Scientology

[BRP]

Don't mistake lack of education to be religion. Two different things.

[Demetrick]

You guys knew that they made Chef die because the one making his voice left because he is a scientologist ?

He didn't say anything for gays, blacks, arabs ... but scientology, nooooo

No more Chef, I think they couldn't be more cruel

lol, i was wondering why they had him killed off. and then to top it off, it was a show about brainwiashing him to having sex with children.

[Lordwafik]

You kids need a serious reality check if you think something like Christianity is a cult out to control the minds of the masses through fantastical tales and fearmongering. Yes, there are fundamentalist groups that try- and that's why they're the staggering minority of practicing Christians, but they are also the most vocal, and the media loves sensationalism. A church near my house that I used to attend before I gave up my faith (I'm agnostic, atheism is too arrogant and ultra-humanist for my taste) is probably more representative of the vast majority of center-right christians that actually dominate the country. It's a casual jeans-and-tshirt affair where they talk about the lessons found in the fairy tales of the bible. To them, the Bible isn't a literal guide to existance, most of it is fictional, etc etc. To them the lessons in the bible are a suggestion, stories and values handed down through the generations based on the teachings of Jesus, not divine mandate. They have many, many community outreach programs that try to help youth and other people struggling in life. They want to do what they've gleaned from the book- be compassionate, caring individuals who help those in need.

Comparing it to scientology, which advocates the murder and rape of psychologists, lures people into small rooms for "free stress tests" then won't let you go until they thoroguhly indoctrinate you and force you to agree to go to a meeting which is anything but free, and does nothing but fatten the pockets of a few senior members with the massive amounts of money it collects...it just shows your massive ignorance. Stop rebeling against your parents for making you go to church, no one cares about your grand proof that God does not exist. If you don't want to be pursecuted or whatever for not believing in God, stop persecuting others for believing the opposite.

This is what I beleive. The Bible/Quran/Torah(sp?) etc, were not made to be taken so literally. The laws of 2000 years ago are not the same, society changes.

The way I see it, use the book as a guide to modern life, and not as something so black and white to judge people on.

However, the thing is, when you mention that to religious people who are in blind faith, that we shouldnt listen to the book word for word, and instead use it as a guide, they go mental, and get offended. That mentality needs to change.
I think the main reason they have this mentality, is they think if they Question gods teachings(which will give you more knowledge, 2 sides of 1 argument), that it'll offend god and they'll go right to hell.

Maybe this is why I didnt feel too comfortable with my religion I was brought up with. It felt like too much blind faith, and no answers besides "Because you'll go to hell" for questions I would ask.

[edgarfigaro]

I think that I might have stayed with the faith if I hadn't had one problem with my particular sect: predestination. It is the only thing that really struck me as wrong, and I could never reconcile with it and stopped going to church. I know other christian sects have differing views on predestination, but they are lacking in other areas.

Anyways, I don't care what you believe in. I don't care if you're a Jedi or a scientologist...just don't fucking preach to me. This christmas, I walked up to pay for some gas, and the attendant told me, "Remember the reason for the season, keep the christ in christmas." I was so fucking pissed that I said "It's the winter solstice, not christmas, now stop taking pagan holidays and get your own."

Guy yelled at me while giving me my change.

[Correction]

I don't hate religion or religious people. I just hate churches, institutions that organize people into a flock to teach them whatever fucking agenda they want, whether or not it has any relevance to the teachings of whatever prophet started it.

Lessons I learned from Catholicism:

The pope is never wrong, even when he tells people in africa not to use condoms to halt the spread of AIDS because it is a sin against reproduction, the ONRY reason for sex.

Gay people are sinners who will burn in hell and don't deserve equal legal protections as straight married couples, nor should they be allowed to adopt and raise children, no matter how much more money/education they tend to have than the "50% divorce-rate" straight couples in the U.S.

Meanwhile, pedophile priests can become bishops and have their felonies covered up by the remainder of the clergy.

FUCK THE CHURCH.

Go God.

[Lasitha]

I believe there is something out there, it may or may not care for us. We may never be aware of it. Never touch it, see it, acknowledge it. But one of the things the bible teaches, which I have never read in english so I'll do my best to translate, is that it says if you split a rock you will find God, if you cut a woodlog you will find God.

God doesn't need a church in my opinion, if God exists he/she/it is within you and around you, and you are enveloped in his aura if you believe in him/her/it.

Correction, I have seen church since a long time as an institution that preaches the theme of God to make money.

The priest at my church had a BMW.

[Warudo Ecksu]

This topic has a lot of serious posts in it. I'd like to add something random.

http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/3500/god3lc.jpg

Gotta love Alabama churches.

[Demosthenes11]

If most Christians were actually like you say, I wouldn't abhor Christianity like I do. I don't know about the rest of the country, but here in Tennessee, it's by far mostly fundamentalists. My mother goes to one of, if not the largest church in this area. It's a modern, contemporary church, with a modern building, sound systems, coffee, etc, and anything else they can think of to get people to come, and they're fundamentalists. The Baptist churches around here are only worse. I've met very few Christians that DON'T take the bible as literal truth.

