Just how messed up is religion?

[J0shuaRay7]

If one is to believe in Abrahams's God, a jealous God, they would have to assume that He ranks sins based on the Commandments before mens laws if He ranks them, which is the opposite of what people are doing. And that if there is a day of judgment He will start with those laws before anything. Unfortunately, a planet that ranks its own sins, worships men and images of God, kills easily, and practices child sacrifice is completely opposed to what God wanted from us. And regardless of why Jesus died, i doubt it will change what God wants and the standards by which we are judged.

[Virge]

J0shuaRay... All you're doing is running around in rhetorical circles with your tongue in your butt... In other words, you're doing this for your own enjoyment while being a dummass.

If you think that you can make sense of biblical nonsense by endlessly discussing biblical nonsense you have to be a devout fundamentalist because only they are that stupid. Hell even Jehovah's witnesses and Mormons come up for air and step out of the darkness of their holy basements once a year to find out how much more winter there'll be when they see their shadows. You ought to try it once in a while. Maybe while you're up and about you can get an adult sized enema of reality because it sure doesn't appear to be going to your brain by any other means.

It's not that I'm against religion or unreligious. Religion in the front seat driving always leads to wrecks. Religion in the back seat leaving the driving to reason is always the safer way to get from point A to point B.

But with that said, I feel quite sure you'll ignore those words and go right back to running around in circles with your tongue in your butt...

[Hardheaded1]

If one is to believe in Abrahams's God, a jealous God, they would have to assume that He ranks sins based on the Commandments before mens laws if He ranks them, which is the opposite of what people are doing. And that if there is a day of judgment He will start with those laws before anything. Unfortunately, a planet that ranks its own sins, worships men and images of God, kills easily, and practices child sacrifice is completely opposed to what God wanted from us. And regardless of why Jesus died, i doubt it will change what God wants and the standards by which we are judged.

The discussion is elliptical.

You still are talking about "them" and not you. It is a weak religion that isn't inward based and oriented.

[Pyromancer]

I read your post. It's obvious that you're pretty religious and have some string religious ideas based in religion.

But the solution for religion's problems is not more religion, another religion, or more religious gibberish about religion.

The solution for religion's problems is to cut out all the stupid bullshit in it and insert some common sense and reason. Stop discussing Moses, Abraham, Old Testament, ten commandments, and all the rest of it and talk about REAL THINGS.My capacity to reason and use my brain to figure things out beats the fuck out of any stupid folklore and superstitions written by people in the bronze age.

Common sense? Yeah, for sure.

The Pagan Rede: "Eight words the Pagan Rede fulfill,
If be no harm, do as ye will."

That's the only real spiritual and moral code I need. The sentiment crops up in a lot of places. Even the Hippocratic Oath. "First, do no harm"...for me, all the rest of it is just window dressing.

[Rareboy]

The original beliefs of the church were base on the idea that the world is flat and there is heaven above and hell below. The pope was the voice of God. Earth was the center of the universe. And the pope was the center of the earth threarening anyone whose discories threatened his control on the minds of people. It was a bad religion from the start. Its foundations werent realistic and solid.

What the fuck is it that you want?

An endless tirade against the Roman Catholic Church is a pretty sterile way to spend your life given that there are multitudes of options.

All I'm reading is the emotional gut based rant.
Here's the deal.

Get a degree in studies of the Roman Catholic church from its inception to the present day and then come back and argue your points. along the way, you will discover the best and the worst of humanity. Just like if you studied Islam. Or the protestant church. Or Judaism.

Virge put it best. Stop running around with your head up the ass of a bronze age conception of God and focus on the real world around you.

Be the change you want to see.

[Hardheaded1]

[MENTION=22470]Pyromancer[/MENTION]

And that would be where religion does make a positive contribution. The teachings are not "live and let die."

They teach moral code, and that almost always includes caring for your neighbor, not just letting anything go. And, because the religions do make a moral stand about helping others, they invariably are as flawed and subjective as the societies that envelop them. But they DO teach people to help, and many a hospital, orphanage, and soup kitchen still owes both its heritage and ongoing support to such values.

Are there secular institutions that do the same work? Absolutely, but that doesn't mean that the work would exist to the same degree that it does under religion's auspices. Society doesn't allow schools to teach good citizenship any more, as it always winds up in a political fight about what is good for society. Heaven know organizations like the Scouts don't have the bandwidth or charter to reach everyone.

There is much wrong with religion, but that's not the whole story. As of now, about 85% of the human population is also of that opinion.

[Virge]

Common sense? Yeah, for sure.

The Pagan Rede: "Eight words the Pagan Rede fulfill,
If be no harm, do as ye will."

That's the only real spiritual and moral code I need. The sentiment crops up in a lot of places. Even the Hippocratic Oath. "First, do no harm"...for me, all the rest of it is just window dressing.

Have you ever hear of a guy named Hillel? You can google him later. A student asked Hillel if he could sum up all the law (of the Talmud/Old Testament) in the time a man could stand on one foot.

Hillel answered,"That which you find hateful to yourself never make another man suffer. That is ALL the law (Talmud/Old Testament) The rest is commentary. (in other words, the rest is bullshit) Go. Study. Learn. Teach."

As for the hippocratic oath it really means nothing to doctors. My dad's a MD. In his office he has a painting of a old time country doctor taking care of all sorts of patients crowded in a tiny room with other's watching from the windows. At the bottom of the painting are the words

Homo sum; humani nihil ame alienum puto.
I am a man; I consider nothing human is alien to me.

Taking those words and Hillel's as creeds to live by covers all bases.