This made me laugh

[Gaiseric]

http://www.wftv.com/news/15735444/detai ... 2008&ts=H#

[MsNomer]

HAHAHA! I love this on so many levels. Too bad they took it down.

[Starnum]

Shouldn't this go in the funny pictures thread? *shrugs*

[Gaiseric]

Its not just a funny picture. It was in the news.

[Rolos]

And yet, its still a funny picture. If you wont do it, I will.

[fujinsan]

lol i would've loved to pass by that sign on my morning stroll.

[MetalChef]

Expect an evening of angry christian mobs, burning homes of non believers.
I would say it's a counter for that (Atheists destroy our country, Get Out!) sign.

[Gaiseric]

I love the British.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... dvertising

[Starnum]

Meh, the thought of no God worries me more. I say, if the thought of God causes you strife, you're doing it wrong. The thought of God and the afterlife gives me hope. In my opinion, it's organized religion that's the problem, not God.

[Eldo]

Meh, the thought of no God worries me more. I say, if the thought of God causes you strife, you're doing it wrong. The thought of God and the afterlife gives me hope. In my opinion, it's organized religion that's the problem, not God.

Just personally my opinion (don't want to step on anyone's shoes here), but I don't really care about the afterlife at all because there's a 100% chance that I won't experience that in my lifetime. Life's already an uncertainty, and I'm not going to waste my life thinking about a life beyond a life. I'm also not cool with some of the stuff and preaching about going to hell and God is the only salvation. I think my biggest gripe with America is probably the highly religious nuts like Republicans and stuff that makes me feel like it's a joke. We don't have nuts to that extent here.

[Starnum]

You won't experience the afterlife within your lifetime? I wouldn't think so, heh. I wouldn't say I waste my time thinking about the afterlife. It's not something I fret over, it's just something I believe in, like gravity. It simply is what it is. What I mean though is that the thought of simply dying and no longer existing, is more distressing to me. Even if it turns out I'm wrong, it gives me hope while I'm alive, and if I am wrong then it won't matter. However, the thought of simply dying and ceasing to be bothers me. So for me at least, it's better to believe in something after death. I don't expect everyone else to feel the same way though. In fact if I were to believe that there were no afterlife, I would have a hard time seeing the point in anything. People will say the point is to enjoy life while you're alive, but I already believe in doing that. For me, to think that humanity randomly came to exist from a mere fluke, and that when we die it's all over, well that really kills my morale.

I find the idea of eternal life much more pleasing. Besides, I've experienced things in my life that give me faith. It's not all just believing in God for the sake of it. I've had prayers answered, even close to the level of saying I've witnessed miracles. I also believe in the paranormal, having experienced a lot of weird shit, which only furthers my believe that there must be something beyond life as we know it. Anyway, like I said, religion is the problem, not the concept of a divine creator. That's the same thing you're talking about, preachy people who try to condemn you for not believing the same as them, that's the real problem. God gave man freewill, to believe whatever they choose. That's how it should be. That's why I'm a democrat. I'm pro-choice, and I believe in letting people believe whatever they want, just like God intended. I'm a non-denominational Christian. In that, I believe in Jesus Christ as the savior, but I don't fit into any one denomination. I believe that people should question their faith. Don't just believe everything the preacher man tells you, look into the matter yourself, and find your own truth. I don't think that any one religion has gotten it right. How can we, mere mortals, understand the nature of God and the universe.

I believe in enjoying life though, I see no reason to stress over everything like most religious people. I have faith, but I'm not really religious. I don't think religion and faith are synonymous. However, to think that we merely cease to exist after death, that's a little disconcerting to me. I prefer to have something to look forward to, but that's me.

[fujinsan]

You won't experience the afterlife within your lifetime? I wouldn't think so, heh. I wouldn't say I waste my time thinking about the afterlife. It's not something I fret over, it's just something I believe in, like gravity. It simply is what it is. What I mean though is that the thought of simply dying and no longer existing, is more distressing to me. Even if it turns out I'm wrong, it gives me hope while I'm alive, and if I am wrong then it won't matter. However, the thought of simply dying and ceasing to be bothers me. So for me at least, it's better to believe in something after death. I don't expect everyone else to feel the same way though. In fact if I were to believe that there were no afterlife, I would have a hard time seeing the point in anything. People will say the point is to enjoy life while you're alive, but I already believe in doing that. For me, to think that humanity randomly came to exist from a mere fluke, and that when we die it's all over, well that really kills my morale.

I completely agree with you there I'm not christian but I don't bash them for their faiths. I guess you could say I'm agnostic. I don't believe in a certain religion, but I'd rather go to a Christian's hell than simply not exist anymore. Non existence disturbs me greatly I can't stand to think about it.

[Starnum]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I don't believe in Hell, like most Christians do. I think that the concept of Hell is based on a fiction, and mistranslated from the Hebrew word "Sheoul". I believe that true damnation is separation from God. I don't believe God would be cruel enough to burn people forever. Besides, Revelation says that there will be no more tears, and no more suffering. The Lake of Fire is also depicted as being finite, meaning it won't last forever. Thus the damned will be instantly incinerated, and will merely cease to exist. It is the punishment that is eternal, not the process. So in a way, I think that those who believe they will cease to be when they die, are right. So I guess it's like, either you go to Heaven, or you cease to be. However, only God knows what will come for us all. I hate it when people says shit like, "You're gonna go to Hell." It is not the place of man to judge people like that, its unchristian. In some ways I think the idea of the second death is more unnerving than burning eternally in Hell, so I can identify with you on that. Though it still shows the mercy of The Lord, that he would merely eradicate the damned, rather than torture them forever. Anyway, I don't want to rabble on about religion and such, I'm just giving some personal insight into my own beliefs. I do understand why some people dislike religion so much, it's one of the main causes for war, and that really sucks. Religion was created by man, Jesus merely taught faith, not how to worship. However, America is far from the only Christian nation, and Christianity isn't the only religion to cause war. I just don't see any reason to make such distinctions. People are all essentially the same, no matter where you go. Greed, hatred, corruption, these things are all second nature to humanity as a whole. True compassion, now that's something you have to strive for.

[Nakadai]

The thought of God and the afterlife gives me hope.

And that's why to this day religion continues to strive across the globe. Personally i'm an atheist, but I can see the merit in having something to hold on to through life's many rough patches.

What upsets me about the article is the overly dramatic public outcry against it! It's all fine and dandy for those of us who don't agree with said faith to suffer through a lifelong assault of forced fed religious diatribe whether it be through billboards, televisions or our own politicians ect. Yet whenever anything such as the aforementioned billboard refutes these propagandist claims, the entire religious community flail up in arms over the supposed sacrilege against God.

From my own personal vantage point religion, or moreover organized religion and hypocrisy seem to travel hand and hand.

[Starnum]

Well the hypocrisy is what drove me away from organized religion. As for the billboards and such, I can see how a lot of people would want to get up in a stink over it. Personally I just find it laughable, but its usually the people who take things too seriously either way, are the ones who are doing something wrong, IMO.

[DrPepperPro]

Even if humans were created by a fluke, our consciousness exists now. We are in the instant where the consciousness of our mind is proof that that fluke had to happen. Accept the past and accept the future, and cherish each current moment you can. We exist now as something that existed without bodies and will exist after, but will that existence be the same. Will time and thoughts and feelings matter. Everything and nothing are another form of existence, and what I feel now is that either is fine.