Your top 10 reasons for rejecting Christianity

[steve_bank]

In a real state machine there is causality and finite prorogation speed. Just poking to see where you are at. If it is synchronous what is the clock, so to speak?

A FSM has a finite number of states, that would seem to imply the universe then has a finite number of states?

In a theoretical TM with an infinite tape there is no bound. Part of the TM is the read/write head and interpeter. It rerads and interprets symbols from the tape. In the idea what constitutes the RW head and interpreter? An intelligence of some kind?

I woud like at it from a state variables appoach.

 

[TLK Valentine]

Any time one appeals to an all-powerful SkyDaddy, they're abdicating their own personal responsibility for their actions. I see no good coming from that.

But I would be be more than happy to let it slide if Christianity was what it is claimed to be - a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Not my cuppa tea, but whatever; live and let live, right?

Instead, it's long since become a tool of sociopolitical control, used to justify the subjugation and oppression of the "sinners" under the boots of the "faithful" -- and they're not even trying to hide it anymore.

I don't begrudge people for having delusions -- until they try to enforce them.

 

[steve_bank]

In our modern liberal western systems we are free to choose our delusions as we see fit., religious or otherwise.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

In our modern liberal western systems we are free to choose our delusions as we see fit., religious or otherwise.

The problem is that if someone is delusional their actions are not conscious but driven by choices and decisions wholly foreign to them. Mother nature is a cruel master but a master nonetheless.

 

[TomC]

In our modern liberal western systems we are free to choose our delusions as we see fit., religious or otherwise.

The problem is that if someone is delusional their actions are not conscious but driven by choices and decisions wholly foreign to them. Mother nature is a cruel master but a master nonetheless.

Has there ever been a human who didn't fit that description? I don't know of any.

As far as I can tell,
Every human ever has been born ignorant, self-centered, fragile, and ephemeral. "Pre-loaded" with a bunch of instincts that helped spread their ancestors genes. With poor mental capabilities, often resulting in irrationally destructive behavior that we know are irrational and destructive but we do it anyways. Because that behavior resulted in our existence.
We are not the progeny of nice guys. We're the progeny of violent, theft prone, rapists. And also kinda stupid and inclined to mental illnesses.

Because we really aren't as smart as we like to believe we are. To me, it's solid evidence of undirected evolution and solid evidence that there is no God who cares about us at all. If there were, It would stop making such stupid humans.

Tom

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

In our modern liberal western systems we are free to choose our delusions as we see fit., religious or otherwise.

The problem is that if someone is delusional their actions are not conscious but driven by choices and decisions wholly foreign to them. Mother nature is a cruel master but a master nonetheless.

Has there ever been a human who didn't fit that description? I don't know of any.

As far as I can tell,
Every human ever has been born ignorant, self-centered, fragile, and ephemeral. "Pre-loaded" with a bunch of instincts that helped spread their ancestors genes. With poor mental capabilities, often resulting in irrationally destructive behavior that we know are irrational and destructive but we do it anyways. Because that behavior resulted in our existence.
We are not the progeny of nice guys. We're the progeny of violent, theft prone, rapists. And also kinda stupid and inclined to mental illnesses.

Because we really aren't as smart as we like to believe we are. To me, it's solid evidence of undirected evolution and solid evidence that there is no God who cares about us at all. If there were, It would stop making such stupid humans.

Tom

Not everyone. Some of us are lucky enough to inherit a prefontal cortex that matures and so allows us to overcome those instincts to a very large degree. Our ancestors barely experienced the benefits of this brain structure because they were dead soon after it matured. Agreed that's still a problem for lots of folks and there's no easy fix. And I'll also agree that human conflict occurs primarily because there are those with and those without a mature PFC.

 

[TomC]

Some of us are lucky enough to inherit a prefontal cortex that matures and so allows us to overcome those instincts to a very large degree.

Yeah, everyone believes that.
From Barbos to Trump to Liz Trull to Xi to Musk to Kenye West.

Everyone is smarter and better than those dumbasses. It's obvious.
Tom

ETA ~How is "Ye" pronounced? Standard English "yee" or or are we expected to remember "yay" because West is famous and black?

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Some of us are lucky enough to inherit a prefontal cortex that matures and so allows us to overcome those instincts to a very large degree.

Yeah, everyone believes that.
From Barbos to Trump to Liz Trull to Xi to Musk to Kenye West.

Everyone is smarter and better than those dumbasses. It's obvious.
Tom

ETA ~How is "Ye" pronounced? Standard English "yee" or or are we expected to remember "yay" because West is famous and black?

