In my opinion, in this day and age, it's not always necessarily the religion which causes the problems but the people closely related to it and the attitudes i guess.

 

I agree with this statement.

People here keep mentioning how priests and other religious people commit terrible acts in the name of God and religion. Remember that these people don't represent the whole. My local church is a wonderful place with wonderful people. What I'm trying to say is, the acts of few should misrepresent the plenty of good, just people that also happen to be Catholic, Muslim, Jewish or any other belief system.

Oh, and if anyone was wondering this is what Catholics believe in.

 

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, light from light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father;

through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven,

was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary

and became truly human.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father [and the Son],

who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

What about the many cases of pedophilia? And the church always tries to keep them secret, instead of making justice, they usually send the priests far away to hide the situation. Some priests have good intentions, but in the end they're part of a corrupt institution, and they can usually mislead people to their qualms. They are more lime manipulators, for example, homosexuality.

What about the many cases of pedophilia? And the church always tries to keep them secret, instead of making justice, they usually send the priests far away to hide the situation. Some priests have good intentions, but in the end they're part of a corrupt institution, and they can usually mislead people to their qualms. They are more lime manipulators, for example, homosexuality.

AGREE ^. i know lot of priests and monks who live in caves pretending they're holy ones. They are drug addicts, ex-prisoners and god knows what bad things they have committed in they past lives.

What about the many cases of pedophilia? And the church always tries to keep them secret, instead of making justice, they usually send the priests far away to hide the situation. Some priests have good intentions, but in the end they're part of a corrupt institution, and they can usually mislead people to their qualms. They are more lime manipulators, for example, homosexuality.

 

Concerning homosexuality, I know this is just one case and not everybody is like that but my brother's friend came to live with us when he was 16 because he told he very Christian parents that he was gay and they threw him out of the house because they couldn't accept it.I don't understand things like that

In my opinion, in this day and age, it's not always necessarily the religion which causes the problems but the people closely related to it and the attitudes i guess.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL5WVecNdhk]YouTube- Stephen Fry on Catholicism, from the Intelligence Squared debate.[/ame]

Judgment should be on who they (those holy ones) were in their past lives. But who they are now matters more.

 

 

Just an opinion.

Concerning homosexuality, I know this is just one case and not everybody is like that but my brother's friend came to live with us when he was 16 because he told he very Christian parents that he was gay and they threw him out of the house because they couldn't accept it.I don't understand things like that

 

That's a problem of a priesthood. ppl like that are very dogmatic and fixed. im sure they dont know themselves why they block gay ppl for example. Maybe they can't explain why they should accept them. :\

Judgment should be on who they (those holy ones) were in their past lives. But who they are now matters more.

 

 

Just an opinion.

 

CORRECT.

but my point is that they continue to do like they were doing previously. There is no change. Ive seen many priests with tattoos who publicly swear loudly when they're stuck in a traffic jam or something. Isn't that a sin. Ive barely seen a priest who doesn't get drunk and who fasts.

wait, do people here believe in past lives for priests?

wait, do people here believe in past lives for priests?

 

to point out, I said ... they're drug addicts - that means that they use drugs... they are still under the influence of drugs. Got me ? and 99% are like that.

CORRECT.

but my point is that they continue to do like they were doing previously. There is no change. Ive seen many priests with tattoos who publicly swear loudly when they're stuck in a traffic jam or something. Isn't that a sin. Ive barely seen a priest who doesn't get drunk and who fasts.

 

Oh, then that's wrong or course.

 

Priests are for Catholics right? :thinking:

to point out, I said ... they're drug addicts - that means that they use drugs... they are still under the influence of drugs. Got me ? and 99% are like that.

 

yes, but do you believe they have had past lives? you said god knows what they have done in their past lives.

 

i don't care if you do believe that, means nothing to me, just trying to understand you better

I really get confused about things to do with reincarnation and stuff. I mean like, I attend Taoist funerals. And then there is this whole thing about having a place somewhere afterlife, and things are burnt so that the dead could have them at that place (Hell money, paper houses, etc). And what about reincarnation?

 

I don't know, it's just I don't understand how a religion can have both some place afterlife and reincarnation.

To quote Edwin Starr: "What is it good for? Absolutely nothing."

 

 

Yay Athiesm!

i am of the opinion that the afterlife and reincarnation are concepts developed to keep the masses down. after all if they stay good and don't kick up a fuss they will have eternal life in the afterlife. strange how they are promised everything but not until they die.

 

likewise the theory of priests having former lives simply serves to protect them and keep people down. it's like usual, a few people profit greatly and the masses are kept under control paralysed by fear.

Sometimes I think people just follow their religion they're born into, without much thought for how it is, and not searching for the truth.

Sometimes I think people just follow their religion they're born into, without much thought for how it is, and not searching for the truth.

 

sometimes i think people put too much emphasis on searching for the truth

i think most people can see it's unlikely an organised religion has the answers and i prefer the school of thought that there maybe aren't any answers.

 

it doesn't bother me not knowing where i come from. death doesn't frighten me. i just enjoy my life and i'm good to others. it isn't based on religion.

I suppose no matter what we believe in, we should be a good person. :wacko:

I suppose no matter what we believe in, we should be a good person. :wacko:

 

definitely

I suppose no matter what we believe in, we should be a good person. :wacko:

 

it doesn't bother me not knowing where i come from. death doesn't frighten me. i just enjoy my life and i'm good to others. it isn't based on religion.

 

exactly!

An interesting documentary/reflexion about religionS

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZpREDn4NFA]YouTube- Religulous (now available on DVD)[/ame]

 

Personnally, I don't believe in "God" even if I've been brought up as a catholic. I believe in a force that unite us, what we call 'life', but to me, it's a force as the same degree as gravitation. I don't see any 'mastermind' behind it, or devine plans...

 

I don't like religions cause I don't see the point to follow arbitrary rules edicted ages ago by random people. If you want to be 'spiritual' and believe in sthg, I don't see why wearing a certain outfit, saying a certain thing, eating this or not that will make you 'better' in the eye of your 'god'....that's just material facts and it's totally arbitrary...!! And the fact that people are fighting all over the world on those arbitrary things is just nonsense to me....believe in what you believe but let others be! :nice:

^Well said!

As long as they don't try to impose their beliefs to anyone nor harm people to please their "god", let them believe :nice:

 

Concerning homosexuality, I know this is just one case and not everybody is like that but my brother's friend came to live with us when he was 16 because he told he very Christian parents that he was gay and they threw him out of the house because they couldn't accept it.I don't understand things like that

This is awful, how could anyone do this to their child for such reasons? :\

Gotta hate intolerant people

YouTube- Stephen Fry on Catholicism, from the Intelligence Squared debate.[/ame]

Love this man.

 

He has so many seriously great points and the result at the end is sort of brilliant.