michaelhobson Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Sorry folks, I am once again offending the masses. I deny god, jesus and the holy spirit. How about you? http://www.blasphemychallenge.com/ There was a great piece on Nightline that you can watch here: http://www.rationalresponders.com/ The Rational Response Squad is giving away 1001 DVDs of The God Who Wasn't There, the hit documentary that the Los Angeles Times calls "provocative -- to put it mildly." There's only one catch: We want your soul. It's simple. You record a short message damning yourself to Hell, you upload it to YouTube, and then the Rational Response Squad will send you a free The God Who Wasn't There DVD. It's that easy.INSTRUCTIONS: You may damn yourself to Hell however you would like, but somewhere in your video you must say this phrase: "I deny the Holy Spirit." Why? Because, according to Mark 3:29 in the Holy Bible, "Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." Jesus will forgive you for just about anything, but he won't forgive you for denying the existence of the Holy Spirit. Ever. This is a one-way road you're taking here. Once you have shot your blasphemous video, just follow these two easy steps: 1. Go to this link on YouTube to upload your video as a "Video Response" to the Blasphemy Challenge. (You can log in or register on that page if necessary.) Please put the URL http://www.blasphemychallenge.com somewhere in the text description when you upload your video. 2. When the video appears on YouTube, send the URL to this email address: [email protected]. Also include a complete United States mailing address* so we can send your free copy of The God Who Wasn't There. That's it. We're only giving away 1001 DVDs, so blaspheme now. More questions are answered in the FAQ. View the press release here. View television coverage here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xveganjoshx Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 This is ridiculous, very funny, and thought provoking at the same time. I'm agnostic, I guess, in that I can't confirm or deny the existence of a god, higher power, or flying spaghetti monster. I can, however, live my life and try to be a good person in terms of my understanding of morality. My aunt, who's a jesus freak, tells me I will go to hell if I don't accept J-money as my personal savior. Who knows? Who cares? I don't think it affects my life either way really...but I guess I'll see ya'll in hell! At least all my friends will be there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andgbr Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 the flying spagethi scaries me... TOTLY! ---- i'm agnostic, i guess.. i don't know if there's a god or not, and i don't really think that matters, and i don't think that will change my goals, whether there's a god or not, good ethics is what i'm looking for, instead of simply worshipping something that i can't prove is real or not. I hope i'm not offending anyone..But i kinda liked the ''blasphemy challenge'', and the only reason i liked it, it's because a lot of christians ( not only christians, but 'others' too ), seem to be so narrow-minded to the point that they won't accept anything new, they won't accept other ideas, they won't open their minds, instead, they just open their books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I like Jesus, I don't like religion, I do like to study it though, but I don't take it literally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelhobson Posted February 21, 2007 Author Share Posted February 21, 2007 I like Jesus Just curious, do you think jesus was a real person, or do you just like the ideals attributed to him, or both? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odidnetne Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I can't believe people would send you a DVD for such a thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odidnetne Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I just found out that the two of these are based out of Northeast Philly, my old neck of the woods, I oughta get in touch with them sometime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I like Jesus Just curious, do you think jesus was a real person, or do you just like the ideals attributed to him, or both? No way to prove it, I think there's good reason to believe he existed. I think he is way misinterpreted though. My bet is he was a hippy just like all of us, even good evidence to support he was vegetarian. I like the person he was described to be, and his teachings. I wouldn't really call myself a christian, I take stuff from every religion, the way I see it is its just a guideline for how to live a good life, and the values behind all religions are similar enough, they all have value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princessbee Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I'm completely with Zack on this. I was raised Catholic and the thing that now binds me most to my religion, which I don't practice, is Jesus and his ideals... but I have a general spirituality these days. At work I have a statue of Jesus net to one of Kali... lol I can't participate in the denying thing I'm afraid. Noone is more critical of the cult of Christianity than an ex-Catholic but that doesn't mean I'm going to disrespect millions of people's faith in such a way... I wouldn't do it for any other faith or religion, either. I believe true Catholics are not the ones who tell you you're hellbound if you don't believe their way but simply try to live every day as Jesus did... trying to be a better person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oregonisaac Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I believe life is spiritual in nature, and to deny that for me is to create a cold and disconnected existence (of which I lived about 10 years of my life, as a staunch atheist). Religion I view as a practice intended (at least in original form) to help create a spiritual connection and as a formal way to rejoice collectively in that connection. I don't currently claim any affiliation, but I respect the decision too and believe I may find a specific faith someday that works for me. For now I enjoy appreciating a hodge-podge. I also think there is a lot of screwed up things that are done, said, believed or created in