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June 14th, 2013
04:05 PM ET
Superman: Flying to a church near youBy Eric Marrapodi, Co-Editor CNN Belief Blog Baltimore, Maryland (CNN) - As the new Superman movie takes flight this weekend, filmmakers are hoping the Man of Steel lands not only in theaters, but also in pulpits. Warner Bros. Studios is aggressively marketing "Man of Steel" to Christian pastors, inviting them to early screenings, creating Father’s Day discussion guides and producing special film trailers that focus on the faith-friendly angles of the movie. The movie studio even asked a theologian to provide sermon notes for pastors who want to preach about Superman on Sunday. Titled “Jesus: The Original Superhero,” the notes run nine pages. “How might the story of Superman awaken our passion for the greatest hero who ever lived and died and rose again?” the sermon notes ask. (Disclaimer: CNN, like Warner Bros., is owned by Time Warner.) Similar campaigns to corral the country's large number of Christians into the movie theater have been used for "Les Miserables," "Soul Surfer" and "The Blind Side," all of which had at least some faith angle. Baltimore pastor Quentin Scott is among dozens of ministers who received an e-mail invitation from Grace Hill Media, a Hollywood-based Christian marketing firm, to an early screening of “Man of Steel.” “There was an actual push to say `We’re putting out something that speaks to your group,' ” said Scott, one of the pastors of Shiloh Christian Community Church in Baltimore. At first, Scott said, he didn’t buy the religious pitch. Then he decided to attend a free midweek screening in Baltimore. “When I sat and listened to the movie I actually saw it was the story of Christ, and the love of God was weaved into the story," said the pastor. "It was something I was very excited about that with the consultation of our senior pastor, we could use in our congregation.” CNN Entertainment: 'Man of Steel' director Zack Snyder on Superman's Christ-like parallels Grace Hill’s sermon notes are specially designed for churches like Shiloh that integrate multimedia into their services. “Let’s take a look at the trailer for `Man of Steel,’” the notes suggest after briefly introducing the movie’s history and themes. The man behind the notes, Pepperdine University professor Craig Detweiler, has prepared similar material for films like 2009’s "The Blind Side" and "The Book of Eli" from 2010. The spiritual themes in “Man of Steel” are abundant, Detweiler said, and his notes enable Christians to thoughtfully engage with pop culture instead of shunning it. “All too often, religious communities have been defined by what they're against. With a movie like `Man of Steel,’ this is a chance to celebrate a movie that affirms faith, sacrifice and service,” Detweiler said. It will be hard for even casual Christians to miss the messianic metaphors in "Man of Steel.” The movie focuses on the origins of Superman, who was sent from the planet Krypton as an infant to save his species. He is raised by surrogate parents who help him grapple with his special powers, even though they don’t fully understand the source of his extraordinary abilities. When he turns 33, Superman must willingly sacrifice himself to save the human race. Sound familiar? If that’s not enough, as a boy Clark Kent is shown wrestling with his superpowers, and asks his earthly dad, Jonathan Kent, “Did God do this to me?” “Somewhere out there you have another father and he sent you here for a reason,” says Jonathan Kent. Even the visuals hammer home the messianic motifs. During a fight with his archenemy, General Zod, Superman plunges down to Earth, his arms outstretched as if he were being crucified. Of course, he rises again. Detweiler writes in the sermon notes, “What Jesus and Superman both give us, through their `hero’ actions but also their `human’ actions – is hope.” “I think it’s a very good thing that Hollywood is paying attention to the Christian marketplace,” said Ted Baehr, who runs Movieguide, a website that reviews family friendly films from a Christian perspective. “Where it gets sticky is when they try to manipulate the market and when Christians try to manipulate Hollywood. But here I think we have the right balance.” But other Christians are heaving a supersized sigh at the movie marketing. "Any pastor who thinks using `Man of Steel Ministry Resources' is a good Sunday morning strategy must have no concept of how high the stakes are, or very little confidence in the power of God’s word and God’s spirit," writes P.J. Wenzel, a deacon and Sunday School teacher at Dublin Baptist Church in Ohio. "As they entertain their congregants with material pumped out from Hollywood’s sewers, lives are kept in bondage, and people’s souls are neglected," according to Wenzel, who said he was e-mailed information about the movie. Scott, the Baltimore pastor, said he knows that Warner Bros. Studios has a financial incentive in pushing the film to pastors. But he said that’s fine with him. “They’re using us but in fact we’re using them,” he said. His church won't show clips from the movie this weekend because it had already planned out its service. But he plans to use them later, during meetings with the church’s men’s group. “If you give me another opportunity to talk to someone about Jesus Christ, and I can do that because of your movie, that’s a win for me, because it is about spreading the Gospel.” CNN's Erin McPike contributed to this report. soundoff (6,545 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 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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zeus, horus, boris, these r the best they can do. lol
fsm, 2.
