Thanks PP - Look foward to reading it. I will let you know my comments on this thread in a few days.
Best - HS
The absolute stupidity of Christianity
by logansrun 83 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Englishman
There are people here, who having dumped the dub religion, still believe in Christianity.
Some of them take far more exception to the mocking of their faith than they do to sexual threads or swear words.
While I'm all for discussing things, the title of this thread would be quite offensive to many IMHO.
Englishman.
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metatron
Christianity - was and is essential to the moral and technical development of the human race.
Technology and science were not developed in the Buddhist, Taoist, Animist, or Muslim cultures. We would not be
discussing the matter right now, on the internet, if any of these cultures dominated the world. I doubt that even phones
would exist, much less anything else we technologically take for granted. The call for human rights originated primarily
in Christendom, based on Renaissance ideas.
You can argue about why this happened - perhaps because of a sense of linear time coupled with the Protestant
Reformation - but it wouldn't make much sense to assert that it didn't happen ( here and not elsewhere). The proud
Muslims are still wrestling with this fact. Taoist and Confusian cultures just quietly accept it and move along.
Many scholars wonder how the Chinese invented gunpowder but never invented guns. Strange.....
The world is a better place because of Christianity, warts ( and crusades) and all.
metatron
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William Penwell
metatron
Advancements of "technical development of the human race" in that last 500 years was made predominately in the "Christian" countries are true due to as you pointed out the renaissance. This was due to progressive individuals that broke away from the mind control of the Christian Church. An example was Galileo that suffered persecution at the hands of the pope due to his independent thoughts. The church suppressed scientific, ideological and theological thought/knowledge. Even though advancements have been made, they are no thanks to the Christian church because if they had it there way we would still be living in the dark ages.
Will
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Satanus
Another angle is that it is caucasians who develop things, inspite of being handicapped by christianity.
SS
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invictus
I cannot agree with the title absolute stupidity of Christianity just because I met some wonderful people whose lives were dramaticaly changed for good after they were introduced to the bible and its teachings. These ones not only bettered themselves but they did great things for a complete strangers - deeds of charity, love and compassion and not because they were seeking converts but just from their faith and as a result of their convictions to seek good and do good to their fellowman.
I guess if we look only for bad in people that is what we are going to find and vice versa - the same is with everything else -with the religion too - if we are only looking for bad in it that is what we will find; but what if we try to look for good in it? Because of those Christians that I met even before my own experience with religion, I still beleive that Christian teachings do radiate love and compassion.
Just stating my opinion.
Invictus
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heianderen
Christianity (in general, the judeo-chistian cosmovision) foundations are definitely wrong. It is true that you can learn some usefull "principles" from some parts of the bible (some provebs, golden rule, etc......) but mainly is a bunch of non-history, non-sensical visions and prophecies, false viewpoints of reality (for example: in the bible the world, is a flat disc with a dome over it. That the Bible says that the world is spherical is simply what believers want to read in the text) And a very negative and counterproductive point of view of humanity. Not to mention the violence, of the OT, sponsored by YHWH. The bible is also a masterpiece in creating submissive man and women, easily manipulable by the ruling elite, promoting as virtues blind obedience, credulity (faith) conformism. In fact the bible (that is some of the "books" that later became part of the Bible) were simply that, politico-religious tools, including the gospels (the 4 that are in the "canon", here I have a book with 20 "gospels" some complete, some only fragments). Christianity haven't had a pure origin, there were a lot of christianities at the start. All with diferents "bibles" and beliefs. The united Chistianity that came after is simply a political tool of Rome.
For diferent reasons, arguments, studies I think that a "real" or "historical" Jesus never existed. I subscribe the "mythical origin theory". Anyway if there was a "jesus", he has nothing to do with the biblical Jesus and since there are not more information about him. Is like he was inexistent.
Chistianity is just another pagan religion, but with the exclusivism of judaism (us vs them mentality)
Therefore the foundation of this religion is false. And you can see the real fruits of it: dividing people ever more, dark ages, wars, intolerance,...
In the other hand, the greatest scientist like Galileo and Newtown were driven by their religious feelings, they believed in a creator, therefore the "creation" can be understood, and in some sense sometimes christianity promoted the development of science.
But not religion, but the need of preserving the culture, the way of live and cosmovision, material prosperity, these is what promoted the wars and other evils, religion is just one form of it, there were also another non-religious idologies with the same potencial to create wars and divisions between people.
Is of capital importance to avoid fanatism and to be open to new ideas, dogmatism is foolishness.
_heianderen_
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Enishi
Many scholars wonder how the Chinese invented gunpowder but never invented guns. Strange.....
Probably because, in general, the Chinese were never as militant as the West due to Buddhist teachings. I once read somewhere that they did consider making guns, but decided not to due to the inhumaness of it.
Speaking of the Renassiance, it's interesting to wonder whether or not it would have happened without the tyranny of Church. As humans, we only tend to look at the smaller picture. Sometimes in the broad evolutionary scheme, long term progress is only made through the introduction of destructive elements.
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czarofmischief
The problems in this world all stem from religion and Christianity in particular
I have to disagree, William. The problems of this world are caused by many things - but they are usually based on greed. Desire for something somebody else has is a powerful force that motivates far more than faith. At best, religion is an enabler - it allows people to do things to each other, gives them an excuse to commit horrors on each other. But if we took away their religion, they would just find another enabler - like Marxism's loyalty tests, or eugenics theories.
Either fear of somebody else's power, or desire for their possessions or position, has motivated most of the problems of the world.
That being said, I do agree that Christianity is perhaps a better enabler than other religions. There is a very definite skewed perspective that disallows the basic value of "heathen" life and culture. If you aren't "saved" you ain't SH##. Also, the religion coined the phrase, "Kill 'em all, Let God sort them out." It was credited to the papal legate sent to purge the Waldenses in Languedoc, as the very first action of the Catholic Inquisition.
However, was that action religiously motivated, or religiously enabled? The men who did the dirty work were mercenaries working for a man who feared losing his absolute grip over the minds (and pocketbooks) of southern France. Money, money, money and power were the true motives. Religion merely enabled it and put a pretty face on it - like a whore painting herself up to make the drunken pimp she works for look somewhat civilized.
However, Christianity also enable expressions of love - the sense of guilt and "sin" that is described can be a powerful motivation to good works - and it helps us to become aware of the plight of others and feel responsible before God to do something to help. It also urges equality before God, a key concept for Democracy.
It can be taken in so many different ways - but primarily it was developed as a way for the Jews to maintain their cultural identity after the destruction of their temple, while adopting certain pagan concepts.
CZAR
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Greenpalmtreestillmine
Gee, I don't know what to say. But this I will throw out for whoever may read this: To compare "Christianity" with the words of Jesus Christ is not too dissimilar from comparing the U.S. Declaration of of Independence and the U.S. Constitution to the goings on in Washington D.C today. One is not necessarily a true representation of the other.
Many decry the actions of Congress and of the President because they fall far short of the words in those two documents. It is the same with Christianity, it falls far short of the words of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ has little to do with Christianity today and those who decry Christianity should not equate him with the thing they decry. Jesus preached love of neighbor. He also preached that any who did not follow him were wrong. Surely it is not too hard to see that any who do not have some love for their neighbor or their fellow will eventually go the wrong way totally.
What exactly are the teachings of Jesus that so many here disagree with?