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Goodbye Jesus

Why Are People So Gullible?


franklyorange

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Maybe. If they do, then absolute lies would have to exist as well.

 

Okay, that just fried that last brain cell I had. :twitch:

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Maybe. If they do, then absolute lies would have to exist as well.

 

Okay, that just fried that last brain cell I had. :twitch:

Mission accomplished. :woohoo:

 

One fried brain at a time.

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Maybe. If they do, then absolute lies would have to exist as well.

 

Okay, that just fried that last brain cell I had. :twitch:

Mission accomplished. :woohoo:

 

One fried brain at a time.

With scrambled eggs.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Televangelists can be talented tricksters. My favorite infomercial is when one of them sells a green "prayer cloth" that people can put in between the pages of their Bible and they promise tons of money will follow. For whom???

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This is worth a new posting: Why Bad Beliefs Don't Die

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From Lucian "The Death of Peregrine":

It was now that he came across the priests and scribes of the Christians, in Palestine, and picked up their queer creed. I can tell you, he pretty soon convinced them of his superiority; prophet, elder, ruler of the Synagogue--he was everything at once; expounded their books, commented on them, wrote books himself. They took him for a God, accepted his laws, and declared him their president. The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day,--the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account. Well, the end of it was that Proteus was arrested and thrown into prison. This was the very thing to lend an air to his favourite arts of clap-trap and wonder-working; he was now a made man. The Christians took it all very seriously: he was no sooner in prison, than they began trying every means to get him out again,--but without success. Everything else that could be done for him they most devoutly did. They thought of nothing else. Orphans and ancient widows might be seen hanging about the prison from break of day. Their officials bribed the gaolers to let them sleep inside with him. Elegant dinners were conveyed in; their sacred writings were read; and our old friend Peregrine (as he was still called in those days) became for them "the modern Socrates." In some of the Asiatic cities, too, the Christian communities put themselves to the expense of sending deputations, with offers of sympathy, assistance, and legal advice. The activity of these people, in dealing with any matter that affects their community, is something extraordinary; they spare no trouble, no expense. Peregrine, all this time, was making quite an income on the strength of his bondage; money came pouring in. You see, these misguided creatures start with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains the contempt of death and voluntary self-devotion which are so common among them; and then it was impressed on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws. All this they take quite on trust, with the result that they despise all worldly goods alike, regarding them merely as common property. Now an adroit, unscrupulous fellow, who has seen the world, has only to get among these simple souls, and his fortune is pretty soon made; he plays with them.

...

'Proteus now set out again on his wanderings. The Christians were meat and drink to him; under their protection he lacked nothing, and this luxurious state of things went on for some time. At last he got into trouble even with them; I suppose they caught him partaking of some of their forbidden meats. They would have nothing more to do with him, and he thought the best way out of his difficulties would be, to change his mind about that property, and try and get it back. He accordingly sent in a petition to the emperor, suing for its restitution. But as the people of Parium sent up a deputation to remonstrate, nothing came of it all; he was told that as he had been under no compulsion in making his dispositions, he must abide by them.

From the mid-2nd century CE.

 

mwc

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This is worth a new posting: Why Bad Beliefs Don't Die

That is a very good article. I'm not sure that the message about skeptics being "dignified and compassionate" and avoid "screaming" is always the best way, but it may be.

 

If religious beliefs are about survival in some sense - even survival beyond death - then it still seems to me that everyday values like honesty and integrity should take precedence. That is, I think we should be brave enough to face our thoughts and evaluate our beliefs. Theists should not use dishonesty and trickery to support their belief system. If they must resort to tactics that are beneath contempt, they should ask themselves why they do that.

 

Here on Ex-C, I think that is the source of an epiphany. One day, it just became impossible to lie to ourselves. When you can't deceive yourself, you won't deceive others.

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