Sunday School

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Yesterday I was asked what I thought of the current Pope. I replied saying that I call him the Cuddly One and he is just that when we compare him to some of his predecessors. The Catholic who asked me said she was not impressed. I said that makes two of us. I continued by saying that I had just heard that Cuddles was going to announce the worldwide disestablishment of the Catholic Church at next weeks’ Right Wing Rally.  No Way! Yes, apparently it is true but no top level spokesmen could confirm or deny as they were all attending advanced courses in hand wringing. Even one who was about to discuss safeguarding children had to cancel to deal with news of the sexual abuse of several thousand more children. For some reason no Catholic spokeswomen were available to comment though one survivor still has something to say. It is because they only apologize for the hurt caused and not for the crimes committed that they are to disband. I am sure Cuddles will say that as their moral code is a carbuncle of the face of humanity that he, as a good man, is too ashamed to see the Catholic Church continue. She then said that only an atheist like me would say such a terrible thing. Yeah, and I am sure a Catholic won’t because after 20 years of continuous abuse cases you all seem happy to remain open mouthed on your knees with your ears plugged.

Is religion a “universal” in human culture or an academic invention?

Having doubts about Buddhism could lead to enlightenment?

Evangelical women are realizing that they have power because they have a voice.

The Satanic Temple exercises its religious freedom and presents Baphomet to the good people of Arkansas.

Sarah Haider on how wilful hypocrisy in Islam eats away at it foundations.

The majority of people in Scotland are not religious while religion is in decline in Australian schools. I still think they should learn about some religious beliefs though.

On the miseducation of children by Christians.

Do women in Saudi Arabia drive in silence?

Oh Holy Tintinnabulations Batman! Imagine if busloads of people all wearing colanders on their heads queued up outside a bakery and took turns asking if the baker would make them exquisite cakes and this went on for days……

This weeks’ Woo: End Time beliefs.

Climate Change:  Some of its unintended consequences.

No matter where you look there is always nothing to discover and soon we might even get to see none of it.

How many humans would it take to keep our species alive?

To edit a human you need to first open your Human Cell Atlas.

How wolves really became dogs.

Little robot Nao does not want to be switched off.

This week I am reading this book: Deciphering the Gospels: Proves Jesus Never Existed.

We pause to remember: Marie Castle.

Some photographs taken last week.

While you are waiting for the kettle to boil…..

Coffee Break Video:  The origins of Religion in 4 minutes. Josephus and all the men called Jesus. The scale of the abuse by Catholic priests in America, those evil bastards that brought Hell to Earth for thousands of children.

• This topic was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by Reg the Fronkey Farmer.
• This topic was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by Reg the Fronkey Farmer.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

After a long week of hearing Catholics in the media prattling on about the papal visit to Ireland you might be glad to know I more than halved the number of articles I was going to include about them this week :-).  Denial is not just a big river in Africa!

Anyway – Have a great week everyone!!

Everyone is always asking me to believe in things— family, gods, kings, myself. It was often tempting until I saw where it got people, so I said no thank you to belief.

Tyrion Lannister -Game of Thrones.

 

[_Robert_]

I would join the church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, but I’m watching my carb intake. I assume Zucchini noodles with pesto would be blasphemy.

 

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

As an adored ordained Pastafarian Minister in the FSM (with a card and certificate to prove it), I would suggest eating a little pasta once a week. (Does not have to be a Sunday). His Noodliness approves of all types of noodles but has a preference for Ramen noodles. We actively encourage blasphemy as nobody’s beliefs have rights. So as Batman said to the Baker – Stay Fabulous!

[Strega]

Thanks, Reg!

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Your welcome Strega, thanks.

[Simon Paynton]

“Having doubts about Buddhism could lead to enlightenment?”

And Buddhism is arguably anti-scientific, or anti-intellectual, in that it avoids wrestling with big “why” questions. … Why is life so unfair and painful?

I’m pretty sure that’s not true.  I’m no expert, but I know that Buddhism supplies several reasons for suffering, including “the suffering of impermanence” (everything changes) and “the suffering of conditioned existence or dependent origination” (everything has to depend on other things in order to exist, meaning we can’t just wave a magic wand and expect things to be the way we want them).

Can an enlightened person turn to evil, as the writer claims?  Certainly a clever person can probably gain more tools for exploiting people.  Like he says, they must have been evil in the first place, and it’s hard to change someone who’s born that way.

Can an evil person become enlightened, and still be evil?  There’s a question.

[Simon Paynton]

“Is religion a “universal” in human culture or an academic invention?”

– I think his theory is an academic invention, since every society has or has previously had religion.

[Simon Paynton]

I’ve got all the time in the world for Sarah Haider.  I find that Muslim intellectuals (as in true intellectuals, not “hysterical” conservatives) really seem to know where it’s at.  Nonsense, like we see on the current Left, is a luxury they can’t afford.

Recognizing truth is the vital step toward moving forward because it tells us where we are.

Like someone said, “truth is love”.

[_Robert_]

Can an enlightened person turn to evil

The term “Evil” is not well defined and has religious connotations. For Christians, Satan in the embodiment of evil. It is childish.

There IS however entropy, parasites and competition which all living things must deal with. Entropy always wins in the end….Aging, natural disasters, the need for air, food and warmth, etc. Competition can range in severity from coexistence to extermination. Disease causing parasites are interesting because they may kill the host but not before they reproduce, or they are as doomed as well. Ebola has that problem…It is TOO lethal.

Sometimes competition turns to cruelty. I reserve my use of the word evil for that case.

Disease is not evil. A volcano or a flood is not evil. A lion stealing your fresh kill is not evil. A coworker outperforming you is not evil. A suicide not evil. A killing in a fit of rage is not evil, but that is getting close.

 

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Recognizing truth is the vital step toward moving forward because it tells us where we are.

If only Rudy Giuliani understood that 🙂

 

[tom sarbeck]

Reg, Rudy and Donald don’t want to be where they are: in hot water. They want to be somewhere else and lies take them there.

[Simon Paynton]

@robert – “Sometimes competition turns to cruelty. I reserve my use of the word evil for that case.”

– I would define it as “destructive power and control”.

As I understand it, an enlightened person doesn’t generate negative karma: they don’t do unnecessarily harmful things.  So by definition, an evil person can’t be enlightened.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Hmmm, people seem to be getting vexed about whether or not the real Batman does or does not believe in an imaginary god. I think we need to contact a theologian as this debate could get messy. Of course it could all be a plot by the Joker……..

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