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 The group Recovering from Religion plans to start a helpline for people struggling with religious doubts.
June 4th, 2013
03:08 PM ET
Atheists to start 1-800 hotline for doubtersBy Dan Merica, CNN (CNN) – Who can people call when religious doubts arise, but they're afraid to talk to their faith leaders or families? A group that helps people "recover" from religion says it's ready to pick up the phone. Recovering from Religion, which has about 40 support groups in the U.S. and Britain, plans to launch a hotline that will offer doubters an anonymous place to ask difficult questions and find communities of like-minded nonbelievers. The group plans to staff the help line 24 hours a day and is modeling it after services like suicide prevention hotlines. Sarah Morehead, executive director of Recovering from Religion, told CNN that the mission is to help people, not convert them to atheism. “A lot of the times they just need someone to talk to," Morehead said. The 1-800 number has yet to be named. Recovering from Religion is trying to raise $30,000 by June 30 to fund "The Hotline Project" with up to 40 counselors. Ideally, the help line would be live by the holiday season, said Morehead, which is often a difficult time for people struggling with religious doubts. Photos: Famous atheists and their beliefs The idea for the hotline sprang up after calls came in to the Recovering from Religion phone line from people who were questioning their faith and needed to talk to someone. Morehead said she gets a few calls every day and hundreds of e-mails a month from people seeking counseling. From there, she said, it seemed a hotline that provided a permanent, anonymous place to talk to someone was the best option. "Coming out" as a nonbeliever - or even a doubter - can often be extremely difficult, Morehead and others say. In addition to the existential worries, budding nonbelievers run the risk of alienating family and friends. The help line’s volunteer counselors will be trained to not engage in religious debate, Morehead said. Instead, they will try to give callers “practical, action-oriented solutions.” When someone first calls the hotline, the counselor will start by simply asking the caller to talk about his or her personal story, said Morehead. Later, the counselor and the caller might work on an action plan. The caller's goals may concern formally leaving religion altogether, but Morehead said that counselors will also offer advice on finding a new faith or connecting with a local community of nonbelievers. Some blogs have questioned the hotline, however, calling it a ploy to increase the number of atheists in America. Headlines like “New 1-800 Number Funded By Liberals To Convert Christians to Atheists,” for example, have cropped up at a number of conservative blogs. Morehead said her critics fail to grasp the point of Recovering from Religion. “Most of the people who contact us are working their way towards disbelief, so of course we are very equipped to handle that,” Morehead said. “That is not the goal, though, or the job of the facilitators.” Photos: 'Born-again' celebrities This hotline is not completely unique in the world of religious "nones" – people who either don’t believe in God or don’t affiliate with any religious beliefs. Atheists have long discussed disbelief in the comfort of online anonymity. “We have seen how important the Internet is, especially young people questioning their faith, and this provides them with another resource with a different focus,” said Jesse Galef, communications director for the Secular Student Alliance. “For people who want more guidance, I think this resource will be very valuable.” Services that help religious doubters have thrived recently. The Clergy Project, an online community for preachers who no longer believe in God, has grown from 52 to nearly 500 people since its founding in 2011, said Teresa MacBain, the former executive director of the project. MacBain, a former pastor who converted to atheism, called the help line "another way for people to contact someone anonymously and discuss the struggles they are having for their beliefs.” “If this project had been around when I found the Clergy Project, I would have used it.” MacBain said she plans to get training as one of the counselors and hopes to be answering calls when the service launches. soundoff (3,878 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Next »
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If I was powerful enough to have created the universe, I wouldn't allow sickness or sadness or suffering. That’s the difference between me and your God.
I'm sure you know better.
Oh really?
then why are you trying to make christians sad now??
You are making me sad. 🙁
I thought you claimed to be different?
You are worse than the God you profess to hate.
Booooo!
Buuuuuurrrrrrnnnnnnnn!!!!
doG you just got PUnkeD!
You're probably making the baby jesus cry too!
The Christian is omnipotent but the Christian God also doesn't intervene in our free will.
Because to truly be good we have to choose good, and to choose good there has to be the option of evil.
If "doG" was our God we would be his robot slaves.
ANd he knows nothing about science or biology, so we would just be a pile of mud. If that.
"The Christian God...."
For our sister and brother Muslims who do not have access to said 800 numbers:
From the studies of Armstrong, Rushdie, Hirsi Ali, Richardson and Bayhaqi----–
The Five Steps To Deprogram 1400 Years of Islamic Myths:
( –The Steps take less than two minutes to finish- simply amazing, two minutes to bring peace and rationality to over one billion lost souls- Priceless!!!)
