Jaimito Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Religion is the best scam of all time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejazz97 Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Religion is the best scam of all time. If you're talking about the people who manipulate it and abuse it for their own gain, or the people who just follow the rules, impose them on others, and don't go to the heart of it, then yes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.DirtyDangles Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Religion is the best scam of all time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckster19 Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Religion: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Realtor Rod Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 Agreed it is hard to sit around and not take money that should be earmarked for the poor and use it to fill your own coffers and create monuments to your own ego and some fairy tale deity in the sky. I mean, why follow the book of said fairy tale when you can demand the poor go to jail or be poor somewhere else. I wish I had something better to do like that. maybe then I could write my own self righteous prattle on a board somewhere instead of having nothing better to do than mock. All joking aside, while the architecture is quaint, anyone who looks at these with anything but derision needs to seriously get their head on straight. It's a joke that multi million dollar monuments to people not piety are being built while people are starving on their door steps I saw some vets feeding injured tigers fresh steak today, talk about frustrating when that meat could go to the poor. The system is messed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BanTSN Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 If you're talking about the people who manipulate it and abuse it for their own gain, or the people who just follow the rules, impose them on others, and don't go to the heart of it, then yes... The heart of it being misleading people. Religion is the best scam of all time. A scam is what it has become. It was originally a lie. At best, a white lie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXYvwEeWrm8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejazz97 Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 The heart of it being misleading people. What? No... The heart of it - following Jesus, at least - is loving others. That is all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucklehead Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theminister Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 What? No... The heart of it - following Jesus, at least - is loving others. That is all... Religion existed long before Jesus and was always a scam. How else could you convince someone to give up their time and labour for nothing? Gobekli Tepe is the first 'mega-church' we know of and it came into being before the modern agriculture period. It was built by men on the suggestion of other men against their tangible benefit. If you're simply defending the followers of Jesus, it all went completely sideways after being co-opted by Paul and the Romans. Then came the Christian mega-churches of history. There is literally zero distinction between this ancient function of Gobekli Tepe and that of the 2000 years of Christian temples. If you want to follow the way of your deity you should never enter into another church for worship,as he did, and only give your charity to those in need rather than the religious organization. When doing otherwise you are certainly being mislead...that's up to you to realize it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejazz97 Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Religion existed long before Jesus and was always a scam. How else could you convince someone to give up their time and labour for nothing? Gobekli Tepe is the first 'mega-church' we know of and it came into being before the modern agriculture period. It was built by men on the suggestion of other men against their tangible benefit. If you're simply defending the followers of Jesus, it all went completely sideways after being co-opted by Paul and the Romans. Then came the Christian mega-churches of history. There is literally zero distinction between this ancient function of Gobekli Tepe and that of the 2000 years of Christian temples. If you want to follow the way of your deity you should never enter into another church for worship,as he did, and only give your charity to those in need rather than the religious organization. When doing otherwise you are certainly being mislead...that's up to you to realize it. I don't know where this mention of Tepe came from, but other than that, I'm quite inclined to agree with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theminister Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 I don't know where this mention of Tepe came from, but other than that, I'm quite inclined to agree with you. Because it shows that there is zero distinction in the origin and function of religion. You jump to defend all religion in the name of your belief but they are one and the same. Your response was to the suggestion that the purpose of religion is to mislead yet you haven't shown it is not. You simply defend your conception of organized religious structure. Your religion is no deferent from any that ever existed. You say you're inclined to agree but do you attend a church? Do you or your family give money to said church? If so...you are being mislead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 As I thought, MegaChurch is the name of a band. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQFyohP-sHo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpgdDt-Otz4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejazz97 Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Because it shows that there is zero distinction in the origin and function of religion. You jump to defend all religion in the name of your belief but they are one and the same. You don't know for sure where the origin of beliefs in a higher power originated, maybe it was always around. Gobekli Tepe is just a step in a staircase. I'm defending Christianity and nothing else. I said that in my original comment. Why would I defend something I don't believe in? The reason for Jesus is redemption for a corrupt mankind, Christianity is just the branding the world has given his following. If we do mislead people, it's because of a spiritual problem or because we did so unintentionally. As far as other religions go, yes, their purpose is to mislead people. However, it's again a spiritual issue whether you choose to believe so or not. Just so you know, church isn't a place, but a people group. I go to be with the church to congregate with other believers of the same Jesus that I worship, as a place to worship and discuss and listen to teachings on the God I believe in and strengthen my belief in him - iron sharpens iron. I don't worship Jesus solely at church, nor is it the only place I pray. When I give, where I give - it's because I believe that is where God wants me to give my money, whether that be in church, to another type of charitable organization, or to a homeless person on the street. Have you ever wondered if maybe it was you being mislead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BanTSN Posted August 11, 2015 Author Share Posted August 11, 2015 The problem with Christianity is that it is just as corrupt and corrupted as the rest of the world, if not moreso. The Bible itself has been corrupted, calling the entire belief into question. However, if it is open to interpretation anyway, it doesn't really matter what the Bible says. It never really mattered. This is why the excessive form of Christian corruption you see today in the form of megachurches and the activities of their pastors is just typical. Nothing new here. I'm not sure why anyone would need religion, prayer, or congregations to know of morality, charity, love or even spirituality in the 21st century. As for Jesus, did he not warn against being materialistic? 