FRDB Archives

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.


Go Back   FRDB Archives > Archives > IIDB ARCHIVE: 200X-2003, PD 2007 > IIDB Philosophical Forums (PRIOR TO JUN-2003)
Welcome, Peter Kirby.
You last visited: Today at 05:55 AM

 
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 06-20-2003, 02:53 PM   #11
Banned
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: an inaccessible island fortress
Posts: 10,638
Default

The percent of those who are both violent criminals and Christian? Well you have worded that very vaguely haven't you? I'm assuming that you have done so purposely so that you can cry foul when you don't get the answer you want. Because the OP isn't about the number of Christians who are violent criminals it's about the number of violent criminals who are Christians. And that would be most of them.
Biff the unclean is offline  
Old 06-20-2003, 08:54 PM   #12
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: The land of chain smoking, bible thumping, holy ro
Posts: 1,248
Default

Quote:
Originally posted by Biff the unclean
FOR RENT
Pole, ten feet long, for any Xian to use to touch this topic


David
David M. Payne is offline  
Old 06-21-2003, 03:25 AM   #13
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 5,047
Arrow

Quote:
ronin makes a good point. yet, while the OT does offer a refuge for scoundrels, it doesn't hold up in court, or when people with firearms are going to stop said 'scoundrels' from killing children as their will permits.
Whether it is 'Old' or 'New' it is still representative of the immorality of the Abrahamic deity.

Jesus in the NT introduces the heinous notion of everlasting fire as punishment for 'unbelievers', further underscoring the real brutality of the christian dogma and the underlying unethical nature of its practicing adherents...despite any mystical sugar coating by the more liberal minded members.

Quote:
fair enough, 'scoundrels' are going to have a clear conscience if they put their faith on christian literature, but, as I suggested in my last post, the matter isn't black and white. A majority of christian folk don't want to hurt or rape. Now, if the aim of this thread was to take a trip into the fascinating, and shocking world of violent criminals then, I posit, in am in the 'right' thread. If, on the other hand we are to be dissuaded from the whole idea and reality of christian life, by making a hundred or so violent criminals exemplary of christian life, then I am in the wrong thread. Surely this line of reasoning is similar to saying:

'attention! nearly 1 percent of drug users end up dead from overdosing on ecstacy. Ignore the tens of thousands partying and laughing. drugs are bad!
The United States is the most religious of all the industrialized nations.

Forty-four percent of Americans attend church once a week, compared with 27 percent in Britain, 21 percent in France, 16 percent in Australia, and 4 percent in Sweden.

Yet violent crime is not less common in the United States...it is pointedly more common. The murder rate here is six times higher than the rate in Britain, seven times higher than in France, five times higher than in Australia, and five times higher than in Sweden.

In the region where I live and work...Louisiana has the highest churchgoing rate in the country, but its murder rate is more than twice the national average. Having 12.5 Murders per 100,000 people in 2002, Louisiana holds the number one spot for murder.

Mississippi is steeped in Southern Baptists and the 'churched', yet in the year 2000 Mississippi had 9.0 Murders per 100,000 people, ranking the state as having the 2nd highest rate for Murder. Poverty, child abuse and violent youth offenders are also rampant in this state...despite the 'prayerful'.

And...while atheists/non-believers make up 8-16% of the US population, less than 1% make up the prison population.

A reflection on these facts is required by all of the supernaturalists.

Then there should be a deeper review of known humanistic ideals in order to promote a more civilized, compassionate and tolerant society.
Ronin is offline  
Old 06-21-2003, 06:13 AM   #14
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 1,898
Default

Ronin, I would dispute your figure for church attendance in the UK.

Recent figures published by the Chruch of England show that only about 800,000 attend church regularly. (And the figure is dropping exponentially, week by week.) If we multiply that by say, 10 to include the other christian sects (to give them a fair shake - I doubt if it reaches a factor of 3) we only have around 8,000,000 out of a population of somewhere between 60 and 70 million wasting their Sunday mornings. That's hardly 27% is it?

I seem to remember seeing a figure of somewhere near 8% of the population over here with regard to regular church attendance across all denominations. But for the life of me, I can't remember where - however, I'm sure it was from an online religious source in the UK within the last two years.

And let's face it, the figures quoted by the various churches are hardly likely to show themselves in the worst light are they?

