Why I hate religion!

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Last week the pope a former youth nazi himself, lifted the 20 year excommunication of a   bishop best know for his denying the holocaust. 

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=6722245

This week he promoted to bishop the cleric who said he was convinced that the death and destruction of Hurricane Katrina earlier that year was "divine retribution" for New Orleans' tolerance of homosexuals and laid-back sexual attitudes.

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/01/pope_promotes_cleric_who_calle.html

I don't know if there is a god or not.  (I am agnostic.)  But I am absolutely certain these evil idiots are not his messengers if he exists!   
 

[MaineDolFan]

Not a good reason to "hate religion" in my humble opinion.

If you care to "hate" individuals who base extreme judgements and attempt to use religion for those judgements that is one thing.

That is a broad stroke you are painting with, cowboy.

[Dphins4me]

  The Pope would be in jail, if he were not the Pope.

How much hush money had been paid out by the Catholic church from all the abuse over the years.

[CF DolFan]

Not a good reason to "hate religion" in my humble opinion.

If you care to "hate" individuals who base extreme judgements and attempt to use religion for those judgements that is one thing.

That is a broad stroke you are painting with, cowboy.

It's perfectly OK to do that when it comes to God's people.  If one makes a mistake, you pin it on God and everyone who even thought about following Him. 

Obviously I jest but hating or mocking God's people is more accepted than any other group.  Pick on any other group and then people outside of that group will stand up for them.

[Sunstroke]

It's perfectly OK to do that when it comes to God's people.  If one makes a mistake, you pin it on God and everyone who even thought about following Him.

Obviously I jest...

That would certainly help balance out the fact that EVERY TIME something good happens in the world, it's God's will or God's miracle.  If this fictional character can take all the credit for all the good things he didn't do, he should have to take some of the blame for the bad things that he didn't do as well.

PS... Not jesting

[CF DolFan]

That would certainly help balance out the fact that EVERY TIME something good happens in the world, it's God's will or God's miracle.  If this fictional character can take all the credit for all the good things he didn't do, he should have to take some of the blame for the bad things that he didn't do as well.

PS... Not jesting

I don't see the correlation about bashing Christians but I can only assume it's based on the joke about no one giving God credit when they fail. 

Many people are  going through very tough times and trusting God will bring them through it.  They give God credit in good times and in bad knowing that He will bring them through it and usually better off. That's called faith. It takes zero faith to praise God in the good times.  While God doesn't directly make bad things happen he does allow us to go through them ... especially if they are self inflicted or consequences to not listening to him.   

As a Christian I know the Bible says that while I will still have sickness, disease and hard times until Jesus comes back, that by trusting God that He will make them easier to deal with and will even turn a negative situation into a positive.

[Sunstroke]

I don't see the correlation about bashing Christians but I can only assume it's based on the joke about no one giving God credit when they fail. 

Do you see the correlation...and more importantly, the inequity, of giving God credit every time something good happens in the world, but not blaming God when something bad happens?

That was my point...

[JVides]

Do you see the correlation...and more importantly, the inequity, of giving God credit every time something good happens in the world, but not blaming God when something bad happens?

That was my point...

I think people would argue that good in this world comes from God or his agents, whereas evil is done by El Diablo Satanas and his group.  At least, I think that's the argument.

[Dave Gray]

I think people would argue that good in this world comes from God or his agents, whereas evil is done by El Diablo Satanas and his group.  At least, I think that's the argument.

People would definitely argue that.  I would at least.

Good doesn't come from God.  God is made up.

[StL FinFan]

I don't like what some people do in the name of religion, but it is not exclusive to Christians,

[Sunstroke]

God, Devil...two sides of the same fictional character.

Man is responsible for the good in the world, and man is responsible for the bad. Period.

[MaineDolFan]

^^You caught Breakfast Club on HBO2 this weekend, didn't you??

Regardless of your own personal beliefs I think it's important to:

1:  Not paint all religion, and those who subscribe to such beliefs in the same way.

2:  Not to dismiss people that do believe in God / Bible / religion as someone that has a lower intellect and / or a brainwashed blind following fool.

Every person that follows religion does not use the Bible as their own personal scape goat (1) and not every person that believes in religion does so blindly (2). 

[Dave Gray]

2:  Not to dismiss people that do believe in God / Bible / religion as someone that has a lower intellect and / or a brainwashed blind following fool.

I understand why you would think this is important.  I want religious and non-religious people to co-exist and share the same right to believe whatever they want.

I do however, think that people who believe in God are suffering from a delusion.  It's not intellect-based, but rather more of a mental-illness or brainwashing.  I know I should respect that belief, but I respect it just like I'd respect the idea that a schizophrenic thinks people are always following him.  I respect the person, but still think that they are ultimately unhealthy on some level.

[Sunstroke]

^^You caught Breakfast Club on HBO2 this weekend, didn't you??

I actually changed that signature about a week ago...but I long ago committed the script of Breakfast Club to memory. Most of it, anyway...

I understand why you would think this is important.  I want religious and non-religious people to co-exist and share the same right to believe whatever they want.

I do however, think that people who believe in God are suffering from a delusion.  It's not intellect-based, but rather more of a mental-illness or brainwashing. I know I should respect that belief, but I respect it just like I'd respect the idea that a schizophrenic thinks people are always following him.  I respect the person, but still think that they are ultimately unhealthy on some level.

Who needs burning bushes when you have Dave around?

[MaineDolFan]

I understand what you're saying - you either accept people for who they are or you don't.  What they believe in shouldn't alter that for you at all, really.  

I think it's important to accept someone for who, and what, they are - beliefs and all.  Judging anyone for any reason - that is unhealthy and unbalanced especially for someone that fancies themselves a "free thinker."  I swear I don't mean that as a jab, I mean it in an open dialog way.  

People have faith for all kinds of reasons.  Some people have faith based on nothing more than that is the way they were raised, that's the way it's always been and they haven't taken the time to look into anything on their own.

And some people, like me, are completely different.  I was raised in a home with zero faith and zero religion.  Raised by a father who is actually very anti-religious.  Anti-Bible.  And I formulated my own beliefs and thoughts about everything as I grew and experienced life without any outside interference.  My beliefs are very unorthodox.  I know the Bible too well and I also know how fallible the men were that wrote it.  I believe a lot of the Bible what used to govern the masses with fear.  I also believe there is a lot of truth in the Bible.

A lot of people need faith for one simple reason - it helps them get through every day.  How could you possibly begrudge someone that?  Whatever it takes for someone to get from day to day is okay with me.