I’ve been building up some links-of-interest for a while…and waiting for my flight to Manchester, New Hampshire here in Baltimore, Maryland may give me time to finally post them. 🙂
In newest to oldest order…
Case studies in cognitive dissonance: “Methodists OK same-sex benefits for employees”
How’s this for a “What does it say about God”?:
The United Methodist Church does not recognize gay marriage, but the church’s Judicial Council stated that “certain basic human rights and civil liberties are due all persons.”
Want to wager how long the rest of their “evolution” is going to take?
Worse than being an atheist: “God not-botherers: Religious apathy reigns”
Starts off with (including the italics):
Across the developed world, people are losing interest in god without becoming atheists. That’s a good thing
At least an atheist doesn’t think they could be right with a non-existent being…
‘Cause the Holy Spirit is more powerful: “Your atheism isn’t going to keep your kids from believing in God”
Now, before you think it’s entirely good news:
It’s not all bad news for secular folk, though. If you compare the childhood religions of respondents to the survey to their beliefs as adults, secularism is gaining a lot of ground, with agnosticism growing more than eightfold, and atheism tripling. By contrast, Protestantism and especially Catholicism lose followers as members grow up. Their retention rates are higher, but there are so many more of them that when even a small minority of their followers become secular, the unaffiliated’s ranks swell considerably:
But, of course, that’s because the ones that fall away probably were never saved to begin with. It would be better they were atheists to begin with (tying it back up to an link above).
Well, duh (but it’s good to have someone admit it now and then): “Why Science Does Not Disprove God”
It starts (with the bold):
Biology, physics, mathematics, engineering, and medicine help us understand the world, but there is much about life that remains a mystery.
Of course, blind faith in science requires believing that ultimately science could explain everything, given time, instruments, etc. That is a philosophical belief, not a scientific fact.
I didn’t watch the video, but I love the title: “Bill Maher: We’re Atheists, Not Vampires. If You Can’t Handle Seeing A Cross Now & Then You Picked The Wrong Country!”
Even a broken clock is right twice a day. 🙂
Although I disagree with the most common interpretation of the hell scriptures, this is not the reason to worry about your view: “What Christians get wrong about hell”
Well, this is not the reason to worry about your view:
A flawed, literalistic interpretation of hell only serves to keep modern skeptics at a distance
As does every single miracle in the Bible (including the resurrection) and any moral teaching they disagree with.
This kind of logic would also require the devil be as powerful as God (there is no ying/yang in Christianity): “Kirsten Powers: No heaven without hell”
Although I would agree as long as all we are saying is there are two eternal fates.
Ya’ think?: “This new breed of militant atheists are as intolerant as any religious fundamentalists”
But, again, it’s good to see it acknowledged…
(Faith isn’t the issue…”blind” faith is.)
Well, that’s it for now. I’ve kept my comments to a minimum…so, just in case, linking does not equal endorsing. Also, you read at your own peril. Not only might you read some pretty dumb stuff, who knows what kinds of graphic advertisements you might run into…
P.S. Oh, and apologies about the snarkiness. Do you think it would be better if links were shared without it? (That is an honest question…would like your input.)