Some people believe it because they've got the knowledge and the scientific curiosity to investigate it. They also realize that something has to account for the differences between and among people in terms of "delusional" behavior. How do you account for those differences or are you asserting that we're all equally delusional? The PFC is where we get empathy and the ability to delay gratification, not to mention a host of other positive behaviors. But I'm curious your explanation.

 

[steve_bank]

In our modern liberal western systems we are free to choose our delusions as we see fit., religious or otherwise.

The problem is that if someone is delusional their actions are not conscious but driven by choices and decisions wholly foreign to them. Mother nature is a cruel master but a master nonetheless.

I use the term delusion tongue in cheek. Delusional has a specific meaning in psychology and psychiatry.

You'd have tp look in the DSM to see if religion is identified as a mental illness.I doubt it. It would raise a shit storm/. Homosexuality through at leastthe 80s was ilisted as a mental disorder. As much as we may dislike aspects of religion we still need to be rational to some degree.

https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) features the most current text updates based on scientific literature with contributions from more than 200 subject matter experts. The revised version includes a new diagnosis (prolonged grief disorder), clarifying modifications to the criteria sets for more than 70 disorders, addition of International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) symptom codes for suicidal behavior and nonsuicidal self-injury, and updates to descriptive text for most disorders based on

Religious and spiritual issues in DSM-5: matters of the mind and searching of the soul - PubMed

Religion, spirituality, and psychiatric illnesses share a complex relationship in the realm of diagnosis. Historically, however, these three constructs have existed in a very peripheral place in the diagnostic taxonomy for psychiatry in the United States. Given the important role that...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Abstract​

Religion, spirituality, and psychiatric illnesses share a complex relationship in the realm of diagnosis. Historically, however, these three constructs have existed in a very peripheral place in the diagnostic taxonomy for psychiatry in the United States. Given the important role that spirituality and religion play for many people in the experiences of coping with health and illness, it seems odd that such important elements are in the margins of the powerful and commanding nosology of the DSM. Explanations for understanding the glaring absence are complex and impacted by some very powerful political and sociological forces, including contributory elements from within the mental health disciplines. This article invites the reader to explore salient issues in the emergence of a broader recognition of religion, spirituality and psychiatric diagnosis in the DSM-5.

To me modern pop culture is the greatest 'delusion' of all time.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

To me modern pop culture is the greatest 'delusion' of all time.

How so? How exactly is pop culture delusional?

 

[TLK Valentine]

In our modern liberal western systems we are free to choose our delusions as we see fit., religious or otherwise.

Agreed -- but not to inflict them on others.

 

[TLK Valentine]

In our modern liberal western systems we are free to choose our delusions as we see fit., religious or otherwise.

The problem is that if someone is delusional their actions are not conscious but driven by choices and decisions wholly foreign to them. Mother nature is a cruel master but a master nonetheless.

If they recognize it as "foreign," is it a delusion?

My (admittedly limited) understanding of the difference between a hallucination and a delusion is awareness.

If I suddenly see former NYC mayor Fiorello LaGuardia materialize in my bathtub...

• ... and run of of my bathroom screaming, that's a hallucination.
• ... and spend the next hour asking him about his economic policies, his public works projects, and opposition to Prohibition, that's a delusion.

 

[Thomas II]

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

@Thomas II. That deleted video was upsetting. How could any parent allow such treatment of an infant? The problem is that even when those things happen, the believers are so under the influence of these charlatans that they still carry on as usual, excusing the behavior. That's rotten shit.

 

[steve_bank]

In our modern liberal western systems we are free to choose our delusions as we see fit., religious or otherwise.

Agreed -- but not to inflict them on others.

Agreed. That is the requiremnt for a stable pluralistic society. A fact the aggressive Christians do not seem to grasp.

 

[steve_bank]

I did not see the video that was deleted.

Haven't heardof a case in a long time. Christian parents with absolute faith in faith healing denying medical care to their children. It is in god's hands.

 

[abaddon]

I did not see the video that was deleted.

Notice that the parents didn't exactly "allow such treatment of a child".

 

[steve_bank]

I am not on Twitter and I would not have watched the video anyway.

I already know American Christians can be bizarre and dangerous.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Notice that the parents didn't exactly "allow such treatment of a child".

They are the parents, and young parents so their behavior is understandable and excusable. No doubt their superstitious beliefs in magic water and magic spirits got the better of them and exposed their infant to some pretty treacherous treatment. Of course they tried tp protect their kid once it became obvious that the man in the funny had was a danger to their child.

 

[steve_bank]

I remeber a public service TV ad from the 70s.

An adult is mouthing slurs on minorities. Like they smell bad and talk funny. The image of an andult morphs to a kid saying what the adult was saying.

Religion passes generation to generation with thousands of of years of inertia behind it.