Thanks.To be honest though, I'm never sure where you're coming from.One minute you sound like an atheist, the next you don't.If you're being sarcastic in some of your posts, forgive me because it's hard to tell on the net.
Just my humble opinion, but I think that's briliant, and probably the most well founded argument against the christain church I've heard on this thread. Thanks.
Baptists.Oh what fun they aren't,lol.All you really have to ask anyone, preacher, religious nut, etc,who tells YOU what gawd thinks or wants, is "How do YOU know?Has God spoken to you personally?" And watch them backpedal.I'd be fine with folks wanting to believe,as long as they don't:
1. Arrogantly assume everyone else feels the exact same way.
2.Try to dictate my actions or the actions of others based on their own personal belief system.
3.Brainwash young children into feeling shame or guilt for doing things that are completely natural, even in the animal kingdom.Monkeys and dolphins masturbate.Hell, my pet bird masturbates on one of his toys because his female isn't interested in sex.One day I caught her kissing him as he merrily fucked the shit out of said toy.Kinky birds.
Like I've said before, I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness.And they're not even the most loony of the Christians,trust me.But I was taught by a well meaning parent to feel shame about the sex act.Coupled with being molested as a young child by an older child, I had a lot of issues I had to work through as an adult.Shame and guilt are powerful tools of control,and that's why I get so pissed when religious people start in.I tend to get angry mostly at Christians, because I've never had a Buddhist,Wiccan,Hindu, etc,come over and preach their faith at me or to my loved ones.It's mostly the Christians who are in your face ramming their big fat throbbing Christ down your throat.
Knowing what shame and guilt can do to a person,I tend to get pissy when folks try to tell others what to be ashamed of. The only thing anyone should be ashamed of is harming another without good reason.That's it.Dishonesty isn't good either, but sometimes a lie can be a good thing, if it comes about as a means to avoid harming someone,and it doesn't have an impact on others in a detrimental way.
The sexual shame thing, the only reason I can figure it came about was because it's an easy way for the church to have a hand in ensuring an influx of new members who can be easily and readily assimilated.And celibate clergy members are so sexually repressed and frustrated that they are simply fascinated with the details of the entire act.They really just wanted to make it as unenjoyable for others as possible while still ensuring people did in fact procreate. Hence the Catholic church frowning on birth control....how else will they keep the church and its coffers growing?And since devoutly religious(read:brainwashed) parents tend to pass their beliefs on down to the kids,the institution of marriage is used to: 1.Attempt to ensure that both parents are of the same faith, thereby increasing the likelihood that any issue born of the marriage is immediately indoctrinated into the faith from birth.
2:Control and manipulate the sexual activities of its members.This is because the need to reproduce is born into us.If we are taught to second guess the instincts that lie at the very core of us,we are compromised on many levels.If we feel guilt for sexual feelings or actions, (and I'm talking normal ones here, not aberrations like rape,etc.),which most of us have on a daily basis,we can be manipulated into:a.procreating only within a "sanctified" union (which accomplishes what I said above on 1.),and b:feeling sinful, dirty, and unworthy,lowering our self esteem and making us easier to control,by making us feel we deserve it. The entire purpose of confession is to keep you feeling guilty,to give you a repetitive, meaningless penance such as a Hail Mary to occupy your mind so you won't actually think too much,and to give the priest a little thrill by being a voyeur into your private thoughts and feelings so he can pass judgement upon them and also gain insight into how to control the individual better.
The sad thing is,many people will believe in something without examining it too closely because it saves them the trouble of thinking.
I wish you could come and speak at my mothers church. It's Baptist. They will tell you what you can and can't do with your naughty parts. Masterbation is a great subject for guilting some teen age boy or girl into submission. The pastor, imho, is a big child and uses the power he enjoys to bolster his fragile ego. He teaches about a god that I don't recognise, especially when he uses the Bible to support his vile attmpt to bring the congregation further under his control.
The bold part, very moving. Maybe because I've said the same thing. I was taught about a god that only seemed to care about how good I looked to "outsiders". Very self focused. When I got tired of thinking about myself so much I was confronted because you can't tell christians to start thinking about others more than themselves. It's all about their "good" whiteness, right? Got to protect god's image, because he can't seem to do it himself.
"For me, all things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial. For me, all things are permissible, but I will be mastered by nothing!"
That is a Bible verse that makes scene to me. Life was made for us to enjoy, so be free! And, it is wise to keep in mind that there are unbeneficial things that can take mastery over us. What those things are can only be decided by the individual. Say that to a christian and they'll try to shove you back into one of their boxes. If that doesn't work, then "to hell with you" is the only option. This is my long winded way of agreeing with you that religion breeds lazy minds.