Are you ready?
Using "The 77 Branches of Islamic "faith" a collection compiled by Imam Bayhaqi as a starting point. In it, he explains the essential virtues that reflect true "faith" (iman) through related Qur’anic verses and Prophetic sayings." i.e. a nice summary of the Koran and Islamic beliefs.
The First Five of the 77 Branches:
"1. Belief in Allah"
aka as God, Yahweh, Zeus, Jehovah, Mother Nature, etc. should be added to your self-cleansing neurons.
"2. To believe that everything other than Allah was non-existent. Thereafter, Allah Most High created these things and subsequently they came into existence."
Evolution and the Big Bang or the "Gi-b G-nab" (when the universe starts to recycle) are more plausible and the "akas" for Allah should be included if you continue to be a "crea-tionist".
"3. To believe in the existence of angels."
A major item for neuron cleansing. Angels/de-vils are the mythical creations of ancient civilizations, e.g. Hitt-ites, to explain/define natural events, contacts with their gods, big birds, sudden winds, protectors during the dark nights, etc. No "pretty/ug-ly wingy thingies" ever visited or talked to Mohammed, Jesus, Mary or Joseph or Joe Smith. Today we would classify angels as f–airies and "tin–ker be-lls". Modern de-vils are classified as the de-mons of the de-mented.
"4. To believe that all the heavenly books that were sent to the different prophets are true. However, apart from the Quran, all other books are not valid anymore."
Another major item to delete. There are no books written in the spirit state of Heaven (if there is one) just as there are no angels to write/publish/distribute them. The Koran, OT, NT etc. are simply books written by humans for humans.
Prophets were invented by ancient scribes typically to keep the un-educated masses in line. Today we call them for-tune tellers.
Prophecies are also invali-dated by the natural/God/Allah gifts of Free Will and Future.
"5. To believe that all the prophets are true. However, we are commanded to follow the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings
be upon him) alone."
Mohammed spent thirty days "fasting" (the Ramadan legend) in a hot cave before his first contact with Allah aka God etc. via a "pretty wingy thingy". Common sense demands a neuron deletion of #5. #5 is also the major source of Islamic vi-olence i.e. turning Mohammed's "fast, hunger-driven" hallu-cinations into horrible reality for unbelievers.
Walk these Five Steps and we guarantee a complete recovery from your Islamic ways!!!!
Unfortunately, there are not many Muslim commentators/readers on this blog so the "two-minute" cure is not getting to those who need it. If you have a Muslim friend, send him a copy and help save the world.
hinduism, absurdity of a hindu atheist, ignorant self centered.
لدينا أخت شقيق والمسلمين الذين لا يستطيعون الوصول إلى أرقام 800 قال
من الدراسات من أرمسترونغ، رشدي، هيرسي علي، ريتشاردسون والبيهقي ----–
في خمس خطوات لأبطل تأثير 1400 سنة من الأساطير الإسلامية:
(-خطوات اتخاذ أقل من دقيقتين لإنهاء-ببساطة مدهشة، دقيقتين لإحلال السلام والعقلانية إلى أكثر من مليار فقدت النفوس لا تقدر بثمن!)
هل أنت مستعد؟
استخدام "الفروع الإسلامية 77 من" الإيمان "مجموعة الإمام البيهقي المترجمة كنقطة انطلاق. في ذلك، وهو ما يفسر الفضائل الأساسية التي تعكس صحيح" الإيمان "(إيمان) من خلال الآيات القرآنية ذات الصلة، وأحاديث نبوية." أي ملخص لطيفة من المعتقدات القرآن والإسلامية.
الخمسة الأولى من الفروع 77:
"1. الإيمان بالله"
كما يعرف أيضا باسم الله، الرب، زيوس، الرب، الطبيعة الأم، وما إلى ذلك يجب أن تضاف إلى الخلايا العصبية التطهير الذاتي الخاص.
"2. إلى الاعتقاد بأن كل شيء غيرها مما كان الله غير موجود. بعد ذلك، الله سبحانه وتعالى خلق هذه الأشياء، وبعد ذلك جاءوا إلى حيز الوجود."
التطور والانفجار الكبير أو "غي ب G-NAB" (عند بدء الكون لإعادة تدوير) هي أكثر ترجيحا وينبغي أن تدرج في "المندرجة" في سبيل الله إذا كنت لا تزال تشكل "بجمعية العقارات، tionist".
