UN to consider a "blasphemy ban"

[BlackRoija]

Well, here's my backup. Ain't just hearsay.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... world.html

The paper they cite can be found here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1 ... 010.487124

It's specific to AIDS-related volunteer work, but the same principles apply to your Habitat for Humanity-s and such.

A lot of goal post moving here.

I'm not talking about a one-shot deal or some sorta self-aggrandizing photo-op situation. The missions that I'm talking of (and I know people who have participated in them [friends and family]) are concentrated in a specific area and unfold over a period of time (more than a year; less than a decade).

This article uses logical fallacies to make its point, and adds the hollywood celebs contingent to bate right-wingers in need of red meat.

Ya I wouldn't know. Just google-searched yr desired citation for what I had heard. Dunno & don't have a personal position; wanna go build you a house in the name of God or Satan or more universal values, go ahead, I ain't much good with a hammer myself tho.

[stewvee]

Just playing devil's advocate. No pun intended.

[Knucklehead]

...doesn't mean it's inherently cancerous.

Far too often religion stands at odds with - and in opposition to - science. That's enough for me to say it sucks, it's cancerous (whenever it is spread) and humanity would be all the better for throwing off its blinders.

^^^
In a nation where blasphemy is outlawed that right there could get me in world of shit. All for mocking something that does not exist.

No citation.

Pascal's wager?

Pascal was a wuss.

[stygian will]

jesus and mohammed can go blow each other.......free speech is fun!!

[stewvee]

...doesn't mean it's inherently cancerous.

Far too often religion stands at odds with - and in opposition to - science. That's enough for me to say it sucks, it's cancerous (whenever it is spread) and humanity would be all the better for throwing off its blinders.

^^^
In a nation where blasphemy is outlawed that right there could get me in world of shit. All for mocking something that does not exist.

No citation.

Pascal's wager?

Pascal was a wuss.

He had it both ways! How is that being a wuss?

[Knucklehead]

...doesn't mean it's inherently cancerous.

Far too often religion stands at odds with - and in opposition to - science. That's enough for me to say it sucks, it's cancerous (whenever it is spread) and humanity would be all the better for throwing off its blinders.

^^^
In a nation where blasphemy is outlawed that right there could get me in world of shit. All for mocking something that does not exist.

No citation.

Pascal's wager?

Pascal was a wuss.

He had it both ways! How is that being a wuss?

He totally hedged his bets.

[stewvee]

ha ha ha

[Moloc]

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

I normally don't like to cite wikipedia as a reputable source, but it was the only place I found hard numbers:

List of major religious wars

These figures of one million or more deaths include the deaths of civilians from diseases, famine, etc., as well as deaths of soldiers in battle and possible massacres and genocide.

Lowest estimate Highest estimate Event Location From To Religions involved Percentage of the world population[21]
3,000,000 11,500,000[22] Thirty Years' War Holy Roman Empire 1618 1648 Protestants and Catholics 0.5%–2.1%
2,000,000 4,000,000[23] French Wars of Religion France 1562 1598 Protestants and Catholics 0.4%–0.8%
1,000,000[24] 2,000,000 Second Sudanese Civil War Sudan 1983 2005 Islam and Christian 0.02%
1,000,000[25] 3,000,000[26] Crusades Holy Land, Europe 1095 1291 Islam and Christian 0.3%–2.3%
130,000[27] 250,000 Lebanese Civil War Lebanon 1975 1990 Sunni, Shiite and Christian

I was hard pressed to find any comparisons with humanitarian missions saving lives. Do you happen to have any citation about how many people have been helped by religion?

I do believe we don't need religion to be good people and help our fellow human beings after disasters and such. We've evolved a sense of altruism that has helped us survive as a species.

Let me rephrase my statement then: Less harm would occur if there were no religion in the world. It is at odds with science and believing in gods only holds us back as human beings. I believe that there would still be humanitarian missions to help tsunami and hurricane victims without the influence of religion. People will always want to lift their fellow humans out of poverty regardless of their religious persuasion.

[Moloc]

Of course you can call me a fucking hypocrite if you want: my kid goes to a religious school for pre-pre-K five days a week because there are no secular schools in the area.

This conversation has motivated me to look for different daycare options for my daughter.

[badcarburetor]

Pascal's wager?

Pascal was a wuss.

He had it both ways! How is that being a wuss?

He totally hedged his bets.

Exactly. Total wuss.

Fuck "faith" and fuck covering your ass out of fear. Have some balls in life and choose a side: Reason, science and logic or an imaginary Big Daddy who loves, protects and throws touchdowns for your favorite football team. (Not directed at you, Stew, just my life philosphy)

And, while I'm on a roll, fuck that wussy "spirituality," too. What a load of shit. "I make religion that fits me." I wish there was a real god to strike down those self absorbed hippies.

[Odinson666]

yeah b/c that's a really wacky generalization. no way to prove or disprove it.

who cares about wars, I'd say to avoid generalization it should be a crime not not to mock fairy tales about lady who gets impregnated by aliens, and gives birth to a wizard who travels around with an entourage of gay lovers and blasphemes the church of rome until they flog him silly, he then dies comes back to life and starts a vampire cult

The only thing I find of any interest in the whole mythos is how he says he is the way the truth and the light and then in the same book this lucifer character is said to be the bringer of light , implying they are the same character

It's the only interesting take on the whole thing but I'm not a fan of remakes and reboots so prefer the Sumerian , Egyptian and Norse versions of these stories

[badcarburetor]

...lady who gets impregnated by aliens, and gives birth to a wizard who travels around with an entourage of gay lovers and blasphemes the church of rome until they flog him silly, he then dies comes back to life and starts a vampire cult.

I'm so in for when this is made into a musical. Preferably of the show tune variety.

[Odinson666]

...lady who gets impregnated by aliens, and gives birth to a wizard who travels around with an entourage of gay lovers and blasphemes the church of rome until they flog him silly, he then dies comes back to life and starts a vampire cult.

I'm so in for when this is made into a musical. Preferably of the show tune variety.

Could I do it avenue q style with puppets or does it need to be queens in sequins like the wiz ?

[stewvee]

Fuck "faith" and fuck covering your ass out of fear. Have some balls in life and choose a side: Reason, science and logic or an imaginary Big Daddy who loves, protects and throws touchdowns for your favorite football team. (Not directed at you, Stew, just my life philosphy)

Science and religion are not incompatible, even though there are plenty of folks on either side of the fence that refuse to think so.

And I don't think literal interpretations of scriptural ideas benefit atheist or theists.

[stewvee]

Of course you can call me a fucking hypocrite if you want: my kid goes to a religious school for pre-pre-K five days a week because there are no secular schools in the area.

This conversation has motivated me to look for different daycare options for my daughter.

Nice work.