Cyprus-Forum.com

[Maximus]

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.

People would not contribute (notice that its a contribution) or stop contributing to the church if religion did not work for them. Billions of people must find some value in it. They must like this brand of guidance and motivational speaking.

If religion was a tax free fraud then secular governments would have banned or at the very least, taxed the church a long time ago.

[repulsewarrior]

Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (05.03.15) reports that Golbasi 2nd Civil Court of Peace in Ankara has moved to block the Atheism Association website, according to the group's statement on March 3, 2015.
The association, the first of its kind in any Muslim-majority country, was officially founded in Istanbul's Asian-side neighborhood of Kadikoy in April 2014. As of March 4, Turkish internet users could not access http://www.ateizmdernegi.org without using tools to bypass blockings, such as a VPN.

The court ruling cites Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Law, which forbids "provoking the people for hate and enmity or degrading them" . In the past, the Turkish government or the courts blocked access to a number of popular websites, including YouTube and Twitter. More than 66,000 websites remain blocked in Turkey. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio

...for the record, talking about "religion", generally.

I do not profess to know any of the World religions well enough to reject any one of them as something of less than no value, and as provocative as we can be, about one religion or the other, it serves the worst purposes to do so. I choose reason, i choose the infinite power of our own social-exchange to adapt so that what is living, is better. If there is a God, or not, it seems that each one of us is compelled to decide, and i find that quite revealing, because from it there remains something universal in which each (no matter how "we" are divided) is but a facet. I believe in God, does it matter if i am a better Man than most if i am not a good Christian, i follow the Golden Rule, what does that "make" me? Islam is a great religion, like Christianity, and Judaism, the Faith in One, and the same, GoD; the secret revealed, that Love, this Grace, to be loving is the one Hope, for all Humanity. While there exists this war, a gang of Criminal Psychopaths against what represents everything else, i do not judge, it is wrong to call them Islamists, they are representative of the extremists of any Faith that is a threat to all of us.

Quite the opposite. We need Religion more than ever, to demonstrate this Unity against what is evil.

[Paphitis]

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

Except when we kill in his name. It's even occurring today.

RW, church goers are a pretty sad bunch. That is my experience of the GO Church. There are some who are genuine, usually the old widows.

The vast majority of the young use it to gain something in society. It is clicky, they gossip, treat people badly, and a lot more.

My experience is this, usually those who are fanatical, are usually bad people. There may be some strong believers who don't go to Church and are nice, but the weekly Church goers won'y see that.

[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.

People would not contribute (notice that its a contribution) or stop contributing to the church if religion did not work for them. Billions of people must find some value in it. They must like this brand of guidance and motivational speaking.

If religion was a tax free fraud then secular governments would have banned or at the very least, taxed the church a long time ago.

Yes, and the majority of these Billions are illiterate and poor.

It's too far gone to ban it. Plus they can not confirm it is fraudulent. I am saying it is fraudulent as God does not exist. All Atheists would have this position.

Governments will start by taxing them. This is the future. Only separate incorporated non profit charities will be exempt, and Churches will no longer be considered charities.

They feed on fear. As the masses are educated and this fear is taken away (because man fears the unknown a lot less than he use to), then so will religion lose its influence. it's a natural progression.