Manchester Bomber Named

[DrugAway 64]

11 minutes ago, littlepotter said:

That's true. Though I think it's not a matter of 'excusing' their actions but 'explaining' them. There's no excusing any violent attack. The fact that they're brainwashed doesn't take away at all from their terrorsim or make it okay, it just explains it. I just feel bad for them, because of the process they went through to get to that point, but it doesn't mean I feel any less bad for the victims or that what they did is okay.

By your logic I should be a terrorist by now - but strangely I'm pretty sure I'm not.

That's actually a nice way to hit them where it hurts, though I worry it will only make them even more eager to try to "win" by killing more people.

 

11 minutes ago, littlepotter said:

That's true. Though I think it's not a matter of 'excusing' their actions but 'explaining' them. There's no excusing any violent attack. The fact that they're brainwashed doesn't take away at all from their terrorsim or make it okay, it just explains it. I just feel bad for them, because of the process they went through to get to that point, but it doesn't mean I feel any less bad for the victims or that what they did is okay.

By your logic I should be a terrorist by now - but strangely I'm pretty sure I'm not.

That's actually a nice way to hit them where it hurts, though I worry it will only make them even more eager to try to "win" by killing more people.

 

12 minutes ago, littlepotter said:

By your logic I should be a terrorist by now - but strangely I'm pretty sure I'm not.

I didnt say that you are a terrorist.I was referring to terrorists driven by religion. 

[The Child 18,997]

27 minutes ago, DrugAway said:

This is what happens when you brain wash children from a very young age to believe in invisible fairies up in the sky

They tend to believe things even after they've become adults

Education and critical thinking is the key here

That's exactly what I've been saying around me to people who tell me superstitious things, I always tell them be critical, does your superstitious beliefs make sense, if not then give up on it.

[Chic 20,830]

10 minutes ago, littlepotter said:

This might be the first time I've seen anyone aknowledge the good in religion and be almost unbiased about it on GGD. I would agree with this but I don't agree with listing "killing children" as something "religion" inspires. That is way too huge and offensive of a generalization. 

It was a bit of an exaggeration, but here's the thing. I can guarantee you that terrorism would deplete drastically if religion were to go away. I go to Bible Study every once in a while, I go to Christian concerts, I hang out with my religious friends. Truth is, I don't believe in any of it. I see firsthand the good it can do. I also see a lot I disagree with. But you know what? I keep an open mind and go anyway. I think it's healthy to be in the midst of conflicting views. And certainly my own views are evolving. At the moment, and for the longest time, I have grown to detest what it does. I've been right there at the Christian bread pantries, in poor and neglected neighborhoods with the religious, and as beautiful as it is, the terror that it produces, the hate, the laws, the slavery...it's not worth it. It really isn't. There are atheist organizations that house and feed the homeless, and what atheism doesn't do is inadvertently result in the deaths of those who disagree with it. Nobody kills in the name of science and nature. And yet the liberation and therapeutic benefits it provides are as measureless as religious ideology. When, like I said, 45% of Americans think good values don't exist without God, that should be scary to anyone who doesn't believe. Because it's an obvious falsehood to any atheist who's a decent, kind person. Why should we believe the rest of what those people say religiously when such an absurd concept is clearly wrong but so widespread? It's almost like that's exactly how atheists view religion, and with that kind of statistical example, they might just be right.

I'm not here to critique the legitimacy of religious belief though, just the potential effects of it.

[thatfoxyfeeling 13,433]

The fact his parents were Libyan refugees really angers me.

[Taylor Z 108]

41 minutes ago, Chic said:

Therapy helps people to stay alive and inspires positive mental health. Religion does too. But one thing religion does that therapy does not do is (deliberately, inadvertently, idc) inspire some to kill hundreds, thousands, millions. Add it in with the fact that those who believe in such ideologies are statistically less intelligent than the rest of the population, and I can almost accept that these people aren't completely guilty of being complicit in an ideology that has killed millions. And for what? Selfish belief? They need to go to heaven? They need to see mom again? How does that help anyone but the believer? Why should I respect these people? Sure, they might be good, they might help others (and religion can inspire this), but either they're in denial or they don't know that their continued belief is keeping such a harmful ideology alive. The stamp collecting club down the corner hasn't resulted in people massacring groups of civilians, so why does religion do this?

I value the good that religion has done but far less tragedy would occur if it had never existed. I respect neither ideology nor the implicit connection people have to it. When 45% of Americans believe religion is necessary for good values and morals and yet 0.1% of the prison population is atheist, start seeing this for what it is. And if people value the fact that religion might have kept THEMSELVES from suicide over the fact that its existence has killed tens of billions of people throughout history, then I don't know what to say.

Any good that religion can do, can be done equally well, if not better by a concept or method that doesn't inspire people to kill children. End of story.

A lot of serial killers / evil world leaders are atheists.

