Religion, what's the point?

Moonwalker

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I sometimes find the most unhelpful of criticisms of religion - that its practitioners are hypocrites. We all know it's true of course, but the implication is often that this is the only thing bad about it. If only vile men didn't twist its core noble message and acted ghastly "in the name" of religion, everything would be fine. I know many thoughtless secularists who, sadly, subscribe to this view.

The recommendation to forsake all earthly possessions and material things in order that you can get compensated for it in an imaginary afterlife, is far more pernicious for the poor people that abide by it, than any priest not abiding by it, like the one in this example.
 
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The Purley King

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I was going to start a new thread For this story but it’s probably better here.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-62311410

If anyone in the world deserves to get parted from their worldly possessions it’s scum like this.

“It's not about me being flashy," Mr Whitehead said. "It's about me purchasing what I want to purchase."
Erm ok but with who’s money?
my bible knowledge is a little sketchy but I’m not sure Jesus was big on whatever passed for bling in 2,000 year ago Bethlehem
 

jackal&hyde

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fecker needs to be put out to pasture…

That is one of the most strange "commandments". If one does dot want what the other has, then the spirit of competition and thus progress does not exist. Especially for the USA, a country that thrives from this exact spirit of mankind, capitalism, is bizarre.
 

Carolina Red

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That is one of the most strange "commandments". If one does dot want what the other has, then the spirit of competition and thus progress does not exist. Especially for the USA, a country that thrives from this exact spirit of mankind, capitalism, is bizarre.
Ah yes, but see it works splendidly if you’re already rich, because then you can tell the non-rich that it’s unchristian to covet what they have.
 

jackal&hyde

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Ah yes, but see it works splendidly if you’re already rich, because then you can tell the non-rich that it’s unchristian to covet what they have.
I know. The church in my part of the woods tells people the same thing while they are financed by the state and drive in Mercedes S Klasse. The old farts need to be comfortable while talking to baby jessus.
 

Sweet Square

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Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the global Anglican church, has sought to mollify conservative bishops around the world by “affirming the validity” of a 1998 declaration that gay sex is a sin.

He told more than 650 bishops attending the once-a-decade Lambeth conference that, for “a large majority” of conservative Anglicans, questioning biblical teaching was “unthinkable”

Welby said: “In many countries, [it] would make the church a victim of derision, contempt and even attack. For many churches, to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence.”

In a letter sent to bishops shortly before what was described as a “robust discussion” on sexuality, Welby said the 1998 resolution, known as Lambeth 1.10, was “not in doubt”.
But he also indicated that he would not seek the authority to discipline or exclude churches – including those in Scotland, Wales and the US – that conduct or bless same-sex marriage.

And in a hint at possible future change in the Church of England, he told the conference that for churches in liberal democracies, not updating traditional teaching could also challenge their very existence. They, too, could be “a victim of derision, contempt and even attack”.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...ity-of-1998-declaration-that-gay-sex-is-a-sin
.
 

maniak

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The whole church pedophile scheme is finally being uncovered in Portugal, it's infuriating how it took this long. The church covering abuse denounced by kids and even other priests, moving priests around (one of them 3 times after being accused in all parishes), sending accused priests to other european countries, pressuring kids and parents, one of them killed himself, the big heads knew about it, including the Lisbon cardinal, who is meeting the pope today in the vatican. And these feckers don't pay taxes and get huge favors from city councils all the time.
 

calodo2003

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The whole church pedophile scheme is finally being uncovered in Portugal, it's infuriating how it took this long. The church covering abuse denounced by kids and even other priests, moving priests around (one of them 3 times after being accused in all parishes), sending accused priests to other european countries, pressuring kids and parents, one of them killed himself, the big heads knew about it, including the Lisbon cardinal, who is meeting the pope today in the vatican. And these feckers don't pay taxes and get huge favors from city councils all the time.
Wow. Horrifying it has taken this long.
 

André Dominguez

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Why does religion and FAR right seems to match so many times? It seems to happen times and times over history.

Hitler, despite being a part-time Christian, imposed a Christian education in schools because he believed it instilled good morals, and got the support from most of the powerful members of the clergy during the war.
Nowadays FAR right is also heavily and publicly supported by many powerful clergy members and they get funding by billionaires who share their prejudices so they can have a good marketing and make their followers grow.

Same can be said about Islamic extremists: they are the Arab FAR right, and usually have a lot of clergy on their side and Saudi billionaires put a lot of money on those people's pockets so they can continue to spit their propaganda.

IMO these problems will lead to even major problems in the USA and other first world countries. You can already see that the lack of consequences for the most prominent people who invaded the Capitol are a result that they have their back covered by powerful lobbies.

Nothing good ever comes out when the far right or far left have a lot of power.
 

maniak

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Why does religion and FAR right seems to match so many times? It seems to happen times and times over history.

Hitler, despite being a part-time Christian, imposed a Christian education in schools because he believed it instilled good morals, and got the support from most of the powerful members of the clergy during the war.
Nowadays FAR right is also heavily and publicly supported by many powerful clergy members and they get funding by billionaires who share their prejudices so they can have a good marketing and make their followers grow.

Same can be said about Islamic extremists: they are the Arab FAR right, and usually have a lot of clergy on their side and Saudi billionaires put a lot of money on those people's pockets so they can continue to spit their propaganda.

IMO these problems will lead to even major problems in the USA and other first world countries. You can already see that the lack of consequences for the most prominent people who invaded the Capitol are a result that they have their back covered by powerful lobbies.

Nothing good ever comes out when the far right or far left have a lot of power.
They're both totalitarian, so they are natural allies. The far-left (Stalin, Mao) just turn themselves and the regimes into religion.
 

2cents

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Why does religion and FAR right seems to match so many times?
Because the far-right tend to look back to a mythical, glorious past when bloodlines were believed to be pure and society shaped not by the interests of barbarous foreigners but by a set of traditions which made the nation great, among which the religious tradition looms large.
 

André Dominguez

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They're both totalitarian, so they are natural allies. The far-left (Stalin, Mao) just turn themselves and the regimes into religion.
Cuban (and South American) far left is actually very religious, curiously. They also believe God is on their side.