Liar. Plenty of people ask you things. You ignore them. That's on you.
Hey there! Hope all is well faith!
Austin, is that your best pick up line? No matter, faith is almost as dumb as you so you might get lucky. . .
I guess you are right. She might reply.
Faith. Apparently that makes him feel better.
Faith is the worst representative Jesus Christ could have envisioned. He would most definitely have told her to change her style of proselytizing. She is anything but Christ-like in her thoughts and actions. She should be ashamed of her racist and bigoted atti tude.
Faith, go to oneplace.com and hit audio archives. I listen to these sermons I think it's good. The spirit speaks to us when we center on Him, and many preachers have a divine spiritual gift to teach.
Matthew 7 if you are a believer you know you are commanded to love other believers. And love suffers long and is not offended.
I am a believer, Austin, and God commands us to love ALL, not just the ones we personally agree with. This includes atheists, Austin. This pick and choose att itude is not the baliwick of Christ's ministry. If you cannot love everyone, EVERYONE, you are not living as Jesus lived, and are disobeying God.
Faith exhibits none of the attributes Jesus displayed, and if she truly wants to walk with Our Lord, she will spread His love, not repeat her hate.
It is a trying thing to do, but if she is filled with the Light of the Holy Spirit, she can do this. As it is, she is making a mockery of His sacrifice, and is actually no better than the atheists she abhors. She acts in a hypocritical manner. It is painful to watch a supposed Child of God act so.
have another drink, austin....it probably helps with the dead cat hallucinations
absolutely nothing. sorry girls
out of MD 20/20 agin???
nothing
Liar.
Everyone who knows the words of prayer, lets begin praying for everyone who doesnt know Jesus as their savior. We pray the scales fall of the eyes of their mind. Let's remember the facts are not the truth. The enemy will always use facts to distort the truth.
Facts are not the truth? Can you expand on that?
Yes, who needs those darn pesky facts? What good are facts when you can just make up crap in your mind and run with it.
You really have a kind of weak, dumb god.
If she wanted people to believe would she need prayers to remind her of what she, (omniscient being that she is), already knows what she is already going to do ?
You really have an idiotic religion there.
Grow up.
If "make up crap in your mind" works for people why do you care? If there is no God why you keep talking about something that don't exist?
I do not want Jesus as my savior. Ewwww. I think I just vomited a little.
I want to thank you guys for a nice and friendly debate, despite the fact there was a bit of name calling.
PS: Tom if your in So Cal I'd love to buy you your favorite fruity mixed drink and hear you rant some more!
I don't know about other atheists, but I mostly discuss the Christian god because I am appalled that people believe in such a vile and horrific paradigm. Because I was enslaved by Christian theology for several decades, I feel duty-bound to express the ridiculousness of such a character as the god of the bible. Face life; not imaginary sky wizards. It's lazy thinking that's best left behind along with other childishness.
Chris, people are willing to work with you on your belief in things that do not exist. That is ordinary compassion.
Chris
"If there is no God why you keep talking about something that don't exist?"
It's because those who think God exists insist on forcing their religion on the rest of us and use it to deny people equal rights.
That shouldn't be news to you.
I'm guessing sarcasm.
