patrick.net

TechGromit says

...with Fireman (also called Fire fighter), Crew manager, Watch Manager, Station manger, Group Manger, Area manager, Assistant brigade Manager, Deputy Brigade Manger and the high priest the Brigade Manager.

This is excellent. A religion/ workfare program. And, unlike Amway, nonbelievers will contribute even more than the chosen!

You could be the founder of that religion!

Could you please include cellphone excutives and corporate lobbyists?

And all of Microsoft.
And drug and insurance company executives.
And Fox News, Burson-Marsteller, and the Koch brothers.
Just to start.

Do we need a religion? Are we so hard-wired to believe in the divine that we have to look up to something other than our predecessors?
Religion is an instrument of control; we don't need any more of that.

theLandlord says

I follow the golden rule, just treat others how you want to be treated.

I hope you're not a sadist or a masochist!

My god is Mammon. I think that's essentially the dominant deity in the US now anyway.

Sorry sports fans, Judaism is the best religion. 13 million Jews out of out of a world population of 7 billion produced 10% of us college faculty, and 178 Nobel Prize winners. Of course, a lot of these are not religiously observant...maybe that's another good thing about Jews is that so many of them aren't really believers :-)

Just my $.02

Honestly, I'm surprised at the sheer number of people that still believe in any of the popular religions. I mean, really.. come on.

Religion who's teaching is based in the Holy Scripture is the true religion: check this out:
http://www.truthcaster.com/

This link will lead you to true religion:
http://theoldpath.tv/
"seek and you will find;" Mat 7:7

monkframe says

Do we need a religion? Are we so hard-wired to believe in the divine that we have to look up to something other than our predecessors?
Religion is an instrument of control; we don't need any more of that.

Yes, we do need religion - look at the bad things happen when we don't have it; for examples look to Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Mao, etc.
Civil Society needs an external common moral reference to be sustained.

chemechie says

monkframe says

Do we need a religion? Are we so hard-wired to believe in the divine that we have to look up to something other than our predecessors?
Religion is an instrument of control; we don't need any more of that.

Yes, we do need religion - look at the bad things happen when we don't have it; for examples look to Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Mao, etc.
Civil Society needs an external common moral reference to be sustained.

Yes, thats the same argument Adolf Hitler (lifelong Roman Catholic, at least publicly) made:
"Secular schools can never be tolerated because such schools have no religious instruction, and a general moral instruction without a religious foundation is built on air; consequently, all character training and religion must be derived from faith."
Nazi-Vatican Accord, 1933

i worship xenu! he rules all.

next meeting at his spaceship, 3 stops past jupiter.

I'd prefer a religion who's central claims are actually true, rather than just wishful thinking or speculation about "mere possibility." To me, it's harmful to believe something that simply isn't true.

Is there any way to verify the claims of the various religions? Or are they all just what philosophers call "technically meaningless" i.e. "not even wrong"?

wthrfrk80 says

I'd prefer a religion who's central claims are actually true, rather than just wishful thinking or speculation about "mere possibility." To me, it's harmful to believe something that simply isn't true.

Is there any way to verify the claims of the various religions? Or are they all just what philosophers call "technically meaningless" i.e. "not even wrong"?

Good point. Here is some footage which might help:
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/152270/abandon-all-hope

Budhism is it.Budhists don't make war and live to improve the richness of thier spirit .all other religions spawn war pigs and control freaks.Americans are christian and eat babies for breakfast.Problem is they don't even grasp the contradiction so I say that there is something about christianity that drives people insane and out of touch with the boundries of good and evil.Just ask the 3 million dead vietnamese peasants.100,000 guatemalans,60.000 el salvadorans,30.000 Chileans,30.000 Nicarauguans.1.3 million Iraqis.etc...the most civilised countries have the least practicing religious populations and the best access to higher education so runner up to Budhism would be non religious agnostics or athiests perhaps.much richer in spirit.Empty your cup and I will fill it up.humble yourself before others to enrich your spirit.Charity .compasion .empathy etc...simple truths that organised religion can't get a handle on.I read the bible three times before I was 15 and I liked it but the same Knowledge is abundant in literature poetry and Philosophy in prechristian cultures.Maybe I should start a new religion.I could sure make one more interesting.

It is wrong to debate the merits of different religions?

Nothing wrong with it. It's just pointless like debating which Teletubby would make the best president.

