Tom Cruise on Scientology

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Originally Posted by Drewbacca

The Bible was written by men. Whenever man gets in the way things don't come out right. That's the issue I have with organized religion. It's silly to say you have a God that's all-knowing and almighty and then try to hush the truth because you think it's corrupting people. Knowledge and understanding of the world and universe around us should be flattering. If it truly was created by a being we'd be idiots and wasting our existence not to try to understand how things are and work.

If we keep at it long enough we might even find our purpose. If there is one.

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it isn't a matter of corrupting. It is a matter of fear.

For the average person, religion is a way of living and a way of dealing with death. Two big important things. For many people, the Bible is used to back itself up. As much as it sucks, circular logic is employed.

now, you must realize, in a situation like that, the shit hits the fan when something turns out to maybe be wrong. When something is not of the divine, but of man's hands.

Christianity pivots on it all being backed up by God. It does not pivot on it perhaps being a collection of man's wisdom and a poorly recorded record of the spirituality of a culture.

The possibility that they are wrong, and they are not right about death and life scares the shit out of most people. The beliefs of one's society and community changing and passing away, scares the shit out of people. And the power that will be lost when this culture shifts to that of a new identity scares the shit out of people.

Simple people in that situation do not give a shit about the truth or flattering God. They want their fear to go away and they want to KNOW that things will continue as they have.

That logic is insulting on its very principal, so how could it not be insulting to God? It's ridiculous to even begin to think that if God exists he tells us everything to know about everything. They need to stop playing God's publicist. If the Bible had all the answers we wouldn't need God.

Great points Drew, you really took a second helping of serious flakes today, nice work.

God doesn't give a shit about us. He told me, and I don't give a shit either.

Are you going to tell your kids there is no god?

Just curious...

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Originally Posted by Bailey

Are you going to tell your kids there is no god?

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http://www.comet7.com/images/misc/nemo_floater.gif

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Originally Posted by Drewbacca

That logic is insulting on its very principal, so how could it not be insulting to God? It's ridiculous to even begin to think that if God exists he tells us everything to know about everything. They need to stop playing God's publicist. If the Bible had all the answers we wouldn't need God.

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doesn't matter. The average person doesn't care about truth or a search for higher understanding. Its all about safety, power, and avoiding fear.

people on average, ARE insulting to God

I think God's a pretty understanding deity, actually. I don't know what all this "insulting" talk is supposed to be about.

So anybody not operating the friggin' Hubble is insulting to God? Interesting.

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Originally Posted by Doc Holliday

EDIT: You're right about chariots and shit as far as communication to the followers. But still the principles are different. Mormans and all protestant variations, Islam, Christianity, Judaism all based their beliefs on Genisis and don't add anything to it. Then, Scientology up and goes way off on a tagent.

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They're all Jewish spinoffs. Scientology isn't though, so it could have a story about giant turtles pooping out the earth, it doesn't really matter. But it doesn't seem to say anything about the origins of the universe at all so that can be filled in with modern science, and the story of Xenu and hydrogen bombs is closer to something like Adam and Eve, with it's magic fruit and talking serpents.

As for Genesis, Earth was made first, light was made before the sun for the purpose of initiating day and night cycles, there was water above the sky(not referring to clouds, and I think it came down for the flood?) and below it, and different living creatures were created whole at isolated times. It only resembles a modern timeline when you pass it through a filter and say "well, by earth they mean this", but there's little reason to bother. It would be far more interesting to have a breakdown of what actual beliefs they had at the time that led to Genesis taking the shape that it did, rather than messing with them to make them more sensible to our eyes.

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Originally Posted by rezo

The second half of the paragraph was just to confirm that you're a part of the modern trend of Christians who don't place much value on many elements of the faith.

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Oh, but I do. :D

Rock your agenda, though, it's fun to read.