If this was bizzaro world, and Christians didn't take the bible literally and try to shove it in everyone's face, their religion wouldn't be a plague on society. They wouldn't try to get "Creationism" taught in our schools, they wouldn't be trying to ban abortion and contraceptives, the West Memphis Three wouldn't be in jail, and human beings of the same sex could get married, for fuck's sake.

I have no idea which is the majority (fundamentalism or w/e the other is called >.>), but the issues you brought up at the end are not even neccessarily religious things. It is more of a moral issue. Teaching creationism wouldn't be too bad of a thing, because it would be presenting an idea thought by millions of people. Remember, the argument for teaching evolution was because it was thought by so many people, but now there is a double standard. Abortion is an issue based almost completely on morality in my opinion. Contraceptives I agree with you on though. There is no logical reason why not to use them as the most intelligent species on the planet. Gay marriage...no real opposition to this other than religious stance, which I don't see as being such a bad thing. Personally, I feel like it only opens the door for polygamy and marriage to animals, but I think its gay (lol) that they can't get tax breaks. Some sort of program needs to be setup I dont know

[Maxxthepenguin]

Personally, I feel like it only opens the door for polygamy and marriage to animals

What? Those are such different issues. Neither is a union under law between two consenting individuals.

[Demosthenes11]

Personally, I feel like it only opens the door for polygamy and marriage to animals

What? Those are such different issues. Neither is a union under law between two consenting individuals.

and I completely agree with you, but the problem is all the whacko's that would see gay marriage legalization as a time to push the other bullshit that I dont like

[BRP]

Meanwhile, pedophile priests can become bishops and have their felonies covered up by the remainder of the clergy.

FUCK THE CHURCH.

You mean the Church fucked you.

[Gumu]

The episode where they kill Chef off was well done. Some good jabs at how scientology brainwashed him.

[Skyylya]

But one of the things the bible teaches, which I have never read in english so I'll do my best to translate, is that it says if you split a rock you will find God, if you cut a woodlog you will find God.

Actually, there is no bible that say's that (verbatim at least). it is presumed to be written in one of the 'dead sea scrolls' that was collected and hidden/destroyed by the vatican. The reason that it was hidden/destroyed is because it is thought that those scrolls were the gospel of Jesus himself, and since the church has corrupted his word over the last 2 thousand years, it would destroy the churches credibility.

Those words in particular were in a movie, i believe stigmata, i don't quite recall i'll have to look it up to be sure.

[Genosync]

Scientology makes me lol inside.

[Rocl]

Scientology makes me lol inside.

What about the outside?

[Enkidu]

But one of the things the bible teaches, which I have never read in english so I'll do my best to translate, is that it says if you split a rock you will find God, if you cut a woodlog you will find God.

Actually, there is no bible that say's that (verbatim at least). it is presumed to be written in one of the 'dead sea scrolls' that was collected and hidden/destroyed by the vatican. The reason that it was hidden/destroyed is because it is thought that those scrolls were the gospel of Jesus himself, and since the church has corrupted his word over the last 2 thousand years, it would destroy the churches credibility.

Those words in particular were in a movie, i believe stigmata, i don't quite recall i'll have to look it up to be sure.

It was written in the gospel of Thomas, said to have been written somewhere around 50-100 A.D.

The exact quote is "I am the light that shines over all things. I am everywhere. From me all came forth, and to me all return. Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift a stone, and you will find me there."

It's not a mystery, it's just not included in the bible for petty reasons.

[Teepo]

I approve of this thread
/em munches on popcorn.

[Nirokun!]

Gay marriage...no real opposition to this other than religious stance, which I don't see as being such a bad thing. Personally, I feel like it only opens the door for polygamy and marriage to animals, but I think its gay (lol) that they can't get tax breaks. Some sort of program needs to be setup I dont know

The tax breaks were put there to encourage people to stay together, its to benefit their kids when they have 2 parents try and stay together and work over their problems (for the money lol)

one of the issues with gay marriage and giving these tax breaks IS the fact that they dont want gay parents adopting/having children, because god knows single mothers will do a better job raising a kid than 2 moms, or 2 dads, and that gay households breed gay children


...oh wait

[Orchid]

Reminds me of bush's state of the union speech where he used stem cell research, (proto-cells being used to combat degenerative diseases and other maladys) with cloning and "human-animal hybrids." (bush hates mithra.) The idea that gay marriage would lead to human-pet marriage is retarded.

As for religion, I think if you can do without it you should, but some people need to prop up their morality, find ways to feel better about themselves, or have a basis to attack other's actions that arent rooted in reality. Why else would a god designate one family of ppl "Chosen", or make certain places "Holy" or legislate morality with the most imperfect method of communication ever devised - the written word.

Personally i'd rather people could behave themselves, mind their own business in interpersonal matters that theyre not involved in, or find and express their desires in war without looking to a nebulous god-figure.

[Raivyn]

most christian churches consider mormons to be a cult and not another religion like muslims, buddhists, hindu, etc.

That's funny, at least coming from the Christian cult.

you both confuse christianity with catholicism, but if you replace the word 'christian' with 'catholic' then I'd completely agree with both statements.