The real churches in the UK are now the triune edifices of St Asda, Holy Sainsbury's and the Good News Church of Tesco. And let us not forget the Holy Trinity of B&Q the Lord, Do It All the Son, and Focus Homecare the Holy Ghost. They have tens of millions in their congregations each and every Sunday. A quick peek at their respective car parks provides ample proof. Praise the Lord and pass the Buy One Get One Free coffee yoghurt multipacks, and half-price Calor Gas free-standing Bar-B-Q's (with double safety valve)!

Martin
missus_gumby is offline  
Old 06-21-2003, 06:24 AM   #15
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Ill
Posts: 6,577
Default

Quote:
Originally posted by missus_gumby
The real churches in the UK are now the triune edifices of St Asda, Holy Sainsbury's and the Good News Church of Tesco.
If I'm right, way less people proportionately go to church on Sundays in the UK than the US but it is in the UK where trading laws limit the above purveyors of comestibles to a maximum of six hours opening time on Sundays.

If I'm right, the concept of 'sanctity of Sundays' seems alive and well in England, although it's hard to see that it has much to do with religious beliefs there these days.

Helen
HelenM is offline  
Old 06-21-2003, 07:25 AM   #16
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 1,898
Default

I know it's derailing the thread, but...

Quote:
...the UK where trading laws limit the above purveyors of comestibles to a maximum of six hours opening time on Sundays.
Only the large hyper/supermarket type of concern. For example, the local small shop near where I live is open for 14 hours on a Sunday - just like every other day of the week.

Some large supermarkets are actually open for more than 6 hours on Sunday - they open their doors for browsing and the filling of trolleys for an hour or two before the checkouts open.

Helen is quite right about the concept of 'sanctity of Sundays'. However, nowadays I must assume that most people over here regard the Sunday trading laws in the same light as the old fashioned licensing hours in pubs - an anachronistic touching of the cap to Victorian piety and the need for continued wartime industrial output. Both of which are being slowly eroded -- despite outdated and unwarranted laws.

Martin
missus_gumby is offline  
Old 06-21-2003, 12:31 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: sugar factory
Posts: 873
Default questions

Quote:
And...while atheists/non-believers make up 8-16% of the US population, less than 1% make up the prison population.

A reflection on these facts is required by all of the supernaturalists.

Then there should be a deeper review of known humanistic ideals in order to promote a more civilized, compassionate and tolerant society.
so, 99% of the prison population have religious beliefs? that would be striking! what kinds of violent crime are you referring to with the christian populations? specifically I'm interested in M.O. dynamics. In other words I would like to know how these crimes were committed and if any of the crimes incorporated religious belief. For instance, Geoffrey Dahmer, was said to have eaten his victims in a similar way to what christian folk might call 'eating the body of christ'. I shall have to brush up on my research.

Ronin, the second and third sentences didn't make much sense to me. perhaps you would flesh it out so I have a better idea of what you're on about?

cheers
sweep is offline  
Old 06-24-2003, 04:49 AM   #18
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Lahore, Pakistan
Posts: 36
Default Quran NEVER preaches such horrible murders

I did not see any such wordings anywhere in Quran and found it horrible if stated by Bible. I doubt it since no religion can preach such thing. However, since, as a Muslim, my belief is that the REAL bible has been corrupted by corrupt so-called christians. In Quran, it gives a lot of respect to REAL and TRUE christians, jews, or anyones who are belonging to books of God. But such brutal words can never belong to "God" or "Allah". I strongly disagree with the INSTRUCTIONS given in this poem. Christianity is good, Christians are good, but unfortunately such corrupt text of so-called Bible is not. The real Bible exists no more.

Amir Ali Tayyab
http://aatayyab.com
aatayyab is offline  
Old 06-24-2003, 05:02 AM   #19
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: NZ
Posts: 7,895
Thumbs up Re: Quran NEVER preaches such horrible murders

Quote:
Originally posted by aatayyab
The real Bible exists no more.
Excellent news!!

Now if only all the others would follow...
lunachick is offline  
Old 06-24-2003, 02:10 PM   #20
Regular Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: England
Posts: 211
Default

Quote:
Originally posted by missus_gumby
If we multiply that by say, 10 to include the other christian sects (to give them a fair shake - I doubt if it reaches a factor of 3) we only have around 8,000,000 out of a population of somewhere between 60 and 70 million wasting their Sunday mornings. That's hardly 27% is it?
I would like to add that the only people that visit church in the UK are the elderly, and those peculiar families that have small metal fishes attached to the rear ends of their motor vehicles.

People that go to Church in the UK are the objects of universal derision. And quite right too.

Paul
LordSnooty is offline  
 

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 04:22 PM.

Top

This custom BB emulates vBulletin® Version 3.8.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2015, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.