'It would be truly hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.' 'If you are perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will recieve treasure in heaven.' Of course, he might have meant you should give all your wealth to wealthy pastors? Who knows. The Christian paradox is that if they truly took Jesus for his word, then most of the Christian world would be the most corrupt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejazz97 Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 The problem with Christianity is that it is just as corrupt and corrupted as the rest of the world, if not moreso. The Bible itself has been corrupted, calling the entire belief into question. However, if it is open to interpretation anyway, it doesn't really matter what the Bible says. It never really mattered. This is why the excessive form of Christian corruption you see today in the form of megachurches and the activities of their pastors is just typical. Nothing new here. I'm not sure why anyone would need religion, prayer, or congregations to know of morality, charity, love or even spirituality in the 21st century. As for Jesus, did he not warn against being materialistic? 'It would be truly hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.' 'If you are perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will recieve treasure in heaven.' Of course, he might have meant you should give all your wealth to wealthy pastors? Who knows. The Christian paradox is that if they truly took Jesus for his word, then most of the Christian world would be the most corrupt. We're humans, we tried to take control - of course Christianity's been corrupted. Tis why we need Jesus. I'd like to know, however, why you think the Bible has been corrupted. Nothing wrong with a large church, unless of course the motive isn't right. If you pastor a large church in the hopes that you can lead people to become holy and blameless before God, then go on. If you're using it for your own gain, you need to stop and either correct yourself or hand over the reigns. No, of course not. Morality is in our source code, if you were to liken us to computers, that is. Charity has been taught for millennia, with the concepts being championed by the Hebrews some four and a half millennia ago. Love has always been around since before the dawn of time, as has spirituality - just maybe both are in a different sense than what you're thinking of. Materialism is not good in the slightest, but it is not what the first part of the scripture you quoted was talking about. Jesus said it was extremely difficult to get into heaven if you are rich. Not that it was bad, per se. Things like "To him who has been much, much will be demanded" (Luke 12:48), "For to everyone who has, more will be given" (Matthew 25:29a) and of course the camel/eye of the needle verse encapsulate this. Now, the second part of the scripture you quoted ("If you are perfect...") - not many people realize this, or perhaps they realize this and don't give. Much of the church is in shambles spiritually right now, to be completely honest. It's because they don't realize their role in the body of Christ, which is the direct problem in 1 Corinthians 12. Most people are looking for their role in the world, not realizing there's one waiting for them in God. I'm getting away from the point here. Jesus once also said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." If you treasure the things of God, your heart will be there and you will make yourself available to give or carry out the work needed to further his Kingdom. If you treasure the things of man, you will do the same - except for man's domain. If you treasure things that bring temporal satisfaction, then you are willing to give of yourself, time and money, to the one who brings temporal satisfaction - so many people are guilty of this, myself included. Make sure the heart is in the right place, and then carry on from there. That's what Jesus was talking about in that second scripture. Now, if you're giving all your wealth to a church or charity, wealthy or not, look at the fruit that comes from their tree. Is it good? Does it align with scripture? Is there anything that said church or charity does that does not align with scripture? If your answer to that last question is yes, maybe you're better off giving to the homeless directly, buying them meals and such, or donating your time to soup kitchens and serving the poor the food they need. Of course, I can't expect any non-believers to act in the way I mentioned in the above paragraph, but the believers definitely need to level up their standards of living to the ones Christ set. Otherwise, we aren't living to the true potential God has for us. Jesus is so countercultural even today that even most Christians would be appalled if he was a normal guy today who started making headlines because of how he acted towards people. He'd throw WBC for a loop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Ambien Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 The problem with Christianity is that it is just as corrupt and corrupted as the rest of the world, if not moreso. Confirmed never been outside westernized "Christian" nations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BanTSN Posted August 12, 2015 Author Share Posted August 12, 2015 Confirmed never been outside westernized "Christian" nations. Wrong. We're humans, we tried to take control - of course Christianity's been corrupted. Tis why we need Jesus. I'd like to know, however, why you think the Bible has been corrupted. Nothing wrong with a large church, unless of course the motive isn't right. If you pastor a large church in the hopes that you can lead people to become holy and blameless before God, then go on. If you're using it for your own gain, you need to stop and either correct yourself or hand over the reigns. No, of course not. Morality is in our source code, if you were to liken us to computers, that is. Charity has been taught for millennia, with the concepts being championed by the Hebrews some four and a half millennia ago. Love has always been around since before the dawn of time, as has spirituality - just maybe both are in a different sense than what you're thinking of. Materialism is not good in the slightest, but it is not what the first part of the scripture you quoted was talking about. Jesus said