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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
 Posted - 04/20/2010 : 10:24:10
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For the atheists out there:
Let's say that somehow, somewhen, somebody manages to convince the courts that the argument that the First Amendment offers freedom of religion but not freedom from religion has merit, and Congress passes a law mandating that everyone must observe some sort of not-freshly-made-up theistic religion. You're too poor to just pack up and leave the country, and you're unwilling to go to jail.
Which religion do you pick?
I think I might have a go at Hinduism. Some of the gods seem fairly nifty, the artwork isn't boring, and even the moderate adherents seem pretty laid back about it all.
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- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Ebone4rock
SFN Regular
USA
894 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2010 : 10:32:47 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dave W.
For the atheists out there:
Let's say that somehow, somewhen, somebody manages to convince the courts that the argument that the First Amendment offers freedom of religion but not freedom from religion has merit, and Congress passes a law mandating that everyone must observe some sort of not-freshly-made-up theistic religion. You're too poor to just pack up and leave the country, and you're unwilling to go to jail.
Which religion do you pick?
I think I might have a go at Hinduism. Some of the gods seem fairly nifty, the artwork isn't boring, and even the moderate adherents seem pretty laid back about it all.
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Possibly Buddhism which is more of a philosophy than a religion.
Is Cannibisism one of the choices? |
Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
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Ebone4rock
SFN Regular
USA
894 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2010 : 10:40:32 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dave W.
Yeah, but Buddhism is an atheistic religion. Plenty of supernatural stuff, but no gods, really.
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Well which religion gets laid more then? Maybe Mormon? Ah shit, then I'd have to marry all of them. |
Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2010 : 10:53:49 [Permalink]
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I'd go for Hinduism. So many gods to choose from, so many conflicting versions of their sacred texts. You could easily live a life doing what you know to be right, not worrying about what clerics tell you to do, and still stay under the general umbrella of Hinduism.
But if I were forced to pick up a religion, I'd also quietly pick up a gun. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2010 : 10:59:45 [Permalink]
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Hey, no suicide, either!
I might have to change my mind about Hinduism. Native American animism is even more laid back. But Australian animism has much more awesome music. Damn! So many choices! |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Ebone4rock
SFN Regular
USA
894 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2010 : 11:07:47 [Permalink]
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| I changed my mind...I wanna be a Rastafarian! |
Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring |
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Machi4velli
SFN Regular
USA
854 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2010 : 12:43:48 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dave W.
Hey, no suicide, either! |
Damn it, I was looking for a cult. |
"Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people."
-Giordano Bruno
"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge."
-Stephen Hawking
"Seeking what is true is not seeking what is desirable"
-Albert Camus |
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Fripp
SFN Regular
USA
727 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2010 : 13:08:11 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dave W.
Some of the gods seem fairly nifty, the artwork isn't boring.
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I love the reasons why you chose this: "nifty gods"
Personally, I would go for Buddhism.
Second choice would be the "noble savage" Native American animism such as Tracker Tom Brown writes about.
Third would be Castenada's invented religion: an excuse to take massive hallucinogens.
And whatever the Apaches worshipped.
Question for you: Wouldn't Satanism be considered a religion?
When I was going through Army Jump School (as a Navy SEAL) at Ft Benning, Georgia (where the state bird is the mosquito), the instructors HATED us. So here I am in the Deep, God-fearing South... with the requisite strip bars and multiple porn shops... anyway, we had to get dog tags. Religious Preference was an entry. I had them imprint Satanism on mine. Those ladies at that shop hated me as well. An instructor checked my tags, stared, then didn't say a thing. My little victory. |
"What the hell is an Aluminum Falcon?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought my Dark Lord of the Sith could protect a small thermal exhaust port that's only 2-meters wide! That thing wasn't even fully paid off yet! You have any idea what this is going to do to my credit?!?!"
"What? Oh, oh, 'just rebuild it'? Oh, real [bleep]ing original. And who's gonna give me a loan, jackhole? You? You got an ATM on that torso LiteBrite?" |
| Edited by - Fripp on 04/20/2010 13:23:36 |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2010 : 14:26:46 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Fripp
I love the reasons why you chose this: "nifty gods" |
Hey, if I'm going to be forced to worship a god, it'd better be one I find interesting, at least.| Question for you: Wouldn't Satanism be considered a religion? |
As I said above: if you can find some Satanists.
