Blasphemy

[-Talbot-]

Last night after a few sherbets the conversation got round to believing in God or not.

I asked the unbeleivers to say something blasphemous...not one of them would,
they appeared scared to do so and looked shocked when I did.

What's your view on blasphemy?

[Hypognosis]

We atheists are in a quandry, when it comes to words and phrases to use in exasperating/painful moments. If we just go by copying what we hear other people say, we end up using the same stock phrases. The most creative I've encoutered was John Cooper Clarke's use of "Jesus, on a rubber cross"; roughly contemporary with (I'm not a fan) Nick Cave's "Jesus rot in holy trash can", which I've not heard uttered since my late teenage years. It didn't catch on, as you'd imagine.

Of course loose-tongued people, like Zaphod Beeblebrox, resort to using words like ***gium, which is just beyond the pale, even in these enlightened times.
(c) D N Adams

[birdie1971]

Talbot - "Why when they say they don't believe in god are they scared to say anything against him... I think a couple of them thought I was going to be struck down there and then."

Did it not occur to you that they didn't say anything 'blasphemous' because they knew that you might take such a thing badly and possibly be offended? It's unlikely they were scared of some divine, immediate retribution if they were 'unbelievers' (or 'atheists' as they are more commonly referred to).

From the information you've so far provided, I think that you've read too much in to this particular conversation and come up with a conclusion that fits your particular world-view.

[birdie1971]

Blasphemy, as far as I'm concerned, can go and jump off a bridge.

The idea that a religious notion can be protected by law and that anyone transgressing that law can be punished, is quite frankly, absurd. Why should an unprovable hypothesis be beyond criticism? If I believe in the literal existence of leprechauns, should anyone questioning my beliefs be punished? And if so why?

Unprovable and untestable hypothesis should never be protected from criticism and if necessary, ridicule.

The very concept of blasphemy is abhorrent.

[ummmm]

Leprechauns are as real as God.

[birdie1971]

^ Indeed they are :-)

[Theland]

Wow! What certainty. Don't know whether it is foolish or impressive, and no doubts to spoil the party.

[Hypognosis]

@Theland

The only times when doubts are appropriate is where the available evidence points both one way *and* the other.

Atheists are not agnostic. They've lost all doubt because of the lack of evidence (as far as they are concerned) of a god or gods.

[Quizproquo]

I don'r believe in god.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk41Gbjljfo

[Quizmonster]

One could quote Richard Dawkins, who wrote:
“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”
One cannot help but agree if one actually reads the Bible!

[birdie1971]

Theland - "Wow! What certainty. Don't know whether it is foolish or impressive, and no doubts to spoil the party."

I'm not sure what you mean. What certainty and about what?

The question was about what we think about blasphemy. People have given their opinions about the concept. Personally, I think it's absurd to legally or otherwise protect an unproven (and unprovable) hypothesis.

When we're talking about blasphemy, we're discussing the law; be that statute or common. In this context, I fail to see how your above statement makes any logical sense.

[birdie1971]

Quizproquo -

Just clicked on your linked video.

Wow.
Brilliant. Loved the line, "Did you make mankind after we made you?"

[Theland]

If atheists are so comfortable in their unbelief, and prepared to,swallow the garbage presented by evolutionists, then why get so hot under the collar about believers?
Why not just go somewhere and enjoy their unbelief?

[birdie1971]

Theland - "If atheists are so comfortable in their unbelief, and prepared to,swallow the garbage presented by evolutionists..."

"Garbage presented by evolutionists"!?!

Classic.

Is it rude to laugh at such unbridled nonsense?

[Hypognosis]

@Theland

//If atheists are so comfortable in their unbelief, and prepared to,swallow the garbage presented by evolutionists, //

Ad hominem but not aimed at any specific ABer...

//then why get so hot under the collar about believers? //

I'm not hot under the collar at all. This is a cakewalk compared to molecular biology, believe me.

However, some people do get very animated about the constant harping on about the bible, morality and how the words "under God" must be inserted into their counry's oath of allegiance, less than two centuries after the constitution insisted on the separation of church and state. Church interference in people's lives likely does get non-believers hot under the collar.

//Why not just go somewhere and enjoy their unbelief?//

I'm enjoying mine right here, in this forum, thanks.

Or was that question the most polite "go forth and multiply" seen in the wilds of the internet for over a decade?

[Quizmonster]

"Why not just go somewhere and enjoy their unbelief?"
Theland. Why don't you just take your own advice - in reverse - and "go somewhere (anywhere other than AnswerBank) and enjoy your belief?

[Quizproquo]

One of my favourite songs of all time Birdie and it sums up perfectly how I feel.

[jomifl]

Theland, at risk of sounding arrogant, you are as ignorant of evolution as I am of the bible. However the real existance or not of god is not dependant upon the bible as with or without it god evidently does not exist. Evolution on the other hand is a concept that does exist and most likely is an accurate explanation of how you evolved, whether you believe it or not.

[birdie1971]

Quizproquo - "One of my favourite songs of all time Birdie and it sums up perfectly how I feel."

It's very good indeed. I shall be adding that one to my collection. Thank you very much for introducing me to it. Much appreciated.

[Theland]

McCarthyism is alive and well and busy ruining the careers of dissenting scientists who dare to raise their heads above the parapet in following the evidence for the arguments for and against evolution.
Woe betide the mere suggestion that evolution is flawed, and that I.D. has its merits.
Is this really an honest approach to the scientific method?
Look at the film, "Expelled," on YouTube for a clear illustration of this.

[birdie1971]

ID is a nonsense. It does really even qualify as a hypothesis. It is certainly not a scientific theory. It cannot be tested nor falsified and therefore, ID is merely speculation. It is simply creationism dressed up in different cloths to try and fool the terminally deluded.