NBC: Police: Illinois woman stabs children 150 times, claiming 'devils' inside them

[stevemcqueen1]

Well, of course they're bad examples.


But, if I, as a non-believer live my life within the rules of decency, and treat people kindly, don't steal, kill, covet or bang another's wife..
and this murderous pervert of a preacher repents and confesses his sins... according a lot of these religions, which of us is guaranteed to burn in eternal hellfire?

~Bang

The charlatan aspect of it is what makes it particularly reprehensible. You don't get that without religion.

People trust religious figures and prominent members in their churches automatically. My grandfather used to defend a guy who got sent to prison for decades of tax fraud/evasion and practicing law with a phony license because the guy was an elder in his church. The mountain of evidence the government had accumulated against him didn't seem to matter a bit.

---------- Post added November-4th-2012 at 12:41 AM ----------

If this pastor's repentance was a real one (and only God can know if it was), then yes, he will go to heaven.

I think sentiments like these are what make Christianity so absurd and unappealing to atheists.

Any system of beliefs that assumes an opportunity for a monster like that man to receive some great reward while a perfectly good person would be damned simply for not believing in some ancient fairy tales is not for me.

---------- Post added November-4th-2012 at 12:42 AM ----------

Also, this woman from Illinois needs to die. She deserves death for what she did for one thing. Also, there is no hope of ever being a worthwhile member of society again for someone who commits a crime like that.

[Hitman21ST]

I think sentiments like these are what make Christianity so absurd and unappealing to atheists.

Any system of beliefs that assumes an opportunity for a monster like that man to receive some great reward while a perfectly good person would be damned simply for not believing in some ancient fairy tales is not for me.

That's the thing though - nobody is a "perfectly good person".

The "system of beliefs" is the belief that anyone can be redeemed, no matter how horrendous the sin is. If we really want to get deep, the thought process of "I'm a better person than he is, so he shouldn't be able to be redeemed" can be seen as prideful, thus negating the "perfectly good" designation.

If you start with the premise of "we are all born sinners" in need of redemption rather than "we are all born good" and some go bad, it's easier to understand how anyone can be redeemed.

Everyone has that opportunity to receive that reward - no matter what has been done in life. If you choose not to receive it though, that doesn't mean someone else can't.

[IONTOP]

If you start with the premise of "we are all born sinners" in need of redemption

You're losing the game before you even started...

This game sucks...

[SkinsFTW]

If you start with the premise of "we are all born sinners" in need of redemption rather than "we are all born good" and some go bad, it's easier to understand how anyone can be redeemed.

I try to hold the evil inside but sometimes I feel it creeping out and I just can't help myself. One day mass carnage may commence. At least I can be redeemed in the future by simply showing remorse and obedience to the invisible man up there in the sky.

[Koolblue13]

this woman from Illinois needs to die

What a good Christian thing to say.

[skinsmarydu]

Always easier to blame someone else for your actions, isn't it?

"Adam, why did you eat the fruit?"

"That woman told me to."

My dad has a sermon on how Adam was the first person to pass the buck.

In related "wtf" news....

Pastor charged in killing of fiancee's daughter

http://news.yahoo.com/pastor-charged...144301701.html



more at link

I thought the words were backwards when I read the headline yesterday. "Kills daughter's fiance" made more sense at the time, but now that I read the article, eeewwww.

[Bang]

What a good Christian thing to say.

I think he's got the poor confused old lady mixed up with the killer.

and yeah,, i don't see why people would argue the death penalty in the case of someone who so selfishly and callously killed another because he just had to have sex with her corpse.
(Even if he could'nt bring himself to complete his disgusting fantasy.)

Especially if you're religious... building on top of what i said earlier, wouldn't you want to speed him on his way to eternal damnation and suffering for this? (Provided he has to go, of course,, the rules get muddy here.)

~Bang

[Jumbo]

What a good Christian thing to say.

Steve's not a Christian. He wasn't born in sin.

Read more slowly.

[Koolblue13]

Steve's not a Christian. He wasn't born in sin.

Read more slowly.

My bad. Pre caffeine post fail.

Still though, it's a fairly common comment that people make. First, he's not ours. Second, harm the harm doer.

I completely ignored that he was talking about the wrong person.

[Jumbo]

I completely ignored that he was talking about the wrong person.

There are no wrong people. Just people for whom damning evidence hasn't been found or presented yet.

[Koolblue13]

There are no wrong people. Just people for whom damning evidence hasn't been found or presented yet.

Sounds more like something I'd say.

[Hitman21ST]

You're losing the game before you even started...

This game sucks...

Yet it's so easy to win.

---------- Post added November-4th-2012 at 12:56 PM ----------

I try to hold the evil inside but sometimes I feel it creeping out and I just can't help myself. One day mass carnage may commence. At least I can be redeemed in the future by simply showing remorse and obedience to the invisible man up there in the sky.

You're right, it's a lot more comforting to know that after you die, that's the end. I'd much rather have it all stop than spend eternity in paradise...

[Prosperity]

Well, of course they're bad examples.


But, if I, as a non-believer live my life within the rules of decency, and treat people kindly, don't steal, kill, covet or bang another's wife..
and this murderous pervert of a preacher repents and confesses his sins... according a lot of these religions, which of us is guaranteed to burn in eternal hellfire?

~Bang

If it makes you feel any better, I don't think you're going to hell

[stevemcqueen1]

What a good Christian thing to say.

I'm not a Christian.

---------- Post added November-4th-2012 at 03:20 PM ----------

I think he's got the poor confused old lady mixed up with the killer.

I was talking about the woman from Illinois in the OP who stabbed the children 150 times.

She's a failed member of society.

The preacher probably should be executed too. That was a monstrous thing.

[SkinsFTW]

You're right, it's a lot more comforting to know that after you die, that's the end. I'd much rather have it all stop than spend eternity in paradise...

I had no idea that preference determined reality either.

---------- Post added November-4th-2012 at 03:01 PM ----------

The preacher probably should be executed too. That was a monstrous thing.

This makes it interesting. Wouldn't that just (in a christians mind) speed up his entry into heaven? Why is the death penalty so favored in the south then? The most Christian part of the country wants killers to pay immediately so that they can just go to heaven?