for whom religion isn’t a fantasy and is an important part of their lives is a very big deal and shouldn’t be disregarded. Put this own goal to good use instead.

in politics. It affects his MAGA followers.

I don't personally subscribe to belief in the antichrist in the book of Revelation, but thousands of MAGAs do. Trump's depiction of himself as Jesus was so offensive that several MAGAs are calling him the antichrist and are turned off from support of him. That is a significant real world happening.

I'm OK with that, I just wish they'd keep it in church.

edited to add: Trump is not a believer, he just uses religion as a tool like he does with so many other things

Belief in heaven does not necessarily mean a belief in hell.

suppose you cannot wait to see someone in "heaven" - what if that person did not want to see you, how would that work?

I DO believe in hell, except it is HERE ON EARTH, not in any "afterlife".

As one dies, the brain produces all sorts of illusions in the mind.

well, that makes sense

It exists in the mind. But to me it is temporal.

The Earth is full of so many beauties and so much wonder that it can not be justifiably called hell. It is our Eden.

Hell is the feeling that is left after you've sold your soul for pennies and lived long enough to see your own people betray you.

Last edited Wed Apr 15, 2026, 02:16 AM - Edit history (1)

I think plenty of people experience a HELL ON EARTH, and not just in the MIND.

here is an example right here:

https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/articles/around-250-missing-rohingya-boat-045232638.html

If I were to label it in biblical terms, I'd call it Purgatory. It's not hell but it isn't heaven either.

How could Earth be heaven if there are parasitoid wasps that sting their prey to paralyze it only to maximize the amount of suffering in their victims?

Plato is credited with the philosophy of dualism. The one part that most made sense to me is everything in the universe has a good and a bad nature. Like we can use fire to warm ourselves or cook, but fire can cause destruction & burn us alive.

The first feminist and the first fascist.

Exalted the virtue of Truth while formulating the big lie.

Simultaneously both Socrates' scion and detractor.

Reduced to text a philosophy that lauded dialogue and discussion.


I've read that Socrates himself was influenced by possibly Indian/Aryan philosophy which led to him (and by extension Plato's) paradoxical superposition of contrary narratives.

Eastern philosophy, to me with my Western schooling and Western schema, is extraordinarily difficult to grasp. How do you have logic without the law of the excluded middle?

They never mention the anti-Christ, Satan, or end-times. I think they believe in God without the other nonsense.

To me, it's all nonsense.

A universe without an all-knowing creator makes more sense to me than one with a divine comptroller.

And hundreds of billions of galaxies in this Universe we are living in alone.

Neutrons, protons and electrons are the primary gods.

they wouldn't be anything worthy of WORSHIP

... KKKrishtuns who make a mockery out of the church and our government. These people need to be told and told again the church is not here to be a weapon or used to cause damage to or tear our society apart.

Until this rampant expansion of fascist theocracy is curtailed and drastically subsides the general population will become more and more cynical about the value of religion, the value and benefit of the church and find it more and more difficult to take the church seriously. Treating the church as a red headed stepchild open to ridicule and chastisment is what is in the cards if they do not stop weaponizing religion and using it as a cudgel against civil society.

Refrain from forcing your religion or your interpretations of the Bible down anyone else's throat.

It ain't rocket science just common human decency to enable us to live in some degree of harmony and not slashing each other's necks day in and day out like it was a sporting or entertaining thing to do.

What would Jesus do ? He would certainly not use religion as a battering ram or weaponise it against others. Act accordingly so we can live as neighbors and in peace

to give bigger tax breaks to the rich--- sort of like the parable
about the rich young ruler in reverse
"give all you have to the poor, THEN come and follow me!" ~ Jesus)

Attacks on Democratic Christians is both uncalled for and harmful to the Democratic Party.

Please delete this thread.

by a fellow member?

The hostility to Christians seen here keeps me from recommending DU to liberal Christians who would be offended by posts questioning their intelligence.

to provide a contrary opinion. That avenue of discussion is off limits, no?

If such posts were made, the posters were wrong.

I make it a point to not ridicule others for their faith or lack of faith. It's just simple courtesy.

For example, while I know the history of the use of the Greek chi (X) as an abbreviation for Christ, most do not. As a result, I do not abbreviate Christian or Christmas because many find it offensive. I can use six letters instead of one to avoid appearing to be disrespectful. It's just simple courtesy.

Courtesy is the oil in the machinery of social interaction.

You: "Can we cool it with the Xian make believe? Anti-Christ, Satan and other fantasies?"

Also you: "Since when did being a DU member mean never being offended by a post by a fellow member?"

they offer fantasy to deal with reality, and to me, that’s counterproductive in politics. Takes the eye off the ball.

I was brought up Christian, and confirmed in the Church of England, and none of it came up. Ever. Because it's an embarrassment. Many Christians also think Satan does not exist - only 60% of American Catholics think "he" does exist, for example.

The only reason I read it was because one of my friends gave it to me to read. He was Catholic but fell into the whole born again stuff at the University he attended. I told him I wasn't convinced. To his credit he respected my opinion, and isn't a tsf fan. While we remain friends we mostly just talk on line, with another friend, and rarely bring up religion or politics.

Several priests over the years told me Revelations is bunk. Where I am coming from on the "anti Christ," issue is from the gospels where Jesus warns his followers that there would be people who pretended to be believers in his teachings, but then in reality end up advocating the exact opposite of his teachings and lead others into doing the same. To me tsf and his followers definitely fit that criteria, in my view.

not because I necessarily believe any of it anymore, but because
those who CLAIM to believe in it have been among the strongest supporters
of the Beast who most resembles the 'Anti-Christ' in the scriptures
from the book which they 'claim' to believe in ! (to point out their hypocrisy and BLINDNESS
to the precepts of their claimed religion which they purport to believe in, but DON'T--
only using it as a weapon to attack others!)

I think most of the posters on this board who do such, do so from the same motivations which I do!

So NO, I don't intend to 'cool it' about discussing such things--- but you are quite free
to pass by any such comments, and especially any thread titles which would give
you the hint that such things are being discussed!

This STILL IS a 'discussion board' with relatively free speech,
so I suggest you deal with that, and bypass any subjects
which make you feel uncomfortable, without suggesting that others
'cool it' over subjects which they care to discuss!




(and come to the 'light-bulb moment' that not everyone who quotes Bible verses is necessarily trying to 'promote' the Christian religion, hi! --- although the lessons which Jesus attempted to teach about how to treat your fellow men and women
are still valid, correct and quite right---
and much more congruent with the public policies of the Democratic Party
than with those of the Republican Party, most of whom 'claim' to be 'Christians',
but mostly ignore or are completely ignorant of his teachings.)

The republicans have been funded for a long time by individuals that want to bring about Armageddon. That's why they keep bringing up to the troops. Then add Netanyahu who has been also referencing the Messiah's return. Which should mean any soldier who doesn't believe in the BS should be exempt.

Is that by accepting a savior even at the last seconds of their lives absolves them of all of a lifetime of sins and the misery that they have committed.

It's like the ultimate get out of jail free card. We know how that would appeal to the exploiters and psychopaths.

Every one of them believes it as well as divine providence.