| Author | Message | ||
     Blake |
Dave, >>> Lifespans greater for religious people? I was unable to find any specific studies on this topic (going in either favor) however I would suggest that any study along these lines should be taken with a grain of salt. Since many atheists, including me, were at one time churchgoers then one has to conclude that a certain portion of any congregation is atheist or has some doubt. In which case any study performed will have skewed results due to this factor. You no google good. I found dozens of hits for longer lives and more happiness in under two minutes. Multiple studies all pointing to the same result. >>> Levels of happiness? This is a subjective item and really cannot be compared, how can one person say they are ‘more happy’ than the next? They don't, all respondents to a poll are asked the same exact questions and asked to answer according to the exact same relative terms, for instance on a scale of one to four, or to choose "sad", "neither sad nor happy", "happy", or "very happy"; or "never happy", "rarely happy", "sometimes happy", "often happy", or "almost always happy." The results of thousands of respondents are averaged and categorized. The categorization shows that religous folks are happier. Google it. >>> If I was a woman I would DEFINITELY be unhappy, especially with the church, once I read and understood that god gave women PMS because of some silly fruit picking bimbo back in the garden. I’d bet I most women truly knew how they are viewed in the bible they’d have some concern. I think you must mean "painful child birthing"; again, you don't present an accurate account of what is there in the Bible in plain understandable written words. Your characterization of the story of the forbidden fruit is childishly simplistic. Your reference to Eve as a "bimbo" is inaccurate and points again to hostile insulting intent. Besides, PMS is MUCH more a curse for men than it is women.  >>> Personally I would say I’m more happy than my religious friends because I am free to do as I choose without the fear of a murdering god bestowing his wrath upon me. Proof again that you have zero idea of the Christian faith, or of God, or the Bible. In fact, if we were living in a BC era, you as a rampant blasphemer and unbeliever would be among the very targets of said "murdering God". If you actually read the Bible's old testament, you'd know that God brought particularly harsh retribution against those who denied and disobeyed him and also against those who offended those who were faithful to his word. Do you concede this? >>> I’m more happy because I do not live with church programmed guilt. Interesting. What is this "church programmed guilt" of which you speak? I'm entirely unfamiliar with it. Or are you talking about having a conscience? Are you saying that you don't have one? The message of Christianity is the most liberating of any ever known, that Jesus Christ, son of the living God, walked among us, found us worthy, and established a new covenant so that all of us may be forgiven our sins and enjoy eternal joyeous life in heaven along with our creator and Jesus himself. That's a sucky proposition?   Not for me! Do you concede this? >>> I'm more happy because I do not adhere to the idea that I was somehow born with ‘original sin’ and have to spend my life atoning for it. Your understanding of the principle of original sin is incorrect. I'm not Catholic, and that is more one of their particular doctrines, so I'll let the Catholics explain it to you should you like to hear it. Do you concede this? >>> I’m more happy because I do not view my mother and sister and nieces as inferior beings. Neither do I. Nor do any Christians who I know, quite the opposite actually. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is one of the most highly revered figures in all of Christendom. Many women of the Bible are HIGHLY revered by both Jews and Christians alike. Do you concede this? |
