mjarka911, exactamundo! You put it perfectly.
Posts by Gregor
-
23Never Forget, Religion is a Hole
by Gregor init is easy to get too curious and fall in.
you might wander around down there for years, have a family, make friends.
then you will find it is hard to get out.
-
-
-
23
Never Forget, Religion is a Hole
by Gregor init is easy to get too curious and fall in.
you might wander around down there for years, have a family, make friends.
then you will find it is hard to get out.
-
-
Gregor
Honestly, Bebu, if you compare my thumbnail sketch of the Christian dogma with the apostles creed, other than my irreverent phraseology, it is almost identical. So, back to what I said. It is really not the "map" of how to live ones life that draws people to Christianity as much as it is the supernatural belief in this entire ransom sacrifice scenario. By the way, we haven't even mentioned the Satan character in all this.
Respect? Of course I respect your belief. But I don't believe it and that's what we're discussing here. I have been to this point in the conversation before and this is where rationality leaves the discussion and we get to the "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it!" phase. Fine. But, remember, no matter how fervently you and millions of others believe, you cannot produce enough proof to offset the weight of. a small bit of goosedown. Faith, indeed.
-
23
Never Forget, Religion is a Hole
by Gregor init is easy to get too curious and fall in.
you might wander around down there for years, have a family, make friends.
then you will find it is hard to get out.
-
-
Gregor
Thanks for you input Bebu. Yes, religion can provide a map. On another thread recently the point was discussed that for some people, getting religion, any religion, is a life saver for them. I know of examples where this was a fact.
My contention is that religion does not hold an exclusive on the basic principles, or guidelines, of living a fulfilling, useful and moral life. But many religions, JWs being one, ultimately claim that only their way is the correct way to live ones life. In other words, if Mother Teresa was alive at Armageddon she would be destroyed by Jehoober the same as Larry Flynt. Fundy Pentacostals are sure she is burning in hell right now, etc.
No, the real element of religion that attracts you and others to it is not the map, it is the supernatural aspect of it. You are a Christian. Many atheists live as morally 'good' as you do. But the real difference is they don't buy the "man sinned, God came to earth through Marys womb, got himself crucified (had to shed blood, part of the deal) to satisfy (pay) himself (or his father?) for the 4000 yr old offense Adam committed, then only be dead less than three days, go back up to heaven, then set back and watch to see how many of his children would figure out and accept all this so he could reward them with either (here it gets into different religions franchise technicalities) life in heaven after they go ahead and die a miserable death, or get to live forever as living breathing eating pooping creatures after He kills off the dummies that didn't get it figured out or maybe they just go to hell and burn in torment forever. etc etc etc.
You call it faith, I call it gullibility. No problem, we can still be friends!
-
18
How do you stop hating?
by ThomasCovenant ini'm finding it very difficult not to hate those still in.. my wife says i hate the religion but shouldn't hate the individuals.. i think she's correct but it's getting more and more difficult not to show my feelings of anger and hatred.. the thing is i was one of them for 30 years so i should have more patience, respect and sympathy.. i think they fall into two camps.
1 deluded.
2 self deluded.
-
-
Gregor
When you let your thoughts take a little trip into hate, you are, in effect, giving the object of your hate control of your brain for that moment. Better to settle it internally once and for all, then when you have a reason to bring it up (like so many of us do here) it is under our control, we are much more effective and it doesn't cost as much rise in blood pressure.
-
23
Never Forget, Religion is a Hole
by Gregor init is easy to get too curious and fall in.
you might wander around down there for years, have a family, make friends.
then you will find it is hard to get out.
-
-
Gregor
Not sure what your point is, Double edge. Generalizing? As far as quoting 1 Thess. I not sure I get the application. Of course, with me, you might as well quote last Sundays Dilbert strip. I spent about 30 years of my life with little short, snappy Bible quotes being used to jerk me around. I'm over that.
-
53
Would YOU kill someone if you felt they really deserved to die?
by gaiagirl incould be anyone, osama bin laden, oj simpson, pat robertson, someone who personally hurt you or your family, anyone at all.
would you pull the trigger, throw the switch, etc, which would end someones life?
would it make a difference if no one would ever know, versus everyone knowing?
-
-
Gregor
Absolutely. No problem. The piece of garbage that abducted the little girl in Florida last year. After abusing her he buried her alive. I would consider it a duty to kill him with an axe handle. I would probably have to stand in line for the priviledge.
-
23
Never Forget, Religion is a Hole
by Gregor init is easy to get too curious and fall in.
you might wander around down there for years, have a family, make friends.
then you will find it is hard to get out.
-
-
Gregor
Religion, Hobbies, Clubs, Philosophies, etc ... sometimes though, in a world that is rough, you have to hide in the trenches to get by or you might get you head blown off.
Yeah, you could add drugs, booze, promiscuity, etc. but I think Religion is a particularly sinister hole. Many people get their heads blown off in that hole.
-
23
Never Forget, Religion is a Hole
by Gregor init is easy to get too curious and fall in.
you might wander around down there for years, have a family, make friends.
then you will find it is hard to get out.
-
-
Gregor
Skeptic2, Thanks, I'm flattered. Feel free to quote me. (Standard 5% royalty applies)
-
23
Never Forget, Religion is a Hole
by Gregor init is easy to get too curious and fall in.
you might wander around down there for years, have a family, make friends.
then you will find it is hard to get out.
-
-
Gregor
It is easy to get too curious and fall in. You might wander around down there for years, have a family, make friends. Then you will find it is hard to get out.
Someone once said, "Religion is a Snare and a Racket" Remember, a snare is always baited with something to attract the prey.
Religion is organized superstition. It packages up all the answers to lifes perplexing questions and gives them to you on a platter, no muss no fuss, just have "faith" and, very important, try to act like a sheep. Sheep don't even know or care if they're in a hole.
"People" invent and operate religions. They decide what all the answers are and feed them to other people. The people who run the religion are just like other people, they eat, poop, have bad breath, get toothaches, etc.
-
35
ANYONE THAT BELIEVES JW'S HAVE THE RIGHT RELIGION ARE........
by minimus inafter realizing how wrong they are either stupid, braindead, or in denial.
you agree????
?
-
-
Gregor
The above responses are right on. I would like to add - People who feel insignificant in all aspects of their life, education, economic status, etc. but who can be "somebody" in the closed environment of the org. This can bring out the worst in some personalities, like frustrated males who can become 'elders' (this formal title was a stroke of genius by the WTS when it came out in the early 70's. Kind of like poor black sharecroppers who can be a "deacon" in their church.) and weild considerable power over others in the cong. I have known so many of these pathetic losers. They wouldn't leave the org. if you put a gun to their pointy heads. It is all they are.