Atheism Thread

[Anonymous]

Can Liberalism Be Saved From Itself?

(Ben Affleck is an idiot!)

I fear people like you and the applauding morons in that audience more than someone like Ben Affleck who at least dares to criticise something that seems to tolerate everything and anyone despite what happens or what people do. USA did not learn anything at all from September 11 which is why we wait for the country to be the victim of bigger attacks in a near future cause I think we all just know it will happen. The problem is that even then things will go on as usual.

As humans we want to see the good in other people but I think the time has come for that to stop and to realise we live in a world now so far removed from the past and our history we may as well rename the planet.

 

[realitybites]

Why Don’t More Muslims Denounce Their Co-Religionists’ Barbarism?

 

[realitybites]

Survey Shows We’re All Wrong About the Relative Percentages of Muslims and Christians in Our Countries

67% of Swedes are Christian? News to me. I thought it was the land of atheists.

 

[CrystalGeezer]

This cartoon sums up the flavor of Atheism I endorse. I am not Atheist, but I identify with these Atheist principles.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/religion

 

[realitybites]

Really good podcast with Sam Harris: The Chapel Hill Murders and ‘Militant’ Atheism

 

[BrummieBoy]

Survey Shows We’re All Wrong About the Relative Percentages of Muslims and Christians in Our Countries

67% of Swedes are Christian? News to me. I thought it was the land of atheists.

It's a residual cultural identity. Many in Scandinavian countries have lost active faith in Xtianity but retain the cultural trappings for weddings, funerals, etc. It's a cultural heritage symbol, not a profession of belief. In Denmark they have 'nonfirmation' rituals to confirm their secular values at the same time as others affirm religious belief. It's similar here in the UK where people use churches for weddings and funerals because they like the aesthetics but never show their face otherwise.

best
BB

"A CONfirmation is the "ritual" in which teenagers acknowledge that they want to belong to Christianity. It's pretty much just a standard ritual and it doesnt have much to do with religion anymore. When the confirmation is done, you go party with your family and other guests afterwards and you receive A LOT of presents. These presents are usualy huge in size, and sometimes includes massive amounts of money. In Denmark there are only 2 things of similar size; Wedding and Baptism.

Some teenagers does not want to belong to Christianity, or aint allowed to, and so they arrange a NONfirmation in order to not be left out when all the other kids are being confirmated. This just prooves the fact that modern days confirmation is all about the party afterwards and the presents, and not the religion."

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090914093300AAzdP8W

 

[realitybites]

It's a residual cultural identity. Many in Scandinavian countries have lost active faith in Xtianity but retain the cultural trappings for weddings, funerals, etc. It's a cultural heritage symbol, not a profession of belief. In Denmark they have 'nonfirmation' rituals to confirm their secular values at the same time as others affirm religious belief. It's similar here in the UK where people use churches for weddings and funerals because they like the aesthetics but never show their face otherwise.

best
BB

"A CONfirmation is the "ritual" in which teenagers acknowledge that they want to belong to Christianity. It's pretty much just a standard ritual and it doesnt have much to do with religion anymore. When the confirmation is done, you go party with your family and other guests afterwards and you receive A LOT of presents. These presents are usualy huge in size, and sometimes includes massive amounts of money. In Denmark there are only 2 things of similar size; Wedding and Baptism.

Some teenagers does not want to belong to Christianity, or aint allowed to, and so they arrange a NONfirmation in order to not be left out when all the other kids are being confirmated. This just prooves the fact that modern days confirmation is all about the party afterwards and the presents, and not the religion."

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090914093300AAzdP8W

Thanks for that info. Love this: CONfirmation

 

[CrystalGeezer]

Because there is a God...

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2015/04/venice_pushing_to_bring_topless_bathing_to_the_beach.php

 

[Anonymous]

Survey Shows We’re All Wrong About the Relative Percentages of Muslims and Christians in Our Countries

67% of Swedes are Christian? News to me. I thought it was the land of atheists.

