Community > Posts By > Seamonster

 
Seamonster's photo
Wed 03/18/09 05:30 AM
moment of silence is just sneeking prayer threw the back door.
It's like the I.D. thing.
What kids need is a moment of science.

Seamonster's photo
Tue 03/17/09 05:49 AM
Edited by Seamonster on Tue 03/17/09 05:49 AM
Despite a long battle fighting to prevent mandatory prayer–err, I mean a mandatory “moment of silence” in Texas public schools, a court ruling decided students not wishing to waste their valuable time so that Christians have time to pray to their imaginary friends should either shut up or shut up.

A three-judge panel from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans upheld a district court ruling, saying the law is constitutional because it expressly allows for any silent use of the period, either religious or nonreligious.

The 2003 law allows children to “reflect, pray, meditate or engage in any other silent activities” for one minute at the beginning of each school day.



Of course no informed individual can honestly claim that it is an important part of a child’s education and a beneficial use of our tax dollars to give the students quiet time. In fact, I would very much like to hear why so many people were SOOOOOOOOO passionate in fighting for mandatory “shut your mouth” time (more so than for better textbooks or for better resources), because they can’t give a reason as this is just a thinly veiled excuse to give the children of Christian parents preferential treatment. In fact, it’s so thinly veiled that prayer is even mentioned in the law.

Here’s an article that supports the new law:

In the one minute wedged between the pledge to Texas and American flags and the school day, Christine Michael prays to God for safety and guidance.

“To be watched over throughout the day and the week to be protected, not just for me, but for everyone,” said Michael, an 18-year-old senior at West Brook High School and outspoken Christian (which, incidentally, is also the pronunciation of his name).

With or without the state-mandated minute of silence, Michael said he would still pray each morning, but the dedicated quiet time gives him a moment to focus.

“It’s not that I’ve been told to do that or someone has asked me to do it,” he said. “It’s just what I feel I should do.”

So if this student would be praying with or without the law why was the law forcing everyone else to let her focus necessary??

Oh, and here’s the kicker:

Circuit Judge Edith Brown Clement noted the lawmaker who sponsored the moment of silence bill expressed a desire to add prayer to Texas’ existing statute after the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals found a similar law in Virginia was constitutional.


I hope Texas students decide to practice their mime or juggling lessons in front of the students of Christian parents, especially if they’re terrible jugglers and stand beside those other students.







Seamonster's photo
Mon 03/16/09 07:32 PM

I find this interesting, this is exactly what the early rabbinical writings refer to him as, a magician. You see, there is a sense that when Christ came he did miracles.


So penn and teller are gods.

They do miracles all the time.

I knew it.

Seamonster's photo
Mon 03/16/09 07:02 PM
So god talks to this guy then aparently gives him the ok to let people know he talked to him, but tells him not to put his name on it?
So god wanted people to know he was talking to people, but didnt want people to know he was talking to that guy.

Seamonster's photo
Sun 03/15/09 08:40 AM
constitutional rights and freedom?!
laugh rofl laugh
When did we all have that?
And it will get much worse before it ever gets better. (if it does)

Seamonster's photo
Sun 03/15/09 06:42 AM


I just think its funny because Sarah Palin the VP candidate ran on an abstinance only and "traditional family values" platform.

And those are Gov Palins beliefs. Maybe her daughter doesnt have the same beliefs. No body is perfect. And you cant keep an eye on your kids 24 hours a day.

It kills me you blame this in Gov Palin. Would you be willing to go into the getho and say that about the families there, where the majority of the cildren have pnly one parent? Or is it ok for them but not Gov Palins family?


Thats just stupid.
She's not in the ghetto, and she has 2 parents that make money.
So it not even close to the same thing.
I'll give you that Sarah is dumb white trash with money, but she still does not live in the ghetto.

Seamonster's photo
Sun 03/15/09 06:29 AM

Back on subject. I have always believed that the growth of religious or magical beliefs have been enhanced by the fact that man could not know how things like lightening came about so naturally they formed a magical reason for it. Or an angry superbeing.