Jebus never existed either. They just made it all up.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX4LvKvIWJw&w=640&h=360]
Follower, you are crazy for believing that crap. Jesus, God, unicorns, leprechauns, and Santa don't exist.
what a load of ....
so let me get this straight. if I believe in God ( christian) then I am an idiot. but if I belive in no God I am enlightened. so no God means that life here was some grand accident and we are all mistakes of nature. then along a line of common sense when we die it all ends. any love we felt. sadness fear education realizations etc all gone. just a big waist of time really. if Indo believe in God. I continue on and all I have felt and learned is not wasted..... hmmm.. have fun being an athiest. I guess in the end we will see who is right..or it wont matter...depending on the winner..
Have fun staying ignorant.
You may have been a mistake, Gman33597, but not a mistake of nature. With regard to nature there was no intent, so no mistakes.
Pascal's Wager? Really? 🙄
No, see, you are wrong. Even if you do believe, it still doesn't mean there is some special place you go to.
Why the nasty and snarky vibe? Are you sure this is how Jesus would want you to behave?
That's the problem. You're playing to win in an afterlife that doesn't exist. Every shred of logic that you use in other areas of your life to determine truth from falsehood has long since been indoctrinated out of you so that you can't see what should be obvious: that religion is a fantasy created by man.
That isn't to say that it doesn't have its good side. Most people of all religions are, like most people in general, as good as you teach them to be. The problem is not so much the concept of God or his message, but rather the efforts of the corrupt to subvert these things to benefit themselves at the expense of others. As I said, people are as good as you teach them to be.
Don't look at a life without God as lacking in purpose. Consider that this is all that we have, so we should appreciate our own lives as well as the lives of others that much more. And what you learn in life does live on. It lives on in your children if you teach them.
Gman33597
If it happens to all just be some "grand accident", and there really isn't anything to suggest that it isn't, then that's just the hand we've all been dealt. Just as some people are individually dealt poverty, deformity, or some other less desirable hand at birth, it's still up to all of us to overcome our collective and individual handicaps as best we can, and that's what gives life meaning, not some storybook fantasy about who your real "father" is.
@ Gman33597
Christians who use the Pascal's Wager argument remind me of poor folks who spend all their money on lotto tickets instead of simply trying to work harder, or get a better job, or save for their retirement because they KNOW that they will win some day.
Actually, it's worse than that. Imagine they buy tickets to some lotto that nobody has ever won, as far as anyone can tell. That's how pathetic that argument is.
Odds,
"Every shred of logic that you use in other areas of your life to determine truth from falsehood has long since been indoctrinated out of you so that you can't see what should be obvious: that religion is a fantasy created by man."
Why do you propose that belief in God is illogical?
@jboom.... "Why do you propose that belief in God is illogical?"
Because there is zero evidence to indicate that god is real.
on and all I have felt and learned is not wasted.....
Really – and of what use will your skills be in heaven?
oOo: Austin, they said "Flying to a church near you", not "Flying naked through a church near you".
Comedy gold! Hahahahahahahaha!
I am thinking maybe they should get Matthew McConaughey to play the part of Austin if they ever make a movie about his life. I can just see a crazed MM, naked, driving his truck through a church.
I'd go see it. I like MM.
Well look what God did with the killer Paul. I vandalized some materials. This is a non violent offense. And I'm simply reminding you that this is good for you......it means that the lord is love and forgiveness. Totally faithful. No one is excluded. Everyone is justified, BECAUSE it IS GOD who does so.
No cats were harmed in the making of this film.
Are we going to be treated to another chapter in The Squishkitty Chronicles"?
Maybe . Why not? It's not my call.
Austin
Where does it say in the Bible that Paul was a killer?
He oversaw the killing of Stephen as well as many others.
Austin
But it never actually says that he killed anyone, it's just assumed through tradition, like a lot of things people "know" about the bible.
Austin – there you go with that false apostle Paul. Why do you instist on believing him even when he contradicts the teachings of the man he (supposedly) venerated?
