The Hazards of Belief

Hotblack Desiato · 28-12-2012 10:44PM

Andrewf20 wrote: »

What a disgrace. Saw this posted in another thread...

http://www.examiner.com/article/pope-gives-blessing-to-ugandan-kill-the-gays-lawmaker

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2012/1228/1224328225267.html

Catholics research leaving church after pope's comments on gays

Thousands of Dutch Catholics are researching how they can leave the church in protest at its opposition to gay marriage, according to the creator of a website aimed at helping them find the information.

Tom Roes, whose website allows people to download the documents needed to leave the church, said traffic on ontdopen.nl– de-baptise.nl– had soared from about 10 visits a day to more than 10,000 after Pope Benedicts latest denunciation of gay marriage this month.

“Of course it’s not possible to be ‘de-baptised’ because a baptism is an event, but this way people can unsubscribe or deregister themselves as Catholics,” Mr Roes said.

FouxDaFaFa · 29-12-2012 10:42PM

I'm sure a lot of you read about the poor guy who was pushed onto the tracks and killed by a subway train in New York recently. (Well actually, this has happened twice in quick succession but I mean the more recent one).
Turns out the woman who pushed him (a stranger, whom he never interacted with) did it because she thought he was a muslim and wanted revenge for 9/11. She'll be charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime.

A law enforcement official said that Ms. Menendez had “told the cops it was an act against Muslims,” and cited the Sept. 11 attacks. The victim, Sunando Sen, was born in India and, according to a roommate, was raised Hindu.

Now, obviously, I wouldn't be completely shocked if she's found insane but it's still heart-breaking to read about.

After years of toil, he had finally saved enough money to open a small copying business this year on the Upper West Side.

Hotblack Desiato · 29-12-2012 11:36PM

^^ Fùck religion. That is all.

Aenaes · 30-12-2012 01:55AM

It's really something sickening to hear/read about but not something you can pin solely on religion (the terrorists attacking for Islam maybe) just plain ignorance.
Reminds of the stories of gangs chasing after Muslims or people who looked liked Muslims after the bomb attacks in London, chanting "go back to your own country".
Most of the people being chased and harrassed had been born and bred in England.

30-12-2012 08:54PM

FouxDaFaFa wrote: »

I'm sure a lot of you read about the poor guy who was pushed onto the tracks and killed by a subway train in New York recently. (Well actually, this has happened twice in quick succession but I mean the more recent one).
Turns out the woman who pushed him (a stranger, whom he never interacted with) did it because she thought he was a muslim and wanted revenge for 9/11. She'll be charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime.

Now, obviously, I wouldn't be completely shocked if she's found insane but it's still heart-breaking to read about.

2nd degree? The ****? **** the "hate-crime" BS, she killed someone and the bigoted reason shouldn't have anything to do with how harshly someone is punished for intentionally ending a stranger's life.

30-12-2012 08:55PM

Aenaes wrote: »

It's really something sickening to hear/read about but not something you can pin solely on religion (the terrorists attacking for Islam maybe) just plain ignorance.
Reminds of the stories of gangs chasing after Muslims or people who looked liked Muslims after the bomb attacks in London, chanting "go back to your own country".
Most of the people being chased and harrassed had been born and bred in England.

That didn't happen an awful lot and the whole "most were born and raised in England" line that follows most tellings reads like something from an email chain message.

FouxDaFaFa · 30-12-2012 11:31PM

Deleted User wrote: »

2nd degree? The ****?

2nd-degree because it seems like it was opportunistic rather than pre-meditated (ie. she didn't plan it and follow him). The hate crime bit is tacked on to give a harsher sentence. Witnesses have said that she was talking to herself before she pushed him, so her lawyers will probably push for insanity.

Hotblack Desiato · 31-12-2012 12:29AM

Isn't it remarkable though how often those who, shall we say, are not in the best of mental health latch with great determination onto religious delusions*.
Perhaps the (illusory) certainty of good and evil, damnation and salvation, appeals - I don't know - but black and white is easier to process than the shades of grey of real life where no-one and nothing is absolutely good or bad.
If anyone comes across a case of some poor person becoming convinced that he or she is Dawkins or Sagan, get back to me :pac:

* Just in case anyone takes offence at this, I don't mean the normal spectrum of religious belief, but the belief that god is talking to them, or they are god's agent, or indeed that they are god. Mainstream religions have been strongly discouraging that sort of thing for a long while. (one of the first things that started me along the path to atheism, years ago, was the realisation that if a second messiah were to appear, the mainstream religions would all dismiss him as a nut... pay up, pray up, dont't scare the horses or disrupt the business plan.)

