From: KimbaWLionATaolDOTcom@127.0.0.1   
      
   On 15 Jun 2004 21:11:39 GMT, epochii@aol.com (Epoch II) wrote:   
      
   >I'm sorry to say it, I know this is controversial, but many aspects of   
   >Christianity is doing more harm to our society then good.   
      
   Well, that's true. Of course, the collorary to that statement is   
   many aspects of Christianity are doing more good to our society than   
   harm.   
      
   >If there's anything   
   >we've learned from spiritual experience it's that promoting fear,   
   >witch-burning, and condemnation is most certainly anything but holy.   
      
   That's true. Fear is the problem, and should never be promoted.   
      
   >Some people actually think they will go to hell if they watch Harry   
   Potter, and   
   >they teach their children this stuff. And their children teach their   
   children,   
   >and so on. It leads to an agonizing lifestyle of being scared to death   
   of   
   >making one wrong move and falling into an eternal hellfire, being   
   roasted alive   
   >by "Satans" minions for ~ETERNITY~ (I don't think people even fully   
   understand   
   >the concept of eternity and infinity to be throwing the word around   
   like it   
   >didn't mean anything at all)   
      
   They don't even fully understand the concepts of condemnation and love.   
   They couldn't possibly have thought these things through. That's why the   
   most deeply involved will tell you that you can't think logically about   
   these things and that you can't learn on your own. It's the convoluted   
   myths that won't stand up to logical inquiry, but some perceive the   
   myths to be the truth.   
      
   >If you follow the words of Jesus, you will undoubtedly lead a more   
   meaningful   
   >life, however everything gets taken out of proportion, things said by   
   Jesus   
   >which were supposed to be taken metaphorically are interpreted   
   literally and   
   >twisted around   
      
   This, unfortunately, is human nature, I think. Some people really do   
   want prescribed steps for going through life, and so they will   
   literalize what was meant to be metaphors to help a person define his   
   own life.   
      
   >it's gradually breeding something very unhealthy and dark in our   
   society.   
      
   Again, I think this is universal and can't be blamed solely on   
   Christianity. People will do this with anything if they want to lead   
   dark and unhealthy lives. It's also nothing new.   
      
   >I don't think Evolution, rock music, and witchcraft are evil.   
      
   No, but they challenge the myths, are not fully understood, or challenge   
   the perceived power of God. The fear of witchcraft and such really   
   reveals how much the people who sound off the loudest actually are   
   living in fear, not in faith in their god.   
      
   >I've known many   
   >wiccans who are very nice people. They are very peaceful by nature and   
   express   
   >a lot of warmth and hospitality   
      
   There's a lot about Wicca that's appealing. Individual people can still   
   distort the religion to suit their purposes, but I don't think they've   
   gone as far as starting a religious war. :)   
      
   >as for rock music... I've been listening to it   
   >my whole life, I love Iron Maiden, Bad Religion, System of a Down, Led   
   >Zeppelin, you name it, and I'm not any less of a person because of it,   
      
   The good and the bad are in the content, not in the genre.   
      
   >I think that if there's anything God wants us to have it's imagination   
   and the free   
   >will to express ourselves, we're not gonna burn in hell for loud   
   singing.   
      
   Imagination and free will can be scary concepts, though.   
      
   >And about Evolution, are some Christians really so insecure with their   
   beliefs   
   >that they think Evolution completely nullifies Spirituality, and   
   therefore it   
   >must be the work of the devil? Can't these people get a grip? It's so   
   sad.   
      
   I think the deepest root problem here is that neither Creationism nor   
   the popular understanding of Evolution provide a complete, clear,   
   logical picture of the world.   
      
   >What's happening is that youth are seeing stuff like this, and it's   
   giving them   
   >scorn against religion in general, it's turning more and more people   
   into   
   >atheists who reject absolutely any spiritual notion.   
      
   Well, that again is human nature and it really reflects a lack of   
   thought--the same lack of thought that's ruining our country in many   
   ways. To reject the distortions of Christianity by rejecting all   
   spirituality is saying that just because something can be used wrongly   
   means it is always used wrongly. Ah, if only we could get our lawmakers   
   and media people to see the stupidity in that line of thought.   
      
   The greater wrongs that are attributed to a particular religion would   
   still be done in the name of another religion if the first did not   
   exist, because these things come from the human heart. A religion is a   
   convenient way to exercise power over other people, whether it be   
   telling them that listening to rock music will send them to Hell or that   
   blowing up a schoolbus full of the "wrong kind" of children will send   
   them to Paradise. The need for power and the need to submit to power are   
   aspects of the human psyche. These are the things that need to be worked   
   out of our society.   
      
   As I said above, if I am to accept your opening premise, then it also   
   has to be accepted that Christianity is doing good in our society. But   
   the good aspects don't get in your face with their obnoxiousness, and   
   they don't get under your skin because of their stupidity. It's good to   
   object to the bad aspects, but work on the real roots of these, which   
   are people's (lack of) understanding, fear, laziness, and so on.   
      
      
      
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