The English 'religion; that david f is repulsed by is not nearly as irrational and violent as godless secularism produced by atheism over the last 40 years. Murdering the unborn, pornography , rape, violence, drug usage, violent crime and virtue signalling all in plague proportions. David's hatred certainly leads to irrational rhetoric and a very revised form of history.

Dear David,

«That sounds precisely like the attitude of the fanatics who flew the airplanes into the World Trade Center on 9/11.»

Can we really know their attitude? They died before they could tell us.

If I guess correctly, then these guys indeed looked their fears in eye, but DID NOT look temptation in the eye, so their desire for 72 beautiful virgins twisted and overwhelmed their unstable heads around.

Most humans work and toil in the service of nonsense, because this world is nonsense, it is fleeting, sooner or later none of what we do here will remain or even be remembered.

But most people are not thinking of it, they lack the courage, they lack the determination, they lack the focus, they lack the strength, and so their life passes away in vain.

Now you also find some people who have these qualities. They might still be ignorant and possess wrong ideas as to what IS worthwhile, but at least they do not pass through life grazing like animals in a distracted state, in other words, they are capable of faith. Their faith might not be in God, perhaps they instead have faith in some statements that they were told ABOUT God.

This is a dangerous state, but what is the alternative? Remaining sheep forever and living a futile life?

Somehow, we need to cross through this dangerous phase whereby we have faith in what could be an untruth, so that we can end up on the other shore with faith in the Truth (whatever it is: I call it God, but please do not rush blindly to discard my statement and note that I actually refer here to God, not to some biblical/Koranic or otherwise superficial ideas of Him).

For that we need good, experienced and thorough guidance.
This must include the guidance to look temptations in the eye, not just fears.
Sadly, these poor fellows from 9/11 did not have the fortune to receive this guidance, but received a wrong and/or partial guidance.

Yes, poorly-directed faith stinks.

Dear runner,

The facts don't support you.

https://visual.ly/community/Infographics/lifestyle/religion-and-crime-there-correlation

The more religious states in the US have higher crime rates than the less religious states. Godless secularists are more likely to be law-abiding peaceful citizens than fundamentalist Christians.

I certainly don't hate religious people or anybody else. However, they are more likely to be law breakers than the general population. Before you run off at the mouth again you might get some facts. The Scandinavian countries which have a low rate of religious belief also have a low crime rate.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/crime-rate-by-country lists countries by crime rates. The five countries with the lowest crime rates are not Christian. Venezuela has the highest crime rate in the world. If the Australian population became godless atheists you might lose your job as there would be fewer criminals.

The facts don't support you. They support me.

Dear Yuyutsu,

I have many questions about life. I try to use my reason, but I am aware reason has its limits. Kant explored its limits.

The following is something I read about Kant in “50 Philosophy Classics”:

"For him, religion was not a pathway to connect with spiritual truth (which was impossible), but a validation of carefully reasoned moral positions. His thinking made it seem acceptable for a rational, modern person who accepts science and logic to keep room in their life for spirituality. Yet in saying that nothing concrete could ever be said in theology (because it was a field of inquiry into a subject of reality that could not be known, or at least sensibly written or spoken of), Kant also laid the philosophical pavement for modern philosophy, including the logical positivists and Wittgenstein.

His work has remained compelling and influential because it manages to serve two camps: the empirically minded can say that Kant showed all talk of God and theology to be guff, and believers can see in his work a rational foundation for moral law and metaphysics. Either way, because his system is so rigorous, comprehensive and internally cohesive, no philosopher since has been able to ignore him."

So I won’t ignore him, either. I am reading his "Critique of Pure Reason" and will try to live a moral life without faith. From my reading of history faith has been responsible for much more harm than good.

Joe,

Mixed marriages are now part and parcel of our modern
world. My parents wanted me to marry someone of their
cultural background. I followed my heart.
As did my children. As will my grand-children.
There will be interesting times ahead for us all.

Armchair Critic,

The beauty of our country (and the world) lies in the
diversity of its people.

What should concern us is prejudiced thought, irrationality,
illogical arguments, narrow-mindedness and intolerance.

You are proud of your ancestors and heritage. I am equally
proud of mine. That should mean that the two are
incompatible.

Is Mise,

You asked David about the disrespect of other people's
religion. I got disrespect for other religion's bashed
into me by Catholic Irish nuns. "Sisters of Mercy", who were
anything but merciful. And by local Irish priests preaching
intolerance from their pulpits.

Mr O,

Glad to see you do have a sense of humour.

runner,

David once told you that you don't like facts.

I think David was right.

no immigrant group after the English has behaved as bad
davidf,
Which immigrant group other than the Anglo Saxon is still compensating the Australian Indigenous to this day ?