"3. إلى الاعتقاد في وجود الملائكة."
A بندا رئيسيا لتطهير الخلايا العصبية. الملائكة / دي VILS هي الإبداعات الأسطورية من الحضارات القديمة، على سبيل المثال HITT خائبي، لشرح / تعريف الأحداث الطبيعية، والاتصالات مع آلهتهم، والطيور الكبيرة، والرياح المفاجئة، وحماة خلال الليالي المظلمة، وما إلى ذلك لا "ثينجيس افسح المجال ل جميلة / UG-LY" بزيارة أي وقت مضى أو تحدثت إلى محمد، يسوع، مريم أو يوسف أو جو سميث. اليوم سوف نصنف الملائكة كما F-airies و "القصدير كير تكون LLS". تصنف الحديثة دو VILS مثل دي مونس هيئة اجتثاث mented.
"4. إلى الاعتقاد بأن جميع الكتب السماوية التي تم إرسالها إلى الأنبياء مختلفة صحيحا. ومع ذلك، وبصرف النظر عن القرآن، كل الكتب الأخرى ليست صالحة بعد الآن."
ومن البنود الرئيسية في حذفها. لا يوجد كتب في ولاية روح السماء (إذا كان هناك واحد) فقط حيث لم تعد هناك ملائكة لكتابة / نشر / توزيعها. القرآن، OT، NT وما هي ببساطة الكتب التي كتبت من قبل البشر للبشر.
اخترعت الأنبياء من قبل الكتبة القديمة عادة للحفاظ على الجماهير غير المتعلمة في الخط. اليوم ونحن ندعو لهم فرز الأصوات للتناغم.
النبوءات كما invali مؤرخة من قبل الطبيعية / الله / الله الهدايا من الإرادة الحرة والمستقبل.
"5. إلى الاعتقاد بأن جميع الأنبياء صحيحا. ومع ذلك، ونحن مأمورون اتباع النبي محمد (عليه الصلاة والسلام
صلى الله عليه وسلم) وحده ".
قضى محمد ثلاثين يوما "الصيام" (أسطورة رمضان) في كهف الساخن قبل أول اتصال له مع الله الملقب الخ الله عبر "ممتزوجات افسح المجال ل جميلة". الحس السليم يتطلب حذف الخلايا العصبية من # 5. # 5 هو أيضا المصدر الرئيسي للالاسلامي VI-olence أي تحول محمد "سريع، يحركها الجوع" hallu-cinations إلى واقع فظيع لغير المؤمنين.
المشي هذه خمس خطوات، ونحن نضمن الانتعاش الكامل من الطرق الإسلامية الخاصة بك!!
للأسف، لا توجد العديد من المعلقين مسلم / القراء على هذا بلوق لذلك "مدة دقيقتين" العلاج هو عدم الحصول على لأولئك الذين في حاجة إليها. إذا كان لديك صديق مسلم، ترسل له نسخة وتساعد في إنقاذ العالم.
Just imagine the perfectly good oxygen these people waste.
Why would you assume that Muslim people don't have access to a telephone?
You'd use any segue to post your bullshit, wouldn't you? Egomaniac.
If we are made in god's image... shouldn't we be invisible and non-existent?
LOLOL
Image means, in perfection, with choice, as HE has , not physical form as a hindu atheist, ignorant self centered may understand it.
LET,
Man creates automobiles in his image and after his likenesses,,, so what's the big deals with Godly creations being created and ever being an evolved species to finally become God's most perfect imaged likeness?
"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness..."
Our image!
God is in relationship (father, son, holy spirit) – He created us to be in relationship.
That is my understanding of the image of God.
God is also creative, intelligent, aesthetic, moral, and spiritual.
And we have that image from God in us, too.
Water_On_Mars
"God is in relationship (father, son, holy spirit) – He created us to be in relationship."
Are you suggesting that God created people to be trinity, like God? I don't know of anybody who sees themselves as three independent personalities. Nobody sane, anyway.
Water_On_Mars
"God is also creative, intelligent, aesthetic, moral, and spiritual."
Can you prove that we got these things from God rather than having them innately?
No, Ken I'm not suggesting that God created people to be trinity.
He is inviting us into the relationship.
@ Can you prove that we got these things from God rather than having them innately?
From God and innately are the same to me. We are naturally created in God's image.