The Superman I remember, from the television shows in the 50's, fought for "truth, justice and the American way". Today's Superman has renounced his citizenship of the United States of America. Sorry, I'm not interested in any movies featuring the politically – correct Superman.
Stephen,
Yeah. Who wants politically correct? Bring back slavery. Keep women from voting.
Didn't he do it so he could be a 'citizen of the world' or something?
Isn't nationalism just selfishness expressed by bullying?
stephen48739
Maybe not so much "truth", or "justice", but most Conservative US Christians wholeheartedly believe that Jesus is the real defender of the "American Way". If you consider guns, the death penalty, and greasy church pot luck food the definitive "American Way", that is.
Perhaps Superman is just embracing his true roots as a citizen of Krypton.
tallulah13
Wanna bet that Krypton is in the same astral neighborhood as Kolob?
Perhaps that's why Krypton exploded.
my experience trumps your lack of experience. I can tell you the truth with authority about what God is, a sovereign spirit.
Austin
I experienced the revelation of the Holy Spirit. The Holy spirit can get ones attention. The Holy Spirit is a sanctifying spirit that bears the truth of God's word on a person's heart.
The Holy Spirit is a person.
This is a promise.John 15:26-27
The Work of the Holy Spirit
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
June 16, 2013 at 10:32 pm | Report abuse |
the Holy Spirit is God's gift to you. This is the only advise I give you. I personally am no role model. I just happen to have a piece of eternally valid information.
Your LSD inspired delusions trump absolutely nothing.
Austin, they said "Flying to a church near you", not "Flying naked through a church near you".
I guess I'm in the right frame of mind for it, but Austin is striking me as absolutely hilarious.
What "experience"? You're a kid who has delusions of grandeur. You've never been married, never had kids, never really lived on your own, never cared for a loved one who was ill, never owned a home, never lost a parent.
Do you think your dreams count as "experience"? They don't. Everyone has dreams, you bozo. You just don't realize that yours are nothing special. You delude yourself. You are mentally unstable and are prone to addictions. You're a nut-case and a wackaloon.
Whats up everyone, I'm right here.
Jehovah Shammah. The Lord is There.
Jehovah Jireh. The Lord Our Provider
Acts 2:17
New International Version (NIV)
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Oh, knock it off, Austintasia. Posting baloney under another name doesn't make it roast beef.
So when holding your breath until you turned blue didn't provide you with any visions, you turned to drugs. Gotcha.
Hey Austin – you start your psychic hotline yet? I don't think it's fair you should keep your psychic gift (which you erroneously think comes from outside of yourself) all to yourself? Others should be able to gain the benefits of your psychic gift!
It's absolutely disgusting that religious people would try to usurp something as cool as Superman to promote their demented creed. Is there no end to their evil?
This just seems silly. I don't think any Christian pastors will go for it but who knows.
dshipp17
"Jonas, for those who are so smart, here's your chance to deal a deadly blow to Christianity and win $10,000 at the same time http://www.newser.com/story/165107/creationist-10k-to-anyone-who-can-disprove-genesis.html; so far, no takers."
Dshipp, the reason there are no takers is because it's impossible to prove. Don't mistake that for proof that it's real. If you had actually read Genesis, you'd see there many, many lies. 900 year old people? Talking snakes? Floating zoos. You, my friend are an absolute idiot to believe such crap. Sure there's a $10,000 reward waiting, but it's ludicrously impossible to disprove bs written 2000 years ago. We may not be able to prove it didn't happen, but...It takes a real imbecile to believe such childishness. In fact, even a child will question the bs he's read in that immoral book of ridiculously bad fairy tales.
$10,000, that's pocket change compared to Randi's $1,000,000 challenge. From http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge.html:
"The Foundation is committed to providing reliable information about paranormal claims. It both supports and conducts original research into such claims.
At JREF, we offer a one-million-dollar prize to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event. The JREF does not involve itself in the testing procedure, other than helping to design the protocol and approving the conditions under which a test will take place. All tests are designed with the participation and approval of the applicant. In most cases, the applicant will be asked to perform a relatively simple preliminary test of the claim, which if successful, will be followed by the formal test. Preliminary tests are usually conducted by associates of the JREF at the site where the applicant lives. Upon success in the preliminary testing process, the "applicant" becomes a "claimant."
