OT: Something worrying

[Ed Kolis]

Strategia_In_Ultima said:
(Still, the question remains - how then did the Catholic church become the [ib]Catholic[/b] church, and not the Christian church? Most world faiths are named after their prophets, or the core ("Islam" means peace) of their faith. Where then did the name "Catholic" come from? There's probably a logical explanation for this, but I don't know it.)

"Catholic" means "universal"; this is why even the Protestants believe in "one holy catholic and apostolic church"; it's just that the Roman Catholic church (as well as a few other Christian churches) have made that word part of their name.

As for "Islam", I believe a more apt translation is "submission", i.e. "submission to the will of God"; "Muslim" is thus "one who submits" (to God).

[El_Phil]

That explains a random fact I recently found out: The Anglican church in Japan is called the "Japanese Holy Catholic Church" despite, obviously, being nothing to do with any flavour of Catholicism. Now I know why. Cheers Ed!

[JAFisher44]

Narf, only the rights of people living in Italy will be effected by this. And only then, in the unlikely event that this guy wins.

El_Phil said:

If someone says something to you which causes you to give them money and it then emerges they were lying you have legal recourse to get that money back. Unless it's a religion in which case it's gone forever, which I do have a problem with.

The problem with this is that religion never really promises anything concrete. For example, everyone was on the edge of their seat waiting for the end in 1999, then again in 2000 when they realised that was the real end of the milenium. But nothing happened. So, does everyone decide that its all bunk? No, of course not. All christians know that the end is coming "someday" but there is no concrete answer as to when. Even in the bible it says that God does not measure time as man does. So, as long as it hasn't happened, it's "coming."

The major problem with this is that it will never emerge that a religion was lying. Even if the end hasnt come by the year 200,000 it will still be "coming" and there will prolly still be christians waiting for it.

[Atrocities]

...

[Starhawk]

And to that AT I have to say screw you......I am neither weak minded, gullible OR easily manipulated.

I don't follow easily and I hardly ever give respect without it being earned.

I am NOT a fanatical narrow minded person, I am in fact very open minded and have had friends of numerous faiths and have even had romantic interests for a Wicken girl in my time.....and a buddhist..oh and that jewish girl....and an athiest and a few christian girls.

Basically narrow minded my *** and what you just said is not only insulting but down right stupid and it suprises me that YOU would say it as you are normally quite smart and level headed.

I also have hurt plenty of people for just pissing me off or taking a swing at me without needing to say "God made me" nor have I EVER said God approved of me breaking some idiots nose for saying something nasty about my sister. OR breaking that other idiots nose for taking a swing at me...or etc.

What I'm saying is "more people have been killed for "love" "hate" and jealousy then have EVER been killed in the name of GOd." So you want to be rid of love? because that starts hate and jealousy plenty in human history.

[Suicide Junkie]

Wow, I can't believe you said that Atro. That's gotta be the most trollish thing posted on this board in the last two years.
*Don't do that again*

Starhawk, you gotta calm down a bit there... you're way overreacting.

[JAFisher44]

I think that two topics turn off the brain more than anything else. Religion and Polotics.

A small disclaimer here before I get into it. I am not commenting on whether people are right or wrong, and I am not saying that people are idiots for believing one way or the other.

That being said, the reason that people most people turn off their brains on these two topics is called "faith." Most people who have decided to back a certain political belief and almost all people who have religious beliefs have decided that they are going to believe that "no matter what."

People who believe things can't look to logic to find their answers because, in most cases of belief, logic has no answers for them. They must simply believe, or not believe.

This is especially true of religion, where there can neither be proof of or proof against its veracity in your lifetime. If there were proof that a religion was true it wouldn't be called belief. It would just be fact.

[Atrocities]

Suicide Junkie said:
Wow, I can't believe you said that Atro. That's gotta be the most trollish thing posted on this board in the last two years.
*Don't do that again*

Starhawk, you gotta calm down a bit there... you're way overreacting.

So by extention you are calling me a troll for posting my opinion of religion? The fact that you all instantly jumped on the beat Atrocities band wagon just proves my point. That being that people are way to willing to attack any one who does not agree or share their religious views.

I posted what I posted to prove a point.

I do not subscribe to religion, I know that it was created as an instrument of control and is still being used today as such. That millions of people throughout history have been killed in its name, that wars have been fought, justified, and instigated all because of religion.

Religion allows for explotation of the weak. It takes adavantage of peoples willingness to believe. It exploits ones faith and it gives to much control of the individuals right to freedom of choice to those who would use it for ill gains. Look at all the children that have been abused in the name of God by the very people who have sworn their lives to God. Do any of these comments sound familar; "Do this or God will strike you down. God told me that we must do this. It is Gods will that we do what we do. Kill them all and let God sort them out."

It is your right to believe in whatever you wish to believe in. But when you are willing to hurt others in the name of your faith or religion, then a line has been crossed. Your religion is no longer about faith, it is about control.

I have faith, that is all I need. I don't need to belong to any religion or have any group of people tell me that I must believe in their religion to be loved by God.

Having faith is all that matters.



EDIT: I am sorry that I upset many of you. But that was the point. I needed to demonstrate how willing people are to fight for their religious beliefs and or to justify why they must. I respect and have nothing but great admiration for you all.

The comments I posted are exactly what many in the news media have been stating for years now. They attack those of faith to marginalize the Religion. I may not agree with organized religion for many reasons, but I am a man of faith. Playing the devils advocate I posted the comments that seem most painful to hear. The media and many others are attacking religion by attacking those who belong to it. They are attempting to marginalize religion and to make faith anti-politically correct.

If you are willing to fight for what you believe in, as you did here, than there is still hope.

[Spoo]

Atrocities said:
Religion is for the weak minded, the gullable, those who follow, cannot think for themselves, the narrow minded, the fanatical, and the insane.

More people have been killed in the name of God than by any other means.

I have lost all respect I had for you, Atrocities. This is a low point for this forum.

[Renegade 13]

Spoo said:
I have lost all respect I had for you, Atrocities. This is a low point for this forum.

I do not mean to offend with this question but...why? Why would AT voicing his opinion cause you to lose respect for him? Sure, you may not agree with his opinion, but it is his opinion. Is he not entitled to hold a differing opinion from that of most other people?