Men of God against people of God

There is something insidious and disconcerting when self-appointed men of god, be they Hindu sadhus, Christian priests, Muslim maulvis, Jain munis or Sikh granthis, come together in the name of religion to denounce a section of humanity – the homosexuals – for professing deviant behaviour. This is as disturbing as a place of worship not opening its doors to eager faithfuls because someone doesn’t fit the caste, others don’t match the colour and yet others don’t hold up to the desired class. It is as disconcerting as saying individual faith, religion, belief has to snuggle itself into a broader preset mould or spiritual template just to survive. It is so ironic that in a country which can trace a majority of its most persistent ills to periodic narrow, insular, non-secular and outright communal ranting of its various religious leaders, those carrying the torch on behalf of their respective flocks should come together on one platform to denounce gays. Had they been so united in talking about the real diseases that afflict our country – intolerance, nepotism, corruption, indiscipline, regionalism and even an indigenous brand of racism – India would have been a far better, and safer, place to be in.

[wayne kahler]

Do they know that the native american culture has accepted the half man and the half woman for some time. I consider them as having a religion.

[Rev Ray T]

Religious leaders and politicians are of one stripe. They use the same tools to control the masses. Create an enemy and in so doing instill fear. Fear as a control mechanism is what is at the heart of their lust for power that becomes an addiction to them. They develop glib mouths and charisma as secondary tools. Right now we are what they are using to trigger the fear. Before us it was blacks, before that it was women, witches. What they are blinded to is that when they push too hard then the victims push back. That is the process we LGBT people are going through right now. Washington is trying a new tactic, pacification. Pretend they are on our side and try to blind us with empty promises. This we in America need to wake up to and resist.

[3times3]

Rev Ray T wrote:

Religious leaders and politicians are of one stripe. They use the same tools to control the masses. Create an enemy and in so doing instill fear. Fear as a control mechanism is what is at the heart of their lust for power that becomes an addiction to them. They develop glib mouths and charisma as secondary tools. Right now we are what they are using to trigger the fear. Before us it was blacks, before that it was women, witches. What they are blinded to is that when they push too hard then the victims push back. That is the process we LGBT people are going through right now. Washington is trying a new tactic, pacification. Pretend they are on our side and try to blind us with empty promises. This we in America need to wake up to and resist.

Geez I am a Wiccan but... can I get an amen to this post??

[SteveMD2]

Religion has always been the opiate of the masses and the source of control of the masses. God is just a figurehead or idol to those at the top, for power is what they care about.

The early Jews (yes I am Jewish as is my wife) were crazy people who were ready to sacrifice their children to god. Some of The current ultra-orthodox in Israel, forgetting who shared their relatives fate in Hitler's ovens, have essentially called for the extermination of gay people as per the torah. I told my wife to tell the rabbi (a good guy and anything but a fundamentalist) that until he has a ceremony and uses my gift of white-out to eliminate Leviticus, see me at the Unitarian - Universalist church.

And the Catholic church, whose virtues included the thousand year dark ages, the murder of upwards of 50 million Muslims during the crusades(9/11 was a long delayed response), and the church that gave the world the Hatred of the Jews, Jesus own people. Which hitler leveraged into power, u know the rest.

And the southern Baptists- set up to support slavery, created segregation as its replacemnt. Fundamentalist assholes who now that hating Jews iss out of fashion, hate the gays.

Tell me one thing that conservative religion has done well. Other then what I have listed above, and of course their fabulous ability to hypnotize people, terrorize them into join up or you go to hell, and their scam insurance product of paradise. Similar to the paradise promised to the 19 9/11 gang, who expected 72 virgins for their pleasure in heaven.

I know there are great and loving religious people out there, but personally I think the only one piece of religion worth saving is the "do unto others as you would have them do unto you"

Which the fundies would subvert to doing murders, hoping to be martyrs to their cause.

[Rev Ray T]

SteveMD2
How did I leave out the Jews as a favorite target of the Christians? Must be getting senile.

[william]

upon this rock you shall build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail. I ask you who was manning these gates?

[tomas]

Yes, the faith-based groups seem today to attract only the most radical and narrow-minded individuals. I am sure not all such groups are as bigoted and intolerant, but today it pays to be cautious. Personally, I don't trust any church group period. That is sad but a fact. You are more likely to find spirituality outside of such organizations.

[Duped since birth]

Think what our culture, our society, could be like without the influence of man-made religions. Kids growing up encouraged to fulfill their potential. John Lennon had it right: Imagine...

