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[–] 175 points 7 months ago (40 children)

I thought the point of Christianity was that everyone deserves mercy?

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  • [–] 105 points 7 months ago* (18 children)

    Theologically speaking, it's the opposite: nobody deserves mercy, but God gives it to them anyways. But you'd have to open a Bible to know that, which none of these ghouls have.

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  • [–] 44 points 7 months ago (16 children)

    I thought that was no one deserves God's mercy. Not that the mewling masses don't deserve mercy from each other.

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  • [–] 7 points 7 months ago (15 children)

    Are we really quibbling over the logic in a make-believe book about sky daddy?

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  • [+] 9 points 7 months ago (14 children)
  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago (7 children)

    Do you dare not learn all you can with what miniscule time we have here?

    in fact I do, which is why I don't waste times on unprovable, untestable, pointless garbage that's overwhelmingly been used to manipulate the species.

    But have fun with your skycake.

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  • [+] 1 point 7 months ago (6 children)
  • [–] 0 points 7 months ago (5 children)

    I feel religion and spirituality inherently play a large role

    then stop calling yourself agnostic.

    please, it's embarrassing to us both.

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  • [+] 1 point 7 months ago* (4 children)
  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (3 children)

    oops had you confused with the other pedant

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  • [–] -1 points 7 months ago (5 children)

    Yeah it's pretty sad to see comments such as this. It's a terribly unpoetic way to live life, cutting themselves off from 90% of the intellectual discourse produced during humanity's history :(

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  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago (4 children)

    Yeah it’s pretty sad to see comments such as this. It’s a terribly unpoetic way to live life, cutting themselves off from 90% of the intellectual discourse produced during humanity’s history :(

    bwahahaha you think religion represents 90% of the intellectual discourse?

    ah jeeze that's sad for you

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  • [–] -2 points 7 months ago (3 children)

    you think religion represents 90% of the intellectual discourse?

    No, i'm saying 90% of intellectual discourse is at least influenced by religion because it comes from people who are religious. Atheism being significant is a very modern phenomenon so if you're going to study anything in history, philosophy, art or science, it's gonna be full of religious people acting out their religious beliefs.

    Even today something like 4 out of 5 people are religious, and most atheists are influenced by that common culture in some way. Dismissing the whole cultural reservoir as fairy tale is a terrible footgun, it can only make everything confusing. Everybody else is pulling from it and you refuse to even acknowledge it, that's not gonna work.

    You're going to read poetry but it will make no sense and the climax won't land because you can't empathize with the religious sentiment. You're going to read greek philosophy but it will feel drawn out and theoretical because you can't empathize with the religious imperatives of the author. And i say this as a strict agnostic, i'm really not the kind of guy you'll find in a church. But you can't get to the meat of most intellectual discourse if you dismiss religion, just like you can't get to the meat of most physics if you dismiss math.

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    No, i’m saying 90% of intellectual discourse is at least influenced by religion because it comes from people who are religious

    why not suggest that all of intellectual discourse is influenced by primatism because it comes from people who are primates?

    what a goofy argument.

    and the idea that you posit atheists can't enjoy poetry because the poetry relies on religious appreciation is hideous.

    you religious nutbags will attempt to co-opt anything. it's fucking gross. stop calling yourself an agnostic if you spout this shit, it's like a nazi saying they're strict socialists.

    But you can’t get to the meat of most intellectual discourse if you dismiss religion, just like you can’t get to the meat of most physics if you dismiss math.

    ridiculous.

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  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (1 child)

    you know you have the option to just exchange ideas with other humans right ? fucking half cocked pseudo intellectual reaching for insults at the first 3 syllable word. what a bore.

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  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago

    fucking half cocked pseudo intellectual reaching for insults at the first 3 syllable word.

    it's telling that you think my reply was an insult, but that your flawed premises weren't insulting, and intellectually devoid of any meaning.

    of course you find it boring, most of this discourse has escaped you entirely.

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  • [–] 45 points 7 months ago* (1 child)

    The point of Christianity is that if you can convince people that they shouldn't expect any rewards until they die, you get a really compliant set of workers and soldiers who will let you impoverish and mistreat them because "the meek will inherit the earth." You know, after your value has been fully extracted by the owners.

    Christianity went from a cult to a state religion REALLY fast because of this concept.

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  • [–] 6 points 7 months ago (4 children)

    Only for those who have actually read the book...

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  • [–] 13 points 7 months ago (3 children)

    The problem is what parts you choose to read and focus on. Violent abusers are all about that old testament. The only good Samaritan to them is a dead one. They generally shun the new testament because that's where all the namby pamby you are your brothers keeper stuff comes in.

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  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    Oh, the book is horrendous. Cannot recommend.

    But the overarching story of this Jesus character they obsess over, I think that guy had something to say about mercy.

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  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    If you consider the Inquisitor Cycle, people do not. Jesus took revenge after the Romans tried to kill him, and refused to die for anyone's sins. Christianity is based on having no mercy whatsoever.

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  • [–] 6 points 7 months ago (3 children)

    It is, if you actually believe in it. Unfortunately practically none of them actually do. And discouragingly, most atheists would love for you to believe that the world would be no better off if they actually believed in and followed the teachings of Jesus. It clearly would be. Does that mean Christianity isn't full of issues? Nope. But it does mean that clearly we'd be better off if people treated each other as they wished to be treated themselves. And yes before the atheists say it, we ALL KNOW this idea is not unique to Christianity. But it's kind of key to that religion for the small minority of Christians who actually give a shit about it.

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  • [–] 5 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    And discouragingly, most atheists would love for you to believe that the world would be no better off if they actually believed in and followed the teachings of Jesus.

    What a shallow caricature. I've never met an atheist who didn't basically agree with the teachings of Jesus, even if they didn't believe he existed. But I've met many Christians who seemed completely at odds with them.

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  • [–] -3 points 7 months ago

    What a shallow reading of my comment. This thread is full of people raging about Christianity being an evil cult. So I don't really have to prove that point. Just about any thread on Lemmy where this comes up is the same.

    Not long ago someone flipped out on me for making this point, accusing me of defending the church which I hadn't done in any way. What usually is happening, when people disagree on this, is assumptions are being made about what each party believes. I am sure most atheists would agree with those teachings yes, but online if it comes up you're either a brainwashed Christian or a hardcore atheist who hates Christianity. At least that's how people think of each other. The nuance is erased, and it's a damn shame.

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  • [–] 0 points 7 months ago

    But it does mean that clearly we’d be better off if people treated each other as they wished to be treated themselves

    This is a Gnostic point of view, and Gnosticism is opposed by Christianity. The Christian view is to treat others how God wants you to treat them.

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago

    I thought the point of Christianity was that everyone deserves mercy?

    There are many sects of "Christianity". A flavor for every world view. These are Christian Nationalists. Their version of it has little to do with such woke things as "mercy". It's mostly an authoritarian view with a strict hierarchy.

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