit to a Morman
church. They now call themselves the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints. I can not really consider them Christian however because they
deny essential Christian Doctrines and add to it by their Book of Morman,
which is of Satanic influence. But in their defense, all organized churches
must have money to survive. It is no different than a chess club. If a
chess club is wanted, then someone has to support it. That is why there
are dues collected.

Churches are made of people and the church is only as good as the people.
Not all people really understand what Christ's intentions were in building His
churches and it results in abuse if the people allow it to happen. Far too
many people do not care or are to busy to give their attention to the every
day operation of the church and making sure the all the teachings of the
Church agrees with that of Christ. They are content to let one are a few
people dictate to them or they leave the church rather than fight for truth.

Originally posted by RJHinds
It is not uncommon for parent's and grandparent's to try to influence those
they love into doing what they believe is best for them. You should not look
at your grandmother's concern for the welfare of your soul as an attempt to
control you, but as an act of love. The fact that she may have been wrong
does not mean she did not love you and her only int ...[text shortened]... one are a few
people dictate to them or they leave the church rather than fight for truth.

Several religions including LDS, Islam and others use nasty tactics for leaving that religion, Islam can legally kill you for apostasy, LDS will ban you from even talking to your former friends, shunning is used in Amish and Mennonite communities so either you are with them or you are an enemy. Another aspect of organized religion that intensely ticks me off. And don't even talk about that so-called religion, Scientology.
Then there was the Jones massacre, the Masada massacre, Davidians who died in a fight with the FBI.

Originally posted by sonhouse
Several religions including LDS, Islam and others use nasty tactics for leaving that religion, Islam can legally kill you for apostasy, LDS will ban you from even talking to your former friends, shunning is used in Amish and Mennonite communities so either you are with them or you are an enemy. Another aspect of organized religion that intensely ticks me of ...[text shortened]... there was the Jones massacre, the Masada massacre, Davidians who died in a fight with the FBI.

Do you think Jesus the Christ approves of all these people doing these
things in His name? Perhaps these are the ones that He was referring
to when He says I will tell those claiming to do things in My name that
"I never knew you".

Originally posted by RJHinds
Do you think Jesus the Christ approves of all these people doing these
things in His name? Perhaps these are the ones that He was referring
to when He says I will tell those claiming to do things in My name that
"I never knew you".

Tell that to the religions practicing those things. They would tell you THEY are the true religion and YOU are the outcast going to hell.

That is another problem I see with these religions, they fight each other even though they supposedly worship the same god or Jesus Christ.

That is what leads me to the inescapable conclusion that it is all man made, no godly inspiration needed.

People are capable of writing great sounding texts, there is no need for inspiration from god, people, even 4000 years ago were quite as intelligent as they are today and can come up with nice pithy sayings and great morality tales, enough to fill libraries.

That's why I think it's all man made BS.

Originally posted by sonhouse
Tell that to the religions practicing those things. They would tell you THEY are the true religion and YOU are the outcast going to hell.

That is another problem I see with these religions, they fight each other even though they supposedly worship the same god or Jesus Christ.

That is what leads me to the inescapable conclusion that it is all man ma ...[text shortened]... d great morality tales, enough to fill libraries.

That's why I think it's all man made BS.

I agree that the people 4000 years ago were more intelligent than we are.
However I still think they had to be told certain things I have read in the
Holy Bible. I don't think they could have made it all up either.

Originally posted by RJHinds
. I don't think they could have made it all up either.

Which bits do you think they could have made up?

Originally posted by wolfgang59
Which bits do you think they could have made up?

They could have made up or exaggerated how strong Samson was and the
day the Sun stood still in relation to the earth and even the story of the
tempting of Eve by Satan entering the Serpent.

Originally posted by RJHinds
They could have made up or exaggerated how strong Samson was and the
day the Sun stood still in relation to the earth and even the story of the
tempting of Eve by Satan entering the Serpent.

Or that the Earth is less than 10,000 years old?

Originally posted by sonhouse
Religious people controlling me? One biggie was my grandmother, I was attending a Lutheran school, K-8, actually, and my grannie (pentacostal) told me I would burn in hell if I wasn't baptized in the PENTACOSTAL way, not those wimpy drops of water on the forehead I got in the Lutheran church. I was 8 at the time. I actually thank her now for that, it caused ...[text shortened]... times JW's have come to the door expounding their line of BS.

That enough for you?

I think we have all encountered people like this. Some may have even been well meaning. However, if you read the about the life of Christ, he does not take this approach. He merely offers the "good news" and moves on. The only people he gave a tongue lashing were those that were suppose to be giving the good news but were only concerned about themsevles.

Of course, I probably would not be a Christian had I not had some good role models. People who were humble and who showed love to others without expecting anything back. And when you wronged them it was as if nothing happened. It's a shame you did not encounter people like this.

Originally posted by sonhouse
Or that the Earth is less than 10,000 years old?

The Bible does not say this, rather, it is an interpretation. Additionally, not everyone sees these scriptures as literal in meaning. Personally, I gravitate towards the notion that the time line was not interpreted correctly.

As far as some of the stories in the Bible, however, I think you will find that most ancient civilizations have a flood myth and a garden myth. Is this a coincidence or does it point to actual events? My guess is the later.

Originally posted by whodey
The Bible does not say this, rather, it is an interpretation. Additionally, not everyone sees these scriptures as literal in meaning. Personally, I gravitate towards the notion that the time line was not interpreted correctly.

As far as some of the stories in the Bible, however, I think you will find that most ancient civilizations have a flood myth and a garden myth. Is this a coincidence or does it point to actual events? My guess is the later.

There are always floods. It would take someone with a time machine to prove they all happened at the same time. For instance, I would not be surprise if the the flood that caused the Med (somewhere around 4 million years ago I think) would have been seen by early humans, a flood of monster proportions for sure but that is still not on the level of a biblical event. There is no evidence for a biblical world wide flood but for sure lots of smaller ones like the recent flood in Thailand or the one in the US, they happen all the time but literealist religious folk will jump on any bit of what they think is evidence like stories of floods in all cultures, DUH, there is a LOT of water on Earth, every continent on Earth has had floods at one time or another. A tribe watching a flood that is say 16 kilometers, ten miles, across, would most likely think the world has been flooded since they can't see across it and they could be led to the conclusion it went all the way round the Earth.

The super religious christians will leap on evidence like finding seashells in Nepal or something like that as proof there was a flood. All that proves is sometime millions of years ago those mountains were underwater because the continents bang together to create mountains and where there are mountains now could have been a mile under water 100 million years ago.