Worst thing about your religion?

M

Michael

歌舞伎
Valued Senior Member
I wonder, can anyone here objectively criticize their own religion?


Well, growing up, I was Xian. While I'm not now, I remember thinking it was bullshit that people who had heard about Jesus, but hadn't accepted Jesus as their personal savior, where doomed to burn in hell. I remember asking once: What about all the Hindu people? I mean, a lot of nice people over there in India. And was told, well, if they haven't heard the word then they'll be judged on the merit of their deeds. I said, but what if they had.

To this I got two sorts of responses.

1) Hard Core Baptist = Then they WILL burn in hell.
2) Soft core evangelist = Then they didn't fully understand what they were being told and will instead be judged based on their deeds, only someone who accepted Jesus and then turned away, only they will be in hell.

At the time that placated me, but, the irony is that's now me! To be fair, people who know me as an atheist, just say I never truly knew God and so I will still be judged by my actions only. Which is nice of them :)


So, the one thing I thought that was sucky was this idea that people will burn in hell for not accepting Jesus... I mean, as if you have a choice in the matter. It's silly. I can no more accept Jesus then I can Xenu. It's an impossibility.

How about you guys, can you name the worst thing about your religion (or past religion)? The thing that puts (or put) you off the most.
Michael
 
Yes Yes, BUT, I mean about the belief system itself. I think it's interesting 13 people have viewed, some of whom we know are theists, YET, nothing?

Says something about the break down of critical thought processes in regards to ones personal belief system.
 
Michael, you'll rarely if ever get theists to step up to the plate on these kind of questions, ones they know they can't answer honestly. They take it personally, as if you were asking them to critique the size of their dicks.
 
The worst thing(s) about my religion:

My preacher was made out to be a caretaker of our congregation, but he had no psychological training, resulting in some disastrous advice to married couples (including my parents).

I was given almost no instruction on how to live a good life and be kind to my fellow man.

We had to be somewhere on Sunday mornings.
 
Michael said:
I wonder, can anyone here objectively criticize their own religion?


Well, growing up, I was Xian. While I'm not now, I remember thinking it was bullshit that people who had heard about Jesus, but hadn't accepted Jesus as their personal savior, where doomed to burn in hell. I remember asking once: What about all the Hindu people? I mean, a lot of nice people over there in India. And was told, well, if they haven't heard the word then they'll be judged on the merit of their deeds. I said, but what if they had.

To this I got two sorts of responses.

1) Hard Core Baptist = Then they WILL burn in hell.
2) Soft core evangelist = Then they didn't fully understand what they were being told and will instead be judged based on their deeds, only someone who accepted Jesus and then turned away, only they will be in hell.

At the time that placated me, but, the irony is that's now me! To be fair, people who know me as an atheist, just say I never truly knew God and so I will still be judged by my actions only. Which is nice of them :)


So, the one thing I thought that was sucky was this idea that people will burn in hell for not accepting Jesus... I mean, as if you have a choice in the matter. It's silly. I can no more accept Jesus then I can Xenu. It's an impossibility.

How about you guys, can you name the worst thing about your religion (or past religion)? The thing that puts (or put) you off the most.
Michael
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Good Topic
Odd that your Name is Michael. "Who is like God"

My organization instills knowledge in all things. I appreciate this out look because people walk around completely oblivious why they believe what they do. They make God sort of a default.

The only thing they fear is reproach against God's name with anything they say and do and this can and has caused serious lapses in judgement in handling issues at the very top. They're correctable and have been corrected but there was no reason for those issues to come out if things were merely handled in a forthright manner with out the excessive worry about how it may make God look bad.

I use Jesus as an example. He died as a blasphemer on the stake but that label didn't stop him from doing what he was supposed to do, what he was sent to do.

I'm a very independent thinker in my congregation.
I never step out of line, but people know better than to confront me certain issues. I don't want to lead anyone off course so I stay mostly in the background untill my skills are necessary. I'm happy with my role although many impress upon me the need to do more and take a more active part.

But I have a tendency to set people straight if you get stupid so I've learned silence really can be golden.
 
i believe that the most obvious example pertains to evolution theory.

the reason is because someone can legitimately ask the question:

"...but what if tou are wrong?"

At least you are intelligent though. The most vociferous defenders are hardly intelligent and have an agenda.

My personal view is simply: maybe....maybe not.
 
John99 said:
i believe that the most obvious example pertains to evolution theory.

the reason is because someone can legitimately ask the question:

"...but what if tou are wrong?"

At least you are intelligent though. The most vociferous defenders are hardly intelligent and have an agenda.

My personal view is simply: maybe....maybe not.
Click to expand...

There is overwhelming evidence that evolution is real. I don't think it's arrogance to point that out.
 
What greater arrogance is there then to claim to know the mind of God? To pretend to communicate with him? To interpret his actions and creations?
 
Michael said:
I wonder, can anyone here objectively criticize their own religion?


Well, growing up, I was Xian. While I'm not now, I remember thinking it was bullshit that people who had heard about Jesus, but hadn't accepted Jesus as their personal savior, where doomed to burn in hell. I remember asking once: What about all the Hindu people? I mean, a lot of nice people over there in India. And was told, well, if they haven't heard the word then they'll be judged on the merit of their deeds. I said, but what if they had.

To this I got two sorts of responses.

1) Hard Core Baptist = Then they WILL burn in hell.
2) Soft core evangelist = Then they didn't fully understand what they were being told and will instead be judged based on their deeds, only someone who accepted Jesus and then turned away, only they will be in hell.

At the time that placated me, but, the irony is that's now me! To be fair, people who know me as an atheist, just say I never truly knew God and so I will still be judged by my actions only. Which is nice of them :)


So, the one thing I thought that was sucky was this idea that people will burn in hell for not accepting Jesus... I mean, as if you have a choice in the matter. It's silly. I can no more accept Jesus then I can Xenu. It's an impossibility.

How about you guys, can you name the worst thing about your religion (or past religion)? The thing that puts (or put) you off the most.
Michael
Click to expand...

Well this does not put me off my Faith but it makes things hard.

That there are so many false corruptions of my faith going around and they have the ears of the media and the minds of the people that it makes it near impossible to deliver the true message through the haze. Most people are so filled with the false view of my faith that they are turned off even before discussion starts. They are so focused on the false mass media view that they don't even listen to true message, they are so intent of shaking their fists at the distorted view, they are so intent of venting against the false view that they cannot or will not listen to the true view.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days
 
No one else think it's wrong for God to send people to Hell fire and damnation for eternity? No one else thinks God has no business being the judge of other sentient beings? If God has a God, then what? I mean, what if it's a sin in this other higher Gods Philosophy to threaten people with hell fire and to do so one is punished by being made into a human.

I'm just surprised no one finds the whole hell fire thing as repulsive as me. It's also rather childish if you think about it.
 
swivel said:
What greater arrogance is there then to claim to know the mind of God? To pretend to communicate with him? To interpret his actions and creations?
Click to expand...

I don't know swivel you dropped a pretty big arrogant bomb yourself.

I'm just surprised no one finds the whole hell fire thing as repulsive as me. It's also rather childish if you think about it.
Click to expand...

More silly than you know since there isn't one bit of supporting scripture for it.
 
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