The world would be better off with no religion, mysticism/spirituality, superstition, etc. Morality and social justice are sufficiently complex subject matters that there is no point in making them even more difficult by introducing random nonsense into the equations.

toppcat says

I should start a new religion.

We all want to make a new religion just for the tax benefits. Unfortunately, the government only allows for old religions. The only way to start a new one is to spend shitloads of money on lawyers like Scientology has. But then you need to fleece the stupid to support your religion's expenses.

How about the Shakers. The only problem with them however is their strict adhearance to celibacy, for which I think they died out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakers

To call this a debate is silly. Just a bunch of smug fools spouting off nonsense.

ChristianGuy says

To call this a debate is silly. Just a bunch of smug fools spouting off nonsense.

Ya think? Were you expecting something else from a discussion on religion?

bdrasin says

Good point. Here is some footage which might help:
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/152270/abandon-all-hope

Hilarious. But didn't the South Park guys also create an episode called "All About the Mormons?" that mocked Mormonism? "Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb..."

One of my favorite Carlin quotes:

there's an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time!

But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can't handle money! Religion takes in billions of dollars, they pay no taxes, and they always need a little more.

try this ... draw a cartoon of the key figures of each religion that was mentioned ... Then, the ones that don't show up to chop off your head should get some extra credit, right? Might be helpful for picking a winner.

One of my favorite Carlin quotes:
there's an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time!
But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can't handle money! Religion takes in billions of dollars, they pay no taxes, and they always need a little more.

Carlin's a funny guy. And yes, most organized religion is corrupt to the core. Some "Christian" megachurches shamelessly use corporate language like "customers" and "product" when describing their "operations." The Catholic church at one time actually sold forgiveness of sins for money. Ironic, since Jesus himself drove out the money changers from the Temple in his day.

Jesus also believed he was God (or, at the very least, the God of the Jews) and had the right to judge people and send some away for eternal punishment. That's why he was crucified...the charge was blasphemy, a capital offence in Judaism at the time.

Regardless of whether or not we believe Jesus' staggering claims, we are left with an unsettling question:
Why would a loving God mete out eternal punishment?

It sounds absurd at first glance. But under further examination, we realize that a loving God must punish evil. If God rewards both good and evil, than how can we call God loving? Even the secular world realizes the need to punish wrongdoing. God is love AND justice. Or at least that's the Christian position.

wthrfrk80 says

bdrasin says

Good point. Here is some footage which might help:

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/152270/abandon-all-hope

Hilarious. But didn't the South Park guys also create an episode called "All About the Mormons?" that mocked Mormonism? "Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb..."

The South Park guys (aka Matt Stone and Trey Parker) have produced enough Mormon material to fill a couple of South Park episodes and a Broadway musical as well. Basically, they think Mormons are great people with good values and strong, loving families who happen to believe some really crazy things.

bdrasin says

Basically, they think Mormons are great people with good values and strong, loving families who happen to believe some really crazy things.

Maybe that's just the human condition. In order to have any hope or any values beyond "do whatever you can get away with", one has to believe some crazy things.

Otherwise, I suppose, life is just a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and the fury, signifying nothing.

Wasn't it Kurt Vonnegut, a humanist, who once said cigarettes were a "classy way to commit suicide"? I guess he didn't really believe that crazy idea that humans are basically good.

wthrfrk80 says

Why would a loving God mete out eternal punishment?

Another virtue of Zoroastrianism is that hell is temporary. You work off your debt, and you're done.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism#Renovation_and_judgment

Another virtue of Zoroastrianism is that hell is temporary. You work off your debt, and you're done.

So, then hell is better than a Bank of America credit card? Less interest?

Bap33 says

try this ... draw a cartoon of the key figures of each religion that was mentioned ... Then, the ones that don't show up to chop off your head should get some extra credit, right? Might be helpful for picking a winner.

I got a better criteria. List all religions that ever existed and then cross out each one that has led to murder. Will there be any left? If so, those are your contenders.

This thread is official over. I have found the answer. The best religion is Hounen Matsuri. There is no debating this.

You can read more about this awesome religion in articles from The Yamasa Institute and FarStrider.net and BlogSpot.

I love this religion because I would be a god in it. Plus it's the one religion where it's ok to pay only lip service.

Images follow…

Kanamara Matsuri in Wakamiya Hachimangu Temple

True reverence

Respect

Holy mask

Holy relics

Good, clean fun

420 friendly

Everybody is so happy. I'll take two.