I would guess you're from the states and if so you probably believe there are polar bears in the streets of Sweden because many years agon a study showed that americans believed that. I would say that the reason swedes are rumoured to be atheists abroad is that they do not make a song and dance about it like they do in the states for example. In Sweden they pay church tax and unless you contact the tax authority about not wanting to pay church tax then a swede will automatically be registered as a christian. If we talked about the number of active christians in Sweden the number would be very small and many churches have been sold and turned into locations for companies and other sorts of businesses.

Many swedes who are not believers still go to church as many churches have their own kindergarten and also serve lunch. In Sweden people see nothing wrong with being active within the church even if they do not see themselves as christians. I would say no country in the world have a more relaxed approach to church and christianity than Sweden and in the modern day it is a place to gather without getting beaten in the head by a bible. Swedes on a whole do not live in the same black and white world as for instance americans do which may be because of the country being neutral in wars and therefor see no need in having a religious belief to still feel safe and be a part of something.

Those that leave church on paper by taking away the church tax can still have a funeral ceremony in church and get married and so on. Sweden is a very welcoming country and some say too welcoming.

 

[Tynamuna]

I would guess you're from the states and if so you probably believe there are polar bears in the streets of Sweden because many years agon a study showed that americans believed that. I would say that the reason swedes are rumoured to be atheists abroad is that they do not make a song and dance about it like they do in the states for example. In Sweden they pay church tax and unless you contact the tax authority about not wanting to pay church tax then a swede will automatically be registered as a christian. If we talked about the number of active christians in Sweden the number would be very small and many churches have been sold and turned into locations for companies and other sorts of businesses.

Many swedes who are not believers still go to church as many churches have their own kindergarten and also serve lunch. In Sweden people see nothing wrong with being active within the church even if they do not see themselves as christians. I would say no country in the world have a more relaxed approach to church and christianity than Sweden and in the modern day it is a place to gather without getting beaten in the head by a bible. Swedes on a whole do not live in the same black and white world as for instance americans do which may be because of the country being neutral in wars and therefor see no need in having a religious belief to still feel safe and be a part of something.

Those that leave church on paper by taking away the church tax can still have a funeral ceremony in church and get married and so on. Sweden is a very welcoming country and some say too welcoming.

Sweetheart i'm from sweden, they have changed the policy. Now when you are eighteen the post you and ask that if you want to stay in the church you have to tell them or they take you out of the swedish Church, not the other way around

 

[Anonymous]

Sweetheart i'm from sweden, they have changed the policy. Now when you are eighteen the post you and ask that if you want to stay in the church you have to tell them or they take you out of the swedish Church, not the other way around

Funny you are, the state church website clearly state how it is done and the reason is that swedes pay tax to the church and to avoid tax you need to contact the church and notice them that you wish to leave it. I wish it was the way you describe but anyone sensible enough understand they would never do that as they would risk losing too much tax that way.

 

[Tynamuna]

Funny you are, the state church website clearly state how it is done and the reason is that swedes pay tax to the church and to avoid tax you need to contact the church and notice them that you wish to leave it. I wish it was the way you describe but anyone sensible enough understand they would never do that as they would risk losing too much tax that way.

Then why did i get a letter from the swedish church telling me that if i wish to stay in the church, i need to tell them that or they will take me out, and nowadays children born after 2000 are not even in the swedish church

That is for those who are from older generation and never notified the swedish church and just kept paying the church and for those that are under 18
The new policy takes us out if we do not contact them

 

[Anonymous]

Then why did i get a letter from the swedish church telling me that if i wish to stay in the church, i need to tell them that or they will take me out, and nowadays children born after 2000 are not even in the swedish church

That is for those who are from older generation and never notified the swedish church and just kept paying the church and for those that are under 18
The new policy takes us out if we do not contact them

You might be the victim of fraud as someone has been ordering papers in your name, that is the only thing I can think of because all the info online clearly state that you need to contact them to be able to leave church not contact them to become a member. I hope you just got it wrong or maybe you should check if someone has used your address cause that is sadly very common these days. There is a website online where you can check your home address to see that no one else but you are registered on the address.