The Black Oil · 31-12-2012 05:58PM

Like your privacy? So does Andrea Hernandez. She’s been expelled from her San Antonio, Texas, high school for refusing to wear a radio-frequency tracking device. Hernandez considers the big brother technology "the implementation of the Mark of the Beast," and an invasion of her religious beliefs. Now a judge has granted a temporary restraining order allowing the sophomore to stay at school until a hearing next week, and a civil liberties group has stepped in to help the family's case. Their lawyer hasn’t mentioned the devil yet, but says that RFID programs get "students used to living in a total surveillance state where there will be no privacy," and eventually everything you do "will be watched by the government." [http://now.msn.com/andrea-hernandez-suspended-for-refusing-to-wear-an-rfid-locator-tag-can-stay-at-school-until-court-hearing and http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/11/student-suspension/

The ID cards seem a bit big brother ish alright, but the mark of the beast stuff...yeah OK. Apparently, the family are evangelical Christians, but you got to figure as a 15 year old she probably has a smartphone, computer or a tablet, and a facebook page...so are those things 'marks of the beast', too?

Links234 · 31-12-2012 06:21PM

Protect women from violence? That'll lead to homosexuality and transsexuality!

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/church-says-poland-pledge-protect-women-will-promote-gays201212

Quick, we need to beat women or everyone'll turn into gay transsexuals! :eek:

PopePalpatine · 31-12-2012 06:42PM

Links234 wrote: »

Protect women from violence? That'll lead to homosexuality and transsexuality!

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/church-says-poland-pledge-protect-women-will-promote-gays201212

Quick, we need to beat women or everyone'll turn into gay transsexuals! :eek:

I feel like the morons who believe this need some sense beaten into them.

kylith · 01-01-2013 02:48PM

The Black Oil wrote: »

The ID cards seem a bit big brother ish alright, but the mark of the beast stuff...yeah OK. Apparently, the family are evangelical Christians, but you got to figure as a 15 year old she probably has a smartphone, computer or a tablet, and a facebook page...so are those things 'marks of the beast', too?

Hehehe, that'd be great. "OK, no RFID tracking. We'll just keep tabs on you with the 'find my friends' app instead.

magicbastarder · 02-01-2013 09:22AM

may have been posted elsewhere:
Spirituality Linked To Mental Health 'Demons' Like Eating Disorders, Drug Abuse, Anxiety, Study Says

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/01/02/mental-health-spirituality-eating-disorder-drug-abuse_n_2394538.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

DB21 · 02-01-2013 01:02PM

Source

Hoping that this is a Poe, but you never can tell

FouxDaFaFa · 02-01-2013 03:54PM

God, this is just awful. Following on from the Malala shooting, a bus full of teachers who educate young girls was targeted.

GUNMEN on motorcycles sprayed a van carrying community centre employees with bullets yesterday, killing five female teachers and two aid workers, but sparing a child they took out of the vehicle before opening fire.

Delirium · 03-01-2013 08:45AM

Saudi religious leader calls for gang rape of Syrian women

A prominent Saudi cleric has issued a fatwa (a religious ordinance) that calls for the gang rape of Syrian women. Expressing frustration that the “warriors of Islam” fighting in Syria may be getting weary for the lack of sexual pleasure, the religious leader issued a decree that promotes hours-long “intercourse marriages.”

The cleric, Muhammed al-Arifi, who is a leading jihadist religious figure, made it clear that his edict called for the gang rape of Syrian women and girls. He specified that the “intercourse marriages” last only a few hours “in order to give each fighter a turn.” As to who is an eligible bride, the cleric approves any girls or women over the age of 14 who are widowed or divorced. Yes, you read that right. Any girls over the age of 14.

kiffer · 03-01-2013 10:37AM

koth wrote: »

Saudi religious leader calls for gang rape of Syrian women

Wait... hold on... No sex outside marrage, but you can have an hour long marrage, have sex (or rape, in this case)...

robindch · 03-01-2013 11:37AM

Up-country mayor in Indonesia can't distinguish men from women on motorbikes. Proposes a new bye-law to rectify the matter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20896966

BBC wrote:

A city in the Indonesian province of Aceh which follows Sharia has ordered female passengers not to straddle motorbikes behind male drivers.