To date, no one has passed the preliminary tests.
Click here to see the application.
Click here to see the current $1 million statement which shows the current amount in our prize account.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Log of Applicants"
I experienced the revelation of the Holy Spirit. The Holy spirit can get ones attention. The Holy Spirit is a sanctifying spirit that bears the truth of God's word on a person's heart.
The Holy Spirit is a person.
This is a promise.John 15:26-27
The Work of the Holy Spirit
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
Then why can't you manage to post descriptions of your recent dreams, Austintasia? Too busy ironing your halo?
@austin
What the hell?! It's a spirit, it's a person.... make up your durn mind.
Austin, for $10,000, paid fully in advance in cash, I will act as your agent to apply for and win the JREF challenge. I'm sure you would agree that this is a small amount against the certainty of you getting $1,000,000.
austoni42@gmail.com
money goes to charity , you can triple your money. I don't want any money.
ill be available january through mid march.
Only for the new readers of this blog:
JC = Superman? Give us a break !!
Actually, Jesus was a bit "touched" and any super powers were only in his head. After all he thought he spoke to Satan, thought he changed water into wine, thought he raised Lazarus from the dead etc. In today's world, said Jesus would be declared legally insane.
Or did P, M, M, L and J simply make him into a first century superman via their epistles and gospels of semi-fiction? Most contemporary NT experts after thorough analyses of all the scriptures go with the latter magic-man conclusion with J's gospels being mostly fiction.
Obviously, today's followers of Paul et al's superman are also a bit on the super odd side believing in all the Christian mumbo jumbo about bodies resurrecting, and exorcisms, and miracles, and "magic-man atonement, and infallible, old, European/Utah white men, and 24/7 body/blood sacrifices followed by consumption of said sacrifices. Yummy!!!!
So why do we really care what a first century CE, illiterate, long-dead, preacher man would like or dislike, bless or curse, do or not do?
JC = Superman?? Give us a break!!!
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If the United States of America was 2k years old it would have an equally F'ed up past as the Catholic Church...Dont give me that weak argument about the Church and its wrongdoings...America has plenty and were all still proud Americans.
I'm not proud of you, Chrissy. You're an uneducated tool. The US provides an education to all citizens, and you have failed to fulfill your obligation as an American.
Im just giving my opinions, not attacking people personally. But whatever floats your boat man, its just the internet.
Get that GED, Chris. You are just sad.
It's ok Tom I forgive ya lol but go look in the mirror and learn to chill out.
I don't need to do a thing but look at the execrable crap you type in your posts, Chrissy. If you can't manage to write, then get off here and go learn to do so.
Your right. Its sad I dont name call to boost my self esteem
It's "you're," ya fvckwit.
Your right again! Can you tutor me? I'm gettin a kick out of "your" anger with my lack of proper spelling and grammer. I can only pay pennies though im so uneducated I can't really get a good job
On the real tho tom. I do like ur style keep up the good work
Nobody can tutor someone who lacks a functioning cerebrum. Best find a job mopping floors at the home, honey.
Thanks for the tip. Boo 😉
Could HeavenSent be a kangaroo? I know she would need some sort of human help to type her drivel, but perhaps there's a kangaroo behind it all inspiring it. Perhaps it's like the inspiration behind her God's holy word, though I'm pretty sure that came from Syrian hamsters feeding on Indian hemp.
Now we're getting somewhere (also see reply by Science below).
Could it be?
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YIj4rLYo0c&w=640&h=360]
Nah. Kangaroos have something going for them-at least they're physically attractive and have some brains. Can't say either about HS. What a bovine.
Let us not compare hs to bovine. Bovine have their uses.
I apologize to cows everywhere. I have the utmost respect for Holsteins. They are indeed useful and beautiful in their own way.