[tomas]

I agree. What would a society be like that did not constantly instill guilt and shame. Some of both are undoubtedly needed to keep people in line, but these faith-based groups carry this simple notion too far. They are become extremists and are ugly and difficult to around.

[sikh]

Communism - a theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.

Capitalism - an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations, esp. as contrasted to cooperatively or state-owned means of wealth.

Religion - a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

THE WHITE RACE'S FALSE CLAIM TO BE DIVINE, CHOSEN PEOPLE

1 According to the Bible (Gen. 3:20-24), Adam and his wife were the first parents of all people (white race only) and the first sinners. According to the Word of Allah, he was driven from the Garden of Paradise into the hills and caves of West Asia, or as they now call it, "Europe," to live his evil life in the West and not in the Holy Land of the East. "Therefore, the Lord God sent him (Adam) forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from when he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden cherubims (Muslim guards) and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the devils out of the way of the tree of life (the nation of Islam)." The sword of Islam prevented the Adamic race from crossing the border of Europe and Asia to make trouble among the Muslims for 2,000 years after they were driven out of the Holy Land and away from the people, for their mischief-making, lying and disturbing the peace of the righteous nation of Islam.

[Lazlow]

SteveMD2 wrote:

Religion has always been the opiate of the masses and the source of control of the masses...

You speak the truth. While there are sincere and devout individuals in all organized religions, I see most American churches as little more than social gatherings. Tithes are really just membership dues, "worship" has evolved into upward basketball, "mission trips" to vacation spots, and after-life "insurance" policies. I can name scores of regular church-goers who sin like hell all week long but are in that sanctuary pretending to be saints every time the doors are opened. They usually "follow the leader" in their cause de jour. Over the ages they have looked down on blacks, women, Jews, gays, whomever. Religion is based on the premise of "be like me or be against me".

I have read the Bible from cover to cover and also have seen all sorts of documentaries and programs about how the assorted "books" came to be in the various forms of the scriptures. The writings and collections have been carefully crafted over the ages (mostly in the distant past) to make them support the "doctrines" of those in power at the time.

It's an extreme, but when I see religious leaders putting on a big loud show about something it reminds me of where we got the phrase "don't drink the Kool-Aid"... all those nuts who followed Jim Jones down to Jonestown, Guyana in 1978 who drank cyanide-laced Kool-Aid in a mass suicide in the name of religion.

[Rev Ray T]

william wrote:

upon this rock you shall build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail. I ask you who was manning these gates?

Doesn't that actually mean Peter's church will open the gates of hell? Prevail means to stand. Not prevail means fall. If the gates are not standing they have collapsed and all hell is let loose. Isn’t that what has happened with the Christian churches collectively?

Oh Jesus you clever dog you!

[Truth]

Please don't give up on The Word of God. Study the New Testament FOR YOURSELF with an open mind and no predispositions for what your wants and desires may be. Remember that our creator knows us better than we know ourselves and we should never bash anyone over the head with the Gospel. We all have sinned according to God and we should all approach people with love in any situation. We are not promised tommorrow in this life so we must prepare ourselves for what is to come. We may not always like what we must give up in this life but what is waiting for those who "do not faint" is TRUE LIFE, beyond our understanding!

[Truth]

Be very careful about adding your own opinions in parenthases beside the Bible verses which you quote. If youv'e studied the Bible at all you will know that Almighty God looks upon the hearts of men. We are not told what race Adam was and it isn't important. It was through him that sin entered the world and it is through Christ, the Son of the Most High God that Salvation can be attained. I am the way, the Truth and the Light. No one comes to the Father except by me. We will have to give an account on that final day for the things we have said and done in this life. No one wants to think about this but it is nevertheless true. So many people will take the wide gate because it suits their wants and desires. Study his word and accept his will with a humble heart no matter what your Race or background may be.

[3times3]

Truth wrote:

Be very careful about adding your own opinions in parenthases beside the Bible verses which you quote. If youv'e studied the Bible at all you will know that Almighty God looks upon the hearts of men. We are not told what race Adam was and it isn't important. It was through him that sin entered the world and it is through Christ, the Son of the Most High God that Salvation can be attained. I am the way, the Truth and the Light. No one comes to the Father except by me. We will have to give an account on that final day for the things we have said and done in this life. No one wants to think about this but it is nevertheless true. So many people will take the wide gate because it suits their wants and desires. Study his word and accept his will with a humble heart no matter what your Race or background may be.

Your Bible was commissioned by King James. He had exclusive editorial privilege and if he didn't like what was written he forced the scribes to change it, remove it or forge it to suit his needs.

Take your fairy tale and keep it to yourself. It has no place in running anyone's life except those that believe that junk.