People have to get over the idea that the German people were evil. They were not. They supported an evil man because things were good, they were being protected, and he believed what they believed. People also need to get over the idea that we shouldn't speak up until there are 50,000 dead in Texas and Oklahoma.[/b]
Please speak on this more. I am not knowing...
I refer back to an earlier flippant remark by Rockadelic. His point being that he see nothing frightening about AC and her ilk because there are not mass graves in Texas and Oklahoma.
Here's another flippant remark for you to ponder.
There are more undocumented aliens in the U.S. than there are Evangelical Christians.
Frank, shut it. You take the Bible far too seriously. You speak in symbols? Guess what -- so does the Bible, including the bumper sticker you are bitching about.
Frank, shut it. You take the Bible far too seriously. You speak in symbols? Guess what -- so does the Bible, including the bumper sticker you are bitching about.
As Della Humphrey might say: Don't make the good threads go bad.
I wish Christians would spend more time trying to live according to Jesus' teachings in the Gospels and less time obsessing over nutty ideas of what Revelations mean. Revelations is the most meaningless and incoherent book of the 2 Testaments. The Gospels on the other hand are filled with wonderful teachings on Peace, Forgiveness, Non-violence and Charity. Jesus said those who feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, comfort the sick and visit the imprisoned will sit with him in heaven. Yet so many Evangelicals believe that being born again, evangelizing, and sending Jews to Israel is the only path to heaven.
I agree that some christians have an unhealthy obsession with Revelation and the end times, though I would just say that Revelations is difficult and challengig, rather than meaningless and incoherent. On being born again, Jesus also said in the gospel of John that this is required...but a true spiritual rebirth will result in living out the other aspects of the gospels that you just emphasized. sending Jews to Israel is a new one to me.
The sheer mass of America's Christians would be a frightening force for religious extremism in the world if they weren't such domesticated armchair quarterbacks who focused on hot-button issues like abortion rather than global influence.
The first part of your statement about "fightening" I of course don't feel, but the second part of this sentence is probably one the most spot on critiques of American Christians I've heard. Like most Americans, those who claim to be Christians have been placated by American culture of consumerism and entertainment...myself included.
I'm always shocked when I find giftshops inside churches. One of the main things I retained from being forced to go to bible school as a kid was Jesus kicking all the vendors out the temple, saying commerce had no place in a church. I guess fundamentalism's literal reading of the Bible is put on hold when it comes to making a buck.
I've got some issues with this as well, when it's obvious people are just looking to make a buck off of Christian consumerism, and the church endorses it. This is a little different, though, then what Jesus was condemning in the temple. The priests were extorting the Jewish worshipers by forcing them to buy temple animals only for sacrifice at inflated prices, and charging high exchange rates for their money before they could do so.
What annoys me about christians is the way they involve everybody else into their view of the world.
I thought a "view of the world" typically involved everyone.
You might think I'm a fanatic and maybe I am but alone what I've seen here in Africa during the past two years, how islamic and christian religions ravaged this continent like a plague,
I don't know details, but I have no doubt that people in the name of Christ have done horrible things in Africa like they have in other parts of the world. I'd venture to say they probably have done a lot of great things, too. Just because some people have mistreated others doesn't mean those actions really represent the person/religion they claim.
For South African President Mbeki to question whether HIV really causes AIDS, and his health minister to promote "good nutrition" rather than drugs to treat HIV can only be described as aiding the savagery that is AIDS in their country.
Astounding...but this isn't really Christianity related, is it?
Additionally, the centuries-old "you can receive the medicine only if you convert" strategy is well-documented for missionary groups around the world and is plainly disgusting. Anyone who puts their religion before others' lives cares about neither.
Once again I don't know the details but I'm not surprised and I agree its disgusting...Christianity can not be coerced, only offered. so many have gotten this wrong over the centuries.
There are more undocumented aliens in the U.S. than there are Evangelical Christians.
Somehow I find this comforting.
I don't...considering that most of those aliens are probably 1) Christian and 2) more likely to be conservative than progressive. (Then again, I consider "progressive Christian" to be rather oxymoron-ish anyways).
There are more undocumented aliens in the U.S. than there are Evangelical Christians.
Somehow I find this comforting.
I don't...considering that most of those aliens are probably 1) Christian and 2) more likely to be conservative than progressive. (Then again, I consider "progressive Christian" to be rather oxymoron-ish anyways).
