The Easter Conspiracy

[gumboot]

Not once?

Not ever? How about when you were in the change room showers with a lot of other naked guys? You didn't look around and say, "Hmmm, this looks a bit gay to me."?

I don't think I've ever been in a room before full of naked guys...

Although often in theatre I've been in rooms filled with dozens of undressing women... and they think theatre is gay... pffft.

-Gumboot

 

[PhantomWolf]

What's so stupid is the majority of New Zealanders are Atheist...

No they aren't. 32% of the respondants in the NZ 2006 Census put no religion, not a majority at all. 53% of the respondants indicated some form of Christianity.

 

[gumboot]

No they aren't. 32% of the respondants in the NZ 2006 Census put no religion, not a majority at all. 53% of the respondants indicated some form of Christianity.

Only 10% of New Zealanders routinely attend some form of religious service.

People who put "Christian" because their parents are Christians, or because they went to church as a kid, are not christians. And "Jedi" isn't a religion...

-Gumboot

 

[rjh01]

Easter is a pagan holiday to celebrate Spring. Hence rabbits and eggs. Hence even if you are not a Christian you can celebrate Easter.

And I bought fruit and veg on Good Friday at the markets in Belconnen ACT (Australia).

Religion should be declared an endangered species in Australia. This is the off-shore island of New Zealand.

 

[gumboot]

Easter is a pagan holiday to celebrate Spring. Hence rabbits and eggs. Hence even if you are not a Christian you can celebrate Easter.

Except down here it's Autumn, not Spring... Which only makes the entire thing even more pointless.

-Gumboot

 

[LashL]

Ack ~ thanks for the reminder. It is time for me to go and hide chocolate eggs and such (yes, even though the devil child is now 19 years old) so I'm out ~ ~ ~ Happy Easter, folks!

Cheers,
Lash

 

[PhantomWolf]

Only 10% of New Zealanders routinely attend some form of religious service.

People who put "Christian" because their parents are Christians, or because they went to church as a kid, are not christians. And "Jedi" isn't a religion...

-Gumboot

Jedi wasn't accepted on the Census form. An atheist is someone that actively disbelieves in a god, not some one that doesn't attend a church on a regular basis. I know people who are devotely christian, but neither attend church nor consider themselves a specific denomination. The census form shows that at least 68% of New Zealanders ascociate themselves with a religion some sort, 53% of New Zealander doing so with Christianity in some form, even if they aren't active in a church. In fact a recent survey (Shown on Close Up on Friday) put the figure of New Zealanders who believe in a god at around 80%.

What you can say is that New Zealand is a secular soceity, but to claim that the majority of New Zealanders are atheist is totally wrong and utterly unsupported by the figures.

 

[gumboot]

An atheist is someone that actively disbelieves in a god.

How do you actively not believe in something? If we want to be more precise an atheist is a person that practises a relion in which there are no deities, such as a buddhist.

-Gumboot

 

[Brainache]

This pretty off topic for this forum, but isn't an Atheist someone who denies the existence of God or Gods?

Slightly different from someone who follows Buddhism as a philosophy as if it was a religion.

 

[gumboot]

This pretty off topic for this forum, but isn't an Atheist someone who denies the existence of God or Gods?

Slightly different from someone who follows Buddhism as a philosophy as if it was a religion.

Just about anything can be a religion... which is essentially just a series of ceremonial or ritualistic traditions, usually of a spiritual nature. They can be "theistic" (involving deities) or "atheistic" (no deities). Theistic religion is further divided into monotheistic (one god) or pantheistic (multiple gods).

Buddhism itself denies the existence of Gods by its very nature, so the definitions could be one in the same.

-Gumboot

 

[Brainache]

Just about anything can be a religion... which is essentially just a series of ceremonial or ritualistic traditions, usually of a spiritual nature. They can be "theistic" (involving deities) or "atheistic" (no deities). Theistic religion is further divided into monotheistic (one god) or pantheistic (multiple gods).

Buddhism itself denies the existence of Gods by its very nature, so the definitions could be one in the same.

-Gumboot

So are you saying that the majority of New Zealanders are Buddhists?

Or that they practice rituals and ceremonies devoid of God even though they declare themselves Christian on the census form?

 

[defaultdotxbe]

Except down here it's Autumn, not Spring... Which only makes the entire thing even more pointless.

-Gumboot

its still an equinox

 

[gumboot]

its still an equinox

Well we should be celebrating with a Harvest Festival then shouldn't we...

Making a corn doll from the last sheaf of corn, and decorating the last horse and wagon with garlands... that sort of thing...

-Gumboot

 

[gumboot]

So are you saying that the majority of New Zealanders are Buddhists?

Or that they practice rituals and ceremonies devoid of God even though they declare themselves Christian on the census form?

No I used the term "atheist" incorrectly.

I am saying, despite what they put on consensus forms, most New Zealanders are non-religious.

-Gumboot

 

[Brainache]

I kind of thought that was what you meant, but I couldn't resist the urge to be pedantic. It happens sometimes.

The thought of several million Buddhist Kiwis just gave me a giggle. Sorry.

 

[gumboot]

I kind of thought that was what you meant, but I couldn't resist the urge to be pedantic. It happens sometimes.

The thought of several million Buddhist Kiwis just gave me a giggle. Sorry.

Heh that would be funny...

I guess we all did something right in our last lives...

-Gumboot