Time To Throw The Crap Out of Religions

The way I see it, most religions are made of two things:
1) Eternal, universal truths like loving your neighbor, helping out the less fortunate, and not hurting people (as well as assumptions about God and Spirit which I'm not going to get into here because I don't want a believer/athiest debate)
2) Political, cultural CRAP like prejudice, hating others who are different than you, forced conversion, sending unbelievers to hell, etc.

I don't think we need to throw out religion because of idiots who have hijacked aspects of Christianity, Jusism, Islam, etc for their own twisted purposes.

There are certain universal principles--love, charity, etc.--that most major religions tend to share (as well as certain metaphysical beliefs)--to me, these are universal truths.

The CRAP--hateful, closeminded garbage--are not universal but cultural. These cultural bits, which are different in every religion, are not from God but are man-made.

Personally, I have a "separation of wheat from chaff' approach regarding religions. I seek out the Universals & throw out the CRAP. Each religion has a special approach to understanding God and loving humanity that I find benefits my life. Anything hateful & prejudicial I regard as CRAP, cultural detritus, and disregard. In this manner I can appreciate all religions.

CRAP: homophobia, the idea that believers are the only ones going to heaven, the hatred of non-believers, the subjugation of women, the call for Holy Wars, the obsession with the End Times (in which you feel that only believers in your particular religion will be saved), etc.

If you consider yourself a religious person yet hold on to religious ideas that promote hatred of others (and the belief that non-believers are going to burn eternally in hell--that's evil & full of hatred, pure and simple)--you are worshipping CRAP. You are not worshipping eternal truths of love & charity that coincidentally most major religions share--you are worshipping man-made, hateful CRAP. You are worshipping those very manmade idols that you were warned against.

I just don't accept the promotion of division & hatred pushed by any religion--it's CRAP! It doesn't cancel out the religion itself, but it is a terrible stain. That very essence of hatred, bias, prejudice, etc. promoted by those religions is a demonic influence. You're looking for the Anti-Christ, Christians? The Anti-Christ is lurking in the very hateful & closeminded views of your own religion. You want to get Satan out? Get the CRAP out, get the hate out!

To intellligent, moral people of every faith--take a thorough overview of the CRAP in your own religions, then scrub it out! You cannot be moral and believe that good people of other faiths are going to suffer unspeakable tortures in Hell--it's beyond immoral, it's insane.

And to those who feel we must "respect" all aspects of religions--I don't have to respect anything that oppresses my gender, incites people to war & hatred, etc. I don't have to respect it because #1 It's WRONG & HURTFUL & #2 It's not from God, but cultural & political detritus.

Spread the word--GET THE CRAP OUT!!!!!

PS: Christians who hold up Bible passages as "proof" of why non-believers are going to burn in hell, why homosexuals are bad etc are deluded because the Bible has passed through so many hands & censors & people with religious & political biases that I hardly consider the entire thing the actual word of God--rather, it records some things from God along with a lot of cultural CRAP that is not from God. To worship the Biblical words themselves, to fetishize them to the extent that Evangelicals do, is tantamount to idolatry.



[edit on 13-2-2005 by John bull 1]

I agree, the hate and prejudice should not be part of religion. That doesn't mean I can't disagree with how someone lives. That I can find their behavior wrong. I disagree with alot of my own actions, especially past behaviors.

Doesn't mean I hate someone for doing wrong. I can feel they are not acting right. The whole love the person hate the sin. Those ARE the people I believe that need to be in church(me!) If everyone was perfect, there would be no need for organized religion.

For a church/religion to turn away someone for how they are living is wrong. They are missing the RIGHT audience by doing so. They are going against the bible doing so. There is right from wrong though. That is life.

The biggest problem with any relgion is when a "sect" belives it has the right to Judge others. It is a common tactic of religious zealots to resort to dehumanizing others that do not belive in the way they do.

So if anyone says "your going ot hell" or something similar because they are doing X they are using religion the wrong way

Your definition of "crap" is just the stuff you don't like.
Why should anyone listen to you?
You have your own biasnesses, prejudices, and blindness, as seen in your thread above. You are just replacing crap you hate with crap you LIKE.

maybe developing some maturity in understanding the issues and the situations would serve to remove the crap you so hate. Other than that, just block your ears.


[edit on 12-2-2005 by Netchicken]

The truth is that Jesus never said judge others or condemn to hell. he said teach souls about the kingdom of heaven and of Jesus Christ, and if they refuse to listen leave
their presence. He also said pray for those who persecute you and hate you. Also he said by how much you judge others you yourself will be judged.


Anybody, including anybody claiming to be christian who judges on their own account is not living by Jesus own words.


They give us a bad name.

peace.

Yeah I say we start by throwing out all those that cannot accept that the Christian Religion is not politically correct, and that it will NEVER accept homosexuality as anything less then a sin nor matter how much you wine about it and try and rule lawyer around the wording….

I am not a homophobe, I could really care less if someone is gay, but I will never accept that the word says anything less then it’s a sin.I say they go their way and I go mine, if someone askes me, then I tell them the truth, if they dont like the answer then thay are free to do what they wish, but don't pick on me because you didn't get the answer you wanted.

If you don’t like the rules then take it up with the boss, not his messengers…



Ps Cassy I suggest you go re-research the writing of the King James Version of the bible, and why it is the most accepted by all Christian Religions, before picking on all versions of the Bible.

[edit on 2/12/2005 by defcon5]

Originally posted by Netchicken
maybe developing some maturity in understanding the issues and the situations would serve to remove the crap you so hate. Other than that, just block your ears.

That is not very nice for a moderator to talk like that to somebody who tells you to not judge others.....
As for Cassie Clay, keep up your good work. What you say makes sens. Religions made disasters in history because of judgment of others and lack of love.

