uss_bigd
Well-Known Member
After 35 years of watching the actions of religious and non-religious people, I've come to a clear conclusion that religion tends to create judgmental, unstable, psychotic, intolerant and hateful people... therefore all religions that promotes intolerance should be banned.
I can't speak of other religions specifically outside of christianity, so I won't. If you're still struggling to make sense out of the christian religion, I'll try to explain to you how you can free yourself from the negative thinking that comes along with it -- without becoming an atheist or a non-believer... although there's nothing inherently wrong with being either.
First, let me address one of the big questions touted by non-believers and it's a damn good question... "Why doesn't God heal amputee's?" Same reason he/she doesn't heal all people... he/she apparently doesn't work that way. If God does heal people, then it's a hit or miss deal... doesn't seem logical. Maybe he has a preference to one group but not others. For example, he will answer the prayers of a soccer mom asking for more spending money but ignores the cries of the 3000 children dieing each day of starvation... or the small child being raped and murdered somewhere in this world as you read this. That doesn't make sense either... does it? Perhaps God doesn't answer prayers... or maybe prayer doesn't work the way we expect... based on the expectations we were taught growing up. It's that or God despises amputee's, many children dieing of cancer, starvation, abuse and on and on.
What we do know for a fact is... we are here. Exactly how, no one knows. Sorry bible thumpers but the creation story is just that, a story told by more than one point of view i.e., religion. It's the same story lacking any logic that's been borrowed from and edited down throughout the ages... even before having a bible in the home was common. Come on.. you don't think that we've always had mass printing capabilities do you? Besides, the creation story wreaks of fiction in the face of common sense... namely that you can't get light & dark before creating the stars... oops, guess the anonymous dudes that wrote that didn't know back then, what we know now. Surprise, surprise... they also thought the world was flat back in that day.
Not to debate the obvious inaccuracies found in the bible... back on track...
In my family there is a mix of your fundamental christians and those who either don't believe any of it or believe in a "Creator" but disregard the "interpretations" offered by various religions. The interesting thing is, the difference in personality between the two.
The Sunday goers tend to be uptight, judgmental and always out to show they are beter than group b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l,....... you get the idea. On the other hand, those that aren't going to church every sunday because of FEAR, seem to be the most rational, reasonable, responsible and TOLERENT of all.
Then of course you have study after study that shows a direct correlation between IQ and belief... the smarter, the less religion... the dumber, the more you better watch them... they tend to be the one's ready to throw someone away for life for smoking pot or anything else THEY don't believe is right... like they make the rules. Not so surprisingly, 84% of those incarcerated in prison proclaim themselves to be religious. At first, this information surprised me, but not now. In one month there have been two women (one a sunday school teacher) that have killed a child... something else condoned "back in the day". More people (men, women and children) have died because of intolerance and fear brought on by religion, than any infectous disease could ever hope to measure up to. It's clear to me and those that see it for what it is... not so clear for those still clutching their *** cheeks together from the fear that they still might go to hell. Which brings me to a BIG question...
If you believe in a God that created us and heaven and hell... put yourself in a parental role for a moment and ask yourself this...
Is there ANYTHING at all that one of your children could do that YOU would feel it justice to throw them into hell to suffer for eternity? No? Then why do you insist on believing that a God that created you would do the same? Religion has given God a bad rap... in the name of control and fear. After all, back then it was the CHURCH that controlled the political scene... some say they still do. Back to the question... one step in... say you are God... sitting there and people from all walks of life are coming through... what thing would make you want to throw someone over your shoulder into eternal hell? You say a child killer or mass murderer... Some would agree with you. But as God, there's one problem... you KNEW before you created the person what he or she would do (yes, omnipotent as stated in the bible right?) so wouldn't it have been more merciful to NOT have created this person in the first place? A merciful and loving God would certainly do EVERYTHING within his or her will to keep from having to bruise even a knee of one of his/her children.
Exactly who God is, why he made us... why we're here.... who knows... no one can. But I can tell you one thing... I find more proof of God in each day of my life, justing living, than all the sermons and other crap I've heard put together.
And for the record... dinasours did exist and not just a mere 6000 years ago. It's common knowledge the world over. Better figure aliens into your religious formula because it's pretty obvious now that we can't be the only living beings in an endless universe of universes. Don't forget ghosts either. lol We all know they are real and obviously do NOT fit into the normal scope of christian religion. After all, children ghosts... come on! I mean, that's where I'd expect a little divine helping hand... can't see why there are children ghosts at all. But as with healing and miracles, it's obvious that things just don't work the way we expect them to or believe them to, regardless of what pastor joe said last sunday.
The sooner we as a whole, the world over, let go of the insidious nature of religion, the sooner we will all find what we are truly seeking... acceptance, love and peace. Not in my lifetime I'm sure.
I welcome any and all questions or critisicms.
IU
I am sorry you feel that way ... its only because you were introduced to this:
2 Corinthians 11:13
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ.