Mary was really just a Sl**.. but for publication purposes they had to make it less raunchy for the younger believers.  

Posted by Its_Nanner

What makes Jesus so different from other Greek gods like Zeus etc? Why do people
Clearly say oh ya that's a myth it isn't possible to have a God of water or etc, yet they believe in God/jesus, someone who rose back from the dead? Ya ok makes sense I guess

It has nothing to do with that... People don't disbelieve Greek gods because they think it's impossible to have a god of water. They disbelieve it because they believe in the Christian God. The Christian God is actually capable of anything and everything, so to say people disbelieve Greek gods because they can control water is incorrect, as the Christian God can control everything.  

The whole concept of it is stupid, it is literally a way to make people fear some stupid being so they'll do as they're told.

I don't see the point in arguing over it.  

Posted by Vicipower

I didn't meant that those people would support the things they did, I meant as in support the church as it is of right now.
I think it's hypocritial to overlook the **** that has been done in the past.
It is wrong, and it should not ever be forgiven nor forgotten, its a religion and not a person. People change but that book doesn't and the things that this church did in the past is beyond cruel, dont you agree?
People don't forget any of the wars that happened, so why would anyone want to forget all the Witchhunts and the deaths of people who would believed in something else? Why would someone support a hypocritial church like that? Just because they're saying different things now makes you overlook the fact that so many people have died just because they didn't believe in the things the church has told them?

Nobody overlooks it? I don't understand your logic. Satanists have done much worse things in the past.

Is the Church killing people right now?

I don't really think that I stated the fact that it isn't a honorable action.. but alright? Sorry that you picked it up like that I guess, I meant it as in :
It was very late, very very late. Obviously its amazing that at least someone stood up and apologized I guess?

You said "a few thousand years late" so yes that sounded disrespectful.

Thats kinda like saying that WW1 or WW2 didn't really matter because we weren't really alive back then, or wow dude the twin towers happened quite a while ago, who cares?
And about those ISIS people literally ****ing killing anyone who doesn't share their beliefs, dude come oooooon, right. Its not like something is repeating itself in history right now pfft?

Yes because ISIS and the medieval Church totally have the same religion.

Also, you do realize the medieval Church happened in, oh I don't know, the medieval times?

Posted by ReD s.

The whole concept of it is stupid, it is literally a way to make people fear some stupid being so they'll do as they're told.

I don't see the point in arguing over it.

Cool, that's your opinion. Millions of people would disagree with you. If you don't see the point in discussing then I wouldn't comment on the matter.

Also, we aren't arguing, we're discussing.  

Personally, I'm a Christian.
Though I'd like to throw this advice out there to anyone unsure

Live a good life. If there are Gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are Gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no Gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.  

People don't 'fear' God and only act good because of it, you don't really understand it enough to make comments about it if that's what you think it's like.  

Posted by ReD s.

The whole concept of it is stupid, it is literally a way to make people fear some stupid being so they'll do as they're told.

I don't see the point in arguing over it.

Sure, one could argue that religion was a method of controlling communities and what not, but most religions promote peace, forgiveness, and goodness (can't think of better word). They provide meaning and purpose as well.

Posted by Distorted_P2P

So you're entitled, self-indulged, and selfish?

Your church's words, not mine.

to clarify: this is talking about the Church of Satan (the biggest of the satanistic religions)
Where does it say that? With due respect, this is not what satanism is about. The nine cardinal sins of satanism are:
Stupidity
Pretentiousness
Solipsism
Self-deceit
Herd Conformity
Lack of Perspective
Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies
Counterproductive Pride
Lack of Aesthetics

In fact, Satanism is not related to the worship of Satan at all, it's dedicated to the wellbeing of the human body and material world.

To us, Satan is the symbol that best suits the nature of we who are carnal by birth—people who feel no battles raging between our thoughts and feelings, we who do not embrace the concept of a soul imprisoned in a body. He represents pride, liberty, and individualism—qualities often defined as Evil by those who worship external deities

Man—using his brain—invented all the Gods, doing so because many of our species cannot accept or control their personal egos, feeling compelled to conjure up one or a multiplicity of characters who can act without hindrance or guilt upon whims and desires. All Gods are thus externalized forms, magnified projections of the true nature of their creators, personifying aspects of the universe or personal temperaments which many of their followers find to be troubling. Worshipping any God is thus worshipping by proxy those who invented that God. Since the Satanist understands that all Gods are fiction, instead of bending a knee in worship to—or seeking friendship or unity with—such mythical entities, he places himself at the center of his own subjective universe as his own highest value.

We Satanists are thus our own “Gods,” and as beneficent “deities” we can offer love to those who deserve it and deliver our wrath (within reasonable limits) upon those who seek to cause us—or that which we cherish—harm.

One could even argue that under these principles, all Atheists are Satanists. Even this Satanic Temple argues the same.

Both atheistic and humanistic, their stated mission is "to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people".

 

Posted by ReD s.

The whole concept of it is stupid, it is literally a way to make people fear some stupid being so they'll do as they're told.

I don't see the point in arguing over it.

From what I've seen in the church "make people fear some stupid being so they'll do as they're told." includes:

Getting clean of addiction
Working on community service projects
Raising donations to countries and groups in need
Striving to live a life free of sin
Getting closer to God


So what is the problem with that?  

Posted by ReD s.

The whole concept of it is stupid, it is literally a way to make people fear some stupid being so they'll do as they're told.

I don't see the point in arguing over it.

You do realize not all religions are built around fear?

Just because your drove past some billboard in the south saying "FEAR GOD. HELL IS REAL." doesn't mean the rest of the religion is pretty much focused on this.

Most Christians I know are extremely passive people who don't revere God and Jesus but respect them and what they've done for them.

If anything, I'd fear the idea that all religion wants is to control you more than religion itself.

Keep your tinfoil hat on if you want, but just don't go off making absurd assumptions.  

Posted by ReD s.

The whole concept of it is stupid, it is literally a way to make people fear some stupid being so they'll do as they're told.

I don't see the point in arguing over it.

Yet you were so compelled by the concept as to post this in response...hmm...  

Nobody likes the feeling of being watched. I've tried really hard to have faith and believe in god but that's just not cut out for me. Ever since I started learning that people use religion to use others I kinda strayed away from it. I'm not a black belt in conspiracies who believe that every church is brainwashing you but sitting down and listening to someone preach is not my thing. Ever watched the Da Vinci Code?  

Posted by Jent

Nobody likes the feeling of being watched. I've tried really hard to have faith and believe in god but that's just not cut out for me. Ever since I started learning that people use religion to use others I kinda strayed away from it. I'm not a black belt in conspiracies who believe that every church is brainwashing you but sitting down and listening to someone preach is not my thing. Ever watched the Da Vinci Code?

Do what you want, but just saying you should probably try to develop your own opinion about religion instead of just listening to what other people say about it.  

Posted by Platinum

Sure, one could argue that religion was a method of controlling communities and what not, but most religions promote peace, forgiveness, and goodness (can't think of better word). They provide meaning and purpose as well.

to clarify: this is talking about the Church of Satan (the biggest of the satanistic religions)
Where does it say that? With due respect, this is not what satanism is about. The nine cardinal sins of satanism are:
Stupidity
Pretentiousness
Solipsism
Self-deceit
Herd Conformity
Lack of Perspective
Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies
Counterproductive Pride
Lack of Aesthetics

In fact, Satanism is not related to the worship of Satan at all, it's dedicated to the wellbeing of the human body and material world.


One could even argue that under these principles, all Atheists are Satanists. Even this Satanic Temple argues the same.

i literally posted that it's not about satan

I also literally quoted where it says that...

Posted by Jent

Nobody likes the feeling of being watched. I've tried really hard to have faith and believe in god but that's just not cut out for me. Ever since I started learning that people use religion to use others I kinda strayed away from it. I'm not a black belt in conspiracies who believe that every church is brainwashing you but sitting down and listening to someone preach is not my thing. Ever watched the Da Vinci Code?

if there is a god he already knows who we are and if we're doing good deeds or acting nicely just to get into heaven so I don't think being watched even matters  

Posted by Its_Nanner

What makes Jesus so different from other Greek gods like Zeus etc? Why do people
Clearly say oh ya that's a myth it isn't possible to have a God of water or etc, yet they believe in God/jesus, someone who rose back from the dead? Ya ok makes sense I guess

Bro Greek Mythology was ****in metal!!!!  

Posted by ReD s.

The whole concept of it is stupid, it is literally a way to make people fear some stupid being so they'll do as they're told.

I don't see the point in arguing over it.

Also want to point out that religions aren't supposed to control people but sometimes those who preach it use it to their own advantage.

A pretty sad example of this would be Jim Jones and the Jonestown Massacre.

Jim Jones was a local pastor in San Diego who managed to convince 918 members to migrate down to SA to start a Utopian society.

However, Jim was a complete megalomaniac and started getting a little mad with power. One of his followers wrote letters to a congressman back in the US about him.

The congressman led a team to investigate possible human's rights abuses to the place and were actually murdered by Jim's goons as they left.

It was at this moment, Jim knew he ****ed up and the FBI would be on his ass as soon as they realized the congressman's absence.

So Jim brought together his 900 some followers and demanded that they all commit mass suicide. Those who did not agree would get a bullet in the back of their head.

Again, religion was in no way at fault. Had this Utopian society not been lead by a complete psychopath, things might have actually been ok.