Right, it's the god of the gaps.
As soon as we say I Don't Know to something then there are some that say that's where god takes over, that is until science shows otherwise.
But then something else happens that science says I Don't Know and the religious are right there screamming god until once again science prooves them wrong.
This has gone on sense our beginnings, and will continue until we shake that evolutionaly trait of believeing there is a god that spins the earth and shoots lightening when he's angry.

Seamonster's photo
Sat 03/14/09 03:49 PM





Well Eljay, the way I understand it, evolution does not happen overnight. I could be wrong. laugh


I've heard the same thing. How convienient. Sort of justifies the lack of demonstratable evidence to say it takes a few million years for this to happen. But hey - it's a fact you know. Just take our word for it. No wait... can't relly on human testimony. Now what.

Sounds like a religion to me.


The thing is Elijay, we have posted evidence after evidence, and each time you just brush it off, without actually looking at it.

For instance: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14094-bacteria-make-major-evolutionary-shift-in-the-lab.html

Also, the big difference between Religion and Science(and Evolution) is that religion is set-up for "just take my word for it"(i.e. Papal Infallibility, in layman's terms, if the Pope says god told him, you have to take it on faith as being true) In Science, you have peer review. Basically, you come up with a (testable) theory, it has to stand up to people trying to disprove it. Also, you have to keep in mind the Scientific definition of the word "theory", which, is basically, an idea that ties a group of facts together.


Inkracer...about your article:

ALL that is occurring there are mutations ....which is all still occurring WITHIN ITS OWN KIND.

It is still BACTERIA!!!!

In other words, the bacteria did not become something of an

ENTIRELY DIFFERENT KIND!!

It is still bacteria..still occurring within its own "KIND".

And btw, creationist have NO argument about the mutations occuring....

because in this case, the mutations did not mutate into anything other than what it already was.

So..that "opinion" stated at the end of the article , was just the author's "opinion" only.


Does any of this help make things a bit more clearer now, Inkracer?flowerforyou:heart:flowerforyou




You might want to read everything before you respond. The article isn't just some scientist's opinion on what they observed. Before a scientific article is written and published, the experiment undergoes a peer review. Before the article was written, other scientists tried to disprove the results, and couldn't.
I will always trust the scientists that are actually working on trying to understand the world around us, more then someone who uses a book that is approaching 2000 yrs. old simply has a weapon against learning, and reason.


Exactly

Seamonster's photo
Fri 03/13/09 08:37 PM
is the post to long?
It's a realy cool read I promise.lol

Seamonster's photo
Fri 03/13/09 08:34 PM
one reason why I believe Christ did not Rise from the DEAD.



Zero credible evidence.

Seamonster's photo
Fri 03/13/09 08:31 PM

without judging what others would do...I would like to know how people here handle someone suffering. whether it's physical, emotional, mental etc.

I know I pray and try to do what I can to help. I know I can't fix the suffering of people.

what do you do? do you send good thoughts? advice?


If I can not help, I try and comfort in what ever way I can.

Seamonster's photo
Thu 03/12/09 11:51 PM


When we are truly born again, we can still be a part of any denomination.

That includes Even still going to a catholic church.

BUT...... may I say something here , Nubby?flowerforyou

Make sure before joining a church, that it is a place where you can now GROW.

Point being.....

Some churches do NOT help you to GROW in your NEW FOUND FAITH or BORN AGAIN EXPERIERNCE now.

In fact, unles you find a place where the WHOLE WORD OF GOD is being taught,

you may end up stunted in your spiritual growth.

Some churches, although christian, will only feed you the cheese and crackers of God's Word......

whereby ..... the Full gospel spirit filled churches ,will feed you the WHOLE FEAST OF GOD'S WORD....drinker

and NOT just cheese and crackers of God's Word only!!!flowerforyou

Pray...ask God to lead you ( if you haven't already) ,

and God WILL Lead you to the RIGHT church ....

a church home , where you can TRULY fellowship and GROW in.
:heart::heart::heart:
'

I am very careful Morningsong, I grew up in a church that went verse by verse through the bible. The Catholic Church teaches the bible, and I like how they hold tight to tradition. I feel it was the Spirit of God who gave me the final word. I have prayed about it and meditated on it.


yep, no matter how many people die of aids in Africa they still will not let them where condoms.
Yeah, tradition is wonderfull.

