Want to know stuff about Religion? ask an atheist or an agnostic it seem.

[Beskar]

There is another form of temptation, even more fraught with danger. This is the disease of curiosity. -- Saint Augustine

[Sasaki Kojiro]

There is another form of temptation, even more fraught with danger. This is the disease of curiosity. -- Saint Augustine

This quote sounded fishy to me so I googled it but can't quite find the source. Do you have one?

One blog said it was a paraphrase of this:

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/augustine/confess.xi.xxxv.html

But if so it's a bad paraphrase. It's tricky translating words from someone writing a long time ago.

From this disease of curiosity are all those strange sights exhibited in the theatre. Hence men go on to search out the hidden powers of nature (which is besides our end), which to know profits not...nor care I to know the courses of the stars, nor did my soul ever consult ghosts departed; all sacrilegious mysteries I detest.

It seems like he is talking about how it's bad to try things with no good end in mind--the specific examples given being astrology and mediums. Certainly curiosity can be bad.

[Louis VI the Fat]

It is my, entirely intuitive, opinion that at few, if any at all, moments in the past two millenia a majority of educated, non-clerical men have been genuinely religious.

It seems like he is talking about how it's bad to try things with no good end in mind--the specific examples given being astrology and mediums. Certainly curiosity can be bad.

Can be Bad!? Your post constitutes a slight against astrology and spiritism - two ancient religious expressions with millions of devout followers.

Pray tell, would you speak in this disdainful manner about the beliefs of Christians, Buddhists or Hindus? If not, why the distinction? If so, is it your conviction then that religious belief should be open to mockery and scorn just as much as all other opinion?


More quotes:
'There is in every village a torch - the teacher. And an extinguisher - the preacher' - Victor Hugo.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Can be Bad!? Your post constitutes a slight against astrology and spiritism - two ancient religious expressions with millions of devout followers.

Yes they are both pretty dumb

Pray tell, would you speak in this disdainful manner about the beliefs of Christians, Buddhists or Hindus? If not, why the distinction? If so, is it your conviction then that religious belief should be open to mockery and scorn just as much as all other opinion?

Don't know much about hinduism, except they let cows wander around in the streets or something. I despise buddhism, or rather the typical western buddhist. Buddhism itself is an inoffensive though lifeless religion. Christianity is not for me, but it is for many people.


I'm still not sure what to make of the survey. Calling the catholics who said the bread and wine were symbolic ignorant is just...

edit:



Correct out of 32:
atheists: 20.9
jewish: 20.5
mormon: 20.3

questions about the Bible, Christianity and other world religions, famous religious figures and the constitutional principles governing religion in public life.
...
Where was Jesus born? What is Ramadan? Whose writings inspired the Protestant Reformation? Which Biblical figure led the exodus from Egypt? What religion is the Dalai Lama? Joseph Smith? Mother Teresa?

On questions about the Bible and Christianity, the groups that answered the most right were Mormons and white evangelical Protestants.

On questions about world religions, like Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism, the groups that did the best were atheists, agnostics and Jews.

Liberals know their world religion facts

The la times article is bad...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/us...gion.html?_r=1

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

This survey is a straw man, because it didn't simple quiz people on their own religions, but on religion in general. So, unsurprisingly, Christians did well on Christianity and poor on everything else.

Who'd a thunk it?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

It is my, entirely intuitive, opinion that at few, if any at all, moments in the past two millenia a majority of educated, non-clerical men have been genuinely religious.

I suspect this is true for some periods, not for others, of course; the answer changes if you ask whether educated men were following the same religion as the massess.

However, I would note that modern "wisdom" is basically madness in 1500, and I'm not talking about the Science v Religion debate.

[Cute Wolf]

and when you want to know more about God, but you are an atheist, you can consult on 4 bottles of Jack Daniels, afterwards, you'll got a new enlightment about God...