In my opinion...

I think organized religion is bullshit. I mean, I can respect other people's religious choices, but don't care to indulge in it.

There is no GOD, there is no Allah, there is no Vishnu or Shiva or Brahma, and most importantly, there is no Elvis.

These are created to control people. God isn't watching you from heaven, every day and every night for the good 80 years you might live, just itching to catch you sinning, and then bestowing leprosy on you if you don't pray for forgivness.

I mean, the way Christianity (all sects) tells it, you're walking down the street, you see some guy's girlfriend and think, "daaaaaamn... I'd like to get her in the sack" to yourself, unless you drop everything and sprint towards the nearest church, pray, run to the confessional, bless yourself in front of Jesus, pray, get in the confessional, pray, and then talk to a priest, you're fucked for all eternity. You's satan's bitch now.

The same goes for Islam. Jihad is not a necessary practice nowadays. Destroying infidels in Allah's name, getting killed in a blaze of glory, and going to heaven only to find yourself a VIP with an assload of virgins at your disposal is not a valid offer. It won't happen. Also, Islam and christianity originated from the same order, so I'm sick of redneck assholes calling it a backwards religion. So is Scientology, you dumb fucks.

Anyway, my point is, I think there must be some cellestial consciousness behind creation. I don't think nature would create as destructive a species a Human Beings on purpose. I mean, she's supposed to have some sense of self-preservation, right? All we do is destroy the environment, kill everything, use up all the natural resources in our area, and then move on. I think that this consciousness must have a sick sense of humor, and when it gets tired of the earthwide bickering and destruction, it'll manipulate nature to do us all in. Hell, I think it's already started.

Just listen to what George Carlin has to say about AIDS.

What do you all think?

-- U msut Feers Me (W.lovesblow@blank.com), September 19, 2004

Answers

"There is no GOD, there is no Allah, there is no Vishnu or Shiva or Brahma, and most importantly, there is no Elvis."

I wouldn't go that far. I think there's SOMETHING else out there that's bigger than this world. I just don't know what that something is, and I don't think anybody else does. The people that think they do are fools. That's why I don't beleive in organized religion. Nobody has all the answers. But there is some higher power out there. There's too much order in the universe for everything to have happened by accident. There's too many things that just don't fit in with accepted science. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio...

"These are created to control people."

Very true.

"The same goes for Islam. Jihad is not a necessary practice nowadays. Destroying infidels in Allah's name, getting killed in a blaze of glory,"

Jihad was never neccessary. There's no such thing as a holy war. War is one of the most unholy things in the universe. The very idea of killing someone in the name of God sickens me.

" and going to heaven only to find yourself a VIP with an assload of virgins at your disposal is not a valid offer."

Yeah, I'm not sure I'd be a fan of the whole 72 virgins idea either. Just give me 72 really slutty girls and I'm happy.

-- Anti-bush (Comrade_bleh@hotmail.com), September 20, 2004.

I think organized religion is bullshit. I mean, I can respect other people's religious choices, but don't care to indulge in it.

Fine by me, it's your soul, you get to do what you want with it.

There is no GOD, there is no Allah, there is no Vishnu or Shiva or Brahma, and most importantly, there is no Elvis.

Well, there WAS an Elvis, he made enough records to convince most anybody. If you don't believe THAT, you are WAY off the deep end. If you can do your research and come to believe that Elvis existed, then perhaps you can work up to believing in God.

These are created to control people. God isn't watching you from heaven, every day and every night for the good 80 years you might live, just itching to catch you sinning, and then bestowing leprosy on you if you don't pray for forgivness.

Religion isn't created to control people per se, but it does have that effect. It's purpose is to reveal the truth of the universe to people, even though its interpretters may be only getting a small glimpse of the big picture. Think of religion like an instruction manual for life, you don't HAVE to follow it, but if you screw it up, it's YOUR fault. If you get run over crossing the street on a red light, whose fault is that? Yours. Cross in the green, no problem. That's what religion is, a way to show you the green lights in life. You are right that God doesn't sit around waiting for you to sin any more than a good parent doesn't follow their kid around with a belt hoping he'll break something so they can wail on him. God WANTS you to do good, if you don't, well, that's your choice and you do have to pay for it. You have the free will to believe and try as best you can, if you don't, it's also your choice with its consequences.

I mean, the way Christianity (all sects) tells it, you're walking down the street, you see some guy's girlfriend and think, "daaaaaamn... I'd like to get her in the sack" to yourself, unless you drop everything and sprint towards the nearest church, pray, run to the confessional, bless yourself in front of Jesus, pray, get in the confessional, pray, and then talk to a priest, you're fucked for all eternity. You's satan's bitch now.

