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As an actual pagan I can tell you I don't feel Easter is stolen. Jesus' story is unique and outside any god or goddess associated with Spring or the equinox. While the symbols or eggs and bunnies is incorporated in to Easter for children, it's not something pagans own or need to own. My rituals for spring are done the the equinox and I do nothing on Easter Sunday. As stated previously Christmas/Yule is another story all together. But it's hard to tell if converted pagans caused the "theft" or the church itself. If enough people are doing it make it canon and official and everyone will later.
Fact is non Christians do as much on Easter and Christmas as Christians so all you bitches steal my holidays. /sarcasm. Everybody have fun and if you want to celebrate a holiday and enjoy your family and life this theist says, your welcome.
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@fauxlaw
Not sure there are levels of cause and effect it just is there's no such thing as extreme or little teeny bits. Cause and effect also doesn't apply to every single thing cause and effect applies in situations where there's cause and effect.
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@janesix
It's one of those laws most of us see in action.
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@fauxlaw
I view perfection as something you can't achieve because it's doing the work we are meant to do while here for spirit. I don't think that ends until death. Perfection like other concepts is the goal but it's not reachable here on this level of vibration. Like Justice or Freedom. They are the ideal but not ever attainable in whole. But the work to get there is essence spirituality.
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@FLRW
Einstein hating theists doesn't mean much to me. His opinion on that is no different than anyone else. But thanks for clarifying.
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@fauxlaw
That is not what Christians or atheists are referring to when they say perfect. And monotheism has only one god to look to therefore perfection in that sense is easier to achieve. Polytheism rarely discussed perfection in either sense.
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Easter has always been about the resurrection of Christ. Easter as a holiday did not exist before Christ. The pagans never celebrated the full moon which takes place on the 14th day of Nisan or the Sunday following Passover.
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@Theweakeredge
Christians did steal Easter
That is what you said. I can't keep explaining that Easter is based on Passover. That pagans don't do Passover. They do the Equinox. The fact that converted pagans incorporated their symbiology and ritual into Easter is not the Church's fault.
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@Theweakeredge
They did not steal Easter. Pagans celebrate spring at the equinox separate from Easter. Pagans don't celebrate the resurrection of Christ on Easter. Bunnies, eggs, chicks and ham are pagan symbols. The cross is not. So many traditions like egg hunts and hiding baskets for the bunnies are pagan. Easter is not.
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@FLRW
Hope in what sense? I would say most of the theists here live life the same as the atheists other than the incorporation of some rituals, prayers, spiritual readings and attending worship. I also don't fish but I don't begrudge people spending money and time on fishing. Especially when they don't keep the fish just put them back. What are you hoping we do so different you have to have come here and talk about it.
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@FLRW
The pagans have never celebrated Easter. The spring festival is based on the equinox. Passover is entirely Jewish. The traditions around Easter are mostly pagan. The Christians did not steal Easter.
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I have started to watch more youtube videos and documentaries lately. Not really too many movies. I did watch the new Justice League which took two days. The ZZ Top documentary was awesome.
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@janesix
@Dr.Franklin
Happy Easter though a day late. The pagans have Ostara, the first day of spring. Easter is based on the Passover. Traditions are another matter.
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There is no perfect human since there is no perfect god. Anyone who says there is hasn't read a sacred text, holy book or myths ever.
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@Stephen
It's in the script. Read a different one and he didn't. But if you need a backstory the covering of sin with the blood of animals is in the Old Testament.
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Minors are usually given rehab before punishment due to their impressionable minds and lack of insight. More than likely he had not clue what he was doing was as bad as it was. As long as he understands why it was wrong and why not doing it again is a good idea no, he doesn't need punished. Maybe some kind of community service helping those hurt by his actions. That's what juvenile court usually does.
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@secularmerlin
If only there was a way to do that in general.
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@oromagi
Earth is 71% water so more food area and honestly I think they made the right call up until the 18th/19th centuries.
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@secularmerlin
Pastafarians must be granted protective legislation equal to that of other more accepted mainstream religions... or other religions should have as few. As an outlier in the theistic community I'm sure you cam at least sympathize with this sentiment even if you don't agree.
