Is religion hampering the progress of humanity?

by happysunshine 44 Replies latest jw friends

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  Reborn2002

  God doesn't use child molesters, Satan does.

  So men of authority and prominence in religions such as Catholicism and JW, who are appointed by holy spirit and given the responsibility of being righteous and taking the lead are agents of Satan? If God is so weak so as to allow such men to climb the ladder and oversee his flock, then God is pretty feeble.

  Thanks for the clarification.

  absolute FACT that in societies that have tried to abolish religion, the horrors commited make the worst chapter of Christianity look mild.

  Right. You actually expect ANYONE to believe that?

  So...

  • the savage atrocities committed in the name of Islam in Middle Eastern countries where people are trampled, blown to smithereens, beheaded, castrated, etc in the name of Allah
  • the shunning of families and needless death of an applied blood doctrine in the name of Jehovah (along with a thousand other issues)
  • the preying upon innocent little kids in the name of God or Jesus (Catholicism and others)
  • or the BILLIONS slaughtered as I explained earlier in the Inquisitions, Holy Crusades, jihad, intifadeh

  is MILD?

  or what about in World Wars where priests encouraged the soldiers by reminding them that God is on their side?

  Your only fooling yourself.

  The fact remains the charitable activities you attempt to attribute to religion can still be achieved completely outside of religious affiliation. Religion is NOT necessary. Weak people need it and people in power use it to control the weak.

  Edited by - Reborn2002 on 8 December 2002 17:58:26
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  seven006

  Yerusalyim,

  Your argument is backassward. There have been more people killed and wiped out form the face of the earth because of religious leaders than there has by non religious leaders. Have you forgotten the Spanish Inquisition, The Crusades, The holy wars, etc? Hitler was a religious man and had the words "God is with us" engraved on every Nazi shoulders belt buckle. I could go on and on about government leaders who were religious and used the excuse that god was with them as they killed millions. What in the world do you think all these stuff going on in the Middle East is about? Penis envy?

  Your argument is way off base and far from the truth. If you want the truth about the matter open your eyes. You're a nice guy but I think you have just replaced one closed minded religious mindset for another.

  Dave
• 

  terabletera

  I have to agree with Francois. What else has religion done?

  I heard someone say once that since it is argued that religion is seen as the only way to help a person find a moral level to live with, for instance...not steal because god says not to, then that person was already operating on a low moral base in the first place. Introducing the notion that "god is gonna kill ya" to them is not going to really work. Case in point, for instance, the sexual abuse done by catholic priests. It goes on and on and on.
• 

  gumby

  Yerusalyim,

  Your argument is backassward. There have been more people killed and wiped out form the face of the earth because of religious leaders than there has by non religious leaders

  Oh but Dave,

  There is one religion that stands out as exempt from this and that is the WTBTS!

  This true organisation has never brought bloodshed upon it's adherants nor any emotional harm.

  Flock to this one true channell ......while their is time still left........

  Ya dumb Bastard!!!!!
• 

  seven006

  Gumby,

  Sorry man, you're right, the JW's have never done anything wrong,...ever. I'm going back to them. Maybe they can protect me from my psycho ex-wife. I heard they are good to little kids too. And they have big money and good lawyers. I haven't been in a good old boys club for a long time. I could use some solid male superiority thinking.

  Thanks man, you just saved me.

  God Bliss.

  Dave

  Edited by - seven006 on 8 December 2002 14:55:5
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  DanTheMan

  I don't know if religion is the problem as much as the "True Believer" mentality is. Stalin, Hitler and Pol Pot were fanatics as much as Osama is, but their fanaticism was centered around utopian political/social ideologies. The utopia that Hitler & Stalin dreamed of is the same sort of utopianism at the heart of religious extremism.

  Though they seem at opposite poles, fanatics of all kinds are actually crowded together at one end. It is the fanatic and the moderate who are poles apart and never meet. - Eric Hoffer

  The avowed aim of all utopian movements is to put an end to history and to establish a final and permanent calm. - Ludwig von Mises
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  Carmel

  All of the revealed religions have contributed greatly to the progress of humanity. Eventually, unfortunately, they become corrupted and infested with egotistical leadership that leavens the whole batch. It has to be replaced with a new elan, a new message, a renewal of the original motivating creative spirit. Usually it takes decades, even centuries before its galvanizing force is appreciated by the majority of humanity. Usually by then it has reached its zenith and is already in decline. Both Christianity and Islam are well beyond having the possitive influence they each once enjoyed.

  IMHO, judging religion has to be fair and not tainted by our brush with a controling cult experiance. Pretty hard thing to ask most exjws to arise to.

  carmel the caveman
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  logical

  First off, dont blame God, or even satan for child molestors. People do things of their own free will, or they are misled by other people. Quit using others as scapegoats just cos the truth hurts.

  Religion has always been a farce. What do you think John was being warned about in Revelation 13? World powers? Not likely. People dont worship world powers, they worship religious systems. Corrupt christendom had already started by then and became what is now known as catholicism, you all know the rest.

  Yeru, why do you think i said "vast majority" as opposed to "all"? Although your statement is debateable.
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  gumby

  First off, dont blame God, or even satan for child molestors. People do things of their own free will,

  Thats true logical.

  God can be blamed for a host of other things that was equally bad or worse. I was thinking of the wholesale slaughter of women and babies that were killed by swords and fire at his command.

  Too bad he didn't step in and stop the writing of the bible that would cause more deaths in his name. He doesn't seem to intervene much does he?

  Edited by - Gumby on 9 December 2002 7:32:48
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  hippikon

  God lives in your temporal lobe - good reason to have a labotomy

  Edited by - hippikon on 9 December 2002 9:26:20