There are more undocumented aliens in the U.S. than there are Evangelical Christians.
Somehow I find this comforting.
I don't...considering that most of those aliens are probably 1) Christian and 2) more likely to be conservative than progressive. (Then again, I consider "progressive Christian" to be rather oxymoron-ish anyways).
Wow
Not sure what you're saying "wow" to. In general, I don't find immigrants to be a threat to society based on their legal status. But if my concern is about evangelicals and their influence on society, then I'm going to be real by saying that a large proportion (if not outright majority) of immigrants coming to America - from all parts of the world - tend to be 1) Christian and more apt to be 2) fundamentalist and as someone who'd prefer to see social choices made based on secular rationality than religious faith, I can't really see swelling numbers of conservative Christians - regardless of how they came to this nation - to be a real positive step. I'm not against immigration though, obviously.
As for "progressive Christian" being a contradiction in terms, I genuinely think that a real progressive politics would include emancipating people from the tyranny of organized religion on their individual lives and society writ large.
The really sad thing is how many people were sitting at home watching that and nodding their heads in agreement..... ...at her.
^^^ GEnius. Really though ladyfriend and I were watching the show in real time wondering wtf she was spouting. We were also about to throw something at the TV and bash our skullz in. Instead we walked out and went to get some burritos and stuff.
"Christianity can not be coerced, only offered. so many have gotten this wrong over the centuries."
How have we gotten this wrong, exactly? What exactly were the Crusades then?
i meant...so many christians and so called Christians have gotten this wrong over the centuries in that they tried to coerce others into the faith instead of just offering it. The Crusades are good example of this, as you point out. (Not good meaning good but good meaning bad!)
In general, I don't find immigrants to be a threat to society based on their legal status. But if my concern is about evangelicals and their influence on society, then I'm going to be real by saying that a large proportion (if not outright majority) of immigrants coming to America - from all parts of the world - tend to be 1) Christian and more apt to be 2) fundamentalist[/b] and as someone who'd prefer to see social choices made based on secular rationality than religious faith, I can't really see swelling numbers of conservative Christians - regardless of how they came to this nation - to be a real positive step. I'm not against immigration though, obviously.
As for "progressive Christian" being a contradiction in terms, I genuinely think that a real progressive politics would include emancipating people from the tyranny of organized religion on their individual lives and society writ large.
Just curious about this first part in bold.
From Wiki:
There were 1,266,264 immigrants who were granted legal residence in 2006, up from 601,516 in 1987, 849,807 in 2000, and 1,122,373 in 2005. The top twelve sending countries in 2006, by country of birth, were Mexico (173,753), People's Republic of China (87,345), Philippines (74,607), India (61,369), Cuba (45,614), Colombia (43,151), Dominican Republic (38,069), El Salvador (31,783), Vietnam (30,695), Jamaica (24,976), South Korea (24,386), Guatemala (24,146), Other countries - 606,370.[9] In fiscal year 2006, just 202 refugees from Iraq were allowed to resettle in the United States.[10]
So the Mexicans are Catholic. And fundamentalist?
Just 4% of Chinese immigrants might be Chrisitian.
Philippines are 90% Christian, and probably quite keen about it judging by that percentage.
About 2% of Indian immigrants might be Christian, probably educated if they've afforded the boat/air fare, and coming from the largest democracy in the world, not likely to be a fundamentalist threat to your civil liberties.
Cuba is Catholic, and officially an atheistic state, so that ups the chances of immigrants seeking freedom to be really keen on religion too.
Colombia, quite interesting, as I assumed they were all dead keen on Mary:
Catholicism was the official religion of the country since the Spanish colonization until the 1991 constitutional reform (National Constituent Assembly), which granted equalitarian treatment from the government to all the religions. However, the Catholicism is still the main religion in Colombia by number of adepts, with an estimated of 95% of the national population in nominal Catholicism, from which about 25% are practicing catholics.
The Dominican Republic looks to be towing the 'Latin American' stereotype of rampant Catholocism, but harbours some diversity. Would probably say that they're all very keen about it though.
El Salvador:
Despite its legal status, Catholicism in El Salvador has been in decline for the last 17 years with the most devout members above age 53. However, the religion remains a majority in all age groups
. They sound like they're coming round...
