I would love to see it moved to the D&D if it actually comes down to that. The results may be equally hilarious. As of right now though, I have faith in the BBS.
the one about the mom thinking her son was sneaking a girl into his bedroom because she found a "dirty magazine filled with naked men in it and she must have left it there" is pretty hilarious. I grew up in a fundamentalist home. I know how closed minded people like that can be. Makes me sick that my little sister won't read a book because it contains a slight religious disagreement to fundamentalist doctrines. If you draw your own conclusions thats fine, but at least think for yourself.
I didn't check out every single one of those but I gotta believe some of those were posted as a joke.
I grew up in a house like that too. It's brainwashing, and it took me ~7 years of torment to figure out for myself how the world and people (should) really work. At it's heart, religion is just another dehumanizing collectivist ideology. Don't think for yourself. Don't doubt the group. Be afraid of the unknown. Listen and obey your leaders.
I completely disagree. Religion at its core is NOT dehumanizing. [Most] religions at their cores are all about humanizing people, about instilling morals and ethics that lead to a desirable state of existence. Just because some people use their religious beliefs as an excuse to behave irrationally or hatefully doesn't negate the religion itself. As for the part of collectivist ideologies...i'm not really sure what that phrase means. If you mean that it seeks to have people conform? Possibly, but then again the whole of human experience leads us to seek the familiar in ourselves and others. It's easy to see religion as some neolithic social construct that has outlived its usefulness, but you have to realize that there are lots of benefits to religion too. Anyway, I digress from the topic - yes, fundamentalist christians are wacko.
I like to draw a distinction between religion: as in "the religion/teachings taught by XXX spitirual leader" as opposed to "the religion/dogma and structure that was taught to me as unalterable truth when I was young and terribly impressionable". Most fundamentalists are completely out of touch with the real teachings of their own particular religion. Organized religion always denigrates into a political entity. In doing so it loses all connection to the spiritual introspection of the founder, and becomes little more than a platform for power, prestige, and control. The most powerful creation of this machine are fundamentalists. It's dehumanizing in that the method utilized to achieve this rank-and-file obediance is (by neccessity) complete subjugation of individual thought. The ability to percieve, to think, to imagine independently is the apex of humanity's traits. Often I refer to "spirituality" as the good things you are talking about, so that I can dissociate the contemplative and morally insightful teachings of church leaders (all/any of them) from the fear-induced bigotry of "religion". There is nothing wrong with believing in a higher power. Believing that a man-made organization can show you how to believe correctly is a different matter entirely.
I was raised protestant. Original sin (sin from conception) is taught there too. Augustine's views are still held as "gospel" throughout western christianity. Pun intended.
technically, no. but that's a different debate. if you want to talk about it make another thread. Yes, I know. Yet the Protestants (at least the denominations i know of) don't believe that baptizing a baby makes it go to heaven. My point wasn't about whether Christians do or don't believe in original sin, my point was to illustrate how pidgeonholing all religious beliefs into a fanatical or fundamentalist practice or something that's clearly illogical/irrational (as viewed by the outside world) is hypocritical, and serves no good except to incite blowback. The problem in this situation is that everyone thinks they're right and come hell or high water everyone else has to believe it too. Personally I don't give a crap if you believe in the FSM or flying purple unicorns, as long as you don't treat me like dirt if I differ in opinion. This happens on both sides, and is a sad, sad thing.
I think we should worship donuts. I wish I had a donut to worship right now! Don't you find the donut hole to be mysterious? Why is it there? To confound us? If The Lord(s) intended donuts to have holes, wouldn't it be in the religious text of your choice? And yet I can find no reference to them, anywhere. And God(s) know I've looked. I've gone to numerous donut places of worship and been shown what they claim to be the holes, taken out and fried, but I just don't get it. I think it's a sham. Donut lovers of the World, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains! And perhaps a few pounds. Max, I want you to weigh in on this. What is your feeling towards donuts, and do you have a particular sect you favor? I'll bow to your wisdom. PS: Don't cry for me, Argentina! Impeach Boosh and free Donuts!!