HS is neither useful nor beautiful in any way, shape, or form. She is a blight on the universe.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOOs8MaR1YM&w=640&h=360]
Please do not insult the animals with such a comparison. Most that I have personally known have intelligence far beyond most of the humans that I have encountered on the internet. It's disapppointing to see the limitations of the average human I.Q today.
HS only believes she's a kangaroo. She probably hops around the house with the chihuahua she calls "Joey" in the pocket of her apron.
HeavenSent has to be a poe. No person could be that obnoxious without making an effort. She's a fake.
Have not seen chad for a while HS might be chad maybe ?
I think Chad is trying to resurrect himself, from death due to continuously losing every argument, as jboom.
After conversing with jboom, I feel the same urge to punch kittens as I did when talking to chad. And the urge to vomit. And the urge to know without a doubt that pleasuring myself with a cheese grater would be preferable.
That would explain a lot about jboob, uh, bomb, I mean boom.
What a turd.
Please, leave boobs out of this. They have a purpose and are friendly.
HAA...I...uh... hmm. I got nothing.
jboom reminds me of Austin, actually.
And as for HeavenSent, she posited that Satan was responsible for 5% of this post by Bostontola was lies:
“Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, performed miracles, founded the Church, died sacrificially by crucifixion to achieve atonement, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven, from which he will return.”
She has not specified what about this, if any, was lies...I would be most interested in her answer.
But HeavenScent also thinks she's a kangaroo. Who knows what's going on in her head?
Five percent, huh? How'd the wackbasket come up with that figure?
I wonder if HS makes her martoonis with gin or vodka? Maybe both.
Kangaroos everywhere are saying, "what??"
The question really is........... who is L4H playing as lately ?
Chad who are you dancing with lately..............no Rachel either ?
I see Austin just showed up................with his black kitty.
Christian's/Muslims etc can't prove many many things in the bible/quran, but theres faith and religious guildlines that religious people appreciate. Athiest can't prove there is no god but somehow they have an insufficienbt amount of logic which makes them correct in their minds.
There is a complete absence of proof to support the existence of any god. Therefore, the only logical conclusion is that gods don't exist. You make all the accusations you want, it doesn't make your belief logical or your god real.
Human morality does not come from the bible, it precedes it.
That which can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof.
THE REASON ATHEISTS WHINE
Unbelievers don't believe Jesus Christ's truth, instead, they prefer to believe the lies of satan so they can live in denial while they bully others to do the same. If I believed I was born a kangaroo, lived my life as a kangaroo, insisted everyone consider me a kangaroo and demanded respect that my ego tells me I'm a kangaroo, will NEVER make it true.
Actually, HS, kangaroos are intellectually and morally superior to you. You only wish you could be a kangaroo.
Chris: "Athiest can't prove there is no god but somehow they have an insufficienbt amount of logic which makes them correct in their minds."
Is there anyone in the house that understands the Fundiot language?
I do have proof that Athiest like to troll articles about religion though. So much effort for something that doesn't exist...crazy.
Chrissy, honey, the only thing your posts prove is that even an imbecile like you can afford a computer and internet service. It's "atheist," dummy.
You misspelled about half the words you typed above, darling. Have you registered for summer school yet? I hear repeating 3rd grade is a hoot.
Religion does exist though and it's effects can be very harmful.
@the real tom
3rd grade? That's mighty generous of you.
@Chris
Atheist* Note the letter order for e and i.
Very few atheists are out to prove there are no gods. Most are well aware that it would be a futile endeavor. But the complete absence of any evidence, whatsoever, in support of any gods, should be enough for anyone to relegate them to the realm of myths. Without evidence to support the existence of gods, it is unreasonable to believe they exist. Without any evidence in support, gods are no more likely to exist than other mythical and imaginary creatures. Your god is no more likely to be real than the monsters under your bed. Belief in gods is no more rational than belief in the Tooth Fairy.
@Damo, I am nothing if not generous. Especially after a glass of wine. Or 3.
It would take shot upon shot of goldschalger for me to be that generous.
Insufficient logic?? There is absolutely NO logic in religion. Blind acceptance of obvious nonsense is not logical. Logic is what led me to atheism in the first place. If you use your brain and THINK for a change, it will lead you there as well.
Atheists don't have to prove the non-existence of a god. If a god doesn't exist, it leaves no evidence of non-existence. If you claim the existence of a god, the burden is on you to prove a god's existence. A positive claim always requires proof. A negative doesn't. That's the standard. If your too dumb to understand that, you have no argument to base anything you claim on.
The intelligence recognizes two kinds of knowledge of divine realities. The first is relative, because it is confined to the intelligence and its intellections, and does not entail any real perception, through actual experience, of what is known. The second is true and authentic knowledge. Through experience alone and through grace it brings about, by means of participation and without the help of the intelligence and its intellections, a total and active perception of what is known.
LinCA,
you start off talking pretty sincere and even sound educated.
But to equate belief in God to monsters under beds shows your aim to be just propaganda.
Rather, you should seek to understand your fellow man.
And as to evidence, you'd be more correct to say you reject the evidence.
Sorry I take back everything I said. I am not a non-believer. But I am a Beiber!
@maximo
You said, "you start off talking pretty sincere and even sound educated."
I am both.
You said, "But to equate belief in God to monsters under beds shows your aim to be just propaganda."
Please enlighten me. How do they differ, other than that children are encourage to stop believing in one, and not the other?
You said, "Rather, you should seek to understand your fellow man."
I do. That's why I know that the gods of today are mere incarnations and refinements of the explanations of primitive humans for why there's thunder and lightning. They are "the answer" to questions that couldn't be answered at the time. They are the result of the unease of saying "I don't know".
You said, "And as to evidence, you'd be more correct to say you reject the evidence."
If you have any, please share. Let's put your god to the test.
@maximo..... "And as to evidence, you'd be more correct to say you reject the evidence."
Please provide the evidence you claim we're rejecting.........
Maximo.
You clearly do not understand the definition of intelligence.
I just came from seeing the Man of Steel, and I was very disappointed. The original Superman was supposed to be a 'Christ' type of figure. This superman is more of a super-powered man, not a truly super man. Jesus Christ on the other hand was truly super, he was fully God in the body of a man who had the wisdom and power to lead mankind back into a relationship with Himself.
Ohhh yes, a deity makes a half-hearted attempt at making something, makes a half-hearted attempt at making itself its own son to rectify the mess and ends up causing a bigger mess. Truly super.
Not to mention killing 25,000,000 people along the way, and things still aren't right.
And holding starving kids hostage to death until their parents 'see the light'.
Actually, Superman isn't human at all. He's an orphaned alien from a destroyed planet who was adopted by humans. I know that and I don't even like Superman.
And leaving humanity to struggle for 150,000 years, dying in childbirth or of disease and famine, before saying "Oh no, this won't do, I'd better intervene here."
@SHfO
Exactly!
I guess if you're gullible enough to believe everything in the Bible, marketing a blatently made up figure, this time with moving pictures is par for the course.
Oh, and wouldn't Superman not be covered by the whole 'he died for mankind's sins' speil, considering he wasn't actually a human, nor born on this earth.
Sorry to break it to you but the two Jewish teens, Jerry Siegel and Jor Shuster, didn't have Jesus in mind when they created Superman.
Jesus Christ, if he existed at all, was a socialist carpenter with a big mouth. Period.
I just saw Superman, and I have no idea how this association is being made. This is a far reach for Christians. There's even a line in there that says "evolution always wins". Plus Christians don't believe in aliens.
well except for the Mormons
Umm....the BAD guy says that. And plenty of Christians believe in (at least the possibility of) aliens. C.S. Lewis, one of the most influential Christian writers of the 20th century wrote about aliens at length, both in his fiction and nonfiction.
To come up with the idea of GOD is a real primitive question that the human mind has. Only the human mind as far as we know has the capacity to question the purpose of our existence. My cat has better answers than I do about it. Just be a cat...
Making money off Christians. Brilliant!
This country is truly f****d!