I believe when forcing the issue in courts they have been, same as Satanist and Scientologist.
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People get all kinds of vaccines before they travel. It's just not usually for western nations.
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@secularmerlin
I get it. I know it makes no sense to you. I can't make it make sense it just is.
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@secularmerlin
First, sorry you were on block I am trying to remove all those and missed you. Second, theists don't see a difference in a real person and a god. They are as real as anyone else. Which is where the circle starts and why the argument never ends. I can't make you get it cause you haven't experienced it.
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@secularmerlin
Believing based on faith is indistinguishable from your case is so weak it isn't even enough to convince you and subsequently imagining that you are correct in place 9f knowing you are correct.
It's not a court hearing. I am not making a case for you to believe. I simply try to explain why I do. In a trial if the person doesn't admit to something we are all guessing at what they may or may not have done. Evidence may pull you in one direction. My personal experience does that to my faith.
First you have to know there is a spouse. Why believe a supernatural being does or cares about anything before you even have evidence of anything supernatural?
Again it's all based on personal experience. Most people go looking for "god" our of some pull in the first place. This may be due to an incident, occurrence or just a feeling. At some point they experience something that says it's more concrete then "god just exists" or they would still be looking or have given up. Though unlike some religious I don't think anyone needs a god or gods to have a spirit that never cease to exist to your not believing isn't the issue. It's the refusal to think theists are being honest because you have no personal reference.
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@secularmerlin
Why do you have faith? You certainly don't have evidence.
Faith by definition does not require evidence. People believe things based on experience. Like knowing a spouse loves you. Experiences says you can trust this so you have faith in that person. I know most atheist think because they don't have a spiritual experience they must not exist but they do in enough people to produce various religions around the world.
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People think all kinds of "irrational" things. Phobias and superstitions to things like hording and paranoia. Some may have a cause some may be mental illness and sometimes it's just the way someone thinks. Very few people escape some kind of thinking people find odd or weird or off. Calling it irrational implies it hurts the person or someone else which isn't always the case even with religion.
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Taking drugs doesn't mean one is going to die. The question is did the officer do anything that he should not have even if the guy was going to die. You don't get to shoot a suspect cause you find out from family they have stage three liver cancer to something like that. If the officers followed procedure and did nothing wrong by law then whoever handles training for the police should be sued. This is where change will come from changing training.
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@Stephen
Not sure you have to believe. Like I said if he died for every sin how can it be rejected. I don't worry about dying too much at this point. I have no personal doubt I don't cease to exists. It's just a transition from one form to another. I don't need Jesus to do it or to not suffer in some made up hell.
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If Christ died for our sins as a gift of salvation then how can anyone reject it. It's just there.
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@Stephen
In the Old Testament Satan works for God so I am not sure he needs forgiveness. renew.org/satan-in-the-old-testament/
Judas is offered the body of Christ by Christ to not go through with the betrayal. There is one unforgiveable sin mentioned in the Bible. Mark 3:28-29 which Judas acts either fall under or don't. If they do then it's on him. If they don't then he is forgiven. If the plan was for Christ to die Judas played a necessary role and would be forgiven. Just because some preacher says he's in hell doesn't make it true. There is no reference to Judas' punishment after death. Of course hell isn't in the Old Testament either.
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Not sure why it's off to think one should be forgiving. It's not healthy to carry around the emotions one might need to let go off to forgive someone. But even karma states you pay for your choices. My forgiveness of someone doesn't give them a free pass in the afterlife to just not deal with their crap. Forgiveness if for the forgiver not the forgiven.
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@ronjs
None of us deserve Gods grace, it is a gift, but a gift is meaningless if it is not accepted.
That's like saying no person deserves their parents love. What kind of god creates children to be so awful he kills them off? None. Christians are going to be so disappointed.
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I have been our of college now for decades but it's a great time in your life. You will come to find out who you are and what you really stand for. Make the friends you will have for life and live on your own while still having a safety net. Have fun and stay focused. Congrats on this stage your're starting.
