OT: religion

[NotCranky]

My 11 Y.O had me cracking up today…My wife was trying reverently to describe the Easter Story and he said that the only rational reason to explain all these old religions is that someone was eating rotten clams and hallucinating off them.

He wants to start his own religion and use it to make people do what he wants them to do and get rich.

[njtosd]

[quote=scaredyclassic]I think many converters have a strange fantasy that there are vast hordes of Americans who simplyb h Avent been told about Jesus and the good news about getting saved. That’s why they have to let you know … it’s like letting people in on a legal little known tax break. It’s just so great. The word isntvout. It’s free money. How could you not want to hear about it?[/quote]
I have had many more people try to convert me to an organic diet (or gluten-free) than I have had try to convert me to a religion. The need of people to convince others that the “converters” have found the answer in life is very strong. Think of all the philosophies that people try to push on you – how to raise your kids, how to spend your money, how to eat etc. we can’t live and let live because we are, at base, social animals who need to share information with other members of our group.

[flyer]

Speaking or not speaking of religion. From some articles I’ve read, it seems that some new stats indicate that increasing numbers of people of all ages, when polled, revealed they feel extremely fearful when they actually allow themselves to face the fact that this life inevitably ends in death.

In the end, mortality can definitely be a bummer.

[scaredyclassic]

if the function of religion is merely to allow people to die with less fear, then we are truly nothing more than sheep being led through cutes calmly to the slaughterhouse.

[scaredyclassic]

[quote=njtosd][quote=scaredyclassic]I think many converters have a strange fantasy that there are vast hordes of Americans who simplyb h Avent been told about Jesus and the good news about getting saved. That’s why they have to let you know … it’s like letting people in on a legal little known tax break. It’s just so great. The word isntvout. It’s free money. How could you not want to hear about it?[/quote]
I have had many more people try to convert me to an organic diet (or gluten-free) than I have had try to convert me to a religion. The need of people to convince others that the “converters” have found the answer in life is very strong. Think of all the philosophies that people try to push on you – how to raise your kids, how to spend your money, how to eat etc. we can’t live and let live because we are, at base, social animals who need to share information with other members of our group.[/quote]

food and health and the worship of the body are the new nationalreligion.

[scaredyclassic]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=scaredyclassic]Historically the catholics were pretty aggressive prosyletizers.

Aren’t the catholics still trying to get their membership numbers up by focusing on Africa and south america vrecruiting?

My wife’s family is Catholic but I suspect they may be crypto Jews whose ancestors glad the inquisition and only pretended to be cathokics[/quote]

Scaredy: At the risk of sounding snarky, aren’t we all crypto Jews when it comes right down to it?

I’m Jesuit educated, so I completely agree about the “aggressive” proselytizing and it’s a big reason I don’t practice it myself. It goes without saying that the Catholic Church, like the United States, can alternate between good works and horrifingly bad behavior in equal measures.

That was one of my main points on not confusing religion and spirituality, along with not confusing the Bible with faith.

As a Catholic, I’m familiar with the liturgy, just as being a Jew, you’re undoubtedly familiar with the use of Judiaca and the highly ritualized religious rites it’s used for. I’m pretty sure that you can easily distinguish between religion and spirituality in that example.[/quote]

spirituality is a basic human emotion that religion tries to monetize?

[zk]

[quote=Blogstar]
He wants to start his own religion and use it to make people do what he wants them to do and get rich.[/quote]

He’s not the first one.

[scaredyclassic]

[quote=flyer]Speaking or not speaking of religion. From some articles I’ve read, it seems that some new stats indicate that increasing numbers of people of all ages, when polled, revealed they feel extremely fearful when they actually allow themselves to face the fact that this life inevitably ends in death.

In the end, mortality can definitely be a bummer.[/quote]

so is the purpose of religioin then inpart to not actually allow people to face the fact that this life inevitably ends in death, but that there is another different unseeable life aafterward?

[NotCranky]

[quote=zk][quote=Blogstar]
He wants to start his own religion and use it to make people do what he wants them to do and get rich.[/quote]

He’s not the first one.[/quote]
That’s what I told him.

[scaredyclassic]

[quote=Blogstar][quote=zk][quote=Blogstar]
He wants to start his own religion and use it to make people do what he wants them to do and get rich.[/quote]

He’s not the first one.[/quote]
That’s what I told him.[/quote]

tell him he needs an angle.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

[quote=scaredyclassic][quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=scaredyclassic]Historically the catholics were pretty aggressive prosyletizers.

Aren’t the catholics still trying to get their membership numbers up by focusing on Africa and south america vrecruiting?

My wife’s family is Catholic but I suspect they may be crypto Jews whose ancestors glad the inquisition and only pretended to be cathokics[/quote]

Scaredy: At the risk of sounding snarky, aren’t we all crypto Jews when it comes right down to it?

I’m Jesuit educated, so I completely agree about the “aggressive” proselytizing and it’s a big reason I don’t practice it myself. It goes without saying that the Catholic Church, like the United States, can alternate between good works and horrifingly bad behavior in equal measures.

That was one of my main points on not confusing religion and spirituality, along with not confusing the Bible with faith.

As a Catholic, I’m familiar with the liturgy, just as being a Jew, you’re undoubtedly familiar with the use of Judiaca and the highly ritualized religious rites it’s used for. I’m pretty sure that you can easily distinguish between religion and spirituality in that example.[/quote]

spirituality is a basic human emotion that religion tries to monetize?[/quote]

Scaredy: Absolutely. And if history is any guide, quite successfully at that.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

[quote=scaredyclassic][quote=Blogstar][quote=zk][quote=Blogstar]
He wants to start his own religion and use it to make people do what he wants them to do and get rich.[/quote]

He’s not the first one.[/quote]
That’s what I told him.[/quote]

tell him he needs an angle.[/quote]

Nah. All he needs is a pulpit and a camera.

[NotCranky]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=scaredyclassic][quote=Blogstar][quote=zk][quote=Blogstar]
He wants to start his own religion and use it to make people do what he wants them to do and get rich.[/quote]

He’s not the first one.[/quote]
That’s what I told him.[/quote]

tell him he needs an angle.[/quote]

Nah. All he needs is a pulpit and a camera.[/quote]

His mom, trembling, told him he can’t start a cult, Naturally he can not see much difference. I also told him it’s not cool and he shouldn’t do it. I told him to be friendly with people about their religions except when he is alone talking with me.

In the end though, I think most associations are churches of a kind. I was running for a while and checking in with various running groups..Eventually, I had a nightmare where I was in a building sitting down listening to some running guru talking to nothing but runners in the crowd…..lots of spandex (too many dudes in spandex). I woke up in a cold sweat screaming “this is a fucking running church” ….haven’t taken a step faster than a mild stroll ever since.

[NotCranky]

Do we have and uncontrollable need to be part of something bigger than ourselves? An instinct that can only be ignored with consequences worse than those that come from being a sheep in some flock? Maybe our real choices are drink the Koolaide , enough of some kind of Koolaide, or suffer from being too anti-social?

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=scaredyclassic]
food and health and the worship of the body are the new nationalreligion.[/quote]

I don’t give a shit what people eat.

But is you want to live longer, you can.

That kind of “proselytizing” is not the same as religion.

When you have scientific data on things that work then you should use it to achieve social goals. As an individual, I don’t care what people eat. But as part of a group, i do care that the right policies as not put in place.

[Author]

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