[DMCForum] Re: Religion on the Forum

["content22207" <brobertson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Interestingly, self control over instinct is the basis for much of the
Deuteronomaic Law (such as Kosher food and Sabbath work restrictions).
These are not seen as privations, but rather as joyous celebrations of
what makes their adherents truly human.

And Christians promptly stopped following most of them...

I've got to finish a paper before class tonight so I can't stay long.
Oh well. But one last thought:

Organized religions, as practiced, are human constructs. As such, is
it surprising that their followers sometimes get pointed in the wrong
direction,  sometimes even on purpose? But just as the whole of
American democracy shouldn't be discounted on the basis of Jim Crow or
women's dissuffrage, the entirety of Christianity should not be judged
by actions of some individuals or even whole denominations.

Just imagine if the value and purpose of DeLorean ownership depended
on what I do with #5939 in particular. There would be no hope for the
marque.

Bill Robertson
#5939

>--- In DMCForum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "therealdmcvegas" <dmcvegas@xxxx> wrote:
> 
> The great struggle within all of us. The difference between humans,
> and common animals is the fact that we can override our instincts with
> logic. The problem however, is that instict is infalable, because it's
> naturally written. Logic however is written on an individual basis,
> and hence corruptable by a person's shortcomings. Now, keep this in
mind.
> 
> You say that religion is for the weak minded. Well, that is a pretty
> open-ended statement. Albeit one that I can both agree, and disagree
> wtih. Religion is quite nessisary in many instances. In short, your
> large number of people out there are idiots, ruled by their own
> emotions. It's easier to beat a child, than it is to raise it. It's
> easier to violently lash out at your problems, be it a thing or a
> person, than it is to think things out and work them thru. It's more
> rewarding to rob and steal, so that you can ingest drugs that bring
> you pleasure, than say work a regular job and spend an entire life
> worrying about your retirement. I agree, hell, I sympathise. But that
> doesn't change the fact that it's wrong.
> 
> Now if a person cannont raltionalize these things for themselves, then
> we must help them by explaning these things, and sometimes by
> disciplining them. Ie our laws and legal codes. However, there are
> times that this still doesn't work. And so, we have to "put the fear
> of God into people.", literally. Supersition can work wonders, where
> common sense has failed.
> 
> Now, does this mean that if someone is religious, or even spiritual,
> that they are a weak minded individual? Certainly not. Like I first
> said, what set us apart from animals, is the ability to replace logic
> with reason. And many of us know to do what's right. In fact, we tend
> to be compelled to do so. Now, if a person who does good by their
> fellow man or woman wants to give the credit for their inspriation to
> another (be it human or deity), that's fine. It's their business for
> whom, or what they wish to give credit for their actions to. But all
> along, they were a good person to begin with.
> 
> Plus spiritually-based fellowships do have many benefits of a social
> nature, for all those who attend.
> 
> Religion is very nessisarry in our society. After all, we do need to
> instill some sort of ethics into people who other wise wouldn't have
> them, unfortunetly. It is in a sense, a form of "crowd control" when
> it comes to keeping civil peace.
> 
> The problem here is not with religion itself, but rather with those
> whom wish to further their own contemptible agendas by abusing it. Be
> it to exorcise their personal delusions, or to cast into effect their
> own predjudices and feed their own appetites. Greed, power, fear,
> hatred, and obsession are all the driving factors of the corrupt sides
> of religion. Religion has both benefits of providing these things that
> people desire to acheive thru ill means, as well as package
> justification without guilt for the individual. This works out well
> for the feral people who care not about their adulterous liasons,
> their abuse of illicit substances, or the domestic violence that they
> wreak upon their families. After all, who cares about concequences,
> when you can easily obtain absolution for ones own sins thru some
> trivial pennance? Or in some cases, just by swearing to someone that
> you accept a saviour? These are still not good people at heart, since
> they care not about their actions.
> 
> And if you wish to weild an army of followers to exploit for your own
> ends, all the better. A mob mentality is perfect when you want to
> create and enlist followers. A person is less likley to speak out,
> when everyone is against them. And this is when religions are used to
> start wars, to create havoc, and justify killing in the name of
> someone, something, or some spiritual cause. I think that Scientology
> is the best example of this. L. Ron Hubbard was a uninpressive
> science-fiction writer, and a failed author of a line of "Self-Help"
> books. Hubbard's driving force was to become rich off of his writings,
> which of course never happened. Over the years, Hubbard often told his
> peers that the way to really make money, was to start a religion or a
> cult. And thus his failed "Dianetics" books became the starting point
> for Scientology, with drug-fueled "scriptures" and books that followed
> suit (read 'OT III' to see what I mean) . And a cheap "Lie Detector"
> that was advertised in many comic books, became a "tool" used in the
> cornerstone of his cult: Auditing. And over the years, this religion
> has been used to financially exploit people for both tangible assests,
> and labor.
> 
> The biggest problems that I myself have with religion is not
> nessisarily the religion itself. But rahter the followers that it
> attracts. Latter Day Saints are the modern equivalent of Brahman
> caste. One has to prove their faith in order to move up from attending
> a Ward, to being accepted enough to gain admittance to a Temple. And
> even then, there is a social structure within the Wards of people who
> look down upon others because of the way they dress, their mannerisms,
> financial status, etc. Pride at the case of inequality is also a very
> nasty side effect of religion. Especially with people here in Vegas,
> who some think that they have greater faith, then people who live
> elsewhere with "less temptation". That's like being proud of things
> you should or shouldn't be doing anyways. "Hey, I take care of my
> kids!" Well, you're supposed to! There isn't anything special about
that.
> 
> Now sure, these are my viewpoints, and all are welcome to agree, or
> disagree. However, I will ask one thing: No matter what you disagree
> with, or even despise in life, don't simply pass judgement on it, and
> cast it aside. And if it's something that you think is really bad,
> then ask yourself what you are doing about it? How will you change
things?
> 
> -Robert

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