Re: religion and poker
 

true, however, religion and superstition are two different things. I know of three friends of mine who are atheists, all three of whom become the most superstitious people you've ever been around upon entry to a casino.

Re: religion and poker
 

*I think religions and superstitions are pretty much on equal footing. To an atheist like myself, it's not that far a leap from believing in gods to believing in astrology, bio-rhythms, and lucky seats, etc.

*Atheists who have thought about why they are atheists are much less likely to be superstitious. However, no one said there aren't non-thinking atheists in the world too.

Re: religion and poker
 

<font color="blue"> Sklansky seems to think being a theist should be an automatic 100 point deduction in the IQ of Presidential candidates, </font>

I wouldn't go that far, but I do think anyone who publicly admits to not accepting evolution as a valid scientific theory should be eliminated from presidential contention.

Re: religion and poker
 

My initial reply was strictly tongue-in-cheek.

It's been awhile since I believed in God, but I do remember questioning God when things went very bad for me. Of course, I also thanked God when something went very well. Are you saying you never do this?

When you have the worst luck in the world and everything seems to be turning against you, do you NEVER look up to God and ask, "why?", or "why me?" Good for you if you don't, but I would think it's almost a natural reflex for someone who believes in a personal God who watches over them.

Re: religion and poker
 

Religion and superstition are both subsets of irrationality, so superficially you would think there would be correlation. But I doubt there is much, for a couple of reasons. Firstly the two are somewhat contradictory, i.e. it's hard to believe that breaking a mirror will be seven years of bad luck if you think God has a Plan, since God would then control whether you're lucky or unlucky. Secondly, superstition is a natural human tendency, whereas religion has a lot more to do with how you were brought up.

Re: religion and poker
 

[ QUOTE ]
<font color="blue"> Sklansky seems to think being a theist should be an automatic 100 point deduction in the IQ of Presidential candidates, </font>

I wouldn't go that far, but I do think anyone who publicly admits to not accepting evolution as a valid scientific theory should be eliminated from presidential contention.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. My personal religious beliefs have absolutely no bearing on my scientific beliefs. I believe in evolution, however, I believe that Global Warming is a natural thing, not caused by human behavior.

My mind is not controlled by religion. This is true of most religious people. Atheists seem to always pull all religious people into the nut job category, which I believe is far off base.

Re: religion and poker
 

[ QUOTE ]
My mind is not controlled by religion. This is true of most religious people. Atheists seem to always pull all religious people into the nut job category, which I believe is far off base.

[/ QUOTE ]

What would one have to do to meet your "nutjob" definition, if a deadly serious claim to a relationship with an unsubstantiated, omnipotent, invisible mythological creature is insufficient?

Re: religion and poker
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
My mind is not controlled by religion. This is true of most religious people. Atheists seem to always pull all religious people into the nut job category, which I believe is far off base.

[/ QUOTE ]

What would one have to do to meet your "nutjob" definition, if a deadly serious claim to a relationship with an unsubstantiated, omnipotent, invisible mythological creature is insufficient?

[/ QUOTE ]

Nut jobs would be the 9/11 hijackers, Timothy McVeigh, anyone else who bombs an abortion clinic, people who protest Harry Potter, people who fight to stop evolution from being taught in school, people who kill homosexuals, essentially, people who, because of their insane religious views, cannot function in society.

Anyone who believes in God is not automatically nuts.

Re: religion and poker
 

We should differentiate "benign nutjobs" and "dangerous nutjobs" I suppose [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Do you think those that believe in the factual existence of Xenu are nuts? (I do)

Re: religion and poker
 

[ QUOTE ]
We should differentiate "benign nutjobs" and "dangerous nutjobs" I suppose [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Do you think those that believe in the factual existence of Xenu are nuts? (I do)

[/ QUOTE ]

My opinions on Scientologists:

I, as a general rule, do not like classifying anyone as a "nutjob" because of the religious beliefs they hold, no matter what they are, as long as those religious beliefs are not physically harmful to anyone.

I do have a problem with the idea that psychology is dangerous, just as I have a problem with certain sects of Christianity who do not believe in medical science.

So, do I think every Scientologist who believes in the existance of Xenu is nuts? No. Do I believe that people who deny psychological or physical medicine to themselves are? Yes.