(I am more pressed for tiume than usual, so I apologize for the brevity here.)

There is a new survey out which give me a lot of hope for the spiritual evolution of this country. Unprecedented in its depth, some 36,000 people were surveyed and some of the results were, well, startling.

The mostt heartening thing was that "70 percent of those claiming religious affiliations believe multiple religions can lead a person to salvation, while 68 percent say there is more than one way to interpret the teachings of their religion." This is perfectly consistent with the fall of the Piscean Age and the rise of the Aquarian Age.

Also, "57 percent of evangelical Christians say that multiple religons can lead to salvation, though nary an evangelical theologian or minister would likely say that."

And, "21 percent of self-defined atheists believe in God-- leading scholars to think that these atheists identify themselves as against organized religion, not divinity.".

Some Catholics meditate (which at one time would have been considered heretical), and some Protestants pray to the Virgin Mary.

(NOTE: All quotes are from a syndicated article in the San Francisco Chronicle, written by Matthai Kuruvila.)

Link?

45% of people who don't drink milk drink milk.

Some Catholics meditate (which at one time would have been considered heretical)

I saw a PBS special on Jews in America and in one scene it showed a Jewish prayer group who went to India and met with Dalai Lama for a seminar on meditation.

I saw a PBS special on Jews in America and in one scene it showed a Jewish prayer group who went to India and met with Dalai Lama for a seminar on meditation.

Hare Krishnas? Kaballah?

Hare Krishnas? Kaballah?

Hasidics

LINK: http://religions.pewforum.org/


I don't know where he got that "Like 21 percent of "atheists" believe in God."

The closest thing to that claim that I could find is this statistic, and it doesn't say that:

"Belief in God or Universal Spirit Among Unaffiliated:

36% Believe in God: absolutely certain

24% Believe in God: fairly certain

10% Believe in God: not too certain/ not at all certain/ unsure how certain

22% Do not believe in God

8% Don't know/ refused/ other"


"Unaffiliated" does not mean "Atheist" here. "Unaffiliated" includes any person that does not claim affiliation to a religion - that includes theists that don't want to label themselves as "Catholic" or "Protestant" or whatever, and chose "Unaffiliated" as best representing them.

Here is the link:

http://www.rickross.com/reference/general/general1033.html

And here is what one person had to say (on the above site that posted the survey results) of these new age "everything is true" ideals.

"Religion in America is 3,000 miles wide, but it's only 3 inches deep," said Professor D. Michael Lindsay, a sociologist and religion demographer at Rice University. "The issue is not that Americans don't believe in anything. It's that they believe in practically everything. It's possible for Americans to hold together contradictory beliefs at the same time."

So not only do Americans have these fanciful comforting massive delusions, but they have them in direct contradictions with other things comfortig delusions they believe in.

I would equate this phenomenon with a grown man who not only believes in Santa AND the Easter Bunny but one who also believes Santa is a paranoid egg-laying rabbit, and the Easter bunny is a manic obese elf, freezing his tiny elf balls off at the north pole.

I find the belief in religion alone fairly laughable, but to not even get the simple lie that is religion straight, is even more so.

I find the belief in religion alone fairly laughable

So, what is atheism if it is not a religion?

So, what is atheism if it is not a religion?

What a foolish thing to suggest...has been suggested and roundly trashed here time and time again. You barely breathe a mote of life into this dead horse, but I am bored so I will indulge your foolish notion.

A is latin for without. Atheism simply means to be without theism.

I can illustrate how fucking completely retarded what you are suggesting is:

Many Americans are without terroristic beliefs. They are Aterroristic.
Many Americans do not want to kill babies. They are Ainfantcidal.

IS ANY OF THAT A FUCKING RELIGION???

No.

Even if humans were to band together and share the belief that terrorism is wrong, killing infants is wrong, and murder is wrong........would that be a religion?

No.

Even if they met in a special building at specific times to address and validate their beliefs?

No.

Even if the meetings had a ritualistic composition, such as taking turns talking, a leader calling the meeting to order, reading back comments from the last meeting?

No.

So you tell me what is so special about atheism that suggests it should be a religion or kindly stop spreading ignorance.

^ Note, that I didn't say a religion is classified as just another belief. Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, etc. Just because you consider yourself "opposite" of a Christian does not mean you are not in the same category. Opposites are identical, only different in degree.

Man this is some played out shit.
Atheism isn't a set of beliefs in anything and does not concern the cause, nature or purpose of the universe. There's no unified structure, no doctrine, no scripture, no leaders, no churches, no guidelines and no tax exemptions for atheism.
Can we move on now?

