Yes, and the priests have used that fear to control mankind for centuries. That, in itself, does not relieve us of responsibility toward God.
neologist
I have no dispute with the concept of God. It is organized religions and their concept and depiction of that God that I find fault with. Religion was created by the few to control and rule over the many. It is rightly referred to as the opiate of the masses.
Some folks seem to get a buzz out of slamming religion, so to each their opiate.
Quote:I have no dispute with the concept of God. It is organized religions and their concept and depiction of that God that I find fault with. Religion was created by the few to control and rule over the many. It is rightly referred to as the opiate of the masses.
No, you have a dispute with authority...the authority of a God who punishes those who deny him as lord.
thunder_runner32 wrote:Quote:I have no dispute with the concept of God. It is organized religions and their concept and depiction of that God that I find fault with. Religion was created by the few to control and rule over the many. It is rightly referred to as the opiate of the masses.
No, you have a dispute with authority...the authority of a God who punishes those who deny him as lord.
To be more exact, I believe au takes issue with those who interpret divine revelation in an attempt to control the masses. If we were to point him in a direction where he might discover truth by himself, perhaps he would investigate.
That being said, we would not retain the right to judge him on his decision.
Some things to remember:
1.) The Baptist religion originally held that each person should interpret the Bible according to his own intellect, faith and emotions.
2.) That there were many competing radical Jewish sects at the time of Christ and one finally evolved into the Christian religion, although not without a number of "heresies," at least one major and one minor schism, break aways and rival religions.
3.) That through most of the Middle Ages, knowledge of the Bible was slight, for both technological reasons and for a generally lower level of education. The result was an uneven kind of Christianity (remember one king of England celebrated Easter a week before his queen did), as well as several regional churches, like the Celtic Church.
snood -- I think some folks still smart from all the harm that has been done in the name of religion.
I am not totally against organized religion, but the point of the ten commandments was to promote order. If you want to call that controlling, then you are possibly an anarchist.
I am not totally against organized religion, but the point of the ten commandments was to promote order. If you want to call that controlling, then you are possibly an anarchist.
neologist/thunder
What makes you so presumptuous to assume what God wants and will do. As for Jesus he was just a human like the rest of us and is no more God or the son of God than you or I. If you chose to believe in that fairy tale that is your prerogative as it is mine to see it for what it is.
Chew on that for a while. Gota go now.
plainoldme wrote:snood -- I think some folks still smart from all the harm that has been done in the name of religion.
Which is why I posted this:
http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=51906
and this:
http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=50801
au1929 wrote:neologist/thunder
What makes you so presumptuous to assume what God wants and will do. As for Jesus he was just a human like the rest of us and is no more God or the son of God than you or I. If you chose to believe in that fairy tale that is your prerogative as it is mine to see it for what it is.
Chew on that for a while. Gota go now.
Well, you're right. In the end we're just guessing and assuming and presuming and asserting, all the while willing to stake our lives and reputations on the veracity of our guess.
Quote:What makes you so presumptuous to assume what God wants and will do. As for Jesus he was just a human like the rest of us and is no more God or the son of God than you or I. If you chose to believe in that fairy tale that is your prerogative as it is mine to see it for what it is.
Chew on that for a while. Gota go now.
Really, and rising from the dead and being seen by hundreds is commonplace. You are mistaken, people do not die for a hoax like that. Some of the disciple were burnt alive with oil, instead of just admitting that Jesus was a fake. I think there is a little more to it than that Au1929.
Thunder
Think what you will and believe what soothes your being. But please don't try to sell it to me and the billions around the world who do not.
Quote:Really, and rising from the dead and being seen by hundreds is commonplace.
Oh really! Like we're suppose to believe what the Bible says. Did you know that when the Romans deified their emperors miracles witnessed by hundreds were attributed to them? That they also made a full body resurrection? As a matter of fact deification was not uncommon in the Rome at the time of Christ.
The biggest roadblock to full body resurrection is NDE. No human body can reside in God's dimension. Only souls can live there. When Paul said full body resurrection was the foundation upon what Christianity rests he was right. NDE destroys that foundation.
Quote:You are mistaken, people do not die for a hoax like that. Some of the disciple were burnt alive with oil, instead of just admitting that Jesus was a fake.
Are you suggesting that no one other then Christians died for their religion? If so you had better get a grip on reality.
Xingu, there is an hilarious passage attributed to Seneca, on the subject, rather obliquely, of the deification of the Emperor Claudius . . .
The Pumpkinification of Claudius
Just as today there were Romans who didn't buy all this religious nonsense. On his deathbed the Emperor Vespasian is reported to have said sarcastically;
"I feel I am becoming a god."
Jesus, a Jew from birth to death, would never have guessed that some of his followers would make him into a pagan-like god in order to convert the pagans.
Jews don't believe in the pagan idea of a god or gods impregnating women to produce an offspring.
When in Rome do as the Romans do.
Au, it isn't his job to sell anything. You are rediculously closed-minded. All anyone does on here is state their opinion. Why should you be allowed to attack Christians and say that they are ignorant and arrogant, while you yourself don't take into consideration other's opinions.
au1929 wrote:Thunder
Think what you will and believe what soothes your being. But please don't try to sell it to me and the billions around the world who do not.
You're here.
You're reading.
What makes you think you wouldn't be fair game?
How thoughtless of you, Neo . . . he's just come to spread god's love . . .