Water, So god has a navel and penis then. Why?
The word "image" doesn't always refer to the solid form.
Sometimes the word "likeness" is used.
God created everything. But God created human beings in His image.
The sun is powerful and magnificent, like God. But it is not created in God's image. The sun doesn't know I exist. I know the sun exists.
That is one quick way to try to describe what it means that we are created in the image of God.
Water_On_Mars
What kind of a "relationship" can you have with an invisible being like God supposedly is? Certainly not anything like the actual relationships we have with other people and even pets. With something like God it could all just be in your head, right?
"We are naturally created in God's image."
That would suggest that we evolved naturally to resemble God, a coincidence, without his influence in that evolution. Is this what you mean?
water_on_the_brain, you is delusional dude
Ken
@ What kind of a "relationship" can you have with an invisible being like God supposedly is?
I have been suprised by what a relationship with God is like. Especially when I align my will with God's will.
It is the best kind of relationship because God can grant me unlimited access to things I need.
It could be all just in my head. Maybe I'm going crazy. Or maybe God is real, His love is real and He can use us for his goodness.
@ That would suggest that we evolved naturally to resemble God, a coincidence, without his influence in that evolution. Is this what you mean?
I don't know. I really don't know enough about evolution to answer that. I do believe that God is heavily involved in evolution – it is His work.
Water, If you think a god is guiding evolution wouldn't you expect an omnipotent, omniscient being to do a better job? Just looking at humans: the eye has a blind spot, the spine is not optimal for bipedal motion, the laryngeal nerve takes a far longer route than needed. Giraffes have longer necks and they have the same problem the with laryngeal nerve (down and up the neck) where it connects to the larynx VIA the heart.
Yes, Santa, this "God" character, as a designer, architect, engineer, production manager, etc. would get a barely passing grade of "D". It works, somewhat, but oy, the defects!
We are human beings. Not perfect beings. To me, life is a miracle, it is amazing and beautiful. I'm grateful for everyday I can be a part of it.
Sometimes the defects are what makes us so great.
If I was perfect and got everything I wanted I wouldn't be as strong a person. I've had to overcome a lot – my weaknesses today are usually more helpful to people than my strengths.
I think God has a good design to make our eternal souls better.
Water_On_Mars wrote "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness..." Our image!
So Henry Ford said to his help meet, "Let's make a vehicle in our image and in our likenesses!" Where's your loony tune likeness being imaged from"? Let me guess! The ice-lands of Mars? Have at ya!
Water_On_Mars
So, you "align" yourself to what God wants, and you get some things in return? Not everything you ever ask for, but some things, about as many as would have happened randomly anyway, right? You're not even close to being an equal partner in this "relationship", are you?
"It could be all just in my head. Maybe I'm going crazy. Or maybe God is real, His love is real and He can use us for his goodness."
Where we have more than ample evidence (sadly) that mental illness is real, we have zero evidence that any god is real. I wouldn't go so far as to say you're crazy, but the fantasy that God is real is culturally acceptable enough for people to believe it, and to imagine reasons for believing it as well. All religions do this. Have you checked out all the reasons why people believe in reincarnation and astrology? You guys are not alone in this.
"I really don't know enough about evolution to answer that. I do believe that God is heavily involved in evolution – it is His work."
Yup, you really don't know enough about evolution, all right. One of the big things you learn is that no god is necessary. Why would you suspect there be any "intelligent designer" when there are so many examples of bad design out there in nature. Like I said to doG, why do we have just one pipe going down our throats making it so easy to choke on our food? An intelligent designer would have used two separate ones, right?
@Ken
@ So, you "align" yourself to what God wants, and you get some things in return? Not everything you ever ask for, but some things, about as many as would have happened randomly anyway, right? You're not even close to being an equal partner in this "relationship", are you?
No. That is not what I mean. God is our "Heavenly Father", so it is more like a parent – child relatinship.
We aren't equal partners. God created everything and me. I'm His creature. (All creatures have a creator).
@ we have zero evidence that any god is real.
There is plenty of evidence that God is real.
1 type of evidence is testimony.
Talk to somebody that believes. Look in their eyes and see if they are honest. Look at how they live their life. Listen to them.
"It could be all just in my head. Maybe I'm going crazy. Or maybe God is real, His love is real and He can use us for his goodness."
@ Yup, you really don't know enough about evolution, all right.
http://www.livescience.com/5195-god-evolution-exist-scientist.html
I don't know your credential, but I'm going to trust this guy over you.