You have a poor grasp of Christianity. Remember, the greatest tenet of Christianity is to love our neighbor as ourselves. The reason for Christ living a mortal life was first to be an offering for all our sin, but also so that man would know that God *really* understands us and our problems. Take your situation above, would God send you to Hell for that? Not likely, but what would happen if you kept up with that line of thinking? Sooner or later you'd start looking at her more and more and might get drunk and make a pass at her, maybe wreck any friendship you had with her, or be successful and get shot by her boyfriend, get her pregnant, etc. The point is that realizing that it is wrong to hump everything in sight and trying to control yourself will in the long run lead to a better life *for you* than indulging in everything you can -- a lot of AIDS patients can attest to that. Christianity helps you lead a better life both here on Earth and eternally, its purpose isn't to torment you.

The same goes for Islam. Jihad is not a necessary practice nowadays. Destroying infidels in Allah's name, getting killed in a blaze of glory, and going to heaven only to find yourself a VIP with an assload of virgins at your disposal is not a valid offer. It won't happen. Also, Islam and christianity originated from the same order, so I'm sick of redneck assholes calling it a backwards religion. So is Scientology, you dumb fucks.

I can't speak to much on Islam, but my take on it is that it is one man's interpretation of the truth, some truth, some garbled junk that leads people astray. I'm sure a Muslim would disagree though.. LOL

Anyway, my point is, I think there must be some cellestial consciousness behind creation. I don't think nature would create as destructive a species a Human Beings on purpose. I mean, she's supposed to have some sense of self-preservation, right? All we do is destroy the environment, kill everything, use up all the natural resources in our area, and then move on. I think that this consciousness must have a sick sense of humor, and when it gets tired of the earthwide bickering and destruction, it'll manipulate nature to do us all in. Hell, I think it's already started.

If you believe in a "Celestial consciousness", what do you think that IS if not God? If it's NOT God, it's just some star trek lifeform like us. Not worth thinking about unless it tries to communicate with us or kill us, IMO. If it IS God, then you have the choice of trying to do right, or not.

I think you have too negative an image of man. We have been progressing, look at Dresden and Hiroshima compared to the Iraq wars. Much less bloodless now, and with the advances in communications, more civilized countries are loath to kill people just because they think differently. It's a progression, and we do backslide, but as a race we are TRYING to get better, imperfect but TRYING. That's the same way we act as individuals towards God, imperfect, but TRYING to get better. On your wipeout theory, if there's a being or beings that is powerful enough to come here and watch us, they probably can figure out how to blow us up without destroying anything else. Heck, we could probably build enough nukes to do that now. OTOH if GOD wants to end the show, it just ends, no "manipulation" required.

I'll tell you how it is, slim. Everyone at some point wonders about God, whether He's there, and what He wants, but look around yourself sometimes at the majesty of creation, ask yourself where it came from. Ask WHY you can feel for others, open yourself up to feeling God's presence. You'll be amazed at the change He can make in your life. There's no real question that God exists, IMO, and for just a second, think about what the world would be like if you knew, really KNEW, that God did NOT exist. What would the point of ANYTHING be? Why go to school or work? why raise a family? There wouldn't be any overall ideal to strive for, no course of action is any better or worse than any other. As some guy said earlier, why not kill people or just blow your brains out? You as an individual mean literally nothing, and neither would anyone else. You would just be animate dirt. Fortunately, there IS a God, and he'd be quite disappointed in you if you blew your brains out, so DON'T do it! Try praying for enlightenment and strengh for awhile rather than just folding your arms and saying "no" like a two-year old. Give it time, just as you can't go from being a fat slob to an olympic marathoner in a day, you can't go from being a self-absorbed agnostic to being St. Peter in a day. I don't know where you really are spiritually, you could be St. Francis, but if not, try opening up yourself to God for awhile and see what happens.

Bazooka Joe

-- 2 (1@3.4), September 20, 2004.

I think that God isn't pulling any levers. I think there's no big 'He' or consciousness, it is just ourselves, like the naked primates we are, looking in the mirror. The fact that we can sort of understand how complex life is, does make one humble. But this world, as you hint, is not forever. Humans, the 2-legged 5-finger cockroaches with the too-big brains! ya gotta love 'em. The Manichean heresy seems like a pretty good explanation...the 'God' that we got is an evil god, the good god went for a burton

-- whaddayoulookinat (forth@fifth.com), September 21, 2004.

The so-called Gods people make up in there minds are nothing more than there fears and hopes balled into a little peice of stupidy. Some people think by gettig "Saved" they will go to some slap-happy place of bullshit and never feel any pain or if you do wrong you'll endup going to a bigbad hell and burn your balls off. there all little bitches that have no way to have any fun. After death theres nothingand if there is too-bad odds are your not going anyplace nice and soft bitch. o fuck off and have a nce day love me.

-- Crisis (aDemonsDelight@webtv.net), September 21, 2004.