Tradition uber allas!!

Seamonster's photo
Thu 03/12/09 08:26 PM








It is possible i am wrong.
if I am right?
It means everything.



Nubby........a born again christian never ever will say, "it is possible that I am wrong."

And here is why.

A born again christian is now born of God!!!
His spirit is truly born again .

HE KNOWS THAT HE KNOWS THAT HE KNOWS HE IS BORN AGAIN....drinker

NO MORE QUESSING...NO MORE DOUBTS ...drinker

simply because GOD NOW HAS OPENED THAT BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN'S SPIRITUAL EYES..

AND HAS GIVEN THAT CHRISTIAN A BRAND SPANKIN NEW SPIRIT WITH IN !!!drinker

Just like a person KNOWS beyond a shadow of doubt that he has been born of the FLESH into this world ........

so also does a spirit filled born again christian KNOW.....


beyond a shadow of doubt.....

that he has been BORN OF THE SPIRIT....or BORN OF GOD..or in other words...BORN AGAIN.

He KNOWS!!

NO DOUBTS WHATSOEVER...also because God's Spirit bears WITNESS with that born again person's spirit....

thus letting him KNOW.....

that he is TRULY BORN AGAIN!!!!drinker:heart:flowerforyou:heart:drinker



You KNOW that what you feel and believe exists and is true.

I KNOW that you are totally mistaken.

How do we meet in the middle? Whats the point in talking any more about it?


Again....Mostly to answer questions.....and to share...cause we care.

But then there also comes a time when we are to move on ,too.flowerforyou:heart:flowerforyou

But even then...if there still are questions....or people still not understanding....

we answer....and share ...again...because we care.:heart::heart::heart:







I am born again.


Good.flowerforyou

I hear the assertiveness now!!

That's what I mean Nubby......You KNOW!!!!drinker

You KNOW THAT YOU ARE BORN AGAIN!!!!!!!!!drinker

PRAISE GOD!!!drinker:heart:flowerforyou


He also knows he might be wrong.

I KNOW that he is.




I am 100% sure I am right, but there is still possibility that I am wrong.

You know that I am wrong? You made a positive assertion. How do you know that I am wrong?


How can you be 100% sure you are right and then say there is a possibillity that you are wrong?
That realy does not make much sense.
I admit that I may be wrong.
I don't think I am but I could be.
I know the evidence leans toward me being right.

Seamonster's photo
Thu 03/12/09 08:03 PM
A belief in God is deeply embedded in the human brain, which is programmed for religious experiences, according to a United States study.

Scientists searching for the neural "God spot", which is supposed to control religious belief, believe several areas of the brain form the biological foundations of religious belief.

The researchers said their findings supported the idea that the brain had evolved to be sensitive to any form of belief that improved the chances of survival, which could explain why a belief in God and the supernatural became so widespread in human evolutionary history.

"Religious belief and behaviour are a hallmark of human life, with no accepted animal equivalent, and found in all cultures," said Professor Jordan Grafman, from the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, near Washington.

"Our results are unique in demonstrating that specific components of religious belief are mediated by well-known brain networks and they support contemporary psychological theories that ground religious belief within evolutionary-adaptive cognitive functions."

research finds faith hard wired brain belief god deeply embedded human which programmed religious experiences according united states study scientists searching neural god spot which supposed control religious belief believe several"

Scientists are divided on whether religious belief has a biological basis.

Some evolutionary theorists have suggested that Darwinian natural selection may have put a premium on individuals if they were able to use religious belief to survive hardships that may have overwhelmed those with no religious convictions.

Others have suggested that religious belief is a side effect of a wider trait in the human brain to search for coherent beliefs about the outside world. Religion and belief in God, they argue, are just a manifestation of this intrinsic, biological phenomenon that makes the human brain so intelligent and adaptable.

The latest study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involved analysing the brains of volunteers, who had been asked to think about religious and moral problems and questions. For the analysis, researchers used a functional MRI machine, which can identify the most active regions of the brain.

They found that people of different religious persuasions and beliefs, including atheists, tended to use the same electrical circuits in the brain when solving a moral conundrum as well as when dealing with issues related to God.

