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Maybe not ALL religions, but sure seems this way with the religion behind the ultra right in America. I especially agree with the "promotes helplessness" in this meme. Anyone disagree with these sentiments? I'm sure there are some here who do.

Julie808 8 July 3
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13 comments

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1

I have read through this thread.
@Skado is 100% right, it is the preaching that has changed (straying Far from the NT, not the OT).
These "preachers" spew hatred because they found out it brings in the big bucks. Period.
I too remember when Sunday was for homilies about how to be a better believer by actions/thoughts, and vitriol was definitely "fringe"....no more!

AnneWimsey Level 9 July 21, 2022

But the religious texts are worded in such a way that they can be cherry picked to be used to suppress rights. They were written in a different time and can be interpreted many ways, often to infringe on human rights we now have been enjoying for years, due to the change in culture between biblical times and the present.

I've said many times that trying to use the bible as a moral compass in today's society is like trying to use a map of ancient Mesopotamia to navigate the streets of New York City. It takes a lot of imagination to envision the directions to where we want to go. A new road map is needed, and we have those, just as we have lots of more modern writings to help us navigate our more complex and wonderful world.

1

Is it really religion that is the culprit here, or just human nature?

Does it make sense to say a religion is judgmental and promotes hatred when its actual teachings are
"Judge not, that ye be not judged." and "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." or is it simply the falling short of their own religion's teachings by the self-acclaimed members? Am I to think that these same people didn't know how to judge or hate until they diligently studied the teachings of their religion, and with great effort managed to modify their loving ways to conform to a gospel of hate?

I quit attending church as a pre-teen and never had any interest when I was there, but I don't remember anyone promoting hatred from the pulpit. And as an adult, I've not heard of a "religion" that promotes hate. I know there are a lot of people who think they are religious and who are very hateful, but is that a reflection on the religion, or on those people? If you know of any major world religion that actually promotes hatred, please let me know. I haven't heard of it.

Maybe the question would be better framed as "How is fundamentalism harmful"?

skado Level 9 July 21, 2022

You obviously haven't heard what many ministers are preaching lately. Pure hatred from some of them I've heard and seen videos. (Not all - I know some ministers who preach kindness - but not all do.)

Human nature has natural consequences and our social system keeps people's worst tendencies in check as well. Cherry picking some nice sentiments in church tenets leaves a lot of harmful teachings there for the picking. Can there be religious values that are good for humanity? Yes, I think so. But that's not what we have now creeping into our society. Those are my feelings on the subject.

This is exactly why people call you an apologist: defending religion as this pure wonderful thing that only seems bad because of evil-natured people. If the text you're basing your religion and religious teachings on is so rife with evil shit you have no problem justifying the worst of human nature, how do you not see there's a problem with the source material? It must be your rose-colored glasses...

This was just a section of the first page of a single Google search on just one topic of only one religion's hateful messaging. But I'm sure you assume the rest of all the other results are all about turning the other cheek and loving your neighbor, huh?

@Julie808
I’ve heard people who call themselves ministers preaching what looks like hate to me, but those are people, not religions. The hateful attitudes are coming from those individuals, not the book they’re waving in the air. I don’t know of a religion whose written doctrine on balance favors hatred over love.

And when you say many, how many? A few obnoxious congregations like Westboro Baptist that grab the headlines because of their eccentricity, or do you mean a majority of world religions, such that the word “religion” generally applies, instead of the term religious fanatics?

“Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is an American hyper-Calvinist hate group. It is known for engaging in inflammatory homophobic and anti-American pickets, as well as hate speech against atheists, Jews, Muslims, transgender people, and numerous Christian denominations. It is a Baptist church that is not affiliated with any organized Baptist denomination and has been denounced by the Baptist World Alliance, the Southern Baptist Convention, and other mainstream Christian denominations.
[en.wikipedia.org]

@ChestRockfield
What words did you put in the search?

@ChestRockfield
You are yet again misrepresenting the truth. I have never characterized religion as “this pure wonderful thing”, or anything approximating that.

@skado It's part of the picture. Just like an apologist to ignore all of the pertinent points and damning evidence and simply ask a question that makes it seem like my search words are the problem here...

@ChestRockfield
Scanning all the dictionaries I can find access to online I see only two basic definitions of the word “apologist”.

The more generic one is a person who defends any idea, making you and I equally apologists. And the other more specific one, a person defending their own Christian faith, making neither you nor I an apologist.

So which is it? Are we apologists, or are we not?

Just like an atheist apologist to dodge a relevant question, you old apologist you. I’m betting you will refuse to tell us exactly which search words you used because that will make the truth too apparent. You can make anything look like whatever you want by choosing the right search words. If you search for what we’re actually discussing, “religion” you will not get the result you posted. You’ll get Wikipedia saying there is no scholarly consensus as to what precisely constitutes a religion. That would be a scientific perspective, but you atheist apologists have a need to color the truth to fit your narrative. The only thing I am an apologist for is science. Don’t make shit up. Read the dang science, bro!

0

ALL religions

1

Correct all across the board. Those are many of the reasons I left that bs behind nearly 5 years ago.

freedom41 Level 9 July 6, 2022
0

And the devil does not want any of this.

0

All of those thoughts include Progressive Wokism. The most dangerous of beliefs today.

JacarC Level 8 July 4, 2022
3

You got me started.

Sorry, there's not a single Religion out there that's not like this.

There's no "maybe" about it.

I keep watching for more science, less religion...

But it's an evolution, not a revolution.

A lot of folk still "hedge their bets".

Robecology Level 9 July 4, 2022

In reply to your George Carlin meme, not sure who wrote this, but:

'My Country 'Tis of Thee'
My country 'tis of thee, great land of misery, of thee I sing. Land where our children die, land where our mothers cry, from every school's insides, hear gunshots ring.

@Julie808 Thanks....saw this...and - well..it hit me so hard I just ignored it. But now that you brought it up...I found this on YouTube''

3

Religious people miss the day when they had all the power over the people and their governments.

OldGoat43 Level 9 July 4, 2022

Yes, many years ago, I wrote, that I'm not sure how far back the Religious Right want to go to "Make America Great Again" back when slavery was legal and incest was swept under the rug? I thought my comment was far fetched back then, but now it's scary to see the direction we are actually going!

0

A couple of the apologists here blocked me, so I can't tell if they're whining in the comments.

Nope, they are silent on this particular post, so far.

@Julie808

I see a few people referring to "apologists" on this site. Who are these "they" of whom you speak, if I may ask? I haven't seen any, unless by apologist they mean what the dictionary says - someone who speaks in defense of an idea... which makes just about everybody here an apologist. But in the traditional sense of a Christian apologist, I don't know of any. Do you?

@skado My reply should have said "Nope, there has been no whining on this thread."

@Julie808 Not anymore...

4

Religion causes brain damage, and growing up being propagandized causes psychological trauma.

racocn8 Level 9 July 3, 2022
6

It also teaches you to ignore facts and believe obvious lies.

5

Religion has been used for eons by the rich and powerful to get richer and more powerful.

glennlab Level 10 July 3, 2022
2

True of the Abrahamic religions. Unsure about some of the far eastern religions.

anglophone Level 8 July 3, 2022
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