the name of religion, but no more than in the name of freedom, or family values, or security, or health, or many other things that while inherently good can be warped to serve selfish purposes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FormicaLinoleum Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I don't see how saying that one does not believe in God/Jesus/Holy Spirit is disrespectful to people who do, any more than saying simply "I am an atheist" is. After all "I am an atheist" does mean "I deny God/Jesus/Holy Spirit". The way I interpret this whole blasphemy thing is that it's just a stronger way of saying "I don't believe". There are a lot of Christian out there who don't believe that atheists really don't believe. They think they do really believe but are just mad at organized religion or at God or whatever. So people who are taking the Blasphemy Challenge are demonstrating that they truly don't believe, that their disbelief is strong enough that they have no fear of ending up in this hell. It's really just a way for people to stand up and say "We are atheists". I would also like to think that it could get some believers thinking about the fact that they believe in a God who would submit all these people to eternal torture for uttering those words. Many of those people could be really good and wonderful, but according to their belief system, their god will send them to hell forever no matter what else they do in their lives. And they believe that this god is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veganmadre Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I don't see how saying that one does not believe in God/Jesus/Holy Spirit is disrespectful to people who do, any more than saying simply "I am an atheist" is. After all "I am an atheist" does mean "I deny God/Jesus/Holy Spirit". The way I interpret this whole blasphemy thing is that it's just a stronger way of saying "I don't believe". There are a lot of Christian out there who don't believe that atheists really don't believe. They think they do really believe but are just mad at organized religion or at God or whatever. So people who are taking the Blasphemy Challenge are demonstrating that they truly don't believe, that their disbelief is strong enough that they have no fear of ending up in this hell. It's really just a way for people to stand up and say "We are atheists". I would also like to think that it could get some believers thinking about the fact that they believe in a God who would submit all these people to eternal torture for uttering those words. Many of those people could be really good and wonderful, but according to their belief system, their god will send them to hell forever no matter what else they do in their lives. And they believe that this god is good. Very nicely said - my sentiment as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I would also like to think that it could get some believers thinking about the fact that they believe in a God who would submit all these people to eternal torture for uttering those words. Many of those people could be really good and wonderful, but according to their belief system, their god will send them to hell forever no matter what else they do in their lives. And they believe that this god is good. I agree 100% with this part, you are smart. Oh yeah, Tiffaney, I'm going to catch up to your posts, very very soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veganmadre Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Oh yeah, Tiffaney, I'm going to catch up to your posts, very very soon. Quality over quantity, dear boy. Quality over quantity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 You are right, Quantity over Quality for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oregonisaac Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I would also like to think that it could get some believers thinking about the fact that they believe in a God who would submit all these people to eternal torture for uttering those words. Many of those people could be really good and wonderful, but according to their belief system, their god will send them to hell forever no matter what else they do in their lives. And they believe that this god is good. I agree! I also found it personally rewarding to question my believe that there is no connection beyond that of the physical world in life, aka my previous faith I labeled atheism. Thinking outside of our normal habitual patterns is key! For me it took some time before the word God stopped conjuring up a judgmental dude with a beard that just didn't understand. There are a lot of Christian out there who don't believe that atheists really don't believe. I have noticed lot of people (myself included) fall into the "I know what is best for everyone" trap, especially surrounding things that bring them personal joy. In my opinion it is unfortunate that there are factions of nearly every faith that try to recruit and push ideals and beliefs rather than attract through a happy and fulfilled life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merched Figan Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I don't see how saying that one does not believe in God/Jesus/Holy Spirit is disrespectful to people who do, any more than saying simply "I am an atheist" is. After all "I am an atheist" does mean "I deny God/Jesus/Holy Spirit". The way I interpret this whole blasphemy thing is that it's just a stronger way of saying "I don't believe". There are a lot of Christian out there who don't believe that atheists really don't believe. They think they do really believe but are just mad at organized religion or at God or whatever. So people who are taking the Blasphemy Challenge are demonstrating that they truly don't believe, that their disbelief is strong enough that they have no fear of ending up in this hell. It's really just a way for people to stand up and say "We are atheists". I would also like to think that it could get some believers thinking about the fact that they believe in a God who would submit all these people to eternal torture for uttering those words. Many of those people could be really good and wonderful, but according to their belief system, their god will send them to hell forever no matter what else they do in their lives. And they believe that this god is good. Very nicely said - my sentiment as well. Ditto! