Interesting Article - How Easter and Christianity undermine atheism

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   elayne001posted 13 years ago

   I am a Christian, and this weekend holds much significance for me. We celebrate the most important event that has happened on this earth. Although this article may be controversial, I am grateful for my beliefs in the Savior, Jesus Christ, his mission and his atonement.
   
   You can read this article from USA Today if you like:
   
   http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/fo … heists.htm
   
   feel free to leave any comments. I mean this as no offense to any one.

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      just_curiousposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      A very nice article in defense of Christianity. Thanks for sharing.

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      Merlin Fraserposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I didn't think the article was controversial....just wrong !
      
      I have no idea why anyone without Pagan beliefs would find anything to celebrate this weekend, certainly not those who claim Christianity
      
      Early Christians had no idea when their so called Messiah was born so they take over and try and lay claim to the Pagan Holly Day of December 25th the Birth day of our Sun God.   Falsely claiming it as the birthday of the Son of God,  Nice twist but wrong.
      
      They have absolutely no idea when and or if their hero was crucified by the Roman’s there is certainly no date so in their wisdom they take over another of our sacred festivals that of Spring a celebration of fertility, new life  and new beginnings.    I doubt they even know the significance of the name, the clues in the name; “Easter ! ”  The Pagan Goddess of Fertility, hands up all you happy clappy Christians dishing out Easter Eggs and Easter Bunnies, symbols of new life and fertility.  Nothing to do with anybody getting nailed to anything....
      
      People in America are not turning to Atheism they are merely turning away from the lie that is Christianity, like the people of many European countries they are waking up to the truth, Man invented God not the other way around.  They are finally working out for themselves that religion, all of them, is a manmade power play, always was.
      
      Why else do you think there is this upsurge of lies and half truths aimed at any who they consider has strayed from the path....?  The evangelical will lie and cheat to keep the myth alive, it is a battle they are losing and this scares them.

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         paarsurreyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

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      dutchman1951posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      This article is absurd, Medical science has proven that chemical reaction causes thought proces, learning and adapting. Human responses senses touch, sight are physical, and so are Thoughts and reason. They are caused by Biological brain function.....
      
      to deny the basic functioning of the Human body as mysteries is a smoke and mirror attempt at protecting something that does not exhist.
      
      As a Christian I would be embarrassed at such an amature and obvious attempt like this.
      
      geeeze what  a waist.

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      Beelzedadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      "The problem is that this really isn’t a theory at all. It’s a superstition; a myth that basically says that everything in life — our thoughts, our emotions, our hopes, our ambitions, our passions, our memories, our philosophies, our politics, our beliefs in God and salvation and damnation — that all of this is merely the result of biochemical reactions and the movement of molecules in our brain.
      
      What nonsense.
      
      We can’t reduce the whole of reality to what our senses tell us for the simple reason that our senses are notorious for lying to us. Our senses tell us that the world is flat, and yet it’s not. Our senses tell us that the world is chaotic, and yet we know that on both a micro and a macro level, it’s incredibly organized. Our senses tell us that we’re stationary, and yet we’re really moving at incredible speeds. We just can’t see it."
      
      The preceding quote from the link provided shows the authors main argument regarding atheism.
      
      The first part claims atheism is a "myth and superstition" based on the reasoning that humans operate entirely on the physical aspects of "biochemical reactions."
      
      While this very well maybe an argument an atheist would bring up in a discussion, it is not the premise nor is required for atheism as a position.
      
      The author has essentially set up the ground work for a strawman fallacy by creating a distorted version of atheism while making the claim of superstition and myth.
      
      To close the strawman, the author offers the rebuttal in the form of a self-contradicting explanation, using the argument that our senses lie to us, all the while using examples of which the former preconception and the latter solution both required the use of our senses.
      
      Such an obvious contradiction would show that either the author is incredibly one dimensional and elementary in thinking or is just simply ranting about atheism and being dishonest.
      
      

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      superwagsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I've got to say, I know the article is an opinion piece, but it was fundamentally wrong. The "belief" in the material existence of things is not a view reserved for atheists! Presumably you're sitting on a solid chair right now?! A staggeringly weird thing to claim! 
      
      I don't wish to upset your beliefs, but we KNOW that Easter the way written in the bible never happened. There was no crucifixion of Jesus - and it certainly didn't happen to coincide with already existing pagan festivals.
      
