Is there anything more weak-minded and meaningless than having "faith"?

[cailin maith]

I can tolerate some of what people believe in, I don't need to respect it. Unless you think all beliefs are equally valid.
What do you think of female circumcision, for example?
What about suicide bombing? These are examples of behaviours sanctioned by religious belief, that have occurred/occur in Britain.
Do you respect them?

I have respect for what other people of faith believe in, to a degree in the same way I have respect for what other people of no faith believe in to a degree.

Female Circumcision - of course thats wrong. But thats some loons interpretation religion not what all people of faith practice.

Suicide Bombing is wrong on all levels - how could anyone condone that. But again it is some lunatics interpretation of religion that encourages/advocates that.

Having faith is does not make you weak-minded or stupid.

Being some kind of fundamentalist but because it suits your crazy ass personality is not the same as simply having faith.

[sasguru]

as usual, I disagree with you. he is a cretin

Or a wind-up of genius

[MarillionFan]

If you define aliens as intelligent non-human life-forms from other parts of the universe, yes of course I believe in their possibility, and perhaps even in their statistical probability.
I don't see why they would be supernatural though (i.e. not obey the laws of physics) and so far I have no evidence that any exist.

And therin lies the crux of the religion question. Any concept of God would in it's definition be an intelligent non-human life-form. Anything up and above our understanding of the 'laws of physics' and nature would be considered to 'super-natural'.

Up until a few hundred years ago , magnetism was considered super-natural. The movement of the stars and planets - super natural. Volcanoes & earthquakes - super natural. There are bound to be laws, but we don't know them or how to use them.

The problem with the entire negation of an hypothesis for God / Aliens / Ghosts / Telepathy etc is that we as humans do not possess the knowledge of the universe.

[cailin maith]

Because the former is murder of a baby and the latter is suicide.

In a civilised society we should forbid those things. Interesting to see that atheists allow the murder of babies and people to kill themselves. What a lovely society you have in mind for us.

Now you are starting to sound a little crazy. Everything is not black and white.

[contractor79]

And therin lies the crux of the religion question. Any concept of God would in it's definition be an intelligent non-human life-form. Anything up and above our understanding of the 'laws of physics' and nature would be considered to 'super-natural'.

Up until a few hundred years ago , magnetism was considered super-natural. The movement of the stars and planets - super natural. Volcanoes & earthquakes - super natural. There are bound to be laws, but we don't know them or how to use them.

The problem with the entire negation of an hypothesis for God / Aliens / Ghosts / Telepathy etc is that we as humans do not possess the knowledge of the universe.

You make great arguments and I like your posts but please be aware that the likes of sasgaru are only interested in wasting your time and dismissing your statements. Their real reason for rejecting God are not forthcoming from them. It's nothing to do with the points they make.

[contractor79]

Now you are starting to sound a little crazy. Everything is not black and white.

Life and death is as black and white as it gets.

[sasguru]

I have respect for what other people of faith believe in, to a degree in the same way I have respect for what other people of no faith believe in to a degree.

Female Circumcision - of course thats wrong. But thats some loons interpretation religion not what all people of faith practice.

Suicide Bombing is wrong on all levels - how could anyone condone that. But again it is some lunatics interpretation of religion that encourages/advocates that.

Having faith is does not make you weak-minded or stupid.

Being some kind of fundamentalist but because it suits your crazy ass personality is not the same as simply having faith.

But it is the idea of faith that leads to this stuff. Its only a matter of degree.

BTW Faith is not just manifest just in religion - look at how a whole country, Germany, had faith in their Fuhrer, even at the point it was obvious that he was leading them to disaster.
Or the faith many in the Soviet Union had in the perfectibility of man and his society, contrary to all evidence.

Faith, by definition, removes rational thought and leads to extemism.

[d000hg]

Or a wind-up of genius

Just a troll. Closest anyone got to my ignore list so far

[Spacecadet]

What do you think of female circumcision, for example?

your mixing cultural with religious behaviour.

What about suicide bombing? These are examples of behaviours sanctioned by religious belief, that have occurred/occur in Britain.

There are many examples of suicide attacks for non religious reasons. I'd hazard a guess that most muslim suicide bombers are probably motivated more by what they, misguidedly, perceive as improper occupation of Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine etc....

[sasguru]

And therin lies the crux of the religion question. Any concept of God would in it's definition be an intelligent non-human life-form. Anything up and above our understanding of the 'laws of physics' and nature would be considered to 'super-natural'.

Up until a few hundred years ago , magnetism was considered super-natural. The movement of the stars and planets - super natural. Volcanoes & earthquakes - super natural. There are bound to be laws, but we don't know them or how to use them.

The problem with the entire negation of an hypothesis for God / Aliens / Ghosts / Telepathy etc is that we as humans do not possess the knowledge of the universe.

I get your point.
But our lack of knowledge of something does not make it supernatural.
If super-intelligent aliens existed, they would probably have technology that seemed supernatural to us, but wasn't really, just like a radio must seem to an Amazonian tribesman who sees it for the first time.