Suaidi Yahya, mayor of Lhokseumawe, says it aims to save people's "morals and behaviours".

Leaflets have been sent out to government offices and residents to inform them about the regulation. Aceh is the only Indonesian province that follows Sharia.

Under the new regulation, the mayor says that women passengers are only allowed to sit "side-saddle" because straddling the bike seat violates Islamic values. "When you see a woman straddle, she looks like a man. But if she sits side-saddle, she looks like a woman," Suaidi said.

He added that passengers who sat side-saddle rarely fell off. The local government will be evaluating the regulation in a month, after which it could turn into a by-law, he added.

When asked if women who did not follow the rule would be punished, Suaidi said: "Once it has become a by-law, automatically there will be sanctions."

The regulation has been met with criticism from well-known Muslim activists like Ulil Abshar Abdalla, who is based in the capital, Jakarta.

"How to ride a motorbike is not regulated in Sharia. There is no mention of it in the Koran or Hadiths," he said on his Twitter account, referring to the second most sacred text in Islam after the Koran.

"In a democratic country, what is claimed to be Sharia must be assessed by the public's common sense if the government aims to turn the regulation into law."

Nodin · 03-01-2013 01:20PM

koth wrote: »

Saudi religious leader calls for gang rape of Syrian women

*sniff *sniff

Thing is, there is, afaik, short marriages of convenience in Islam (nikah al-mutah). Shia Islam. There's no support for it in Sunni readings of Islam at all, at all as far as I know.

Hotblack Desiato · 03-01-2013 02:21PM

FFS :mad:

...Meanwhile back in dear old Ireland...

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2013/0103/breaking20.html

On Mr Quinn’s return to prison last week, family friend Fr Gerry Comiskey said: “He’s not a bit worried, he knows it’s almost over . . . He’s extremely grateful to everyone for their support.”

Fr Comiskey said Mr Quinn had been inundated with correspondence from supporters during his stint in prison. “He has been able to spend a lot of time in prison reading and reflecting. Getting all the letters has strengthened his resolve,” he said.

I presume that means his resolve to obey the law, pay his debts, disclose all that he knows, and plead guilty to any criminal charges if he is guilty of them? Right?

Not his resolve to continue to conceal his assets, defy the courts, and give the Irish nation the two fingers? Surely not.

03-01-2013 05:27PM

ninja900 wrote: »

FFS :mad:

...Meanwhile back in dear old Ireland...

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2013/0103/breaking20.html

I presume that means his resolve to obey the law, pay his debts, disclose all that he knows, and plead guilty to any criminal charges if he is guilty of them? Right?

Not his resolve to continue to conceal his assets, defy the courts, and give the Irish nation the two fingers? Surely not.

If he still doesn't purge his contempt he should continue to be punished.

Fortyniner · 04-01-2013 12:28PM

The 'Arab spring' is not showing much sign of a new enlightenment, rather it's becoming a springboard for extremes of Islam.

After the 'authorisation for gang rape' for the 'freedom fighters' in Syria (above), we now have the repression of atheists in Egypt..

“The Egyptian people are religious by nature, and there are no atheists,” said Yusuf al-Qaradawi, one of the most prominent Islamic scholars, if not the most, a few days ago.

http://www.albawaba.com/news/egypt-atheism--461206

Nodin · 05-01-2013 01:32PM

Fortyniner wrote: »

.........
After the 'authorisation for gang rape' for the 'freedom fighters' in Syria (above), .....

Salon re-published a story Wednesday from one of our partner sites, AlterNet, with the headline “Saudi religious leader calls for gang rape of Syrian women.” The story reported that cleric Sheikh Mohammad Al-Arifi had urged Syrian fighters to satisfy their sexual urges in “short-term marriages” as a means of boosting morale in their fight against the Assad regime. AlterNet has since retracted the story, saying it was “based on a false report,” and published an explanation for how a story so flawed could be published. Salon has removed the story from our archives, and regrets running the original story.

http://www.salon.com/2013/01/03/cleric_gang_rape_story_debunked/
(my bold)

...as was fairly obvious, tbh.