I personally know scientists that believe in Jesus Christ and believe that evolution is part of God's design.
--
God has been revealed as real to me. I can't deny this.
" Talk to somebody that believes. Look in their eyes and see if they are honest. Look at how they live their life. Listen to them. "
If the behavior and atti/tude of contemporary Christians on these forums is any indication, why would anyone wish to be like them ? Why would anyone wish to emulate them ?
Ken,
Act 13:41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
In Genesis 6:3, God is made out to be flesh and bones just like mankind and God has a lifespan of but one hundred and twenty years. And in Mathew 6:33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God" but mankind does mostly seek out God and leaves alone the revelations toward the Gods' kingdom domains. Where then are the kingdom domains of the Gods? Luke 17:21 tells all the readers that the kingdom domains of the Gods are inside our physical beings and are righteously of our socialized individualistic concernments sakes. It is likewise written in 1 Corinthians 3:9 that all mankind labors together with its' embodied physical Godly beings and our cellular physiologies are but buildings built and maintained and taken up residencies by those of Godly persuasions. Go figure!
Man creates automobiles in his image and after his likenesses,,, so what's the big deals with Godly creations being firstly created and ever being an evolved species to finally become God's most perfect imaged likeness? Are we humans nothing more than physiological scaffolding-structured, atomized buildings of Godly formed residencies? Are we not generationally reinvigorated thru conceptualizations embarking momentums of atomized sequential isms within DNA nomenclatures to become yet another scaffolding building wherein the Gods take up new residencies for their own Godly generational families to so live out their lives?
For, “In us are all the Gods to be so found for without the Gods keeping our machined physiologies in as smooth a running order as is possible, we might not have evolved from our once singled cell which started the original cell to slowly evolve into the myriads of celestial life forms and formations. For to the Gods in us, we shine as stars in their atomized cosmological skies.
@If the behavior and atti/tude of contemporary Christians on these forums is any indication, why would anyone wish to be like them ? Why would anyone wish to emulate them ?
Yea, good point. Maybe not talk to someone on the internet about this?
Same question: "If the behavior and atti/tude of contemporary atheists on these forums is any indication, why would anyone wish to be like them ? Why would anyone wish to emulate them ?"
I think it is more of a human being problem, than a 'Christian vs Atheist – who is better?' problem.
Water on mars = fred = chad
@.
Different theology than Chad, I believe.
Maybe closer to Fred's.
lionlylamb
Ah, ... what?
Water_On_Mars
Children eventually grow up and become solely responsible for themselves, independent of their parents. When will this happen for you? Will you ever become an "adult" in your relationship analogy?
The UFO alien believers have testimony. The Big Foot believers have testimony. The reincarnation believers have testimony. You could look into all their eyes and see your own. "Testimony" just means that you have a story to tell, and people are very imaginative storytellers.
There are scientists who have good luck charms and doctors who smoke. Point is, neither of them would be willing to base these beliefs on what they professionally can prove. Simply "feeling" that God was involved in evolution doesn't prove anything. In fact, it makes it more complicated than it already is. If God really was involved, then why is there so much bad design in nature? Why so many failed designs that ended in extinction? Why so much engineered suffering in the predator/prey relationship? God would have designed the claws that rip and the teeth that tear flesh. Couldn't he have made it all more humane?
"What kind of a "relationship" can you have with an invisible being like God supposedly is?"
Simple, they worship god, god ignores them
I'd be happy to respond, but I'm invisible and non-existent.
The only car I've seen made in man's image is the Oscar Meyer wienermobile.
If I was powerful enough to have created the universe, I wouldn't allow sickness. That’s the difference between me and your God.
The best way to run your own universe is, first, get your own universe
@Bill
Ask the Mormons ... they believe that if you give enough money to the church you actually get to be God of your own universe when you die.
Hilarious!
If I was powerful enough to have created the universe, I wouldn't allow priests to molest innocent little children. That’s the difference between me and your God.
Great posts. Keep them coming.
@Dwayne
join in ... it's so easy a Christian could do it!
Go on, complete your thought. Tell us how you would prevent all the evil in the world.
@Bill
If I was powerful enough to have created the universe, I would just have to think "let there be no more evil" and it would be so.
So we would all just be "happy little robots for dyslexic dog huh?" Doesn't sound like love to me. Sounds like fascism.
Bill
You've just described Christianity perfectly.
