Selfsufficientish.com

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Methinks you should have titled this; 'Money, Politic and ORGANISED Religion'

Not all belief systems revolve around showy buildings and a 'them & us' clergy & laiety.

MuddyWitch

Davy stephenson wrote: Do we really need to go to church at all, isn't god with us every where we go, we could pray to him in the bath, walking in the countryside, or simply to ourselves privately, if money was to be taken out of the equasion would the belief in God fritter away, and is it unfair to say, that we should be thinking more about what we do to each other and the planet he gave us all,

As an atheist I do not believe any God should be linked with money or politics. Not only is it wrong to force beliefs onto other people who believe something different, but I also think it devalues the religion it is using for the purpose of political/monetary gain.

Anyway, I came on to quote a bit of the New Testament at you. It seems Jesus didn't want you to go to Church.

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have recieved their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Not being a Christian, I can't remember how to direct you to that particular quote, but it's in Matthew 6.

interesting topic, and totally agree with Muddywitch's comment:

"Methinks you should have titled this; 'Money, Politic and ORGANISED Religion'

Not all belief systems revolve around showy buildings and a 'them & us' clergy & laiety."

also Rosendula's sentiments that "no God should be linked with money or politics"

Ive also got to agree with Davy that some horrible wrongs have been done in the name of the Christian God to bring non-christians the teachings of the bible (not sure if other organised religions have done the same?).

Although a pagan I'm one of those that do not believe in any omnipotent being or beings (either male, female or of no particular gender); I do not want other people to preach to me their values or try to persuade me that there is a god (or goddess) and try to make me feel that if I dont believe in one it makes me a lesser person than they are - I certainly resent the way the church in this country tries to muscle in on politics and for that matter the way that Tony Blair and Bush used their beliefs to influence the way both the UK and USA were governed and more especially their foreign policies.

My thoughts are simple, do as you want as long as it doesnt harm anyone, believe what you want as long as it doesnt harm anyone.

On the subject of world population: We wont be here forever, the world will go on well after we are gone, it will be populated by some type of life forms for many millions of years yet, hopefully a type that is less parasitic than modern man.

I'm an agnostic living with a Pagan... you can work out my views

Davy stephenson wrote: And I wish people would not use the G word,

Davy, I know you said that's your lot, but can I just ask you what your problem is with people using the word, erm, that you don't like us using? I think it is impossible to have a discussion about religions without it. And you did, yourself, use the word in your opening message.

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Isn't telling people not to use the 'G' word intolerance which is what you are bemoaning about organized religions in the first place?

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Davy stephenson wrote:what say you ?

I say my beliefs are not for discussion because quite frankly it's no one's business but mine.

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Davy stephenson wrote: In a breath paddy we are all agnostic if we would admit it, because no body knows if anything exists,

You been watching/reading Richard Dawkins work?

best not bothering and getting on with what we have here and now.

I disagree with this. Although I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about organized religion, I do know quite a lot of people who have religious beliefs, but don't shout about it. Their beliefs help them through difficult times, help them celebrate the many, many wonderful things life has to offer. They help them organize their lives, and they may help them meet like-minded people and form lasting friendships with people they would otherwise have not looked twice at. Religion and beliefs can be a good thing, so long as it is not controlled by someone who has something to gain from it.

What is Pascal's Wager?

no i dont think you need to go to church,i have gone once in five months though i still have my beliefs,i could not follow the bible to the letter tee,have you ever read leviticus?enough rules there to start on,
and the chicken came first of course,would God sit on an egg???

Rosendula wrote:

Davy stephenson wrote: In a breath paddy we are all agnostic if we would admit it, because no body knows if anything exists,

You been watching/reading Richard Dawkins work?

best not bothering and getting on with what we have here and now.

I disagree with this. Although I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about organized religion, I do know quite a lot of people who have religious beliefs, but don't shout about it. Their beliefs help them through difficult times, help them celebrate the many, many wonderful things life has to offer. They help them organize their lives, and they may help them meet like-minded people and form lasting friendships with people they would otherwise have not looked twice at. Religion and beliefs can be a good thing, so long as it is not controlled by someone who has something to gain from it.

got to mainly agree with your last sentence Rosendula