Vietnam:
The Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam formally allows religious freedom.[1] There are only 7 legal religions in Vietnam (Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Cao Dai, Hoa Hao, and Brahmanism).[citation needed] Every citizen is declared to be allowed to freely follow no, one, or more religions, practice his or her religion without violating the law, be treated equally regardless of his or her religion, be protected from being violated his or her religious freedom, but is prohibited to use religion to violate the law.[1]
Really quite reasonable people, those Vietnamese.
Jamaica. Reggae.
South Korea:
religion in South Korea is dominated by the traditional Buddhist faith, with a growing Christian population. The practice of both of these faiths has been strongly influenced by the enduring legacies of Korean Confucianism, which was the official ideology of the 500-year-long Joseon Dynasty, and Korean shamanism, the native religion of the Korean Peninsula.
Man, they can't be fundamentalist.
Guatemala:
Catholic Christianity was the only religion during the colonial era. However, Protestantism has increased markedly in recent decades, especially under the reign of dictator and evangelical pastor General Efra??n R??os Montt. More than one third of Guatemalans are Protestant, chiefly Evangelicals and Pentecostals. The predominant religion is Latin Rite Catholicism.
. Evangelicals, huh? Sounds like Guatemala puts the fundament on to this list.
Fully agree with your summing up of the tyranny of organised religion.
When one of the poorest, least fancied teams in professional baseball suddenly races out of nowhere and qualifies for the World Series playoffs, you might call it, well, a miracle. As it turns out, that's exactly how the Colorado Rockies - a team who previously seemed to be little more than a punching bag for the bigger, better, more lavishly funded organisations who play America's favourite sport - view their nail-biting, against-the-odds, come-back-from-way-behind progress into this autumn's post-season.
The team's chief executive is a born-again Christian. So is the general manager and the team coach. Their two star players, along with many other members of their regular line-up, are not only believers but attend team-organised Bible studies. The team doesn't like to talk about it much - mainly because the overlords of Major League Baseball don't think it's good for business - but they have an explicit policy to recruit as many Christian ball players as they can.
In other words, the Rockies - uniquely, even in a country as religion-obsessed as America - play faith-based baseball. And, in their view, God just rewarded them - big time.
"You look at some of the moves we made and didn't make," general manager Dan O'Dowd said in the only interview he has given on the subject, long before the Rockies' remarkable ascension over the past few weeks. "You look at some of the games we're winning. Those aren't just a coincidence. God has definitely had a hand in this."
Anyone who fancies the Almighty has better things to do than determine the outcome of baseball games might want to consider just what the Rockies have achieved. At the beginning of September, they were fourth out of five in the National League Western division and seemingly headed to yet another cold Colorado winter chewing over another disappointing season. Then they started winning, and didn't stop. They won 13 of their last 14 regular-season games - a freak occurrence in a sport that has always been more about failure than success, where even the strongest teams usually win no more than six games of every 10.
The Rockies' record brought them even with the San Diego Padres for the fourth National League play-off berth, and forced a tie-breaker game which they won by the skin of their teeth. This week, they've been playing the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the race towards the World Series, and they have pounded them twice. One more victory, and they will progress to the league championship - one step below the fabled World Series itself.
That line of Dan O'Dowd's about God having a hand in it may have been more prescient than he realised. Anyone familiar with that other, more widely known sporting "hand of God" couldn't help notice the manner in which the Rockies clinched their tie-breaker against San Diego last Monday night. The game was a thriller, the score see-sawing until the two sides were tied at six runs apiece after the regulation nine innings. San Diego eventually broke the game open with two runs in the top half of the 13th inning, only to see the Rockies bounce back with two runs of their own, leaving their star hitter, Matt Holliday, just 90ft away from victory at third base. On the first pitch faced by the next batter, Holliday came tearing towards home plate and collided with the Padres' catcher, who had the ball in time to intercept him and get him out. But the ball flopped out of the catcher's hand, and the umpire quickly ruled Holliday safe. The run was in, the Rockies were up 9-8, and the game was over. Except that the umpire appeared to have made the wrong call. Close inspection of the replay suggested Holliday never actually touched home plate, as the rules require, because the catcher's foot was in the way. Asked about it afterwards, Holliday pleaded ignorance - not least because he threw himself head first to the ground, and bloodied his chin as he thumped into the dirt. But, like a certain Argentinian football player, he also ascribed the moment to a higher power. In his first post-game interview - the blood still on his chin - he thanked God for the victory, and for all the blessings of the baseball season.
The line was never replayed and when the interview later appeared on the Major League Baseball website the reference to God was absent.
Until O'Dowd and other club officials talked about their faith, in an article that apppeared in USA Today, the Rockies' faith-based approach was kept so secret it came as news even to other ball players and managers who face the Rockies 15 or 20 times a year. After the USA Today piece came out, the team managers clearly felt embarrassed at the revelation and have never mentioned it again. But Christianity guides their clubhouse like nothing else. Players are not allowed pictures of naked women on their lockers. They don't listen to loud, obscenity-laden rap music like other clubs. Players are strongly encouraged to attend chapel every Sunday, and Bible studies on Tuesday nights.
For some people, the God-squad approach is too much. "They have a great group of guys over there but I've never been in a clubhouse where Christianity is the main purpose," one former Rockies player, Mark Sweeney, told USA Today. "You wonder if some people are going along with it just to keep their jobs."
The Rockies' come-to-Jesus moment came three years ago, when a pitcher called Denny Neagle was charged with soliciting a prostitute. The club decided to swallow the $16m (??8m) remaining on his contract - a huge sum, for a club with a total budget less than three times that - and let him go for the sake of moral purity. Chief executive Charlie Monfort had recently converted to Christianity after getting into legal trouble for driving while "impaired". Clint Hurdle, the team coach, converted at much the same time. The Neagle episode convinced them that Christian values and clean living were the best ways to build a winning team spirit. It didn't hurt that Colorado is home to several high-profile evangelical organisations. The beer-producing Coors family, whose name adorns the Rockies' home stadium, have a long history of involvement in conservative Christian groups. Colorado Springs, the town where the Rockies nurture their up-and-coming talent, is home to Focus on the Family, the powerful right-wing political lobbying group, as well as evangelical publishers and several mega-churches.
One side-effect of the policy - one never discussed in American sports circles - is that the Rockies are one of the whitest teams in baseball. The game is dominated by players from the Caribbean and Latin America, but somehow the Rockies have a roster with one fresh-scrubbed all-American farm boy after another. Their catcher is Venezuelan, their second baseman is Japanese, but otherwise they are whiter than white.
This may be the first professional sports team to put Christianity at the centre of its mission, but it is hardly the first instance of Americans combining their passion for team games with religious zeal. It's not uncommon to see American football players, especially in heartland states like Texas and Oklahoma, praying together before a big match. Even in baseball, it's no secret some players turn to Christianity for their inspiration.
And its not just the players. Fans have long been known to invoke higher powers.
When the Boston Red Sox broke what many fans believed to be a long-standing curse and won the World Series in 2004, their star pitcher Curt Schilling explicitly ascribed his performance to a higher power - not least because he played through the pain of an ankle injury that caused his foot to bleed all over one of his socks. His "bloody sock" has since gone down in Red Sox lore as an object of veneration just as sacred as the medieval holy relics paraded by the Catholic Church. That said, the Major League Baseball organisation - the monopoly which runs all aspects of the professiona
l sport in the US - frowns on any open expression of a particular religious viewpoint. Not everyone, after all, is a Christian. (The commissioner, Bud Selig, happens to be Jewish.)
Last year, the Washington Nationals team was forced to issue an apology after one of its outfielders, Ryan Church, suggested in a newspaper interview that Jews were "doomed" because they "don't believe in Jesus". Church also issued a statement, presumably under the guidance of his superiors, in which he insisted: "I am not the type of person who would call into question the religious beliefs of others." It's understandable, then, if the Rockies prefer not to talk too much about their convictions. That said, they don't always hold them in. After the Padres game, the pitcher who closed out the game, Ramon Ortiz, said he thanked God "a hundred times". When Charlie Monfort, the chief executive, talked to USA Today, he was even more explicit about what it means to be blessed with divine favour. "I don't want to offend anyone," he said, "but I think character-wise we're stronger than anyone in baseball. Christians, and what they've endured, are some of the strongest people in baseball. I believe God sends signs, and we're seeing those."
No they arent. Almost all the crusades were counter-offences launched with the objective of preserving the territory and peoples of christendom, not expanding christianity's reach by subjection.
hahahaha. dude I don't even think the Pope himself in 2007 would whitewash the Crusades to the extent that you just have.
Fundamentalist as a Christian sect is separate from Catholicism. But today many Catholics espouse a fundamentalist form of Catholicism. This is very true in Mexico and Latin America (and the Vatican). Evangelicalism is the fastest growing religion among Hispanics in Latin America and the USA.
One thing that never fails to amaze me over and over again is some Christians beliefs that G-d cares about the minutia of their lives. Such as Baseball. While millions starve around the world, Christians are being slaughtered in Darfur, and the next natural disaster is waiting to happen, God is concentrating on baseball.
I have family members who tell everyone they are praying for new living room furniture. Then when a church member of a family member gives them some living room furniture they thank G-d instead of the person who just gave it them.
To me it a conceit to think G-d is that concerned with your material or sporting wishes.
That was parodied well in the Simpsons episode where Todd and Bart have the mini-golf competition. Homer sees Flanders praying with his family and says, "It's no use praying. I already did the same thing, and we can't both win."
That was parodied well in the Simpsons episode where Todd and Bart have the mini-golf competition. Homer sees Flanders praying with his family and says, "It's no use praying. I already did the same thing, and we can't both win."
I think praying is pretty useless.
Missed that one, but the Simpsons get an A+ for dealing with religion on the regular.
This is actually an area of theology I like to discuss and think about. Free will vs Divine Plan. G-d as creator and giver of law vs G-d as mover in all we do. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do good things happen to bad people? why does Homer always get over on Flanders? Why did Maude die but Burns is still alive?
But perhaps we will have a seperate theology thread.
That was parodied well in the Simpsons episode where Todd and Bart have the mini-golf competition. Homer sees Flanders praying with his family and says, "It's no use praying. I already did the same thing, and we can't both win."
I think praying is pretty useless.
Futurama kind of killed it, too:
Fry:[/b] So that's my story, Father Changstein El Gamal. Is there anything religion can do to help me find my friend? Priest:[/b] Well, we could join together in prayer. Fry:[/b] Uh huh, but is there anything useful we can do? Priest:[/b] No.
I have family members who tell everyone they are praying for new living room furniture. Then when a church member of a family member gives them some living room furniture they thank G-d instead of the person who just gave it them.
To me it a conceit to think G-d is that concerned with your material or sporting wishes.
But hey, that's just me.
LW.....do you consider these family members idiots??
While I agree that a lot of religious beliefs are silly, I don't see what harm there is in having "faith" in something if that's what gets you through the day.
Unless you cause harm or rationalize wrongdoings with your religious beliefs, why should what people think or say bother you??
Or do you view these people as intellectually inferior to you and feel that their beliefs harm you in some way??
Whether you are religious or not, each person in our country receives one vote and everyone's power is equal in that respect.
Comments
Here's another flippant remark for you to ponder.
There are more undocumented aliens in the U.S. than there are Evangelical Christians.
Somehow I find this comforting.
On a side note, today I saw the worst bumper sticker ever: "CSI - Christ Saves Individuals." With a picture of a thumbprint with a cross in it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/parasim/coultersitescrngrb.jpg
http://chat.anncoulter.com/phpBB2/index.php
Forum was hacked also.
As Della Humphrey might say: Don't make the good threads go bad.
I agree that some christians have an unhealthy obsession with Revelation and the end times, though I would just say that Revelations is difficult and challengig, rather than meaningless and incoherent. On being born again, Jesus also said in the gospel of John that this is required...but a true spiritual rebirth will result in living out the other aspects of the gospels that you just emphasized. sending Jews to Israel is a new one to me.
The first part of your statement about "fightening" I of course don't feel, but the second part of this sentence is probably one the most spot on critiques of American Christians I've heard. Like most Americans, those who claim to be Christians have been placated by American culture of consumerism and entertainment...myself included.
I've got some issues with this as well, when it's obvious people are just looking to make a buck off of Christian consumerism, and the church endorses it. This is a little different, though, then what Jesus was condemning in the temple. The priests were extorting the Jewish worshipers by forcing them to buy temple animals only for sacrifice at inflated prices, and charging high exchange rates for their money before they could do so.
I thought a "view of the world" typically involved everyone.
I don't know details, but I have no doubt that people in the name of Christ have done horrible things in Africa like they have in other parts of the world. I'd venture to say they probably have done a lot of great things, too. Just because some people have mistreated others doesn't mean those actions really represent the person/religion they claim.
Astounding...but this isn't really Christianity related, is it?
Once again I don't know the details but I'm not surprised and I agree its disgusting...Christianity can not be coerced, only offered. so many have gotten this wrong over the centuries.
OK, can we talk about some records now?
uh... wtf?
I don't...considering that most of those aliens are probably 1) Christian and 2) more likely to be conservative than progressive. (Then again, I consider "progressive Christian" to be rather oxymoron-ish anyways).
