Would the world be a better place without religion?

by micheal 79 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  LittleToe

  UR:
  Good to see you around

  Pete:
  I still take umbrage at your insinuation that Xmas is used as a proselytizing event. I concede that some do that, but the majority? Since your remarks were directed to me, I felt obliged to respond, since the only use I would tend to put it to would be to encourage folks to "love fellowman/woman/child".

  My argument isn't with the minutia of the biblical "Christ", but rather regarding your comments about the "Christ character", whom/which you maligned.
  My question would simply be this: What do people think of when they think of Christ?

  I would suggest that most folks (depending on their influences) think of anything and everything between "baby in a manger", "wise and loving teacher", "loving God" to " a male version of Kali the Destroyer".

  Personally I like the South Park version of Xmas. The Mr.Henky song is a keeper.

  It is a great step forward when moderns extract the isolated elements of value from the worlds cults and philosophies and hold to a message of compasison and concern hidden in these sources.

  On this we can agree, and wholeheartedly so!
• 

  peacefulpete

  LT then we agree that Christmas would be better without Christ, for some reason you don't seem to want to say it. I never "maligned" the christ character, I described the message of the Bible that is not helpful for uniting the world. Nor did I say any "majority" used Christmas as a proselytizing occasion, I said that I find the actions of those who do, as divisive.
• 

  LittleToe

  Pete:

  LT then we agree that Christmas would be better without Christ, for some reason you don't seem to want to say it.

  No, I would disagree and I still don't want to say it. I love Christ (as did even Ghandi), and think he deserves his place at the heart of Xmas

  Nor did I say any "majority" used Christmas as a proselytizing occasion, I said that I find the actions of those who do, as divisive.

  Ah, now on that we agree!
• 

  Abaddon

  Eh?

  Actually, I think Saturn deserves his place back at the heart of Xmas - god of agriculture, shortest day, easy to figure out why it should be his.

  Or Tammuz. It was his birthday before it was re-appropriated.

  I say bring back a traditional Christmas. Get pissed for a week... have sex you shouldn't have (or at least sex you shouldn;t be CAUGHT having)... give presents... decorate the house... party inexcelsis gloria.

  Oh, hang on... I guess somethings never change...

  Viewed objectively, the only remnant of Christ in Christmas are the first six letters, and that's all there was to start of with. It is a festival celebrated worldwide by millions of people who aren't even Christian. Millions who are nominal Christians go from one end of the holiday to the other thinking about Jesus as much as I do. And it never was about Jesus anyway, as well all know. It's just people like parties and the 'new religon' was rather light on parties. Thus they got to keep their old ones, be it Hweolot-tid or whatever.

  Don't get me wrong - I think that a time for people to rest, meet-up with friends and family, and celebrate friendship is great. But let's not make the mistake of putting the Emperors New Clothes on Christmas. It was a largely secular fesitival in Roman times, and some things really don't change, do they?
• 

  Princess

  Personally I like the South Park version of Xmas. The Mr.Henky song is a keeper.

  Perhaps we should ask ourselves:

  "Would the world be a better place without South Park?"

  ***faints***
• 

  peacefulpete

  Ghandi beking a lover of peace sought to lower the walls between cultures and said a few favorable comments about the Jesus character. However he was, like you are, remaking the character in his own image. Jesus never sought to feed the poor or seek human rights for the oppressed, he didn't seek reconcilliation and peace like Ghandi. He came "to bring a sword" "for the poor will always be with you". Ghandi is burning in Hell, according to the Christian message in the Bible.
• 

  Leolaia

  Jesus didn't feed the poor (as the synoptics would have it). He told everyone to be poor. And he told the already-poor that they should be happy to be poor. Because their reward would be in heaven.

  He riled against the rich Sadducees, and taught against discrimination. But....he didn't exactly fight against poverty, now did he?
• 

  LittleToe

  Gyles:
  I don't recall Saturn being recorded as saying "love thy neighbour as thyself"

  Pete / Leo:
  Strange, I thought he was recorded as telling a certain rich young ruler to go sell all he had and give to the poor.

  I also thought that the book of Acts tells of his early followers holding all things in common.

  I will grant you that the religion that followed strayed from those kind of tenets (though I supect the original motive behind "alms" may have been a good one).

  Aren't we getting a little off-track concentrating on Xmas and Christendom?
  By far the majority of the world's population aren't Christian.
• 

  Princess

  Ross I've been wondering why you always write "xmas" instead of "Christmas". I assume there is a reason and it's quite possible I missed an earlier comment on it.

  Just curious, not trying to stir anything.
• 

  Larry

  MOS DEF !!!

  Reminds me of John Lennon's song:

  Imagine Imagine there's no heaven, It's easy if you try, No hell below us, Above us only sky, Imagine all the people living for today... Imagine there's no countries, It isnt hard to do, Nothing to kill or die for, No religion too, Imagine all the people living life in peace... Imagine no possesions, I wonder if you can, No need for greed or hunger, A brotherhood of man, Imagine all the people Sharing all the world... You may say Im a dreamer, but Im not the only one, I hope some day you'll join us, And the world will live as one.

  Peace - LL :)