Someone did a blog about young people leaving churches in droves, and I left this comment which, like many comments, I felt micro-blog-worthy:
As an atheist I’m glad kids are leaving churches in droves. Not because I think they should all be like me, but because I think religious indoctrination so often stifles critical thinking and in the name of evangelism makes a population of people who believe out of gullibility, bias or fear. And even if the bible is in some sense true, that kind of “faith” produces a really horrible quality of religion and character.
I would rather someone be christian or hindu because they have thought about it, educated themselves and agree with it, than agree with me out of fear or indoctrination or peer pressure.
agnophilo 
@agnophilo – Tell your friend that singularities including the Big Bang are simply divisions by zero. In another words 1/0= 1*10^99 power. Modern Physic is plagued by zero denominators, including the calculations of Einstein. Those divisions are called singularities because the = side of the equation is much greater than all the particles of the universe, which it amount to 1*10^78 power. All the television bias of physics is aimed at distorting the reality of the universe. For instance, every galaxy at its center has a black hole; because, the physics of Einstein say so. Bull shit, nobody but nobody has detected any black hole in the center of the galaxies.
@gene546 – “Heavy elements never arrived from dying stars.”Declaring it to be true isn’t an argument. And ignoring everything I said isn’t an argument either.And saying that you can’t measure the movement of the solar system unless you’re outside of it is just as silly as saying you can’t measure the speed of a car unless you’re outside of it.
@gene546 – Dividing by zero is a meaningless equasion, it doesn’t compute to anything. The line “black holes are where god divided by zero” is a joke, not a scientific idea.And einstein didn’t invent the idea of black holes, it was first put forward by a geologist in 1783. Einstein however did predict phenomenon which are caused by black holes like gravitational lensing long before it was observed, quasar galaxies an have active galactic nucleus, ie a super-massive black hole ripping apart stars in declining orbits. And black holes have been indirectly observed many different ways.
@my_words_are_my_sanctuary – The difficult decision would lead to my being grounded for the next two years, up to my eighteenth birthday. It’s the whole, “You live under our roof and will do what we say,” thing.
@wtf_turmoill – That’s crummy.But hey, you can be honest on the net at least for now, so long as they don’t monitor your blog.
@agnophilo – My parents know that I’m an atheist, so it’s not an issue of lying to them. It’s an issue of respect, which for some reason my twisted, youthful brain thinks I deserve at least a bit of from them.
@agnophilo – You don’t know what a division by zero is? In regular math is called both “empty set and null set.” But, in physics is equal to 1*10^99 power. As for the black holes, they were predicted by the math of Einstein. You said a ‘geologist predicted the black holes’? What Geology has to do with Physics?
@wtf_turmoill – So they just treat you like crap and force you to go to church expecting it to “fix” you?@gene546 – According to wikipedia:The idea of a body so massive that even light could not escape was first put forward by geologistJohn Michell in a letter written to <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Cavendish” title=”Henry Cavendish”>Henry Cavendish in 1783 to the Royal Society:If the semi-diameter of a sphere of the same density as the Sun were to exceed that of the Sun in the proportion of 500 to 1, a body falling from an infinite height towards it would have acquired at its surface greater velocity than that of light, and consequently supposing light to be attracted by the same force in proportion to its vis inertiae, with other bodies, all light emitted from such a body would be made to return towards it by its own proper gravity.—John MichellEinstein’s theory of relativity predicted the exact curvature of space around massive objects by gravitational fields, and was later verified by correctly predicting the exact angle light would bend from a distant star while passing by the sun on it’s way to earth, which could only be predicted during a certain eclipse. If you know that gravity distorts space, and you can predict it very accurately by estimating the mass and size of an object, then you can essentially verify that under certain conditions an object so dense it’s gravitational field would bend light back into it is possible. Just as if you know the equasion to predict how far a bullet will fire given a certain amount of force, you can use that same equasion to predict how far any bullet will fire with any amount of force.And no, dividing by zero is not a real thing in science. It’s like saying “1 + =”, it’s just gibberish. It does not compute to anything. But it’s used as a joke on the internet, ie any weird thing is “god dividing by zero”. Like when you type an impossible calculation into a calculator and get an error message.
@agnophilo – I explained you about the division by zero: null and empty set. So far so good but, when you move the zero to the numerator is = to 1*10 to the 99 power. Now, if you don’t believe me ask either an engineer or a physicist. Einstein’s calculations predicted three major hypotheses: time dilation, curvature of space due to gravitational attraction of matter, and black holes. Finally, if you divide your incredulity by common sense, you will catch up with our argument.