How would we know what was evil? Would you put it in a book maybe? How would we know what is good, without knowing what is not?
You don't make any sense humanist. Dog decries Christianity because evil exist and declare he would banish all evil. We're talking about Dogs universe now. Why should I worship him? How could I not? No atheism?
@bill, if your god weren't so inept it wouldn't even be an issue.
@Bill
We wouldn't be robots. I'd give everyone free will but since I created everything, I'd only create nice happy things. So everyone would be able to choose from all possible things they could do or imagine ... which would all be nice, happy, good, fun things.
I love being so powerful.
Not sure why the Christian God is so moody, narcissistic, petty and nasty?
and Bill ... I DO NOT want anyone to worship me.
That's your Christian needy insecure, petulant God that needs people to worship him. What a tool he is.
Bill Deacon
How do you know that God is the good one and not the devil unless you had some innate sense of what "good" was in the first place?
"Bill Deacon
Go on, complete your thought. Tell us how you would prevent all the evil in the world."
A start would be to get rid of all religions.
Put it in a book!!! And the laughs just keep on coming! I would guess that DD's book, were it to be written, would be a lot more understandable than the Bible.
@Dyslexic doG- you are not an infinite being with unlimited knowledge of good and evil, of all that was and will be. Yet you think you can question why such a being would do what it does?
Wouldn't that be like a crippled up person with Aperts Syndrome questioning you on why you don't get off your butt and do some physical work to help those that you can? Would they be in the right to criticize you? Just askin'
thanks SHFO. 🙂
doG
If you were a "perfect" being then you wouldn't need anything, including worship, right?
that's right Ken
@Ken- who said God needed worship?
Uncouth Swain
Supposing that he's real, if people didn't worship him, then the being you call "God" wouldn't be a god. He'd just be a very powerful being. A god is something that is worshipped as such. Idols were gods once, but now they're just statues, yes? Thus, if God wants to keep his job he needs to maintain a steady pool of worshippers. If he's real, he needs you guys a lot.
Bill
"So we would all just be "happy little robots for dyslexic dog huh?" Doesn't sound like love to me. Sounds like fascism."
Isn't that what heaven is supposed to be? Stepford ghosts.
@Ken- there is nothing out there that seems to imply that to be God he needs worship. He simply is God.
You are still incorrect to imply that God needs worship. Unless you can provide evidence to support your views.
He needs "you guys'? Who would that be? I've yet to make my faith or lack thereof an issue in this.
Uncouth Swain
If there was nobody for him to be god of, would he still be a god? Check your dictionary, gods are things worshipped by people. No more worship, not a god anymore.
Was he a god before he supposedly made people? "God" is a job t.itle. It's simple logic. The sun was once considered a god by a lot of people. It still exists even after people stopped worshipping it. It just stopped being a god. If nobody worships him, God stops being a god.
If I was powerful enough to have created the universe, I wouldn't allow televangelists to use my name to steal money from poor people. That’s the difference between me and your God.
Sarah Morehead, executive director of Recovering from Religion, told CNN that the mission is to help people, not convert them to atheism.
So, what are you helping them with?
basically this is a forum to help them get free of their addiction to religion.
You asked 'What are they helping with'?
How about 'Bewilderment'
They wish to talk about their doubts religion, so that is what the hotline is going to do in helping them.
helping them with logic and fact.
The aim of religions most often is to convince people that they're miserable and bad, without the help only they can provide, of course. It's abusive.
A bit more mature, less acidic, full of life and not so green around the edges.
An atheist is to a Christian as Cabbage is to Brussel Sprouts
Hmmm, dunno. They both can be a little gassy.
Trivia: It's Brussels Sprouts.
You must have Mike's beef jerky Pineapple Habanero!!!
"The aim of religions most often is to convince people that they're miserable and bad"
they have to sell the sickness before they push the cure, no?
If I was powerful enough to have created the universe, I wouldn't allow wars. That’s the difference between me and your God.
I'd vote Dyslexic doG for god.
Hey, let's start a campaign.The present god guy never lifts a finger and never does anything, so let's vote that guy out of office.
*BLUSH*
So you would have stopped the American Revolution?
@Bill
there wouldn't have been the American revolution because I would not have created sin so we'd all still be living in the garden of eden and we'd all be happy and we'd all just get along ...
@bill, if there were an omniscient, omnipotent, perfect creator there would be no need for any revolution or war.
the point being that if the christian god exists he is a dunce.