Good treats

Sweet

You're never too old.

And it's never too big.

No racial or gender discrimination

Comes on a stick

Comes in many different colors

Yet remains dignified and revered

Handle with care

Is a hands on religion

Dan8267 says

This thread is official over. I have found the answer. The best religion is Hounen Matsuri. There is no debating this.

Sorry, but the case is not closed yet.

1. Hounen Matsuri is not a religion it is a festival.
2. Overly phallic, there is a lot more to life than the phallus. Only about 50% of people even have one.
3. Shinto is the religion that puts on the festival.
4. Shinto is not a peaceful benign religion.

Seems like a pretty cool festival though.

toppcat says

Budhists don't make war and live to improve the richness of thier spirit .all other religions spawn war pigs and control freaks.

I think you are referring to American hippy/tree hugging buddhism. This may be hard to believe but buddhism has spread more than its fair share of misery and death.

Please look into what Tibet was like under the rule of the dalai lama. Brutal iron handed cruelty meted out by an opulent theocracy just begins to describe it. The lama started talking about love and peace only after his CIA backed war plans did not pan out.

Buddhists were also very supportive of Japan's war efforts during WWII.

Dan8267 says

Bap33 says

try this ... draw a cartoon of the key figures of each religion that was mentioned ... Then, the ones that don't show up to chop off your head should get some extra credit, right? Might be helpful for picking a winner.

I got a better criteria. List all religions that ever existed and then cross out each one that has led to murder. Will there be any left? If so, those are your contenders.

I think we are down to just one...

Jainism, so peaceful and benign, never the cause of a murder. While a follower of jain may have murdered at some time in history there is no way to cherry pick the dogma to justify murder.

Let me once again make the argument for jainism:

See, much more to life than just a phallus.

OK, that's pretty compelling, though the woman in the last sculpture is definitely going to catch something.

I even went into the Jain temple in Milpitas once just to see it, and it was very beautiful, all white marble. Though unfortunately next to a Taco Bell.

And they were missing those lovely sculptures.

I even went into the Jain temple in Milpitas once just to see it, and it was very beautiful, all white marble. Though unfortunately next to a Taco Bell.

And they were missing those lovely sculptures.

I have not been to the Milpitas temple, just in India.

To be honest the erotic carvings in India are a small portion of the temple carvings. However I did see one tiny temple (probably about 20'X40' in size) that was totally covered with erotic carvings. With how prude the US tends to be I am not surprised that they skipped them here.

Did you see any naked monks in Milpitas? The highest level of spiritual attainment in jainism is to rid ones self of all material items -- including clothing. I only saw the white robed monks in India.

No naked monks that I noticed.

There was some festival going on, and I definitely stood out as the only white person there. But everyone seemed friendly and smiled at me, though no one talked to me.

leoj707 says

Sorry, but the case is not closed yet.

1. Hounen Matsuri is not a religion it is a festival.
2. Overly phallic, there is a lot more to life than the phallus. Only about 50% of people even have one.
3. Shinto is the religion that puts on the festival.
4. Shinto is not a peaceful benign religion.

To address points 1, 3, 4, I propose incorporating the festival of Hounen Matsuri into Jainism.

As for point 2, the 50% of people with a phallus are more than willing to share with the 50% who don't. Now that's socialism I can get behind! (Although, not in front of.)

Wait, hold a second. According to the BBC, practicing Jains requires:

Jains are strict vegetarians and live in a way that minimises their use of the world's resources.

The other mahavratas are non-attachment to possessions, not lying, not stealing, and sexual restraint (with celibacy as the ideal).

On the first point, I can't give up meatballs. On the second point, celibacy! That wasn't implied by your pictures!

Dan8267 says

On the first point, I can't give up meatballs. On the second point, celibacy! That wasn't implied by your pictures!

The no meat would be a deal breaker for me as well, and I think that total celibacy is only for the monks -- even then I think some monks will marry.

No need to convert in order to agree that jainism is the best religion. It is more of who do you trust to not go around killing others in the name of their religion. If you must have a religious person next door, or a whole country of them on your border, who would you prefer?

Dan8267 says

As for point 2, the 50% of people with a phallus are more than willing to share with the 50% who don't. Now that's socialism I can get behind! (Although, not in front of.)

possibly the funniest thing ever wrote on here.

Bap33 says

possibly the funniest thing ever wrote on here.

Click the "Like" link!