Why, you might ask, is this differing perspective(that god might not exist) even needed?

In my opinion, that is because while religion can, in the short term, ease the pain of life, it can often serve to prolong and extend suffering as well. This can happen when the prayer and the relationship to God becomes a substitute for a)other, more active and effective ways of handling problems and b)a substitute for genuine love and empathy, especially towards those different from us.

In particular, a religious belief in the soul can lead us to beliefs and choices which otherwise would be considered quite inhumane and even cruel. In my opinion, this is the case with many essential life and death questions, particularly having to do with euthanasia and abortion. In these cases, often the focus on preserving every “soul” ends up being on maintaining quantity, rather than quality of life.) The Catholic church’s ban on contraception, to give one example, has brought inestimable misery, because children who can’t be cherished and nutured (or sometimes simply fed) have nevertheless been forced to exist or, in developing nations, they have been forced to exist before dying a slow painful death of disease or starvation a few months later anyway.

If each child has a soul, these are all souls to be saved. But if one isn’t distracted by the notion of a soul, one can often more actively and directly address and perhaps even relieve human suffering.

Another source of cruelty that often comes from our belief in god and souls has to do with our belief that humans posssess souls, but that animals don’t. Setting ourselves apart from and above other animals often justifies our completely ignoring their suffering and their basic biological needs as we raise them for our own purposes. Most people have not even taken time to even consider the suffering of animals we raise for food, a fact which in and of itself indicates how a belief in god doesn’t suffice in making us even rudimentarily empathetic.

The fact that people are not aware of the problems with believing in god is exactly the reason ad campaigns such as this one should continue.

BFBF

Why don’t the Christians adopt the Islamist view of spreading the faith? The Islamists believe that the truth of the faith will by its very nature make its way into the hearts of others. That no coercion is needed to spread the word because of its rightousness because god will do it in his own time.

ok I’ll bite: Which pope didn’t believe in god?

Your logic reminds me of that of conspiracy theorists. So convinced of their premise that when conspiracy theorists are presented with evidence refuting their claim they immediately state that the evidence is false and part of a cover-up. A cover-up which they say further proves their original premise.

You failed to present any reason to doubt Hitler’s faith in god. It is a fact that he wrote that he did and since there is no reason to doubt him on this issue one can assume Hitler was a theist.

It is an important point for the following reason: Those who would say that a belief in god is necessary to be moral are quick to point out atheist political leaders such as Stalin as examples of the premise. Often Hitler has been included in this example. But no more! Hitler believed in god.

And I don’t like people coming by trying to sell me religion. But, some people want it sold to them, right at their doorstep.

Don’t expect everyone to be mind readers. Just stick a no solicitors sign on the door and don’t answer the door unless you are expecting someone. If it’s a friend have them call ahead. It’s rude to drop by uninvited anyways and often inconvenient.

I would even believe it possible that the Pope does not believe in God.

I’m saying it is possible that Hitler did not believe in a God. In my experience people are not always truthful.

I think that if he really studied the New Testament, he would not have done everything that he did if he truly believed in God.

Anyways. I’m stepping out of this argument because it’s is impossible to prove if he did indeed believe in a God or not. We can only speculate. And it really doesn’t matter much. I just like to argue.

Which if he did feel truly sorry and repented, then I guess he’s going to be with God. Then perhaps God will heal the insane, mess of man that he was.

This is what happens when I get all worked up. Firefox thought ethnicities was spelled wrong and I hastily clicked on a correction.

But really…

Don’t judge people based on there ELASTICITIES either!!!

Besides, I thought that if you live in the USA, that you are a United States Citizen, not Japanese or Swedish or Mexican or whatever.

I feel discriminated against the world. i hate it when people say they are something with “pride”. Why can’t we just be proud of being human.

I think the only time that ethnicity can help is if you are predisposed to a certain disease. But, I think that is a lazy method, because even though it might be more common in some elasticities, this doesn’t mean that others are immune. More and more people are mixed. Someday we will probably try to break ourselves up into more little groups again though.

I’m checking DECLINE from now until I die.

Besides, it used to be a box that said “check your RACE”. Race applied to humans does not exist.

I think Stating your “RACE (Ethnicity)” is racists. You are judging and separating people based on their race. It’s not even a helpful identification tool. Hair, skin tone, eye color, height, weight are more useful, since within an ethnic group the way a person looks is so different.

Arg, I am just so annoyed. Sorry for the long and poorly structured rant, but I want to post it.

Also, in Mein Kampf Hitler outlined his attitudes towards the Jews and his belief in god. The passages about the Jews were true so why would one question his statements about god.

Lastly please provide statements made by Hitler where he stated his atheism. Arguments made without back-up fall flat. Hitler blieved in god that’s a fact.

It really does help.

The New Testament does say those are the two requirements.If Hitler met those requirements. I do not know.

But, assuming that the requirements are real and true, you have no way of knowing if Hitler would be with Jesus either.

So saying that “Sorry, Christians, Adolf Hitler is your man, not mine.” isn’t necessarily true.

I don’t think it IS certain that Hitler was not an atheist. Perhaps he did what he did with all his interactions with the people. He persuaded and used what ever method possible to get people to listen to him and follow him. Perhaps he didn’t believe in God and perhaps that is why he didn’t fear punishment for the horrible things he let happen. Or perhaps he he really thought God wanted him to do all that… It seems more likely to me that he just didn’t believe there was a higher power that would punish him.

I think there are many higher up religious leaders who do not actually believe in what they preach. There are only there for the position of power.

- Hmmm