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@FLRW
Jesus was a Hebrew rabbi. Unusually, he was unmarried.
He also traveled and didn't stay in one place long. Is he gay for not being overtly heterosexual or was he asexual? No sure just not being married means gay. If there is no proof either way then one shouldn't suggest he was straight or gay. Especially since it' means little to his life and teaching. But I worship gods who are gay and gender fluid. Wouldn't bother me if he was. Just don't know how that effects his teaching since he never taught against homosexuality and he didn't preach the law.
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@FLRW
Wasn't Jesus gay?
Jesus' sexuality was never addressed in the Bible as far as I can tell. Some say he was, some say he was married to Mary. I think of Jesus as a ascended master like Buddha and sex was not a priority to them. Which is why neither really addresses it in their teachings.
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Jesus never said a thing about homosexuals. And many of they abominations of the Old Testament are violated every day by Christians.
Proverbs 6:16-19
There are six things which the Lord hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
A false witness who utters lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.
The gay ain't even on this list.
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If you mean personally probably. If you mean via followers the religious have been feeding the poor for a good amount of time. Now there are agencies that are secular that work in feeding the hunger too and still it's not defeated. Food is a currency of sorts. People use it against others.
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If you don't believe in a god what are you doing to end hunger? Probably the same as most theists. Just enough to feel good about yourself.
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So when the part of the brain that enables flexibility in ideas and beliefs is damaged it leads to fundamentalism is not the same as fundamentalist don't have healthy brains. If that is the case then there would be a study. There isn't because a healthy brain wouldn't be the reason for the problem. It's basically a twisting of cause and effect which is pretty shallow for the scientific community.
" To investigate the cognitive and neural systems involved in religious fundamentalism, a team of researchers—led by Jordan Grafman of Northwestern University—conducted a study that utilized data from Vietnam War veterans that had been gathered previously. The vets were specifically chosen because a large number of them had damage to brain areas suspected of playing a critical role in functions related to religious fundamentalism. CT scans were analyzed comparing 119 vets with brain trauma to 30 healthy vets with no damage, and a survey that assessed religious fundamentalism was administered. While the majority of participants were Christians of some kind, 32.5% did not specify a particular religion."
Would like to see the break down of how many were fundamentalist on the healthy side and how many with the injury were fundamentalist before the injury.
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Or he expects his worshippers to feed the hungry, take steps to end hunger, etc. There is enough food and money to feed all the hungry. It just doesn't happen. There are stories in the Bible where the farmers are told to leave grapes and wheat for the poor in the field. I think Ruth talks about her getting the grain for her and her mother in law.
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If you ask most people raised in a very religious environment they almost always say they never really believed they just lived the faith until it came a time they knew they couldn't keep doing that because the belief wasn't there.
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@Athias
Unless those workers are being coerced into work, then no, there's no evil.
Modern society is based on money which you get from a job. So if you tell people you need to work to survive then yes it is an evil.
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If we are the center of our universe then we control our suffering if we even have it. Why does a poor man seem to not be suffering but happy while a rich one whines and cries about everything. I think suffering is allowed by us. Not that things don't create suffering. They do but we should one, try to overcome our suffering and to try and help others who are suffering to not suffer. Love is the reason we are put in bodies to interact with each other in the first place. We should be easing the suffering of others as much as we can by loving them. Known or stranger. That is the core of the Golden Rule. But it's not always easy to do or allow ourselves to do. Our egos are always looking for ways to ignore others or let ourselves wallow. I would never tell someone get over your suffering but try to help them overcome their suffering in ways I can.
I think most people do this but sometimes we give up on people because they refuse to help themselves. A drug addict is suffering but a family might give up because they relapse over and over again. Until they choose to no longer suffer they continue to feed the ego and use drugs. That is also why the best people to help recovering addicts is other recovering addicts.
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@janesix
I don't think atheists get not all religious or spiritual experiences are nice or even wanted.
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@secularmerlin
Some believe dropping the atomic bombs on Japan were a necessary evil and that the war would have gone on for years if we had not. Is allowing migrant workers to earn lower wages to keep our food prices down one. I think so.
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