At the end of the day we all know why he did what he did 

[Chic 20,830]

10 minutes ago, Taylor Z said:

A lot of serial killers / evil world leaders are atheists.

At the end of the day we all know why he did what he did 

How many kill in the name of atheism? And then think, how many religious people kill in the name of religion?

The vast majority of famous atheist killers were also communist and the latter likely motivated their views more than the former.

A world of atheists wouldn't be some sort of secular utopia. But the singular motives wouldn't be so widespread either.

[Taylor Z 108]

22 minutes ago, Chic said:

How many kill in the name of atheism? And then think, how many religious people kill in the name of religion?

The vast majority of famous atheist killers were also communist and the latter likely motivated their views more than the former.

A world of atheists wouldn't be some sort of secular utopia. But the singular motives wouldn't be so widespread either.

I'm just saying you don't see Jewish/Christian's/Buddist doing this. I saw a video on facebook where this lady was cheated on by her husband and confronted him about their faith and the other woman said "I'm not no damn christian" 😂

I agree with you just giving a side that's not really talked about. 

[theahsfan 13,838]

1 hour ago, Born To Slay said:

He's a loser 

Yup, he's not a monster. He's a loser. 

[Qualle1 1,385]

I am sure, he will rot in hell...

[Alphaz 7,969]

I wonder why there is no camera outside the venue? It should shed a light to some of the questions how it happened

[Slayer 9,227]

10 minutes ago, Taylor Z said:

I'm just saying you don't see Jewish/Christian's/Buddist doing this. I saw a video on facebook where this lady was cheated on by her husband and confronted him about their faith and the other woman said "I'm not no damn christian" 😂

I agree with you just giving a side that's not really talked about. 

Christians have a long history of terrorism and extremism, it was called the Crusades. And just a few decades ago, the IRA routinely terrorised Ireland and the UK. Christianity is hardly innocent when it comes to this.

I agree with others who say the world would be better off without religion. I truly believe that. I have made many attempts to understand and respect other people's religions. At university, I made friends with a group of Christian girls and even went to church with them, despite not believing in God or being Christian myself. A few years later, I learned that these girls regularly bitched about me behind my back and it all stemmed from me being gay. Yet they were nice as pie to my face. I had originally thought there was a good side to religion, that it helped to bring people together and promote peace. But it does no such thing. It is divisive through and through.

Why else would there be multiple denominations within one religion? It makes no sense. These people are reading the same book and yet they disagree on everything. They pick and choose what they want to believe. And they do this because every holy book is full of contradictions, saying things like, "love thy neighbour" one minute and "whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death" the next. Our entire society is founded on nonsensical dichotomies. No wonder the world is in chaos. 

[DrugAway 64]

1 hour ago, Chic said:

A lot of serial killers / evil world leaders are atheists.

Atheism is the natural state for humans

If the majotity of the population wasnt told about gods in their lifetime,they wouldn't believe

 

 

[Taylor Z 108]

Didnt the crusades happen because of the Ottoman Empire?? The Vatican has walls for a reason. If it wasn't for the crusades Europe and the west probably wouldn't exist (well majority of it)

Well idk where you come from but we had a drag queen perform at my church 😂 people are always going to talk behind your back over anything

Mobile is really slow sorry for the editing, and lack of a coherent conversation 😂🙄

[The Child 18,997]

5 hours ago, Chic said:

It was a bit of an exaggeration, but here's the thing. I can guarantee you that terrorism would deplete drastically if religion were to go away. I go to Bible Study every once in a while, I go to Christian concerts, I hang out with my religious friends. Truth is, I don't believe in any of it. I see firsthand the good it can do. I also see a lot I disagree with. But you know what? I keep an open mind and go anyway. I think it's healthy to be in the midst of conflicting views. And certainly my own views are evolving. At the moment, and for the longest time, I have grown to detest what it does. I've been right there at the Christian bread pantries, in poor and neglected neighborhoods with the religious, and as beautiful as it is, the terror that it produces, the hate, the laws, the slavery...it's not worth it. It really isn't. There are atheist organizations that house and feed the homeless, and what atheism doesn't do is inadvertently result in the deaths of those who disagree with it. Nobody kills in the name of science and nature. And yet the liberation and therapeutic benefits it provides are as measureless as religious ideology. When, like I said, 45% of Americans think good values don't exist without God, that should be scary to anyone who doesn't believe. Because it's an obvious falsehood to any atheist who's a decent, kind person. Why should we believe the rest of what those people say religiously when such an absurd concept is clearly wrong but so widespread? It's almost like that's exactly how atheists view religion, and with that kind of statistical example, they might just be right.

I'm not here to critique the legitimacy of religious belief though, just the potential effects of it.

Why always putting the blame on religions? Put the blame on humans, after all they are the one who created all those religions. And at the end of the day, if someone wants to kill, that person will always find a "reason" to do so, religions or not.