Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:TGE: this posting of yours comes close to making sense.
But I don't believe that karma work so as it is completely random in effects and timing.
My posting is always out of proportion. Most time it sticks at people arse. That's why it makes sense. Karma works when you know something hit you but you don't know why.
For christianity's salvation, you forgot about the accept Christ and repent portion. Without repentance, why bother to accept Christ?
The repent part is subsidiary. If one repents but don't accept - oso no salvation!
Central to Christianity is the belief in an omnipotent (all-powerful) being called God, who created everyting and nothing happens without his will. God comes first and humanity (only believers and chosen ones) comes second. Everything else relegated to below believers.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Now I do agree that there are teachings of Christianity that are faith-based, belief-based. And I told you I do not share the same beliefs as them, such as regarding Creationism and God.
However we must not overlook the impact and power of surrendering/submission, their form of psychology/spirituality, etc that are also part of the teachings. In other words, the values of the teachings.
Yes that is the problem of such beliefs. But I am not talking about beliefs if you have read my message.Originally posted by TheGoodEarth:Central to Christianity is the belief in an omnipotent (all-powerful) being called God, who created everyting and nothing happens without his will. God comes first and humanity (only believers and chosen ones) comes second. Everything else relegated to below believers.
The belief in one and only true God is the excuse for segregation believers from non-believers, evangelising (colonizing) and even persecuting or executing them.
Carried to the extreme by the political powerful or terrorists, can result in devastating effects, as morality is thrown out of the window, because submission to God's will is paramount.
On the whole, I agree with you. Nevertheless, what you said can only be applied to monotheistic religions.Originally posted by TheGoodEarth:This world will see Peace only when the notion of God, the One and only One, etc. is debunked. There is no God. Man created God.
If you are serious about religion, then you must read history, anthropology and sociology. Throw out theology - it is just crap. Open your mind, do a comparative study, explore, search, research. Don't shut your mind, follow blindly a faith, go by family tradition, or subject to peer pressure. Most people who professed a religion actually know very little or if they do, simply learned by heart the bible, quran or sutra. These people can quote practically every word, verse and chapter of these 'holy' scriptures or books. But they all lacked one thing - common sense! When you put everything together, it seems that they all copy one another, twist them to suit their agenda or purpose and sell it to the masses like opium.
Remember this: if there is really a God, omnipotent and creator of all things - He will be greatly saddened by the madness of human, the atrocities and inhumanities that are worse than any beast that walked this earth. It will be one of His greatest regret and surely it is within His Power to end it! But alas, there is no God. Man created the God to serve its own selfish purpose.
Note: I am talking about God, not about the philosophies of Buddha, Jesus, Confuscius, Aristotle or Mohammed. While some of the afore-mentioned became the 'founder' of present day religions, they are all humans, not god, not angels, not son of god, not the messiah or prophet or messenger of god. They invoked god, so that what they taught or said have credence. Today, you can also hear or see people doing the same but without much success. They can only be successful if they resort to evangelism, colonisation, forced conversion, crusades, holy wars, and lately terrorism!!!
Whether monotheistic or otherwise (unless atheistic), if the notion of God, or god-like, or some supernatural being or spirit is central to the religion, it will have the characteristics I mentioned in my earlier post. The extent may differ. It may not manifest itself in such extreme action like killing, but in subtle form of persecution.Originally posted by Beyond Religion:On the whole, I agree with you. Nevertheless, what you said can only be applied to monotheistic religions.
Yep, agreed. That is why Buddhism shld be an alternative to be considered.Originally posted by Beyond Religion:On the whole, I agree with you. Nevertheless, what you said can only be applied to monotheistic religions.
Wrong, that's why irreligionism should be an alternative to be considered.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Yep, agreed. That is why Buddhism shld be an alternative to be considered.
Yes and that too. But one must be open minded and look to Buddhism as an alternative first before making a decision.Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:Wrong, that's why irreligionism should be an alternative to be considered.
What Karl Marx said is true only when spirituality has been reduced to a belief system.Originally posted by TheGoodEarth:What is irreligionism? It is that same as no religion? Or is it anti-religion?
Whatever religion, there are some good as well as bad. I do not buy the idea that there is one good religion. I can acccept one good philosophy, thought, saying, etc.
Any religion today has already been altered from its original 'goodness'. And the very people who did that are those who organised it for mass consumption. For it to be consumed by the masses, it has to be palatable, saleable, appealable. I cannot but agree with Karl Marx - religion is the opium of the masses! Like opium, religion when ingested become intoxicated, fixated, addictive and illusionary!