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[Paphitis]

It is highly likely that he was a fraud in much the same way as the USA tele-evangelists. Heck, all churches are a fraud including the GO Church just as much as the self proclaimed prophets in the USA.

He was just a dude who claimed to be the Son of the Deity.

Maybe he just st wanted to fuck Magdallena!

That does not answer the question. How did Jesus con people?

Well of course he conned people if he is not the Son of God.

Maybe it was not all his doing. Who knows?

[Maximus]

It is highly likely that he was a fraud in much the same way as the USA tele-evangelists. Heck, all churches are a fraud including the GO Church just as much as the self proclaimed prophets in the USA.

He was just a dude who claimed to be the Son of the Deity.

Maybe he just st wanted to fuck Magdallena!

That does not answer the question. How did Jesus con people?

Well of course he conned people if he is not the Son of God.

Maybe it was not all his doing. Who knows?

If I go around telling people that I am a son of god, does that make me a con artist? Do I deserve to be beaten and killed for it?

[Paphitis]

It is highly likely that he was a fraud in much the same way as the USA tele-evangelists. Heck, all churches are a fraud including the GO Church just as much as the self proclaimed prophets in the USA.

He was just a dude who claimed to be the Son of the Deity.

Maybe he just st wanted to fuck Magdallena!

That does not answer the question. How did Jesus con people?

Well of course he conned people if he is not the Son of God.

Maybe it was not all his doing. Who knows?

If I go around telling people that I am a son of god, does that make me a con artist? Do I deserve to be beaten and killed for it?

Yes absolutely if you had managed to influence people, control them and their finances on false pretences. If a tele-evangelist claims to be a prophet, has a following of thousands of not millions, manages to convince people it is their Devine duty and that their salvation cringes somehow on following his Church and donating a portion of their wages, then that in my opinion is fraud.

There are many religions which are major frauds, and arguably, you can say the Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican Churches are no different to the worst of the worst.

[Maximus]

It is highly likely that he was a fraud in much the same way as the USA tele-evangelists. Heck, all churches are a fraud including the GO Church just as much as the self proclaimed prophets in the USA.

He was just a dude who claimed to be the Son of the Deity.

Maybe he just st wanted to fuck Magdallena!

That does not answer the question. How did Jesus con people?

Well of course he conned people if he is not the Son of God.

Maybe it was not all his doing. Who knows?

If I go around telling people that I am a son of god, does that make me a con artist? Do I deserve to be beaten and killed for it?

Yes absolutely if you had managed to influence people, control them and their finances on false pretences. If a tele-evangelist claims to be a prophet, has a following of thousands of not millions, manages to convince people it is their Devine duty and that their salvation cringes somehow on following his Church and donating a portion of their wages, then that in my opinion is fraud.

There are many religions which are major frauds, and arguably, you can say the Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican Churches are no different to the worst of the worst.

How is this any different to someone paying money to go to a seminar to hear a motivational speaker? Or someone who teaches the law of attraction. Does the speaker deserve to be killed?

[Pyrpolizer]

If I go around telling people that I am a son of god, does that make me a con artist? Do I deserve to be beaten and killed for it?

Actually it was not the killing of Jesus Christ that made his preachings a widespread Religion. It was the resurrection, the defeat of DEATH. From there on the human fear of Death became meaningless. The Christian Religion provided the answer.

This was later exploited by Mohammed the lunatic, who thought of passing it on to people in away that would serve 2 purposes: a) provide the answer to the human fear of death by introducing the idea of afterlife and b)at the same time promote his religion by rewarding those who would kill for Islam with a harem of virgins and tons of food. Hence that became the religion of the lunatics.

[Paphitis]

How is this any different to someone paying money to go to a seminar to hear a motivational speaker? Or someone who teaches the law of attraction. Does the speaker deserve to be killed?

It's completely different as the Motivational Speaker is charging a one off fee for a seminar and makes no other claim other than their seminar may provide motivational strategies which may work for some people.

Religion however is a major industry which does feed on the fears of the masses and as such they as organisations are incredibly powerful and influential and able to attain Billions in tax free revenue primarily from the lower and middle classes who would contribute the lion's share no doubt. The wealthy, are invariably better educated and less likely to be religious, and therefore are less likely to make such contributions.

The thesis is incredibly convenient for them, gives them power over people (Billions of People) and to some extent some even control their flocks finances whereby they must pay a tithe and so forth.

If the Atheistic thesis is correct, then these religions, including the Orthodox and Catholic Religions (Islam too), are the biggest cons to have overcome humankind for just on 2 millennium, and the fraud they have committed is much larger and far more elaborate than anything we have seen from ANY professional crime syndicates.

If that is not the case, then they are quite legit.