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DV Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 How timely this thread is! I just finished reading Richard Dawkin's "The God Delusion." I highly recommend this book to everyone with an open mind. He's brilliant. I'm now inspired to read the full King James version of the bible since I've never gotten through the whole book. I was raised Catholic (loosely) and allowed to think for myself at home. Therefore, I learned to question everything (getting into a LOT of trouble with the nuns). I have found the idea of any god to be extremely improbable, so consider myself an atheist - which is the same as being a Jew or Muslim to Catholics since you don't get bonus points for believing in the "wrong" god. Considering the division, hatred and violence caused by people's fervent belief in "their" god/religion, I long for the day when unquestioning faith in an omnipotent being falls out of favor. If children were allowed to think for themselves and were not brought up being told that questioning faith was a bad thing - well, we'd lose most religions in a single generation. The indoctrination starts at an early age out of necessity. Up to a certain age, children will believe everything that their parents and most adults tell them. What a shame that they later have no problem disposing of the Tooth Fairy myth but might go through tremendous guilt and even ostracization when they question their parents' religious beliefs. The horrible thing about this aspect of childhood is that as well as good lessons being absorbed, it's the perfect time to introduce a child to all the isms - racism, sexism, speciesm, etc. How many children have different views on religion/politics/race as compared to their parents? Not that many (members of this forum are definitely the exception). And most don't change as they enter adulthood. Okay, I'll stop now. Great topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarz Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 I like Jesus Just curious, do you think jesus was a real person, or do you just like the ideals attributed to him, or both? No way to prove it, I think there's good reason to believe he existed. I think he is way misinterpreted though. My bet is he was a hippy just like all of us, even good evidence to support he was vegetarian. I like the person he was described to be, and his teachings. I wouldn't really call myself a christian, I take stuff from every religion, the way I see it is its just a guideline for how to live a good life, and the values behind all religions are similar enough, they all have value.I believe Jesus existed too - I think there's too much history for him not to have actually lived. Whether or not he was the son of God is another matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finbarrio Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Good thread MH. I'd also recommend The End of Faith by Sam Harris for anyone interested in this topic, or the topic of religion in our society in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pelicanAndrew Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 I really don't think flaunting the fact that us atheist/agnostics/whateverthefuckyouwannacallits are so logically superior to all the other idiot misguided religions is pathetic. Lead by example, not by making videos of yourself denouncing Christianity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarz Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Not being a believer yourself is no reason to denounce religion as idiotic or misguided. Faith is very important in many people's lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 The reason why people aren't believers is because they think there is no logical reason to be a believer; therefore they think believers are illogical. I think that explaining why you think a believer is wrong is fair enough. Belittling and insulting them is not necesssary (not that anybody is doing this). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veganmadre Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 If children were allowed to think for themselves and were not brought up being told that questioning faith was a bad thing - well, we'd lose most religions in a single generation. The indoctrination starts at an early age out of necessity. Up to a certain age, children will believe everything that their parents and most adults tell them. What a shame that they later have no problem disposing of the Tooth Fairy myth but might go through tremendous guilt and even ostracization when they question their parents' religious beliefs. Ironically, I remember to this day the exact moment when I was told "there isn't really a santa claus" because my exact words were - "so, there also isn't a tooth fairy or a god, right?" I grew up in a relatively progressive religous home and it was OK for me to question religion. I had what I believed to be an "out-of-body" experience when I was younger and I'm still not certain that I can identify my own sense of spirituality. There is no rational way for me to express my beliefs and I would ultimately consider myself an athiest above all other explicit "options". And, while it's a shame that it isn't the same for most kids, the santa/toothfairy myth was equated with the god myth for me as a kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FormicaLinoleum Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 I still don't see why publicly declaring that one does not believe in Christianity is offensive, belittling, or anything like that. If a person makes a video saying "I believe in Jesus" is that belittling to atheists and all other non-Christians? If you are an atheist then you obviously think that religious believers are wrong, and if you are religious you obviously think that atheists and believers of all religions other than your own are wrong. I think it's okay for people to think that other people are wrong. We should be allowed to disagree and hold our own beliefs without that being deemed offensive or disrespectful. What matters is how you treat people who disagree with you, not the mere fact that you do disagree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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