If I was powerful enough to have created the universe, I wouldn't let a Sandy Hook man murder and maim innocent little elementary school children. That’s the difference between me and your God.
If I was powerful enough to have created the universe, I wouldn't let three innocent girls be held and abused for 10 years. That’s the difference between me and your God.
If I was powerful enough to have created the universe, I wouldn't let tornadoes kill innocent little elementary school children. That’s the difference between me and your God.
And, if you were designing human beings, you likely wouldn't have put just one tube going down the throat, thus saving millions of people from choking to death. Lots of bad design in the human body.
Why didn't God make Adam and Eve at the same time? Making Eve almost reads like God was like, "Oh yeah.... you'll be lonely" ... then made Eve.
And having to fashion a penis later on the fly after grabbing Adam's rib... no wonder it looks like a misshapen mushroom paratrooper...
Good point! Why would Adam need genitals before Eve was made? Even then, was procreation even mentioned before the Fall?
gentlemen ... logic does not apply
A parable...
"The Trees"
There is unrest in the forest
There is trouble with the trees
For the maples want more sunlight
And the oaks ignore their pleas
The trouble with the maples
(And they're quite convinced they're right)
They say the oaks are just too lofty
And they grab up all the light
But the oaks can't help their feelings
If they like the way they're made
And they wonder why the maples
Can't be happy in their shade
There is trouble in the forest
And the creatures all have fled
As the maples scream 'Oppression!'
And the oaks just shake their heads
So the maples formed a union
And demanded equal rights
'The oaks are just too greedy
We will make them give us light'
Now there's no more oak oppression
For they passed a noble law
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe and saw
If I could stop a child from starving, I would. That’s the difference between me and your God.
Yup! Imagine if Superman were real and actually did go around saving some people. Now, imagine if you watched him simply let some people die when you knew he had the ability to save them. He wouldn't be much of a hero then, would he?
You can stop a child from starving now. When's the last time you did?
@Bill
Today actually. At the soup kitchen.
I also have a lot of money being used on Kiva.
I also went to freerice.com
I also donate to goodwill, Oxfam and unicef
Bill Deacon
Lots of atheists support charities that feed children and so do lots of Christians, but Christians also divert a lot of their "charitable" funds towards sending missionaries to convert those children, money that could be put towards actually saving more of them. Are you seriously saying that the chance of signing up a few new members is more important than saving as many children as you can?
In Genesis 6:3, God is made out to be flesh and bones just like mankind and God has a lifespan of but one hundred and twenty years. And in Mathew 6:33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God" but mankind does mostly seek out God and leaves alone the Gods' kingdom domains. Where then is the kingdom domains of the Gods? Luke 17:21 tells all the readers that the kingdom domains of the Gods are inside our physical beings and are not of our socialized concernments sakes. It is likewise written in 1 Corinthians 3:9 that all mankind labors together with its' embodied Godly beings and our physiologies are but buildings built and maintained and taken residencies by those of Godly persuasions. Go figure!
even as a story book it's garbage ... but as the word of God ... he must be one messed up, confused, incoherently raving individual.
@lamb, cherry pick enough verses and you can probably make the bible "say" anything.
Oh my god, they killed Kenny! Those bastards!
LooneyLamb: Oh the fairy tales you tell...silly boy, imaginary friends are for kids.
Act 13:41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
In Genesis 6:3, God is made out to be flesh and bones just like mankind and God has a lifespan of but one hundred and twenty years. And in Mathew 6:33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God" but mankind does mostly seek out God and leaves alone the Gods' kingdom domains. Where then are the kingdom domains of the Gods? Luke 17:21 tells all the readers that the kingdom domains of the Gods are inside our physical beings and are not of our socialized concernments sakes. It is likewise written in 1 Corinthians 3:9 that all mankind labors together with its' embodied Godly beings and our physiologies are but buildings built and maintained and taken up residencies by those of Godly persuasions. Go figure!
@LL – you know I don't actually read your crap... since all you post is crap...
That's because LL is the belief blog pseudo intellect, just laugh at their posts and move on.
This is a gem...an example of Christian ignorance
.-----------------------------------
Robert
Atheist blindly express absolute faith that "There is no god," despite having absolutely no evidence to back up their statements. Christians have the Bible, personal experiences with God, have the Bible, have testimony of others, observations of history and of nature, ect that indicate God is real.
"There is none so blind as he who wills not to see."
Yep, and I'll bet that Robert says 'ek cetera' too!