@gene546 – This isn’t gene talking, is it?
@agnophilo – Elaborate please, I don’t know what issue you’re referring to.
@gene546 – The above comments did not sound like they were written by you.
@agnophilo – Who wrote them? A ghost, an angel, what do you have in mind Agnophilo?
@agnophilo – They push their beliefs on me, yes. They’ve known of my atheism for two or three years and nothing has changed.When I bring it up, they usually say, “We took a vow in faith that we would raise our children with Christian values.” Sometimes they don’t really attempt to answer and say, “As long as you live under our roof, you will follow our rules,” or “You have to go to church.” I seem to have gotten out of saying grace… so, baby steps, I suppose. But, yes, they’re hoping to reconvert me. My mother has even told me before that, “You need a good, Christian husband who will drag you to church every Sunday.”
@gene546 – I was thinking either a friend of yours or you were more lucid for some reason. But even then the english was perfect, which is unlike you, it not being your first language.@wtf_turmoill – It builds character though. It’s pretty ironic, they’re actually parenting you very well in that regard. Neitzsche’s list of requirements for the production of a superman included a harsh, restrictive religious upbringing. If everyone around me growing up had been wonderful and open and tolerant I would not have the strong sense of right and wrong I do. It needs contrast.Once or twice I’ve thought about sending my (future) kids to catholic school someday to make them atheists, lol. Teach them free thought and give them a sandbox with a little adversity in it to play in.
@agnophilo – May I ask you, isn’t time to improve my writing skills?
@gene546 – You just skipped the word “it” in that sentence.I mean I’m not criticizing – you type clearly enough that I can understand you. But I don’t think those comments were you.I also notice in 2 or 3 responses you haven’t denied it being someone else.
@agnophilo – I’ve been wondering for quite some time how I would let my children know about religion, assuming that I may have some in the future. My boyfriend went to a Catholic elementary school and hated it, so I’d feel bad doing that. xD
@wtf_turmoill – Well I hated it too : P But yeah, I suppose the best thing is just to answer questions when they have them by saying “Some people believe x, others believe y” etc. And if they ask what you believe, maybe dodge the question : P
@agnophilo – Agnophilo I’ am old enough to be arguing trivial things. Not even your grammar it is impeccable. What do you have in mind Agnophilo?
@wtf_turmoill – I believe in religion for it gives lots of things, and forges a strong and successful mentality. Morally speaking it teaches us many things: for instance: how to discern between what love is and what is mere desire, and what I consider it has more value than anything else, the respecter of a person However, don’t ever take decisions on important issues such as this, relying on someone else experiences. I know beforehand, you’re not asking me my advice; but at least give a try; for at the end the person or persons responsible for the education of their children are their parents.
@gene546 – Just answer my question.@gene546 – I can discern between love and desire and have strong ethics. But because of philosophy, not faith.
@agnophilo – No, it is me. As for ethics can be learning through philosophy my answer is no; for there are philosophers (they claim they are), all over the world, and many of them behave as mere e brutes…
@gene546 – No, it is I. As for ethics can be learning through philosophy… my answer is no; for there are philosophers (they claim they are), all over the world, and many of them behave as mere brutes…
@gene546 – As do many christians.It is a huge insult to suggest that no secular person can be anything but a “brute”. I would never insult you by claiming the same thing about christians, so why come on my blog and insult me?
@agnophilo – This’ the last time I would ask you: what do you have in mind against me? a) Did You had ever but, ever claimed to be a philosopher?b) And I said “MANY of them behave like brutes;” not all.c) And thirdly, it is beyond my code of ethics to insult people.I have respected you all the time, and I do, indeed, thank you for your help and patients with my grammar. But enough is enough. Point to me any single insult against your human dignity, that I ever said it. And( which I doubt it) if you ever find something contrary from which I have stated above, beforehand, I beg you your pardon of me. I got enough of this attitude of yours, accusing me falsely.
@gene546 – I said that I am ethical and kind, but based on philosophy, not faith. And you replied that people can’t be ethical and kind without it being based on faith because according to you many philosophers are “brutes”.Don’t play the victim as if I insulted you.
@agnophilo – No, you got the wrong guy; I’m not a victim; the only victim that I know is Christ. I give an example of brutes: Niztche, Darwin et al. talk to me straightforward as I have done with you, and don’t level false accusations; for it is a dead end.
Nietzsche was a “brute”? And how was darwin a “brute”?