Reading up on Wikipedia, the people I knew long ago who dabbled with Satanism were LaVeyans, for whom Satan is just a symbol. They're known as atheistic Satanists, and so don't count for the purposes of this hypothetical (just like Buddhists don't count). Theistic Satanists seem to be much less common.
The numbers at Adherents.org aren't optimistic. U.S. estimates vary wildly from 10,000 to 100,000 (and it's probable that most of those are from atheistic sources). An estimate for Canada said 300. Estimates for Britain go from 100 up to an absurd 5,500,000 (apparently found by adding in all sorts of people thought to be Satanic, including teenagers who listen to heavy metal and kids who play with Carebears!). And a 1972 world-wide estimate topped out at 3,000 Satanists (again, probably mostly LaVeyans).
So if you can find some people who actually worship Satan, then by all means, join 'em.  |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2010 : 14:32:07 [Permalink]
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| Ah hell. Since I won't believe anyway, I'm going for some sort of Black Baptist because they have the coolest music... |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Randy
SFN Regular
USA
1990 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2010 : 14:32:23 [Permalink]
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When Jehovah Witness comes a'knocking at my front door, I take off my Atheist cap to momentarily 'become' a Druid, Reformed. That usually gets a funny look out of them just before they turn around and walk away.
But to choose a religion.....hm, I'd definitely consider becoming a Raelian for sure IF they'd drop the silly UFO hoodoo.
:) |
"We are all connected; to each other biologically, to the earth chemically, to the rest of the universe atomically."
"So you're made of detritus [from exploded stars]. Get over it. Or better yet, celebrate it. After all, what nobler thought can one cherish than that the universe lives within us all?"
-Neil DeGrasse Tyson |
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Ebone4rock
SFN Regular
USA
894 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2010 : 14:43:53 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dave W.
Originally posted by Fripp
I love the reasons why you chose this: "nifty gods" |
Hey, if I'm going to be forced to worship a god, it'd better be one I find interesting, at least.| Question for you: Wouldn't Satanism be considered a religion? |
As I said above: if you can find some Satanists.
Reading up on Wikipedia, the people I knew long ago who dabbled with Satanism were LaVeyans, for whom Satan is just a symbol. They're known as atheistic Satanists, and so don't count for the purposes of this hypothetical (just like Buddhists don't count). Theistic Satanists seem to be much less common.
The numbers at Adherents.org aren't optimistic. U.S. estimates vary wildly from 10,000 to 100,000 (and it's probable that most of those are from atheistic sources). An estimate for Canada said 300. Estimates for Britain go from 100 up to an absurd 5,500,000 (apparently found by adding in all sorts of people thought to be Satanic, including teenagers who listen to heavy metal and kids who play with Carebears!). And a 1972 world-wide estimate topped out at 3,000 Satanists (again, probably mostly LaVeyans).
So if you can find some people who actually worship Satan, then by all means, join 'em.
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Ya know Dave, When I was in my mid 20's I became disillusioned by the lack of Satanic cults that were so widely reported in the 1980's. I formed my own Satanic cult. We would perform worship activities such as " Beer Bongs for Satan". To join it costed whatever pocket change you had to spare. We got up to $2.63 which I still keep in an envelope buried in a box of junk in my basement. We had to kick one guy out though. He wanted to go around sacrificing animals and stuff. We were a peaceful Satanic cult so we couldn't allow such things.
Does that count? I could start my cult back up again if we have interested people. I'm not sure if I can stomach beer bongs any more but I'm willing to try! |
Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring |
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict
2830 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2010 : 15:21:30 [Permalink]
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I'll give you three. For tax exempt status you can start your own in the US, which is easy and my first choice. If the US government gives tax exempt status, it's legal. If your going to shoot that down, I'm signing up to be a Pastafarian. With the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Third choise, a Rastafarian but I don't believe they accept white people. Trust me, I live in the Caribbean. SS |
There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS |
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Hawks
SFN Regular
Canada
1383 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2010 : 16:47:21 [Permalink]
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Dave W, if I can't have a freshly-made-up theistic religion, then I hardly have freedom of religion, do I? (I know that wasn't the point of your post, but I thought I'd just point it out)
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METHINKS IT IS LIKE A WEASEL
It's a small, off-duty czechoslovakian traffic warden! |
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Mandated theism