Crisis,

Every time I read a post like yours I keep thinking of guys like Kerry saying we need to raise taxes to support the schools. With schools in most places getting 4-5k per pupil, I think America is really getting swindled. Our schools need less films and computers and more emphasis on the "three R's".

Bazooka Joe

-- 2 (1@3.4), September 21, 2004.

Bazooka Joe,

I know Elvis was real, just trying to be funny :)

I understand how you feel, But I just don't think that there could be a great big man (after all, he created us in his image) up in the sky that decided one day that void was boring, and that he should create the Earth, and all of it's inhabitants. Now, forgive me if I'm wrong, but you don't strike me as the creationist type, So that probably doesn't apply to you. It's reasonable to believe that someone somewhere created us. But I don't think any person's angles came down, and explained that omnipotence had come to us in the body of a man. I don't feel that anything has that kind of power. I most certainly believe Jesus was a man, and a GOOD man at that, (turn the other cheek, etc.) But I do not think he was the son of God. Organized Religion may be a great idea for those who chose to believe in a mystical force that has a plan for everything, but that seems like a way to control to me. Just my opinion.

However, my idea is that there has to be a some sort of consciousness for a crazy, diverse, overall fucked up world like this to have been created. I don't think there is a man who decided he would like to make the world, and has a plan for all eternity. I think, (I'm sorry if I sound like a lunatic, this is the only conclusion I could reach) that there is a vague force that did indeed become bored a few billion years ago, and decided to fuck with an atom here, an atom there, and then smash it all with some lightning, ta da! I think this force has a sick sense of humor and likes to watch us fight. That's why it's not God. No one worships it. And we sure as hell take after it. Call me pessimistic, that's the only thing I have to offer. That's why we fight. That's why we burn down forests, pave over fields, and slowly kill this planet and ourselves, because this thing thinks it's great entertainment.

whaddayoulookinat,

I used to think that there was nothing at all out there, but then I took a good look around at this place and at these people, and I realized nothing like this could come around by accident. Something is getting a kick out of all this.

-- U msut Feers Me (W.lovesblow@blank.com), September 21, 2004.

You see, I too have a problem with the church. However this topic, and many others, will all end up at a moot point. You just can't define one thing as being right and tell them to accept it. So how did the church, in referance to Christianity and Catholisim, get such a big following? Also, how did the church get so persasive? If you have ever been to one of the previously mentioned establishments, you may have witness the ludicris actions taken in the name of a Higher Being. Stand on command, Chant on command, Partake in a "sacrfice" - namely the "Bread of Christ". Sounds more like a cult to me.

Ah a cult, we'll that makes more sense. In a cult you HAVE control over your "Subjects", in a cult you, usually, perform some task of unifying yourself [ In referance to the takeing of the bread ].

So basing my decision on that, Organized Church resembles a cult.

Why is it you need to preform a show just to talk to a fair and just higher being? Granted there is one at all...

-- ILoserMan (iloserman@deflow.net), October 20, 2004.

yes religion is invented to control and manipulate ppl i don't know if god exists i think so... but one thing i know for sure ,religion has nothing to do with god if it wasent put in ur head while u were kids...u probably wouldn't believe it... and about christianity: there are many good things there about how ppl should act against one another there's also a lot of crap there but about god and stuff... the whole new testament is like:only those who believe in jesus will be saved... and what about all those ppl who have grown up with some other religion and just can't believe in jesus but are good ppl,they all go to hell or what? and all those ppl who never heard of it,or just simply can't believe it? and what about all those pll who lived and died before jesus? how can this be fair now??? tell me i guess ppl just need religion they need to believe in 'something more' but i think all religions have it wrong u need to follow ur heart and not let any 'god' or 'bible' come there in between what's the matter of a good deed if u only do cos the bible says it and u'll otherwise burn in hell?

-- nathan de winter (de_nathan_winter@msn.com), November 05, 2004.

I'm 100% with the first post made. I mean seriously, the church and the rest of it is used to control you into behaving the way somebody created. For example christians, you cannot have sex before you are married, I mean WTF.

-- Thomas Polasek (thomas41546@hotmail.com), December 02, 2004.

Hey pal, you want to have sex with multiple strangers, knock yourself out. When you get AIDS, make sure to list me as your insurance beneficiary, o.k.?

Bazooka Joe

-- 2 (1@3.4), December 03, 2004.

you're crazy

you all christians are crazy

you're pathetic and sick

one day u'll see it was all for nothing

your being controled and manipulated by you fucking church for centuries

they decide your fate

they control your mind

slaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaves

-- christian_rohsmann (brusselcentral6@hotmail.com), December 10, 2004.

Ya man, totally with you.. Atleast I can go out and Party!!!!!!!! AIDS is rare where I live SO HA>>>>

-- Thomas Polasek (thomas41546@hotmail.com), February 08, 2005.