Links234 · 05-01-2013 09:29PM

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/01/04/us-anti-gay-evangelist-to-stand-trial-for-crimes-against-humanity/

Good!

I really hope something good comes from this. David Kato and others like him are dead because of this kind of hateful rhetoric that this man peddled.

Hotblack Desiato · 06-01-2013 01:01AM

Does that mean we can sue the American evangelist wnakers who helped impose Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution on us, for the deaths it has caused?

biko · 06-01-2013 03:04PM

Earlier this year, Boko Haram stated that it seeks "to eradicate Christians" from areas in Nigeria. The group has a penchant for targeting Christians at churches, especially on religious holidays.

Boko Haram suicide attacks in 2012 SRC
Dec. 22, 2012 - Suicide bombers attacked the offices of South Africa's MTN and India's Airtel in the city of Kano.
Nov. 25, 2012 - A suicide bomber drove an explosives-packed bus into a church at a military base in Kaduna, followed by a suicide bomber in a car outside the church; the blasts killed 11 people and wounded over 30.
Oct. 28, 2012 - A Boko Haram suicide bomber drove an explosives-packed jeep into a Catholic church in Kaduna, killing at least eight people and wounding over 100.
Sept. 23, 2012 - A suicide bomber killed a woman and a child in an attack at a Catholic church in Bauchi.
Aug. 15, 2012 - A suicide bomber killed three civilians in a failed attempt to target a vehicle belonging to the Joint Task Force in Maiduguri.
Aug. 5, 2012 - A suicide bomber killed five soldiers in an attack in Damaturu.
Aug. 3, 2012 - A Boko Haram suicide bomber wounded several people in a failed attack outside of a mosque in Potiskum.
July 30, 2012 - A suicide bomber killed a policeman in an attack at a government office in Sokoto.
July 13, 2012 - A suicide bomber killed five people in an attack at a mosque in Maiduguri.
June 17, 2012 - Boko Haram killed 48 people suicide attacks on churches in Kaduna and Zaria. The terror group claimed credit for the attacks, calling them a "victory against Christian Churches in Kaduna and Zaria which led to the deaths of many Christians and security operatives." Three other churches were bombed on June 17.
June 10, 2012 - A Boko Haram suicide bomber killed three people in an attack outside a church in Jos.
June 8, 2012 - A Boko Haram suicide bomber killed four people an attack outside a police station in Maiduguri.
June 3, 2012 - A Boko Haram suicide bomber killed 15 people an attack on a church in Bauchi.
April 30, 2012 - A Boko Haram suicide bomber killed 11 people and wounded more than 20 in an attack on a police convoy in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba state.
April 26, 2012 - The editor of ThisDay confirmed that a suicide bomber drove a jeep into the newspaper's office in Abuja, killing two people.
April 8, 2012 - Boko Haram killed 36 people and wounded dozens more in several bombings outside of a church in Kaduna on Easter day.
March 11, 2012 - A Boko Haram suicide bomber killed three civilians in a bombing outside of a church in Jos. The suicide bomber was stopped before he could enter the compound.
Feb. 26, 2012 - A Boko Haram suicide bomber killed six Christians during an attack at a church in Jos.
Jan. 21, 2012 - Boko Haram killed more than 140 people during a series of blasts, including a suicide bombing, and shootings in Kano. Boko Haram claimed credit for the attacks, which targeted police and immigration buildings.

"Fifty of our church members were killed in the church building where they had fled to take refuge. They were killed alongside the wife of the pastor and children" SRC

"Nigeria is truly becoming the new killing field for Christians. Hundreds of Christians have already been brutally murdered – including women and children – by the Boko Haram," said Open Doors, USA spokesman Jerry Dykst. "The Boko Haram earlier this week said that all Christians need to turn to Islam or 'they would never know peace again.' Their goal is make all of Nigeria a country run and dominated by Shariah law."

Bannasidhe · 06-01-2013 05:03PM

biko wrote: »

Earlier this year, Boko Haram stated that it seeks "to eradicate Christians" from areas in Nigeria. The group has a penchant for targeting Christians at churches, especially on religious holidays.

