Notice how many gods you reject.

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

Proof #28 - Notice how many gods you reject

There are literally thousands of religions being practiced today. Here are 20 of the most popular, along with an estimate of the number of followers:

Christianity: 2.1 billion
Islam: 1.3 billion
Hinduism: 900 million
Chinese traditional religion: 394 million
Buddhism: 376 million
African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million
Sikhism: 23 million
Juche: 19 million
Spiritism: 15 million
Judaism: 14 million
Baha'i: 7 million
Jainism: 4.2 million
Shinto: 4 million
Cao Dai: 4 million
Zoroastrianism: 2.6 million
Tenrikyo: 2 million
Neo-Paganism: 1 million
Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand
Rastafarianism: 600 thousand
Scientology: 500 thousand

[Source: Encyclopedia Britannica]

If you believe in God, you have chosen to reject Allah, Vishnu, Budda, Waheguru and all of the thousands of other gods that other people worship today. It is quite likely that you rejected these other gods without ever looking into their religions or reading their books. You simply absorbed the dominant faith in your home or in the society you grew up in.

In the same way, the followers of all these other religions have chosen to reject God. You think their gods are imaginary, and they think your God is imaginary.

In other words, each religious person on earth today arbitrarily rejects thousands of gods as imaginary, many of which he/she has never even heard of, and arbitrarily chooses to "believe" in one of them.

The following quote from Stephen F. Roberts sums up the situation very nicely:

"I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours."

A rational person rejects all human gods equally, because all of them are equally imaginary.

How do we know that they are imaginary? Simply imagine that one of them is real.

If one of these thousands of gods were actually real, then his followers would be experiencing real, undeniable benefits. These benefits would be obvious to everyone. The followers of a true god would pray, and their prayers would be answered. The followers of a true god would therefore live longer, have fewer diseases, have lots more money, etc.

There would be thousands of statistical markers surrounding the followers of a true god.

Everyone would notice all of these benefits, and they would gravitate toward this true god. And thus, over the course of several centuries, everyone would be aligned on the one true god. All the other false gods would have fallen by the wayside long ago, and there would be only one religion under the one true god.

When we look at our world today, we see nothing like that. There are two billion Christians AND there are more than one billion Muslims, and their religions are mutually exclusive. There are thousands of other religions. When you analyze any of them, they all show a remarkable similarity -- there is zero evidence that any of these gods exist.

[ClevelandBronco]

Originally Posted by KC Fish

No, I was simply curious.

A logical person would probably reply that faith and emotion aren't really necessary, and are usually more trouble than they're worth. I don't really understand how logic would not apply to creativity or selflessness though.

Logic informs creativity to a great degree. You'll get no argument from me about that. And Ayn Rand would probably agree that acts that appear to be selfless are usually (if not always) not selfless at all, but rather acts of enlightened self interest. Personally, I think she goes too far.

[Bump]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I lost religion in 1972. I was nine years old and my parents made me go to church, and I had to ride home on the church bus. I would never get home until the first quarter of the Chiefs game was over, and sometimes even missed an entire half. I decided that I could not worship a god who would let that happen.

These days, I'm starting to rethink it, though.

I lost mine when I was 13 years old. I went to a week long church camp that showed me everything I needed to see to get the **** away from religion. Sleep deprivation was their main mind control tactic and I remember trying to run off and sleep and they caught me and they were like YOU WANT ME TO CALL YOUR PARENTS AND HAVE THEM COME AND GET YOU and I was like HELL YES get me the **** out of here. Then they wouldn't call my parents once I said that and I had to tough it out.

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by ClevelandBronco

That's a pretty twisted take on it. Not unpopular necessarily, but pretty twisted.

yup, pretty much.

[ClevelandBronco]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

Logic is an inferior tool? I assume you aren't being serious.

I am.

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

I rebelled by lying about needing to do homework on Sundays and then watching football.

God never punished me so I assumed he didn't exist.

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

It's all about what brings us comfort and helps us through life's travails.

In my theofootbology, it's as if God has become Satan.

Perhaps there is a God and he's punishing me through the Chiefs.

Sorry everyone.

My heathen nature has doomed us all.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Bump

I lost mine when I was 13 years old. I went to a week long church camp that showed me everything I needed to see to get the **** away from religion. Sleep deprivation was their main mind control tactic and I remember trying to run off and sleep and they caught me and they were like YOU WANT ME TO CALL YOUR PARENTS AND HAVE THEM COME AND GET YOU and I was like HELL YES get me the **** out of here. Then they wouldn't call my parents once I said that and I had to tough it out.

Did you also do archery? Sleep deprivation and archery at the same camp is just asking for trouble.

[ClevelandBronco]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I lost religion in 1972. I was nine years old and my parents made me go to church, and I had to ride home on the church bus. I would never get home until the first quarter of the Chiefs game was over, and sometimes even missed an entire half. I decided that I could not worship a god who would let that happen.

These days, I'm starting to rethink it, though.

It might be a simple response to adversity. Sometimes people seek deeper meaning when tragedies such as a death in the family or a natural disaster or a Romeo/Pioli/Cassel event affects them.

[RNR]

Originally Posted by ClevelandBronco

Most that regard faith, most emotional responses, many aspects of creativity, very often humor, certainly selflessness. Do you have something specific in mind?

You had me at faith...cherish it, enjoy it, just do not be offended when the subject is taken up and faith means nothing in the arena of discussion. I am happy that you found peace of mind just do not offer it up as something to be taken seriously and save the threats of me being tortured for eternity if I do not buy into your superstition~

[Bump]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Did you also do archery? Sleep deprivation and archery at the same camp is just asking for trouble.

nope, no fun activities like that. They let us swim in a lake though. Church was from 7am - 5pm every single day and they forced us to stay up past 2am. It was definitely a tactic, people's brains are definitely easier to manipulate with no sleep after several days.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Bump

nope, no fun activities like that. They let us swim in a lake though. Church was from 7am - 5pm every single day and they forced us to stay up past 2am. It was definitely a tactic, people's brains are definitely easier to manipulate with no sleep after several days.

Dude, that wasn't a swim in the lake. They baptized you.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by KC Fish

What tasks do you feel logic is not designed to handle?

Dealing with a woman.

[ClevelandBronco]

Originally Posted by RedNeckRaider

You had me at faith...cherish it, enjoy it, just do not be offended when the subject is taken up and faith means nothing in the arena of discussion. I am happy that you found peace of mind just do not offer it up as something to be taken seriously and save the threats of me being tortured for eternity if I do not buy into your superstition~

Okay. Thanks, I guess.

[RNR]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Dude, that wasn't a swim in the lake. They baptized you.

That is one of the reasons the Catholics claim such large numbers. As an infant they sprinkle water on your head and claim you as a catholic. I like millions of others have never endorsed or agreed to this contract but the catholic church still claims us as members~

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by RedNeckRaider

You had me at faith...cherish it, enjoy it, just do not be offended when the subject is taken up and faith means nothing in the arena of discussion. I am happy that you found peace of mind just do not offer it up as something to be taken seriously and save the threats of me being tortured for eternity if I do not buy into your superstition~

wow, quite the conundrum...don't be offended when it's not taken seriously vs. don't offer it up as something to be taken seriously.

it really is amazing how much some people can't get past it.