I send you love my dear Cassie and to Netchicken also....can you feel it
Ameliaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Originally posted by defcon5
Yeah I say we start by throwing out all those that cannot accept that the Christian Religion is not politically correct, and that it will NEVER accept homosexuality as anything less then a sin nor matter how much you wine about it and try and rule lawyer around the wording….

Dear person...you have to let go of intolerance....
Send love to all those gays who did not ask to be gays...they are part of god same as you are.
No religion is the "real" religion. No organised religion spread the truth! You accept what you understand don't you? That is normal, you are human and human are intolerant of nature. If you want envolve in life, you will have to accept that we are all part of god even if you don't like it. Start to accept it, then your intolerance will dissapear step by step my dear

Ameliaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

If you do not like the current religions.. go make your own. You can call it "Church of the pretend god" or something similar, you can make your own bible... have it say whatever you want. You can make it have your own personal 10 or 5 or 20 commandments... but you cannot rewrite the bible of an existing religion, no matter how much it bothers you. Get over it.

YAY! Happy yet?

Originally posted by Kinja
If you do not like the current religions.. go make your own. You can call it "Church of the pretend god" or something similar, you can make your own bible... have it say whatever you want. You can make it have your own personal 10 or 5 or 20 commandments... but you cannot rewrite the bible of an existing religion, no matter how much it bothers you. Get over it.

YAY!

Happy yet?

Well that is what the roman empire did 2000 years ago with the bible. They said "why don't we write a book in the name god and make people beleive in it for generations to come so we can have control over them hahahahaha!" So that is where we are today....still swalowing it.
I would never write a book like that! The only bible I would write would not be about any special person, just about unconditional love to yourself and others , god is everywhere, you have an higher self connected to god, and I can write that in two lines

Ameliaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

YAY! So now that you have your own superior 2 line bible, religion you have no need to bash other religions right?

Originally posted by Kinja
YAY! So now that you have your own superior 2 line bible, religion you have no need to bash other religions right?

I never bash other religions, what I am saying is not even a religion! And it's not superior! I NEVER EVER said I was superior to anyone. I ALWAYS say that I'm a caring loving person and I don't judge other for ANY reasons.

You are a bit scared of me and that cause you to act weird with me, I understand, I am intense and that cause trouble sometimes. I just want to say that I truly respect you and that I send you love dear one. Just try to be polite and respect others on this forum even if it's about religions

Ameliaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ps Cassy I suggest you go re-research the writing of the King James Version of the bible, and why it is the most accepted by all Christian Religions, before picking on all versions of the Bible.

No Offence, but your kidding right??


Actually Sorry.....are you saying that the KJV of the bible is the most
accurate written? Or are you just saying that it's the most accepted??

Edit-Didn't finish post

[edit on 12-2-2005 by madhatter]

I think you are stoned. You just claimed you could accomplish what the bible does in 2 lines, and you said it as if it is an improvement. Comical.

One thing I always find amazing is that many discussions like these seem to overlook the fact that the Christian Bible is not the only sacred text. For a Christian it might be the only sacred text, but for a Buddhist it certainly is not - for a Pagan or a Taoist it certainly is not.

Some one can say I know that a thing is wrong because the Bible says so and there is no changing it. Well I could say I know that a thing is right because the Bagivad Gita says so and there is no changing that.

The fact is that we will not change one another. I'll still have my sacred text, and you'll still have yours.

With this in mind, I see no other truly intelligent way to handle the issue other than to accept and / or tolerate others and thier beliefs in their own sacred text, what ever it might be.

I really hate to see someone use their belief in a text to justify harming others. ("Holy Wars" etc) So if a person is not physically harming someone, I have to accept that they believe what they believe, even if I think it is crap. That "crap" may be what makes them feel closer to their creator. Who am I to tell them that they are wrong (again, as long as they are not using it as justification to hurt others.)

True, in a perfect world, religion would be simple and crap free. This just isn't that world. So, what choice do we have but to put up with each other's "crap?"

I say, Live and Let Live. (and remember that YOUR Bible isn't the ONLY Bible.)

Peace

Originally posted by Kinja
I think you are stoned. You just claimed you could accomplish what the bible does in 2 lines, and you said it as if it is an improvement. Comical.

I said that the most important thing is those 2 lines, the rest is details...do you catch this? It was YOUR request to make me write my own bible, not mine! And I said it is not religious, I am not religious!

So you think I am stoned, you have the right to think that, but really I am not stoned at all!

love
Ameliaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

...The only bible I would write would not be about any special person, just about unconditional love to yourself and others , god is everywhere, you have an higher self connected to god, and I can write that in two lines

No you mentioned no details... perhaps you could choose words that allow you to encompass unexpressed thoughts. Words like ONLY and JUST tend to exclude unmentioned ideas. I will stick to the thought that I understood exactly what you said, you did not understand what you typed.

Why do you want to argue with me??????

You don't know me? you are new on ATS or what?
I preach unconditional love towards everybody, non judgment and power into higher self. English is my second language so maybe what I write seens weird for you, that was not my intention. I am french...sorry for that!

Love
Ameliaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Being French does not concern me. You are appear to be hellbound I feel obligated to be assured you got the message from the Lord Jesus Christ, There is a place for you in heaven, God says so. God wants you with him for all eternity. Open your heart to Jesus Christ, accept him as your savior, he gave his life on the cross to open your place in heaven. Your proclaimation of good deeds and love for your fellow man is fantastic, but deeds and words do not lead the way. God looks into your heart and will know.

Great, I know god is with me all the time, I talk to "it" everyday
I respect you dear one, no matter what you think

Ameliaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx