our invisible friend
So, no one knows what happens when we snuff it. The overwhelming likelihood is not very much. Ever been unconscious?

But no – when offered an incomprehensible, inconceivable jumble of superstitions, fairy tales and bogeyman stories rewritten recycled and Chinese whispered down the ages by control freaks and charlatans - you are CERTAIN beyond all doubt that despite all the vast wonder of all existence there is a creator, who (while having a universe to run) is obsessed with your every move thought and action. Oh and you can wish for stuff too.

An all powerful intangible invisible friend and protector – sounds pretty cool. You must be immune to all illness, earthquakes and injury then. No?

Our essential natural urges are shameful and evil?

Your creator is jealous, intolerant, violent, vindictive, spiteful, pernicious and vengeful – but he loves you?

I should terrify my tiny innocent child with assurances this invisible character is waiting in the shadows to punish him for questioning any of this whilst conversely insisting he only deals in truth and that ghosts and goblins are just camp fire tales?

You insist you require no proof for this but continually strive to find bolt-on bits and bobs of science that support your crackpot ideas - the same science that you continually deny.

If my crackpot jumble of superstitions varies even slightly from yours we should devote all our energies to annihilation in a manner that contradicts the few worthwhile parts of your crazy code of divine conduct?

We have the technology to split the atom and unravel DNA but your preference is to split humanity into one half who believe dinosaurs were a prank and another half who believes women should be bundled up and passed around like parcels by men who think it’s a splendid idea to chop off rather crucial bits of anatomy.

We see ourselves as an advanced civilisation yet it was twenty or so years after landing a man on the moon before we realised wheels on a suitcase might be helpful.

Doesn’t bode well does it?
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 11:17, 14 replies)

its human nature i suppose
the ego loves to think that the miracle that is 'conciousness' is no container for our infinite energy, and that when this miracle is withdrawn we will still be able to sail on through the cosmos...on a molecular level, this is true, energy is never destroyed.

Personally i think science and spirituality are on a collision course with the boundary between both becoming ever more blurred. We live in exciting times!
(Cancer Joy was short lived, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 11:27, closed)

my father used to be
the secretary of the Society of Ordained Scientists, amongst other similar groups. The only way he could marry his faith to his scientific belief in evidence was to make his version of Christianity so abstract as to be nothing more than a philosophy and guide to life.

We had some extraordinarily long-winded and essentially pointless arguments that inevitably boiled down to

'Science deals in proof or at the very least, probability, correct?'
'Yes'
'Your religious beliefs cannot be proven and are, at the very least, improbable, correct?'
'No'
'Prove it'
'I can't'

*sigh*
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 15:17, closed)

This
should be printed out and stuck to billboards.

Gets a click also for the wheelie suitcase comment!
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 11:29, closed)

Clicked
Couldn't have put this better myself.
(LongJohnBaldry, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 11:32, closed)

Couldnt agree more....
Wheels on suitcases really are pretty damn helpful.
(Mr_Smythe, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 11:33, closed)

You said what I'm sure we're all thinking!
Certainly worthy of a click.
( Blind Meach Cautiously optimistic, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 11:35, closed)

"Ever been unconscious?"
I prefer "ever not been born yet?"
(Vice Admiral Sir Charles Cockbrush KCB MBE DSO, who is finding it increasingly difficult to log into b3ta.com wants to duck your aunt and kick your puppy, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 12:25, closed)

Nicely put
Have a 'click'
(uk_viper stopped lurking on, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 14:44, closed)

I'm going to try and learn this off by heart...

I reckon it will only take a minute or so to say - and a minute well spent as it will kick the living fuck out of any god bothering argument...job done...and I'll be able to go back to my beer.

I heartily click you, sir.
( Pooflake braces for an onslaught..., Fri 16 Oct 2009, 21:43, closed)

well said
click
(Lionel Tiger, Sun 18 Oct 2009, 9:56, closed)

I likes you
(more than I did before)
( Tiffany Aching 's bowl of oatmeal tried to stare her down and won, Mon 19 Oct 2009, 6:44, closed)

that sounds rather ominous
(no link to recent problems inferred)
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Mon 19 Oct 2009, 19:58, closed)

Previously on this website
...we had b3ta.com/board/9709521 ... which is pretty much what the whole religion thing does mean to me anyway. Having an invisible friend doesn't actually mean you have to believe in annihilation, terrifying people, refuting dinosaurs or chopping off anatomy.

But, meh. I realise the fundies get the headlines and us wishy-washy Church of England types don't. That said, Rowan Williams lives in our village. He a) rocks and b) has teh best beard evah.
(ChaRleyTroniC is invincible with his chips and cheese, Mon 19 Oct 2009, 23:27, closed)

with respect i think you've kind of missed the point
you sound awfully nice but if you examine your religion, aside from the nice social aspect of village life and jumble sales, it is based on the same foundations and principles.

we dont need to explain what happens over the horizon any more with 'here be dragons' we know it is simply the american continent. (having said that some of them are really big)

its the same with - why are we here. what happens when i die. i'm scared.

theres no need. its just life.

the problem is your 'fundie' (inbred) cousins are in charge of a lot of arms and influence. and they wont just let it go.

from what you say it sounds like you are in fact a Humanist.
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 1:43, closed)