      I don't wish to bang this drum again because if you wanted to do some historical reading on Easter, you would have already.

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      twobmadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      But for me what I care is Jesus Christ had died and through his death I have overcome the death with him and have eternal life.
      
      Regarding the Easter, as many of you mentioned, it was borrowed from other paganism. Therefore a lot of Fundamental Baptist churches do not observe Easter and Christmas.

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         earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Geez, you're doing much better than me.
         
         You must be one of those great christians that have a better life than we mere humans and can live forever/ 
         
         
         
         I, on the other hand along with my beautiful grandchildren are going to be tortured in the depths of hell interminably!

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   aka-djposted 13 years ago

   ".....and this scares them."
   Oh, yes, we are trembling in our boots!

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   AdeleCosgroveBrayposted 13 years ago

   As Merlin Fraser correctly points out, most Xtian festivals were transplanted onto pre-existing pagan festivals.  This is  a matter of recorded history.

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      aka-djposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      During times of great persecution, it was a very clever way to celebrate your own faith, whilst being "under the radar", so to speak.
      But, sadly, these Pagan traditions infiltrated and contaminated the REAL story.
      It doesn't cancel out, or negate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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         AdeleCosgroveBrayposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         
         
         
         There are many different theories about exactly what the "real story" actually is.  History documents this, too; for example when groups such as the Cathars and Gnostics were persecuted, tortured and executed by the Xtian church for having a different version of the "real story".

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      paarsurreyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

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   Peter Owenposted 13 years ago

   Disappointed in this article since it doesn't say anything other than grasping at straws.
   Quoting Albert Einstein doesn't help - his discoveries of laws of physics so radically changed scientific thinking - and opened the door for the premise that there is no god. He realized this and tried for the rest of his life, without success, to disprove his own theories. Every year his theories are verified scientifically.
   I am not an atheist, and was brought up catholic. And I continue to be totally confused.
   Current shows such as The Borgias on TV don't instill much confidence in the catholic church. A number of popes had wives and kids, And mistresses. They used, and still use, fear as their major weapon. These are the same popes who decided what stories would go into the Bible and which would not.
   Yet this doesn't push me to Atheism, just a complete abhorance with religions.

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      paarsurreyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Important points to note

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      Merlin Fraserposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Perhaps the quote, "Man prefers to believe what he prefers to be true," might help you understand.

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   Jesus was a hippyposted 13 years ago

   From the article on USA today;
   
   "Of course, it’s not quite fair to say that atheists believe in nothing. They do believe in something — the philosophical theory known as Materialism, which states that the only thing that exists is matter"
   
   Typical. Yet another attempt at attacking(?) atheism when you dont even know what atheism is. It is simply the lack of belief in a god. Not every atheist is a materialist. Every materialist is a materialist but every atheist is simply someone who doesnt believe in a god.
   
   And then it goes on to bash atheism based on more lies and false pretences. As if we dont know where emotions come from.
   
   Give me a break. The author of this article should be ashamed. Dont they consider it imoral to tell lies?

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   Lisa HWposted 13 years ago

   Ew.  Talk about links that go to stuff that's too aggravating to even read, because of flashing ads and the like...
   
   Anyway, although I didn't stay past the giant, moving, ad before clicking away, I'd disagree that Easter undermines atheism.  Many people view Easter as a celebration of Spring and re-birth, apart from any religious meaning once tied to the day.  Everything associated with all that goes on in Spring is something most people who are at least a shred tuned into "the wonders of Nature" (and for some, a sense of spirituality) can appreciate and celebrate the whole thing.  Celebrating Easter doesn't necessarily mean someone is religious, and it doesn't necessarily mean they're "nothing but materialistic".

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   DoubleScorpionposted 13 years ago

   Lets suppose that the crucifixion is indeed correct and those of the christian faith have the days correct...or at least close... The bible clearly states that Jesus rose from the grave on the first day of the week...so either Easter should be on Mondays or the Sabbath should be on Saturday...Anyway you look at it...if you choose not to observe or admit to the observance of where easter truly came from, then, at least, figure out the correct versions of days that you  do wish to observe...
   
   Just my thoughts...

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      paarsurreyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Bible is written, more coorectly made-up, by non-believing scribes who have deserted Jesus alone to suffer on the Cross; so things in Bible don't match up, very naturally.

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