Religion Is Not Always Good

[Ted]

JAB

Actually I don't need the scholarship to support my faith. What it does do is show me that I believe I am on a correct path for me. It supports what I had already come to believe. No I don't need it for faith.

Shalom
Ted

So you need proof, rather then rely on your own faith? Sounds like you want the scholars to say, 'yeah you're right'. How is that so different?

Originally Posted by Ted

I do think wild is correct in the comment re insecurity. It seems to me that what many folks really need to boost their confidence is for others to agree with them. So much for faith.

Shalom
Ted

You need to look in the mirror bud, and then remember what you look like when you walk away!

[Ted]

I do note the "heat" I am getting on the Christian side of the forum. It shows all of the things that I've been reading in here. It further convinces me that I did in fact make the right decision. I left that milieu because I felt it was wrong and immoral. I firmly believe that approach is morally wrong. Think of the person who decides to "get saved" because he is afraid of going to hell. That is a rather selfish motive and certainly not a valid one in my view in view of the saying that "We love Him because He first loved us."

The second thing I really object to is the badgering of someone on their death bed to "repent and be saved" so that they can go to heaven. Once again the motivation is in error in view of "We love Him because He first loved us." Once again a selfish motive.

To add to all of that there is the fact of some 22 000 Christian denominations around the world as well as the myriad of small offshoots that think they and they alone have the correct way. There is a church in Victoria called the Church of Truth. This is blatant arrogance and in my view unacceptable. When I am told I am spreading poison water the author of that declaration is simply giving his/her own unfounded judgment. Actually the clergy I know had a good laugh at the arrogance. Of course the author is free to believe whatever but has absolutely no right God given or otherwise to pass judgment on anyone else except them self.

The reformers and those that followed have definitely created God in the image they want. They use human terms, human motivations; the idea of some great judgment at the end of time and hell fires is simply the desire to see some justice for the martyrs. It is an attempt get human judgment when we are clearly told that God does not think as we do. It is time to leave the personal judgments up to God if one so believes. Far too many folks are trying to tell God, if you so believe, how to run the show.

If the divine exists and I personally believe it does we are incapable of grasping the real concept. We lack the intelligence and the conceptualization ability.

At any rate to each his/her own.

Shalom
Ted

And I do note that the "heat" you apply seems to be aimed at the Christians as well. Perhaps we aren't so different after all....

Originally Posted by QUINNSCOMMENTARY

Recently, the legislature in Iran voted a law making apostasy subject to the death penalty. In Afghanistan proselytizing is illegal and this week a 34 year old female aid worker was gunned down by the Taliban who said she was spreading her religion. In India, Hindus are telling Christians to leave their villages or their homes will be burned and they will be killed, Muslims in the Saudi Arabia teach hatred of Jews in school books, so much for the farce of being tolerant..

All this got me to thinking; does religion do more harm than good? Certainly many people find comfort and peace in their religious beliefs, and many good things come from religion, but on the other hand religion can be traced as the root cause for many wars, torture, intolerance and any number of things that one would associate with being counter to goodness, peace and love.

Religion started with the quest to deal with the unknown, like death, the weather, hardships, etc. it then developed into hundreds, if not thousands of variations each believing their view to be the correct one for all mankind. How is that possible?

How can religion be both good and evil? I submit it is the involvement of human beings that distort and pervert any religion and that the unfortunate truth is that organized religion is a tool in the hands of man, sometimes very beneficial but often just the opposite when it suites those in power. If that is true, then whatever religion one embraces is irrelevant as long as it does not seek dominance over other beliefs.

Over the history of man has religion done more harm than good? How is it possible for their to be one “right” religion when there are so many religions and our personal religion is more often than not, a happenstance of our birth?

I think what has become known as 'religions', shoudl be called what they are 'divisions'.

True religion was to care for the needy.

What we have today is as you said in yourlast few paragraghs, mostly vain human philosophys, man has it so messed up it divides instea dof units, but pure religion units man and God in a relationship.

[Ted]

JAB

A strong attack deserves a strong rebuttal. Nothing more nothing less.

Somehow or another there are those who think that an alternative view is not appropriate. Thus I spread poisoned water. LOL

So what is wrong with an alternative view?

Shalom
Ted

Originally Posted by Ted

JAB

A strong attack deserves a strong rebuttal. Nothing more nothing less.

Somehow or another there are those who think that an alternative view is not appropriate. Thus I spread poisoned water. LOL

So what is wrong with an alternative view?

Shalom
Ted

Nothing unless its a false and poisoned view. Then its corrupt and divides man from God, like pluralism does.

Originally Posted by Ted

JAB

A strong attack deserves a strong rebuttal. Nothing more nothing less.

Somehow or another there are those who think that an alternative view is not appropriate. Thus I spread poisoned water. LOL

So what is wrong with an alternative view?

Shalom
Ted

Nothing. Let me rephrase this then....

Ted

A strong attack deserves a strong rebuttal. Nothing more nothing less.

Somehow or another there are those who think that an alternative view is not appropriate. Thus I spread poisoned water. LOL

So what is wrong with an alternative view?

Shalom
JAB

[Ted]

Jester

I can concur with that one hundred percent. Whose view or whose concept?

Shalom
Ted