Boko Haram suicide attacks in 2012 SRC
Dec. 22, 2012 - Suicide bombers attacked the offices of South Africa's MTN and India's Airtel in the city of Kano.
Nov. 25, 2012 - A suicide bomber drove an explosives-packed bus into a church at a military base in Kaduna, followed by a suicide bomber in a car outside the church; the blasts killed 11 people and wounded over 30.
Oct. 28, 2012 - A Boko Haram suicide bomber drove an explosives-packed jeep into a Catholic church in Kaduna, killing at least eight people and wounding over 100.
Sept. 23, 2012 - A suicide bomber killed a woman and a child in an attack at a Catholic church in Bauchi.
Aug. 15, 2012 - A suicide bomber killed three civilians in a failed attempt to target a vehicle belonging to the Joint Task Force in Maiduguri.
Aug. 5, 2012 - A suicide bomber killed five soldiers in an attack in Damaturu.
Aug. 3, 2012 - A Boko Haram suicide bomber wounded several people in a failed attack outside of a mosque in Potiskum.
July 30, 2012 - A suicide bomber killed a policeman in an attack at a government office in Sokoto.
July 13, 2012 - A suicide bomber killed five people in an attack at a mosque in Maiduguri.
June 17, 2012 - Boko Haram killed 48 people suicide attacks on churches in Kaduna and Zaria. The terror group claimed credit for the attacks, calling them a "victory against Christian Churches in Kaduna and Zaria which led to the deaths of many Christians and security operatives." Three other churches were bombed on June 17.
June 10, 2012 - A Boko Haram suicide bomber killed three people in an attack outside a church in Jos.
June 8, 2012 - A Boko Haram suicide bomber killed four people an attack outside a police station in Maiduguri.
June 3, 2012 - A Boko Haram suicide bomber killed 15 people an attack on a church in Bauchi.
April 30, 2012 - A Boko Haram suicide bomber killed 11 people and wounded more than 20 in an attack on a police convoy in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba state.
April 26, 2012 - The editor of ThisDay confirmed that a suicide bomber drove a jeep into the newspaper's office in Abuja, killing two people.
April 8, 2012 - Boko Haram killed 36 people and wounded dozens more in several bombings outside of a church in Kaduna on Easter day.
March 11, 2012 - A Boko Haram suicide bomber killed three civilians in a bombing outside of a church in Jos. The suicide bomber was stopped before he could enter the compound.
Feb. 26, 2012 - A Boko Haram suicide bomber killed six Christians during an attack at a church in Jos.
Jan. 21, 2012 - Boko Haram killed more than 140 people during a series of blasts, including a suicide bombing, and shootings in Kano. Boko Haram claimed credit for the attacks, which targeted police and immigration buildings.

"Fifty of our church members were killed in the church building where they had fled to take refuge. They were killed alongside the wife of the pastor and children" SRC

"Nigeria is truly becoming the new killing field for Christians. Hundreds of Christians have already been brutally murdered – including women and children – by the Boko Haram," said Open Doors, USA spokesman Jerry Dykst. "The Boko Haram earlier this week said that all Christians need to turn to Islam or 'they would never know peace again.' Their goal is make all of Nigeria a country run and dominated by Shariah law."

Muslims killing Christians in Nigeria, Christians plotting how to 'legally' kill Gays in Uganda, Jews and Muslims killing each other in the Middle East.

Cue 'but look at all the wonderful things religion has accomplished B.S'.

krudler · 07-01-2013 08:25AM

Bannasidhe wrote: »

Muslims killing Christians in Nigeria, Christians plotting how to 'legally' kill Gays in Uganda, Jews and Muslims killing each other in the Middle East.

Cue 'but look at all the wonderful things religion has accomplished B.S'.

Oh but thats not religion, it's politically motivated and the churches do nice workshops and peace of mind, look over there shiny happy things and blah blah blahhhhh.

bnt · 07-01-2013 08:59PM

Meanwhile, in Cardiff:

A mother who beat her seven-year-old son to death for failing to learn the Qur'an by heart and then burned his body in an attempt to hide her crime has been jailed for life.

Sara Ege, 33, collapsed and had to be helped sobbing from the dock after being told on Monday she would serve 17 years before she could be considered for parole.

Cardiff crown court heard that Ege treated her son Yaseen "like a dog" when he struggled to memorise passages of the holy book of Islam. She beat him on the hands and his body until he collapsed on the floor of his bedroom and died.

( ... )

robroy1234 · 07-01-2013 09:03PM

How could a parent do such a thing to their child? Religion is neither an excuse or a reason....This poor boy deserved to live.

The Hazards of Belief

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