What you describe is of course a proposal made by the muslim community to the swedish politicians cause they want it made the way you describe it but as of now that is not the case.

 

[Anonymous]

Then why did i get a letter from the swedish church telling me that if i wish to stay in the church, i need to tell them that or they will take me out, and nowadays children born after 2000 are not even in the swedish church

That is for those who are from older generation and never notified the swedish church and just kept paying the church and for those that are under 18
The new policy takes us out if we do not contact them

Looked into this some more and we are talking about different things here. I was mentioning the church tax and you talk about church membership. You will be paying church tax if you do not act yourself and apply not to be a member. The two things are separated and you can study your tax paper you should have received by now. It seems more complicated now and it seems really difficult to be really young these days. I still claim though that any sort of change has been forced by the muslim community and of course no one should become a member of anything just like that without ever having applied for it. It seems this only makes it even more confusing as some will believe that they don't need to pay the tax cause they never sent in the application to become a member of the state church.

 

[Anonymous]

Then why did i get a letter from the swedish church telling me that if i wish to stay in the church, i need to tell them that or they will take me out, and nowadays children born after 2000 are not even in the swedish church

That is for those who are from older generation and never notified the swedish church and just kept paying the church and for those that are under 18
The new policy takes us out if we do not contact them

I just read a lot about this online and young people still need to send in an application to be able to leave the state church. When it comes to the church tax that is only a small part of what all tax payers still pay to keep the churches going but that tax fee is the membership fee and that one you can avoid by leaving church. What they have done is complicating thje process even further which has to do with EU and immigration.

 

[Anonymous]

I would guess you're from the states and if so you probably believe there are polar bears in the streets of Sweden because many years agon a study showed that americans believed that. I would say that the reason swedes are rumoured to be atheists abroad is that they do not make a song and dance about it like they do in the states for example. In Sweden they pay church tax and unless you contact the tax authority about not wanting to pay church tax then a swede will automatically be registered as a christian. If we talked about the number of active christians in Sweden the number would be very small and many churches have been sold and turned into locations for companies and other sorts of businesses.

Many swedes who are not believers still go to church as many churches have their own kindergarten and also serve lunch. In Sweden people see nothing wrong with being active within the church even if they do not see themselves as christians. I would say no country in the world have a more relaxed approach to church and christianity than Sweden and in the modern day it is a place to gather without getting beaten in the head by a bible. Swedes on a whole do not live in the same black and white world as for instance americans do which may be because of the country being neutral in wars and therefor see no need in having a religious belief to still feel safe and be a part of something.

Those that leave church on paper by taking away the church tax can still have a funeral ceremony in church and get married and so on. Sweden is a very welcoming country and some say too welcoming.

from my experience americans know almost nothing of sweeden or scandinavia. i know very little about it myself and my wife is one half scandinavian

 

[Anonymous]

from my experience americans know almost nothing of sweeden or scandinavia. i know very little about it myself and my wife is one half scandinavian

That is because they want to be known as ignorant and badly educated but when you scrape that off then they seem to know more than they first want to admit. Their knowledge however is based on stereotypes and rumours mostly which is because they do not have news over there in the same way we europeans have so you really cannot judge them too hard.

The post earlier about swedes being atheist is a prime example of not understanding how it really is. Swedes are believers but their faith is very private and not as organised as in the states. Swedes tend to not like church ceremonies and their faith is more free than in the states where the church has a very strong hold on the community. I would say that you will not find many atheists in Sweden because that is seen as quite aggressive and based on someone actually knowing about the higher powers if they exist or not. Most swedes are agnostic when you discuss these things cause no one knows for sure but most swedes have experiences that make them lean towards some sort of power but few like to call it God.