[quote=“eccentric”]
You obviously don’t understand how religions work. [/quote]
Actually - controlling through fear and ignorance is -** exactly** - how religions work.
Be very careful to not confuse “faith” or “spirituality” with “religion” or “church”.
Faith and spirituality represent someone’s personal relationship with “god” - whatever they conceive it to be. My value system and therefore my resultant feelings and behaviour can be connected to my faith.
Religions and churches - especially those with exclusive group behaviour - are nothing more than political organizations with a captive audience. I would even go so far as to say that they are brainwashing institutions designed to keep the audience captive - and paying.
Very well said, thanks for that… I am an Agnostic, prove otherwise to me with hoards of supporting data and maybe I’ll believe you !! but I was at work yesterday, this discussion unfortunately arose and I was told that Christianity was THE only “religion”, the only “faith” , that all other beliefs were false idols, false gods and I sat there dumbfounded that firstly a group could essentially be so arrogant to believe this and secondly and most importantly, I thought if you were a “practicing” Christian, it was not for you to JUDGE …I have always questioned and analyzed and the only detemination I have realized, to me, anyway is that religion is yet another crutch, to some I know , it seems almost an addiction, but to each his own, I could go on forever with this one and the hypocrisy I have witnessed in the name of Christianity. If I wish to sit in my backyard and pay homage to my dandelions then let me be but don’t forget to call me for dinner
Very well spoken for the two of you and especially Codybear, you are a person of sound mind and a very giving and caring individual who accepts the animals equal to the human around you. I have witnessed you go about being a caring person towards your fellowman and have always thought of the other first then you. That is what I have witnessed from a far.
Lol, you compliment every single person who disagrees with me no matter how incorrect or opinion-based their points are. I feel left out!
We’re not going to agree, just like we’ve never agreed in the other religion-based threads. I’m not a practicing Christian–definitely not, I think I just take a much less cynical view of most religions and the church than others do. I don’t think it’s fear based, and I wouldn’t be such a staunch defender of modern Christianity (mainstream Christianity, that is) if I didn’t honestly think that most members of the faith weren’t better off for having joined.
[quote=“eccentric”]
Lol, you compliment every single person who disagrees with me no matter how incorrect or opinion-based their points are. I feel left out! [/quote]
I’ll compliment you: you have the most opinon-based posts on this board - good on ya’.
[quote=“eccentric”]
I don’t think it’s fear based, and I wouldn’t be such a staunch defender of modern Christianity (mainstream Christianity, that is) if I didn’t honestly think that most members of the faith weren’t better off for having joined. [/quote]
I agree that participating in a faith-based community has done LOTS of people a LOT of good. But again, I think you may be confusing religion/church with faith/spirituality. I belong to no church - but as that sun rose in the blue sky this morning and spilled into my living room, both my cats and I were worshipping creation.
As for churches - how is the threat of “hell” or “judgement” anything other than fear-based.
Definitely, you don’t have to belong to a church to have a great respect for the spiritual world. Einstein did, so does Dawkins.
However, for Christianity as a faith/spiritual appreciation to continue in the developed, refined form that it’s in, the institution of the church must exist. Without the institution, the faith would be lost within a few generations–what the institution allows for is through movement and evolution. It’s also through the institution that many of the good things Churches do are realized, like schools, charities, aid sent to other countries… etc. Could individual people do that stuff? Definitely–but it’s much harder.
As for the fear based thing–if you’ve committed a sin SO bad that you’re afraid you’d go to hell if you were a practicing Christian, then damn–maybe you should go to confession. Was I ever scared about going to hell when I was more observant? Not at all. Are most people at most churches frightened? Not in the slightest. I dunno–when all you have to do to get out of the punishment is say ‘sorry’ and actually mean it, I don’t see why anyone who believes in hell would be scared.
To Soggy: I’m not sure. I’d like to think that people who didn’t have a Priest nearby to make a confession can still get into heaven. I think that just being remorseful–actually feeling sorry for some of the bad things you’ve done–will be good enough. But that’s just me… hopefully St. Peter doesn’t LOL at me when it’s my turn.
Ask the Catholic Church and the pope “What year are we in”? A recent announcement last month from pope Benedict denouncing the use of condoms to combat Aids / HIV in Africa. Promoting the use of ‘abstinence’ and ‘marital fidelity’ as better deterrents against infection. This goes against all science, the World Health Organization, not to mention common sense. An archaic institution attempting to survive in a modern world by announcing once again a new level of ignorance and arrogance to the world. Proof that the vatican still prefers the dark ages.
Catholics should be ashamed to have Benedict as their Pope. This is the same guy who issued a directive in 2001 that cases of child sexual abuse should be covered up, dealth with within the church and not by legal authorities. The way they dealt with it? Move the guy to another church so he can re-offend.
All these types of cults will slowly die off over the next few decades as the masses realize the that “something bigger than yourself” is nothing less than the survival of the human race.
[quote=“eccentric”]
However, for Christianity as a faith/spiritual appreciation to continue in the developed, refined form that it’s in, the institution of the church must exist. Without the institution, the faith would be lost within a few generations [/quote]
Questioning assumptions here - how do we know that this isn’t exactly what is needed?
I disagree that the faith would be lost - I think it would lose some dogma - which I argue is a good thing.
This does not mean that people’s connection with ‘god’ would be lost - perhaps it would be liberated.
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