@ John
Hate much John? Very mature of you to call someone ignorant for no reason. Grow up and get a life.
He is ignorant, and deslusional, for believing in a god.
anthony ... Hate? By posting someones own words that prove the very point John was making?
@Doh, your comment made me laugh out loud 🙂 And I'll bet John doesn't understand it, either!
Everyone can debate all they want, I just think it is stupid to call names. I would like to think that the people posting on here are mature adults.
What is with the repeats. We do not believe that there is no God. We focus on other things like charity instead of focusing on that their is a god.
people can debate maturely.
if a troll wants to call names, they get it back
I have no "faith" that there is no God; I just reject people's claims that God actually exist because their case simply isn't very convincing. If something solid were to pop up that strengthens their case a whole lot then, maybe, that would be enough to convince me that they're right.
Now, how many of you believers out there are open-minded enough to say that they could be convinced that God doesn't exist given enough evidence, or the right argument?
anthony parks
Christians provoke name calling because it gives them the excuse to simply ignore the truth people are telling them. Why give them the satisfaction. Nothing upsets these apologists more than being polite and giving them nothing to react to, but your arguments.
Veronica
"@Doh, your comment made me laugh out loud 🙂 And I'll bet John doesn't understand it, either!"
And your comment made me go, 😯 ! (because Veronica is my name also!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtwIT8JjddM
Yes, he is hindu idiot, a self centered ignorant . denier of truth absolute.
You couldn't even get close to Steven Hawkings IQ.
Please list all of your published works, accomplishments and research to prove your statement that Mr. Hawkings is an idiot. Or are you like other Christians on this blog lying.
We all know you're lying.
Death is the sentience by hindu atheism, criminal self center ism by hindu atheist, criminal self centered, for not providing enough wealth to her hindu atheist, criminal self centered husband in land of hinduism, racism india by faith.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=8HGN59gKch8
Death is the sentience by muslim atheism, criminal self center ism by muslim atheist, criminal self centered, for not providing enough wealth to her muslim atheist, criminal self centered husband in land of muslimism, racism pakistan by faith.
IslamBot: Off your meds again?
Evidence (not proof) that there is no god:
1. start with the Judeo-Christian creation myth. It conflicts with solid science, missing the 13.8B years where the universe expanded, matter cooled and condensed into particles and atoms, billions of galaxies with billions of stars formed, burned up and created heavier elements and chemistry emerged from physics. After a lot of time on a small planet orbiting a minor star at the outskirts of a nondescript spiral galaxy, out of those billions of billions of planets, had the right conditions (right energy and matter flux, etc) for biology to emerge from chemistry. We know the rest.
2. Same for other religions and their gods.
3. Same for numerous other parts of Judeo-Christian scripture and creeds that conflict with scientific evidence.
Not proof, but don't say there is no evidence that there is no god.
One has to be hindu atheist, ignorant self centered to make a claim such as yours, TRUTH ABSOLUTE IS GOD Of ABRAHAM, AND HE RULES THE UNIVERSE, such as disrupt your breath and be able to live. Need any more proof, hindu atheist, ignorant self centered, GOD of Abraham is a fact, truth, not a myth, as you hind, absurd.
Thanks IFOAC, you've convinced me (sarcasm). I recommend you look at the definition of evidence.
Human exist by understanding, not by any physical form, Truth absolute GOD is realized by understanding, not by visualization, as a hindu atheist, ignorant self centered expect truth absolute GOD to be.
boston,
Not to mention that many of the myths (flood, born of virgin, etc.) that are in the bible were recorded in other cultures way before these things were supposed to have happened.
IFOAC,
Asserting things using mystical language is also not convincing.
I would agree there is evidence the Christian god and most, if not all, other named gods do not exist. That's not really the same, though, as evidence there are no gods at all.
The majority of people are atheists (because common sense tells you this) .. they're just afraid (& rightfully so) of the backlash and attacks from people who claim to be believers. It just takes a hotline like this to help people out of the Pavlovian conditioned response they've been subjected to for most of their lives.
What I don't get is why believers should care one way or another about this hotline; they're not going to call, so why does it matter to them?
What I don't get is why atheists should care one way or another about thie CNN Belief Blog; they have no belief, so why does it matter to them?
Uncouth, maybe because I do hold beliefs. I just don't have a belief in your god or any other god.
Again, what I don't get is why atheists should care one way or another about thie CNN Religious Belief Blog; they have no religious belief, so why does it matter to them?