The study found that several areas of the brain were involved in religious belief, one within the frontal lobes of the cortex - which are unique to humans - and another in the more evolutionary-ancient regions deeper inside the brain, which humans share with apes and other primates, Professor Grafman said.

"There is nothing unique about religious belief in these brain structures. Religion doesn't have a 'God spot' as such, instead it's embedded in a whole range of other belief systems in the brain that we use every day," Professor Grafman said.

The search for the God spot has in the past led scientists to many different regions of the brain.

An early contender was the brain's temporal lobe, a large section that sits over each ear, because temporal-lobe epileptics suffering seizures in those regions frequently reported intense religious experiences.

One of the principal exponents of this idea was Vilayanur Ramachandran, from the University of California, San Diego, who asked several of his patients with temporal-lobe epilepsy to listen to a mixture of religious, sexual and neutral words while measuring their levels of arousal and emotional reactions. Religious words elicited an unusually high response in these patients.

This work was followed by a study where scientists tried to stimulate the temporal lobes with a rotating magnetic field produced by a "God helmet". Michael Persinger, from Laurentian University in Ontario, found he could artificially create the experience of religious feelings - the helmet-wearer reported being in the presence of a spirit or having a profound feeling of cosmic bliss.


Dr Persinger said about eight in every 10 volunteers reported quasi-religious feelings when wearing his helmet. However, when Professor Richard Dawkins, an evolutionist and renowned atheist, wore it during the making of a BBC documentary, he famously failed to find God, saying the helmet only affected his breathing and his limbs.

Other studies of people taking part in Buddhist meditation suggested the parietal lobes at the upper back region of the brain were involved in controlling religious belief, in particular the mystical elements that gave people a feeling of being on a higher plane during prayer.

Andrew Newberg, from the University of Pennsylvania, injected radioactive isotope into Buddhists at the point at which they achieved meditative nirvana. Using a special camera, he captured the distribution of the tracer in the brain, which led the researchers to identify the parietal lobes as playing a key role during this transcendental state.

Professor Grafman was more interested in how people coped with everyday moral and religious questions.

He said that the latest study suggested the brain was inherently sensitive to believing in almost anything if there were grounds for doing so, but when there was a mystery about something, the same neural machinery was co-opted in the formulation of religious belief.

"When we have incomplete knowledge of the world around us, it offers us the opportunities to believe in God. When we don't have a scientific explanation for something, we tend to rely on supernatural explanations," said Professor Grafman, who believes in God.

"Maybe obeying supernatural forces that we had no knowledge of made it easier for religious forms of belief to emerge.

Seamonster's photo
Thu 03/12/09 07:59 PM


1. Jesus himself testified to his coming resurrection from the dead.


No one has any clue what Jesus might have said or not said. All we have to go on is extremely belated hearsay that was written by someone who had an OBVIOUS AGENDA.

So to claim that Jesus said anything is truly silly.



Actually scholars have a pretty good idea what was in the original text.

Scholars agree the gospels are actual attempts to write biographies about the life of Jesus, particularly his 3 years of ministry.

This agenda cost them everything. All the desciples went to the death believing they had seen the risen Lord and refused to recant. They lived lives of persecution, abandonment, and very little material wealth. It cost them everything. There was nothing to gain for them in this life by what they believed. No, they were looking for the greater prize.


Actually thats not realy true,
Only one was original the others were just a Plagiarism of Mathew.
And that was done many years after jesus' death.

Seamonster's photo
Wed 03/11/09 07:54 PM

why is it so hard for people to let others believe what gets them through the f*ing day without someone dumping on them???? don't you think everyone has enough of it in the world as it f*ing is??


I like you.

Why you angry?

This is a fourm for people to express their feelings and ideas about religion or lack there of.


Seamonster's photo
Wed 03/11/09 07:51 PM

Seamonster's photo
Wed 03/11/09 06:54 PM

That is part of the fear culture. People living in the values of fear and god fearing likewise turn out to be the worst hate mongers. That is part of the reason that the church is gradually dying. It used fear as its primary tool of control with ignorance being second. Since education came along for the masses more and more people have been waking up to the ideologies of fear, and hate.

