“I hope they speak Norwegian in hell!”

[Hif]

I don't think this has been posted before. But I found it funny.

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/...egian-in-hell/

[haxartus]

I know it's a generalization, but it's true. Religion should not be involved in the country's politics. Some of the religious values are outdated (like marriage) and don't work in a modern society, where the divorce rate is skyrocketing. Where religion is involved, people tend to be generally unhappy.
USA is religious because they don't have the same history of oppression and terror from the church as Europe has, and believing in God is somehow "cool" and "new." The religion will go away even there in a few hundred years.

[MasterHamster]

Who'd be surprised that people in such a christian nation tries to use God as a political force, or in cases such as Evolution vs Creationism in school.

Quite cute though.

[JayJay09]

It's not funny, it's sad. It's sad because it's true. And I am not talking about Norway's positive record.

We live to a time where you might think "we should know it better", but in fact our society has not become better by a bit. It's just more advanced. The same ignorant attitudes conserve themselves as always.

Edit: Education is key.

[Xyonai]

Clicked the title of the thread and expected some senseless nation bashing.. Was kind of right, but not in the way I had thought.

[haxartus]

It's not funny, it's sad.

No, it's funny why America is so religious.
Think about something.
The failure of the Church to prevent and control the Black Death weakened it's grip over the Europe's population and indirectly caused the Renaissance, which then caused the Age of Discovery and led to the discovery of America. You basically exist because of the failure of the Church to control the population. So why are you so religious ?

[Gyrome]

Actually, they do speak Norwegian in Hell:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell,_Norway


On a more serious note; It's not a direct correlation between religion and violence, poor standards of living, etc.. It's more a case of ignorance creating a base of growth for both religion and all these other issues.. Ignorant people make wars, ignorant nations let its people suffer lower standards of living.... and religion also often spring out from ignorance.

[JayJay09]

No, it's funny why America is so religious.
Think about something.
The failure of the Church to prevent and control the Black Death weakened it's grip over the Europe's population and indirectly caused the Renaissance, which then caused the Age of Discovery and led to the discovery of America. You basically exist because of the failure of the Church to control the population. So why are you so religious ?

Dude.. Man.. You got me quite upset now -_-.. Read my whole post and don't just quote scraps, please.

I am not from the US, I am german. On top of that I am agnostic. And right now, I am writing a paper about the Renaissance (Alberti's de re aedificatoria).

You couldn't know all this, but in my previous post I am saying that it is sad because it is true. The actual comic was funny, no doubt. The message, however, is so true. And in spite of all our (technical) advancement, the same old stupid attitudes are able to survive and still have followers. And a lot of them.

Besides, taking a book (or books) that has (have) been written 3000 years ago (over the course of roughly 1200 years) literal is something I really don't understand. The Bible, the Torah, the Quran.. For me they are all allegories giving ideas of what is right and what is wrong. It tells about consequences and responsibility. Morale is something that has been developed over the time. And the morale from 3000 years ago cannot work for us people of the presence.

I am not even sure if it worked for the people back then. I simply can't know. Another downer is the chance that the Exodus and other big events did not even happen and are only a twisted version of the actual history. This has as far as I know not yet been proven. And Jesus might even be a bit older than we always thought..

So, bottom line: A funny comic tells a sad story.

[haxartus]

Besides, taking a book (or books) that has (have) been written 3000 years ago (over the course of roughly 1200 years) literal is something I really don't understand.

Well, I don't think that people take the Bible literally, because it says some pretty crazy stuff. Anyone who takes it literally would be insane. So even that a large amount of the population believes in God, most of them believe only in stuff that fits them. And the majority aren't really religious, they are just too lazy to think for themselves.

[JayJay09]

Well, I don't think that people take the Bible literally, because it says some pretty crazy stuff. Anyone who takes it literally would be insane. So even that a large amount of the population believes in God, most of them believe only in stuff that fits them. And the majority aren't really religious, they are just too lazy to think for themselves.

Not everybody takes it literal. But many do. I don't want to bash Judaism, but the circumcision (Brith) on "the eighth day" is something the Torah states and it is done to create a bond between the young child and Jahwe. Besides being a potentially traumatic incident for the child, I find it odd that one's supposed to cut away something from his body, which God, the maker, has created in the first place.

Logic and Rationalism is the opposite of Religion in many many occasions.

[jahasafrat]

On a more serious note; It's not a direct correlation between religion and violence, poor standards of living, etc.. It's more a case of ignorance creating a base of growth for both religion and all these other issues.. Ignorant people make wars, ignorant nations let its people suffer lower standards of living.... and religion also often spring out from ignorance.

I agree with this one hundred percent. Religion makes and keeps the masses ignorant and vice versa. Education is the only way to transcend superstition.

[Catta]

Clicked the title of the thread and expected some senseless nation bashing.. Was kind of right, but not in the way I had thought.

Pff, no one can bash norway - except when they eat their fermented herring, then its okay

[saffi]

Pff, no one can bash norway - except when they eat their fermented herring, then its okay

that's sweden but why are people bashing religion again?

[Gyrome]

that's sweden but why are people bashing religion again?

We do eat it in Norway as well, although as you point out it's a Swedish speciality... I guess he understood your sarcasm..

[This name sucks]

Inb4modrageclose

The comic is right.

And to whoever it was above, unfortunately people DO take the bible literally, they actually literally believe that the earth is 4000 years old.

They honestly do believe every animal on earth was herded onto a boat.

And they really do believe that God put dinosaur bones into the ground when he was creating the world in 7 days.

I was forced to go to a christian school for 12 years. 1 hour of religious education every day.

Man that was *fun*, I would probably be a lot more tolerant of religion in general if that wasn't pushed upon me.

[JayJay09]

that's sweden but why are people bashing religion again?

It's not bashing, it's discussing. You could argue, if that is necessary, but I don't really see bashing. If Religion has no answer in one regard, they often get back to "let XY into your heart". Many preachers in the US do so at least. And I think it's a valid point to discuss this.

A problem is when highly uneducated people become some kind of preacher. It's not hard to get a needy mob on your side. Just tell them what they want to hear, no matter if you can actually keep up to it or not. As long as you can keep up the sharade, they will listen to you. But if you promise them forgiveness in the hereafter (which undoubtedly cannot be verified as granted or not granted since the dead won't speak to us), they will follow you blindly and you can tell them the biggest bullshit as long as their level of desperation does not decrease by other means.

But then again, education alone won't make you a good preacher if you are not understanding but dogmatic.

It will help you to see through sharades, though.

Recent example of getting out of hand: http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/5168136945#1

[Deleted]

USA is religious because they don't have the same history of oppression and terror from the church as Europe has, and believing in God is somehow "cool" and "new." The religion will go away even there in a few hundred years.

The original settlers mostly went because they were terrified and being oppressed because of their beliefs in Europe.

[Deleted]

Site rules state that religion is a topic which is not to be discussed on the forums, as such, closing.