Man this is some played out shit.
Atheism isn't a set of beliefs in anything and does not concern the cause, nature or purpose of the universe. There's no unified structure, no doctrine, no scripture, no leaders, no churches, no guidelines and no tax exemptions for atheism.
Can we move on now?

So then what do atheists believe? Not science, that would be something...

So then what do atheists believe? Not science, that would be something...

http://www.totse.com/community/showthread.php?t=2068947

Now kindly shut the fuck up.

http://www.totse.com/community/showthread.php?t=2068947

Now kindly shut the fuck up.

Thanks for straightening that out.

So, what is atheism if it is not a religion?

semantics which will never get solved because people are afraid.

Opposites are identical, only different in degree.

I think your in the wrong thread - trig 1314 is one thread over.

Also, "57 percent of evangelical Christians say that multiple religons can lead to salvation, though nary an evangelical theologian or minister would likely say that."

John 14:6
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."


And, "21 percent of self-defined atheists believe in God-- leading scholars to think that these atheists identify themselves as against organized religion, not divinity.".

So, apparently 21% of people calling themselves "atheists" are complete retards who don't even know what the word means.

Man this is some played out shit.
Atheism isn't a set of beliefs in anything and does not concern the cause, nature or purpose of the universe. There's no unified structure, no doctrine, no scripture, no leaders, no churches, no guidelines and no tax exemptions for atheism.
Can we move on now?

Atheism is a single belief, the belief that no deities exist.

John 14:6
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

John 14:2-4

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.

Peter Pan in Scarlet

The Old Boys 1:1-3 " I'm not going to bed," said John -- which startled his wife. Children are never ready for bed, but grown-ups like John are usually hankering for their pillows and eiderdowns from the moment they finish dinner. "I'm not going to bed!" said John again, and so ferociously that his wife knew he was very frightened indeed.

"You have been dreaming again, haven't you?" she said tenderly. "Such a trial."

John scrubbed at his eyes with his knuckles. "I told you. I never dream! What does a man have to do to be believed in his own house?"

http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?sid=183&pid=521335&agid=2&aid=12916629

Clearly there can be found a profound message here. So much so, that this excerpt is all I have to post to make a point.

Clearly there can be found a profound message here. So much so, that this excerpt is all I have to post to make a point.

I'm sensing a bit of sarcasm. Are you telling us to take scripture literally?

im not good with the internet how did this get here?

so what's your point op?

This survey was done in san fran sisco.. (I can't spell it, don't point it out!).

I'm sensing a bit of sarcasm. Are you telling us to take scripture literally?

Of course not. I am saying that if you pick up any work of literature, and tell yourself, "There are hidden meanings behind these words" "Secrets, that will tell us how we should live, and who we really are", you will find all the answers your imagination can dream up.

It is all in the eye of the beholder.

Was it? I wanna see what a survey like this in the south produces.

Was it?

No, it wasn't. At least not exclusively (i.e. they did interview people from San Francisco, but they also interviewed people from across the U.S).

From the study:

"The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey completed telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 35,556 adults living in continental United States telephone households. The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI). Interviews were done in English and Spanish by Princeton Data Source, LLC (PDS), and Schulman, Ronca and Bucuvalas, Inc. (SRBI), from May 8 to Aug. 13, 2007. Statistical results are weighted to correct known demographic discrepancies."


-- From Appendix 4 of the study.

What a foolish thing to suggest...has been suggested and roundly trashed here time and time again. You barely breathe a mote of life into this dead horse, but I am bored so I will indulge your foolish notion.

A is latin for without. Atheism simply means to be without theism.

I can illustrate how fucking completely retarded what you are suggesting is:

Many Americans are without terroristic beliefs. They are Aterroristic.
Many Americans do not want to kill babies. They are Ainfantcidal.

IS ANY OF THAT A FUCKING RELIGION???

No.

Even if humans were to band together and share the belief that terrorism is wrong, killing infants is wrong, and murder is wrong........would that be a religion?

No.

Even if they met in a special building at specific times to address and validate their beliefs?

No.

Even if the meetings had a ritualistic composition, such as taking turns talking, a leader calling the meeting to order, reading back comments from the last meeting?

No.

So you tell me what is so special about atheism that suggests it should be a religion or kindly stop spreading ignorance.

You may think your examples are so extreme that anyone would agree with you, but they're not. Religion or no religion it's still the filthy parasitic moralism that has infected all the major religions and distorts traditions.