Wow
How have we gotten this wrong, exactly? What exactly were the Crusades then?
Not sure what you're saying "wow" to. In general, I don't find immigrants to be a threat to society based on their legal status. But if my concern is about evangelicals and their influence on society, then I'm going to be real by saying that a large proportion (if not outright majority) of immigrants coming to America - from all parts of the world - tend to be 1) Christian and more apt to be 2) fundamentalist and as someone who'd prefer to see social choices made based on secular rationality than religious faith, I can't really see swelling numbers of conservative Christians - regardless of how they came to this nation - to be a real positive step. I'm not against immigration though, obviously.
As for "progressive Christian" being a contradiction in terms, I genuinely think that a real progressive politics would include emancipating people from the tyranny of organized religion on their individual lives and society writ large.
Isn't comparing modern day Chistianity to the Crusades the same as comparing African-Americans to some ancient African cannibals??
I mean seriously.....1,000+ year old stereotypes are
The sad thing is that I can't tell if Rock is joking here or not.
sorry, couldn't resist, been listening to a little local music from my youth lately.....back to the discussion (or maybe not).
^^^ GEnius. Really though ladyfriend and I were watching the show in real time wondering wtf she was spouting. We were also about to throw something at the TV and bash our skullz in. Instead we walked out and went to get some burritos and stuff.
i meant...so many christians and so called Christians have gotten this wrong over the centuries in that they tried to coerce others into the faith instead of just offering it. The Crusades are good example of this, as you point out. (Not good meaning good but good meaning bad!)
Just curious about this first part in bold.
From Wiki:
So the Mexicans are Catholic. And fundamentalist?
Just 4% of Chinese immigrants might be Chrisitian.
Philippines are 90% Christian, and probably quite keen about it judging by that percentage.
About 2% of Indian immigrants might be Christian, probably educated if they've afforded the boat/air fare, and coming from the largest democracy in the world, not likely to be a fundamentalist threat to your civil liberties.
Cuba is Catholic, and officially an atheistic state, so that ups the chances of immigrants seeking freedom to be really keen on religion too.
Colombia, quite interesting, as I assumed they were all dead keen on Mary:
The Dominican Republic looks to be towing the 'Latin American' stereotype of rampant Catholocism, but harbours some diversity. Would probably say that they're all very keen about it though.
El Salvador: . They sound like they're coming round...
Vietnam: Really quite reasonable people, those Vietnamese.
Jamaica. Reggae.
South Korea: Man, they can't be fundamentalist.
Guatemala: . Evangelicals, huh? Sounds like Guatemala puts the fundament on to this list.
Fully agree with your summing up of the tyranny of organised religion.
1) "According to the article MLB thinks promoting Christianity is not good for business....yet it goes on to call America "religion obsessed"??
2) What the hell is "Team Coach"??
3) The only "Miracle" in MLB history were the '69 Mets.
hahahaha. dude I don't even think the Pope himself in 2007 would whitewash the Crusades to the extent that you just have.
I have family members who tell everyone they are praying for new living room furniture. Then when a church member of a family member gives them some living room furniture they thank G-d instead of the person who just gave it them.
To me it a conceit to think G-d is that concerned with your material or sporting wishes.
But hey, that's just me.
I think praying is pretty useless.
Missed that one, but the Simpsons get an A+ for dealing with religion on the regular.
This is actually an area of theology I like to discuss and think about. Free will vs Divine Plan. G-d as creator and giver of law vs G-d as mover in all we do. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do good things happen to bad people? why does Homer always get over on Flanders? Why did Maude die but Burns is still alive?
But perhaps we will have a seperate theology thread.
Futurama kind of killed it, too:
Fry:[/b] So that's my story, Father Changstein El Gamal. Is there anything religion can do to help me find my friend?
Priest:[/b] Well, we could join together in prayer.
Fry:[/b] Uh huh, but is there anything useful we can do?
Priest:[/b] No.
LW.....do you consider these family members idiots??
While I agree that a lot of religious beliefs are silly, I don't see what harm there is in having "faith" in something if that's what gets you through the day.
Unless you cause harm or rationalize wrongdoings with your religious beliefs, why should what people think or say bother you??
Or do you view these people as intellectually inferior to you and feel that their beliefs harm you in some way??
Whether you are religious or not, each person in our country receives one vote and everyone's power is equal in that respect.