this post was submitted on 02 Apr 2024
781 points (98.9% liked)

Atheist Memes

5551 readers
179 users here now

About

A community for the most based memes from atheists, agnostics, antitheists, and skeptics.

Rules

  1. No Pro-Religious or Anti-Atheist Content.

  2. No Unrelated Content. All posts must be memes related to the topic of atheism and/or religion.

  3. No bigotry.

  4. Attack ideas not people.

  5. Spammers and trolls will be instantly banned no exceptions.

  6. No False Reporting

  7. NSFW posts must be marked as such.

Resources

International Suicide Hotlines

Recovering From Religion

Happy Whole Way

Non Religious Organizations

Freedom From Religion Foundation

Atheist Republic

Atheists for Liberty

American Atheists

Ex-theist Communities

!exchristian@lemmy.one

!exmormon@lemmy.world

!exmuslim@lemmy.world

Other Similar Communities

!religiouscringe@midwest.social

!priest_arrested@lemmy.world

!atheism@lemmy.world

!atheism@lemmy.ml

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 
top 47 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] GardenVarietyAnxiety@lemmy.world 48 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I love prayer... Why work toward making a situation better when you can just ask and wait for someone else to do it?

[–] KoboldCoterie@pawb.social 21 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The failure state and irrefutable explanation is even built right into it. Did you pray for something and it didn't happen? It's because God didn't will it, it's part of his plan, beyond your comprehension but clearly for the best.

[–] Speculater@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Also, pray hard, but remember God only helps those who help themselves.

[–] GardenVarietyAnxiety@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

And he already has a plan

[–] ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

"God helps those who suck up to him relentlessly."

[–] nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 7 months ago

Unless it’s not in his plan.

[–] snooggums@midwest.social 30 points 7 months ago

They know that when Jesus made the endless bread and fish (with a meal purchase at Olive Garden) he definitely limited who could get it based on income and passing a drug test.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 24 points 7 months ago (1 children)

If Jesus came to school with a loaf of bread and a couple fish, he'd feed everyone.

And then get sued.

[–] foo@programming.dev 16 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

A middle eastern religious extremist walking through an American public school talking and feeding kids would probably be shot and killed live on national television. Possibly by a student.

[–] colmear@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 7 months ago

To be fair, according to the stories, he was publicly killed in his time too.

[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 14 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Matthew 6:5-6

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

[–] dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world 0 points 7 months ago (2 children)

The thing about the bible is that there are some solid parables nestled in there about how to be a halfway decent human being. But then we get prose like this that reek of good intent, but have barn-door sized holes in the grammar thanks in part to being re-translated and edited many times over the centuries. Heck, a new edition dropped just last week.

For example:

Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

Oh, so if I act like a hypocrite, I'm good to go? Huh, sounds like Matthew had this one wrong.

[–] undergroundoverground@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I think someone would have to want to read it that way, to interpret it that way.

I mean, I'm not religious myself. However, to me, hes saying they got their reward (being seen praying) and they won't get anymore reward than that. If they prey privately, their God will reward them.

[–] dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Exactly. I'm not saying that's a valid interpretation given the context, but rather I'm illustrating that given the intent to justify one's own (bad) behavior, the text is easily abused. Which is a problem.

I see, yeah that makes sense.

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

That's not how I interpret that line. I'm pretty sure he means that if you act like a hypocrite, the scorn and derision of the people you are annoying that you get here in life is the only reward you can expect, and no further reward will be gained in the afterlife.

However, if you follow the rules, are a good person, and most importantly don't go around boasting about how good you are, then you'll receive a greater reward after death, than any earthly reward that us lowly humans could give you.

[–] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago (1 children)

We worship Capitalism, it’s on the money.

[–] UsernameIsTooLon@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] Nasan@sopuli.xyz 2 points 7 months ago

Ed States of A, it was right under our noses

[–] littlebluespark@lemmy.world 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Imagine a religion that isn't based on "us vs. them"... Oh, right. You'd literally have to, as it hasn't ever existed.

[–] niktemadur@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Buddhism and Taoism are such a way, I believe. Beliefs where there isn't really good and evil, just creation and destruction as two halves of a cycle.

[–] littlebluespark@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Both are bloody AF, and not that long ago. Neither are simply an outlook, and millions throughout history have been murdered in their name.

More to the point, any "higher power" that designates individuals/groups as "good" or "evil" based on its own internal system is exactly what I'm talking about. Anything beyond that is merely classifying it as something closer to a religion with each step toward dictating followers' behavior.

[–] Da_Boom@iusearchlinux.fyi 8 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

It's like "believe in God and he will provide" fuck that noise, we need action and belief. We need proactiveness. We need people to act not just believe.

FFS, the only person who was only ever able to provide like that in the bible was Jesus. And there was always a prerequisite to it - he had to have something he could multiply - he didn't conjure wine out of nowhere, he needed water to convert. He didn't randomly produce the food for 5000 he needed fish and bread to begin with.

Even in the bible people had to at least do the bare minimum for shit to happen. These guys are withholding even that and saying prayer is the answer. Like it's a cure all, it's not, and it never was.

[–] RatBin@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

Even in the bible people had to at least do the bare minimum for shit to happen

Beyond that, there are a lot of good behaviour and principles in there: while some insist on faith alone, it is abundantly clear that the gospel demands action, as there are a plenty of parables for people to listen - they tell you how to behave and how to act in the world - . If you have faith and that brings to actions and good deeds, fine, if you use faith as a trump card (ah, see what I did there), you're doing something wrong. I have read the faith only arguments, but I will strongly disagree with them. If anything the whole point of the gospel is too act and not to be too formal about it. But I am a little skinny ape, I think as one, and apes like action.

[–] Zink@programming.dev 1 points 7 months ago

Hmmm. A Christian believing something that doesn’t make sense because it’s not* in the Bible?

By any chance, does that belief help them give into their sinful nature and pretend god is cool with it? The usual: laziness, greed, hatred, dishonesty, etc.

  • also applies to things that ARE in the Bible
[–] LordCrom@lemmy.world 7 points 7 months ago

Lets all pray to Crom. He never disappoints because he never cares. He already gave you all he's giving you at birth. Plus there's the whole riddle of steel thing

[–] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

This looks like one of those weird Facebook text post options. It's just missing the silly laughing emojis scattered about

[–] postmateDumbass@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

Something something actions louder than words

[–] Seraph@kbin.social 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Just eat the prayers, the way the people of Haiti just ate those bibles given to them (they didn't do that, they starved).

[–] motor_spirit@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

so it's plausible that they could be eating the old testament in gaza 👢 I tell ya man, some people..

[–] A22546889@lemmy.dbzer0.com -5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

So, ALL people of that faith think that way or just some? I just want to make sure I read OPs pic correctly.

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

A majority of voters of that faith, especially in key states,, and that's all that really matters here.

[–] A22546889@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

You must know a lot of people in that faith then? Whatever faith that OP is mentioning. Otherwise to say ALL of that specific faith are bad would be a logical fallacy.

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 1 points 7 months ago

You must be a person of that faith have such a persecution complex in Atheist Memes of all places.

Nobody said all. But either the voice is of the majority, or the majority is complicit in what the vocal minority is saying, and that's just as bad.