Yep, you're exactly right. Scientists can make up whatever cockamamie theories they want, and they don't have to defend it or prove it or give evidence to support it or anything. That's exactly how science works. I mean come on, lasers? You can't really cut stuff with LIGHT!

What does lasers have to do with the origin of the universe?

Science in general.

Scientific theories are modified when evidence presents itself that contradicts the theory. Religious theories, when contradicted by evidence, are defended by zealots who ignore the evidence, try to destroy it when possible, falsely discredit it when practical, and launch smear campaigns against "heretics" that would dare bring such evidence to light. Well, at least they don't usually kill them anymore. I guess that's progress.

Not unlike what the atheist movement is doing. Smearing all believers with the same brush.

Maybe this chart will help:





It explains, with a simple Venn Diagram, why it's easy to group religions together. See that big circle on the left? Yeah, that's you. That's also Muslims, Jews, Mormons, etc.

That little circle over there....yeah, that's me. When I look out from my little circle, I see you and all other religious people as being in that big circle over there. That is why it's easy to group all of you together. Sure, there's many flavors in that big circle, but it's all still food.

Why don't people understand that religions teach different things? They are not the same!!!

The idea that all religions are the same is the greatest fraud ever to be perpetrated upon humanity.

There are differences! People who don't realize this are either naive or deceived or both.

Perhaps I'll start a comparative religions thread to point out these differences to the slow and uninformed.

No one said there weren't differences between religions. Do you really believe DLH is that "slow and uninformed?" He's saying you share one commonality, the belief in one or more gods. It's right there in the diagram. There are certainly many differences between religions, it's just that that is the dividing line between religious folks and non-religious.

Although I'm not sure that's entirely true. I'm pretty certain there are some religions that don't have gods. I'd say the commonality is more like belief in something beyond the physical. But that definition will lose a lot of the slower people, and probably 99% of religions have gods, so DLH's diagram is usually sufficient for most discussions.

Buddhism doesn't have a singular or multiple gods. Although it does have a belief in a metaphysical spiritual oneness with the universe.

The atheist movement for many in that group feel it is they who are persecuted and maligned for thier beliefs, though I never heard of atheists being thrown into jail for thier beliefs or physically or verbally assaulted whatsoever by most christian groups. That doesn't mean there are no radical religious fanatical nutjobs out there David Koresh is just one or many who believed they were Jesus Christ.

But the few self appointed messianic nutters out there have given plenty of ammo for non-thesists like Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris and others like Bill Maher to paint all religous institutions as evil institutions of learning which are designed to sap free will and the religious themselves as blind sheep who can't think for themselves. And they do thier best as well the media..to ignore any positive influence religion and personal faith has had on the individual, the community and abroad.

Agtheism again I reinterate it is a belief(no matter how much they want to spin it or deny it)....a belief...that there is no god/gods or inteligent designer.

They generally lump religious people as being unable to think for themselves which couldn't be further from the truth and the non religious as sane, rational free thinkers and by doing away all forms of religion, they believe humanity will be better off without religion, the commandments,the moral code according to a higher power and replace those moral standards according to individual accessment..in other words, moral relativism

But I believe the atheist movement is gaining more and more popularity because of a growing cynicism among humanity given the state of things that are taking place now...that God is dead, doesn't care or simply doesn't exist. Revelations tells us that there will be many who will turn thier backs from God or dwindle in unbelief.

But not all we see is all bad and God certainly hasn't forgotten his creation and certainty not us his children... if we just but look for the good in the world people will find God in thier hearts.

I thought I addressed that here:



As foobar (more eloquently) said, I was merely drawing the distinction between theists and atheists. I was making no judgement about the various theistic sects.

I cannot possibly make a more simplistic Venn Diagram.