it was extremely difficult to get into heaven if you are rich. Not that it was bad, per se. Things like "To him who has been much, much will be demanded" (Luke 12:48), "For to everyone who has, more will be given" (Matthew 25:29a) and of course the camel/eye of the needle verse encapsulate this. Now, the second part of the scripture you quoted ("If you are perfect...") - not many people realize this, or perhaps they realize this and don't give. Much of the church is in shambles spiritually right now, to be completely honest. It's because they don't realize their role in the body of Christ, which is the direct problem in 1 Corinthians 12. Most people are looking for their role in the world, not realizing there's one waiting for them in God. I'm getting away from the point here. Jesus once also said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." If you treasure the things of God, your heart will be there and you will make yourself available to give or carry out the work needed to further his Kingdom. If you treasure the things of man, you will do the same - except for man's domain. If you treasure things that bring temporal satisfaction, then you are willing to give of yourself, time and money, to the one who brings temporal satisfaction - so many people are guilty of this, myself included. Make sure the heart is in the right place, and then carry on from there. That's what Jesus was talking about in that second scripture. Now, if you're giving all your wealth to a church or charity, wealthy or not, look at the fruit that comes from their tree. Is it good? Does it align with scripture? Is there anything that said church or charity does that does not align with scripture? If your answer to that last question is yes, maybe you're better off giving to the homeless directly, buying them meals and such, or donating your time to soup kitchens and serving the poor the food they need. Of course, I can't expect any non-believers to act in the way I mentioned in the above paragraph, but the believers definitely need to level up their standards of living to the ones Christ set. Otherwise, we aren't living to the true potential God has for us. Jesus is so countercultural even today that even most Christians would be appalled if he was a normal guy today who started making headlines because of how he acted towards people. He'd throw WBC for a loop. The bible's been corrupted since Constantine, if not forever. Of course a book that 'powerful' will be corrupted if it is in the hands of man. The hypocrisy of Christianity is that they do not do onto others, and they've steadily become more brutal than the force in which they were originally rising against. The roman empire became christian, and in turn, christians became imperialists. This led to things like the crusades, the spanish inquisition, the transatlantic slave trade, witch hunts, and the continued 'justified' wealth divide of the western world, all the while acting within the diliuted shroud of the 'good' that Jesus apparently taught them thousands of years ago. Yes, there are people that may truly follow in the path of Jesus, but they're largely irrelevant in the face of incessant vatican greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejazz97 Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Wrong. The bible's been corrupted since Constantine, if not forever. Of course a book that 'powerful' will be corrupted if it is in the hands of man. The hypocrisy of Christianity is that they do not do onto others, and they've steadily become more brutal than the force in which they were originally rising against. The roman empire became christian, and in turn, christians became imperialists. This led to things like the crusades, the spanish inquisition, the transatlantic slave trade, witch hunts, and the continued 'justified' wealth divide of the western world, all the while acting within the diliuted shroud of the 'good' that Jesus apparently taught them thousands of years ago. Yes, there are people that may truly follow in the path of Jesus, but they're largely irrelevant in the face of incessant vatican greed. Christianity has Don't know what the last sentence was supposed to be, but I'm guessing it was some sort of attack lol. Ever since the reformation of the Church, we've slowly been getting back to where the first church was and beyond. Unfortunately for us, so has the western world's attitudes towards Christianity. The scriptures have stayed much the same over time, with many but small discrepancies in the translation only. Scientists discovered that 3rd-century and 13th-century texts are nearly identical, and that those are nearly identical to the Dead Sea Scrolls. Either way, God would only let us have the version(s) of the Bible that he could inspire us through, and that we in turn could discuss, inspire, and teach others. Like you've said, the church has become corrupted (thank God for Jesus tho... literally ) and we in turn have turned the love of God into a power struggle for the minds of men. Again, as it gets closer to the end of days, the church will be getting closer to the bride that Christ is coming back for, and it'll become more and more separated into corrupt and holy, and it'll be super clear who's on which side. So yes, we've been corrupted and we've done terrible things in the name of our God, but fortunately we and anyone else can always find redemption in what Jesus has done... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BanTSN Posted August 12, 2015 Author Share Posted August 12, 2015 Don't know what the last sentence was supposed to be, but I'm guessing it was some sort of attack lol. Ever since the reformation of the Church, we've slowly been getting back to where the first church was and beyond. Unfortunately for us, so has the western world's attitudes towards Christianity. The scriptures have stayed much the same over time, with many but small discrepancies in the translation only. Scientists discovered that 3rd-century and 13th-century texts are nearly identical, and that those are nearly identical to the Dead Sea Scrolls. Either way, God would only let us have the version(s) of the Bible that he could inspire us through, and that we in turn could discuss, inspire, and teach others. Like you've said, the church has become corrupted (thank God for Jesus tho... literally ) and we in turn have turned the love of God into a power struggle for the minds of men. Again, as it gets closer to the end of days, the church will be getting closer to the bride that Christ is coming back for, and it'll become more and more separated into corrupt and holy, and it'll be super clear who's on which side. So yes, we've been corrupted and we've done terrible things in the name of our God, but fortunately we and anyone else can always find redemption in what Jesus has done... Sorry, I got distracted by the Pope's call to the end of capitalist greed. Will get back on this later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejazz97 Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Sorry, I got distracted by the Pope's call to the end of capitalist greed. Will get back on this later. Np, I look forward to hearing your opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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