They think their way is literally the only way. Messenger screwing up BTW

I am involved in an endocrinologist-led group to control/reverse diabetes type II (it's working) and one of the things we study is how mankind evolved eating certain things, not resembling 90% of what is available at supermarkets now...example: crabapples, seasonally, not Honey Crisp year-round which incidentally have more sugar than a Snickers bar.
There is deafening silence in some disussions from those who have learned the science of proper food intake, and proved it on themselves, but still embrace the "6,000 years" thing...Such a disconnect!!!!!!

Do religious people ever discuss all the contradictions of the bible? Do they question the theft of pagan holidays? Do they realize Santa has all the qualities they wish a god has? I don't know how anyone can NOT question a contradictory book filled with terrible ways to die. And how could there possibly be 2 of every species on an ark?? i just find most of it amusing. It's amusing people go to church and give money to them.

I still have friends in the clergy, though not as extreme as your friend, we simply no longer discuss religion. There are safe subjects and there are subjects we can disagree on and have meaningful debate, and there are subjects that we will never agree on. They do not try to convert me and I do not try to convert them. If you can't find and agree on that middle ground, then you need to exit.

Well of course the horse may be at the other end of the cart, he may want to. "dismiss all the scientific knowledge gained throughout history." And the bible is simply his way to do so.

I had a work associate tell me the end times were near because they had just seen the moon during the day.
How in the mutterfuq do you get to the age of an adult with decades on the planet and have been so unobservant of the world?

Well . U used the word “ friend “. Friendship is important . He is not your friend that u go for brains obviously , and he doesn’t seem kind either
But if he has some qualities that make u been his friend , then I say be just that, and let him be just that . Not all friendships are ride or die , and u can’t make him see the light either . I have a friend like that , I do love her , but can’t stand her . I visit once a yr , we spend 2 days catching up , and avoid politics and gods , bcz if I lose my temper this friendship will be over in 3 minutes max .

I bet that your friend has not red the bible though.

Keep in mind that your friend was probably force fed the religious nonsense since he was very young. Its ingrained into his mind. And the comfort of believing in an afterlife is extremely important to people.

I do see that there seems to be a different mindset for conservatives and very religious people. They all seem afraid. They're afraid of so many things... anyone that is different from them. I think it may be genetic. I was raised around bigotry and frequently heard homophobic talk at school as (during the 80's) well as being raised as a Baptist and forced to attend church, but none of it really ever stuck with me.

I can't understand how some people seem to so fully and willingly embrace hatred and bigotry and intolerance.

I immediately shut down people who try to to convert me. "I'm an atheist, " I say firmly. "I never believed in an invisible being that lives somewhere beyond the clouds."

While they try to puzzle this out, I exit stage left.

Ignorance can be fixed, but stupid is incurable.
Don't waste your time.

The Bible? What about the Book of the Dead, the Koran or the Analects?

And what about Cosmology 101?

That's because those things you're talking about are things you understand and accept as true. The problem is, no one has a choice what concepts they will encounter and accept, reject, or not encounter at all, thus, no one has any control what they'll believe or find ridiculous.

Doesn't sound like he is anyone's real friend.

Religious belief has nothing too do with science unless it has a value of faith, no matter how illogical or insane!

It depends on which scientific theorem you are talking about. The Earth's shape can be seen so I don't understand the flat insistence, either, so that is one for science. Weather science is pretty good. I think gravity is magnetism (though mathematics for both are very similar) and evolution doesn't happen in an illusion. Things just pop into existence when we first open our eyes and end when we last close them so science is wrong (quantum physics will demonstrate this so it's still science). History we haven't lived, and stuff we haven't personally seen, is supposed by bonded electrons experiencing a frequency wave. None of our Universe or Earth is real. Life is literally a dream.

Does you friend help widows and orphans in need while avoiding worldly corruption? Or, are you saying your friend is a widow or orphan?

Religion ... pure and faultless is this: to help widows and orphans in need and avoiding worldly corruption. James 1:27

Long ago, and far away, I gave up trying to convience irrational people to see things rationally....sometimes I find other qualities in them that is admireable. Often though, just have to consider as loss cause.