I as an Atheist, do not believe they are legit at all, by default. I am forced however to respect the beliefs of others and not cause them any offence or stress because sadly, many people are brainwashed (in my opinion) to believe this false dogma (in my opinion) and others really do need it as a source of hope and strength.

[repulsewarrior]

...if we believed in God, feared God, we would love one another. As i've said, as is said, the way, is not easy.

[Lordo]

If I go around telling people that I am a son of god, does that make me a con artist? Do I deserve to be beaten and killed for it?

Actually it was not the killing of Jesus Christ that made his preachings a widespread Religion. It was the resurrection, the defeat of DEATH. From there on the human fear of Death became meaningless. The Christian Religion provided the answer.

This was later exploited by Mohammed the lunatic, who thought of passing it on to people in away that would serve 2 purposes: a) provide the answer to the human fear of death by introducing the idea of afterlife and b)at the same time promote his religion by rewarding those who would kill for Islam with a harem of virgins and tons of food. Hence that became the religion of the lunatics.

you what. are you as stupid as you sound. you are looking at what a few people are doing and judging 1.5 billion people by it. is there no bound to your stupidity

[Pyrpolizer]

If I go around telling people that I am a son of god, does that make me a con artist? Do I deserve to be beaten and killed for it?

Actually it was not the killing of Jesus Christ that made his preachings a widespread Religion. It was the resurrection, the defeat of DEATH. From there on the human fear of Death became meaningless. The Christian Religion provided the answer.

This was later exploited by Mohammed the lunatic, who thought of passing it on to people in away that would serve 2 purposes: a) provide the answer to the human fear of death by introducing the idea of afterlife and b)at the same time promote his religion by rewarding those who would kill for Islam with a harem of virgins and tons of food. Hence that became the religion of the lunatics.

you what. are you as stupid as you sound. you are looking at what a few people are doing and judging 1.5 billion people by it. is there no bound to your stupidity

I thought you wanted a civilized discussion. Civilized in what? In respecting nonsense? In respecting Islam as if it were less of a nonsense compared to other religions? And what do you mean "by few people"? Have you counted them? The fact is those people practice Islam to the letter.

Read and educate yourself:

Let's see what the Qur'an actually says.

The Qur'an tells muslims to kill and go to war to fight for Islam: Quran, chapters (Surahs) 9:5; 2:191; 2:193; 3:118; 4:75,76; 5:33, 8:12; 8:65; 9:73,123; 33:60-62.
Fight for Allah: "And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers, (Quran 2:191).
Muslims are to battle for Allah: "Those who believe do battle for the cause of Allah; and those who disbelieve do battle for the cause of idols. So fight the minions of the devil. Lo! the devil's strategy is ever weak," (Quran 4:76).
Kill those against Islam: "The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter," (Quran 5:33).
Beheading: "When thy Lord inspired the angels, (saying): I am with you. So make those who believe stand firm. I will throw fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then smite the necks and smite of them each finger. 13That is because they opposed Allah and His messenger. Whoso opposeth Allah and His messenger, (for him) lo! Allah is severe in punishment," (Quran 8:12).
Allah urges war: "O Prophet! urge the believers to war; if there are twenty patient ones of you they shall overcome two hundred, and if there are a hundred of you they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they are a people who do not understand," (Quran 8:65).
Slay non-muslims: "Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful," (Quran 9:5).
Allah urges war: "O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination," (Quran 9:73).
Allah urges war: "O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil)," (Quran 9:123).
Allah urges killing: " . . . the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease and the agitators in the city do not desist . . . 61Cursed: wherever they are found they shall be seized and murdered, a (horrible) murdering. 62(Such has been) the course of Allah with respect to those who have gone before; and you shall not find any change in the course of Allah, (Quran 33:60-62).
Beheading: "Now when ye meet in battle those who disbelieve, then it is smiting of the necks until, when ye have routed them, then making fast of bonds; and afterward either grace or ransom till the war lay down its burdens . . . " (Quran 47:4).
Allah loves those who fight for him: "Truly Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure," (Quran 61:4).

As you can see, the Qur'an definitely teaches that its people are to fight for the cause of Islam. This list of verses is important because they are within the holy book of Islam. What are we to conclude if a Muslim is to take the Quran seriously? Is he not obligated to slay non-Muslims, to go to war, to kill those against Islam, etc.? Isn't this what the verses are teaching? Yes, they are; and this is the source of Islamic Terrorism.

So the question for you Lordo is: Do you take Islam seriously, yes or no?

[supporttheunderdog]

Religion originated as a supernatural means of explaining natural phenomenon that could not be explained by science of the time. That is why so many deities are related to eg weather, the sun, moon and stars. Throw in veneration of ancestors, who supposedly needed somewhere to live, after death, evidenced by burial rituals, then the development of priests, to act as intermediaries with the gods and/or ancestors , and use of their rank for political control, and one has the entire construct of religion. A wholly artificial construct.