[TV] Who Is The Biggest Fictional Character?

[Pretty pink fairy]

Superman ?
Regards
DF

 

[vindicatorx]

Edmond Dantes, The Count of Monte Cristo.

 

[pastafarian]

If you are going to talk about the virgin birth, please read the relevant verses. There was no forcing a person to give birth. Mary said yes, and then wrote a song about it.

I appreciate that you don't believe it but don't add untruths to it.

If the old “virgin birth” was being used in todays world as a defence as to why the underage child Mary was knocked up, God would be charged with statutory rape and the angel Gabriel would be on charges for grooming a vulnerable child and coercing her to consent to exploitation. Joseph would be on a register as a sex pest accomplice and Jesus would be a rape baby in the care of social services.
But at least Mary wrote a song about being abused. That’s ok then

 

[Albion my Albion]

Oh the irony is strong with this one.

 

[Half Time Pies]

Maybe it's because we've spent years and years being preached to (I went to a CofE school, and went to Church with the school and scouts etc) and the internet gives us the chance to release some of the frustration that years of indoctrination have caused.

Like you say, it's nowhere near as bad here as other countries, but it has still been rammed down our throats (less so if your local school and community weren't in any way religious), it's been part of our legal system our whole lives.

But people posting online that they think god is fictional is?
I have had plenty of visits from JWs. I get on fine with them and don't claim they're bad people, but they are standing at my doorstep telling me I'll go to hell. I don't believe them so I don't get upset, but of course that is more offensive than me posting on here that I think god is made up.

That's great. I'm not sure if anyone here said that religious people have never done anything to help others? There are also people who aren't religious who help others too.

Two separate things there. I don't imagine the organisations that you're referring to are belittled much. The beliefs of people are another matter though, because they are the cause of so much pain and suffering in the world. No, not the beliefs of our local CofE followers, but the beliefs of those practising Sharia Law and the like. Or the beliefs of the Catholic Church who so regularly see fit to protect those that abuse children. You'd have to be blind to the faults in some religious organisations to not understand why others criticise them.

I had a CofE upbringing as well and if they were trying to indoctrinate people then they didn't do a very good job, it didn't work with you and me and the CofE has been in massive decline in this country.

Whatever experience you had don't let it cloud your judgement of all religion, belief systems or spiritual practices. People in this country are involved in diverse spiritual practices that don't follow the narrow adherence to a set of beliefs that you may have experienced in childhood. Spirituality can have a hugely positive affect on mental health and change lives. For example Alcoholics anonymous, who's 12 steps involves letting go to a higher power, whatever that means for the individual, has proven to help problem drinkers and transformed lives. God means different things to different people but as far as I can see most of the focus for atheists on here tends to be on the Bible, Jesus and the old testament version of god.

By all means criticise sharia law, child abuse in the catholic church and the terrible things that have been done in the name of god but understand that for the most part its not religion or a belief in god that causes people to do bad things, most religions that I have come across have a great set of values attached to them, values which have as you say underpinned our society and law. Its just that unfortunately some people and organisations have used religion (and the power that it sometimes affords them) as a excuse to do bad things.

 

[marlowe]

"Albion failure Alireza Jahanbakhsh" ... evidence continues to emerge that this is a fictional character.

 

[Two Professors]

If the old “virgin birth” was being used in todays world as a defence as to why the underage child Mary was knocked up, God would be charged with statutory rape and the angel Gabriel would be on charges for grooming a vulnerable child and coercing her to consent to exploitation. Joseph would be on a register as a sex pest accomplice and Jesus would be a rape baby in the care of social services.
But at least Mary wrote a song about being abused. That’s ok then

It was a really good song,with Peter and Paul.'Puff the Magic Dragon',wasn't it?

 

[Triggaaar]

I had a CofE upbringing as well and if they were trying to indoctrinate people then they didn't do a very good job, it didn't work with you and me and the CofE has been in massive decline in this country.

The fact that we're not religious doesn't mean they didn't bang on about it as if it was fact.

Whatever experience you had don't let it cloud your judgement of all religion, belief systems or spiritual practices.

I'm not sure what sort of judgement you mean.

People in this country are involved in diverse spiritual practices that don't follow the narrow adherence to a set of beliefs that you may have experienced in childhood. Spirituality can have a hugely positive affect on mental health and change lives. For example Alcoholics anonymous, who's 12 steps involves letting go to a higher power, whatever that means for the individual, has proven to help problem drinkers and transformed lives.

I don't have a problem with that.

God means different things to different people but as far as I can see most of the focus for atheists on here tends to be on the Bible, Jesus and the old testament version of god.

I can only speak for myself, but my issues are generally with specific religions that are based on lies. If someone believes there's a higher power, but they don't know the detail, I don't even disagree with them to be honest, I don't know any better.

By all means criticise sharia law, child abuse in the catholic church and the terrible things that have been done in the name of god but understand that for the most part its not religion or a belief in god that causes people to do bad things

Plenty of bad things are done away from religion, and religion may be blamed for bad things done within a religious setting when, like you say, religion hasn't been the cause. But the cover-up of crimes that the Catholic Church has been involved in is not just a bad thing done by bad people, but it's a terrible thing done by the leaders of the church, and done in the name of their god. Obviously I don't associate that with your average decent Catholic, but I'm no fan of their religion.

most religions that I have come across have a great set of values attached to them, values which have as you say underpinned our society and law. Its just that unfortunately some people and organisations have used religion (and the power that it sometimes affords them) as a excuse to do bad things.

Agreed.