The thing is that not hating the sinner is a justification of bad acts but anything not up to the church's thinking of moral and ethical standards it becomes a sin. I can strongly argue that Homosexuality is an innate part of mammals in general with basically most species having some if not a bulk of its membership practicing some sort of Homosexuality like Dolphins (Do your research and you will find out that Dolphins can be some seriously fu*ked up animals). The reproductive urge in mammals is so strong that it over rides "moral" thinking. Honestly why can't God appreciate happiness if two men or two women know peace in their lives and fulfillment?


In reality people have to accept the fact they are sinners and try to be better than that. All we can do is try. Even the best of us have "Guilty pleasures!" I cannot be fooled so easily by Piety since some of the worst criminals and villains of past history were such "Nice" or "good" men and women. The thing is Christianity tries to take the approach of ignoring man's sinful nature because 'we have Jesus' and he had to be pure as in the immaculate conception which I find dubious because it is possible in modern days because all you need is a wet path to the ovum even outside of the mother and damn if those sperm will not find it and so many women and girls are under the impression that anal sex will spare them a pregnancy... Tisk tisk tisk...huh
How can it be l;love when it demands conformity when God gave us free will? If you love God you will give up your freedom to choose? That does not make sense to me at all.

Also hating sin is still hate is it not??? I thought the idea was to rise above hate and fear.


Well said.

Seamonster's photo
Wed 03/11/09 06:30 PM
Saying I hate the sin but not the sinner is the exact same thing.

I am not wrong.

Seamonster's photo
Wed 03/11/09 06:20 PM
Since the “Four Horsemen” of atheism have had their books on the top of the charts, Christians and even some atheists claim that any atheist who criticizes Christianity or calls Christianity out for the evil that it preaches are themselves intolerant bigots. To this, I always say the same thing. I hate Christianity, not Christians. We don’t choose what we believe. We have reasons to believe what we believe (even if those reasons are not reasonable).

There are many reasons why Christians believe what they believe. Some are indoctrinated at a young age, some were manipulated out of fear, guilt, despair, etc., and some are brought to Christianity through some other sort of emotional experience. It isn’t their fault that they don’t question their beliefs or that they believe in a ridiculous bronze aged mythology. So I have nothing against Christians as people. In fact, I think most Christians are very good people, who believe very ridiculous things which sometimes cause them to do very evil things all in the name of their deity of choice.

Christianity, on the other hand is not a person, it is the religious system of belief (relationship with God) and the beliefs based on the Bible which has continued to refine themselves for over 2000 years for the express purpose of converting people and spreading itself like a virus. This system has discovered which buttons to push on whom and exactly how and when to push those buttons. The sad part is that even the people pushing those buttons don’t see it as doing anything dishonest or immoral.

So I can’t even blame Pat Robertson or James Dobson. They have been tricked by the system of Christianity (i.e. other Christians who have also been tricked by the system). They really have no malice in their heart. Even Fred Phelps doesn’t hate “fags” because he is a hateful person, he hates “fags” because he believes that his God punishes him because he allows “fags” to sin. If you truly believed that the fate of your eternal life rests in the hands of pleasing your deity, you would do whatever hateful thing you thought your deity would want you to do. That doesn’t make you a bad person, just and dangerous person.

But the point here is that I don’t blame Christians, I blame Christianity. My view on this is similar (ironically enough) to the Christian view of loving the sinner and hating the sin. In this case, the sin is Christianity as a belief system. So you won’t hear me (or read me in this case) say that Christians in general are stupid or dumb (some particular Christians maybe, but more often than not they are just lazy and ignorant) or that they have no rights to believe in stupid or dumb belief systems.

They have every right to believe whatever ridiculous thing they wish to believe. But I think it is important to point out to them just how ridiculous those beliefs are and to point out that their beliefs are dangerous to others. If they have the right to force their beliefs on everyone else than I have the right to fight back though education. If they have the right to preach their system of belief, than I have the right to criticize their system of belief. That doesn’t make me hateful of them as people nor does it make me intolerant of their beliefs. I fully support their right to preach, but they don’t seem to respect my right to criticize their ridiculous bronze aged fiction.

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