XPost: alt.abortion, alt.abortion.inequity, alt.atheism   
   XPost: alt.support.abortion, talk.abortion   
   From: prochoice@here.now   
      
   On Fri, 21 May 2004 11:37:55 GMT, "Light Templar"   
    in alt.abortion with message-id   
    wrote:   
      
   >While Attila was contemplating his or her navel in   
   >news:05pra095tk5s9r5bp9c998a7hjafau9pf7@4ax.com,   
   > he or she gave us all a good laugh with the   
   >following...   
   >   
   >> On Fri, 21 May 2004 02:11:18 GMT, "Light Templar"   
   >>  in alt.abortion with message-id   
   >>  wrote:   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> I've been studying religion in general since before you were put on   
   >>>>> this planet.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> Well, don't give up.  It may seem difficult at first.   
   >>>> Robert B. Winn   
   >>>   
   >>> It's not difficult at all.  In fact, most religion is rather   
   >>> primitive and simplistic.  The adherents of these religions,   
   >>> particularly the priest cults within them, claim some great and   
   >>> mystical knowledge in order to keep the followers in line, bringing   
   >>> in money, etc, etc...   It's pretty much one big ponzi scheme.   
   >>   
   >> After the first three or four it is obvious only the names are changed   
   >> to prevent outright duplication.   
   >   
   >Most of them have some interesting culturally driven differences, but other   
   >than that they are all the same.   Even Christianity stole from earlier   
   >religions and traditions in the early part of its formation.  "Christmas",   
   >is one good example.    Dionisus (Dennis the short) was ordered by   
   >Constantine to research Jesus's birth, and report back to him and the   
   >forming church.   He was unable to come up with a confirmed date, so the   
   >church decided to hijack the birthdate of a god from a rival religion, 25th   
   >of December, in order to make the newly forming christian church more   
   >palatable to adherents of the rival religion, and thus win more converts.   
   >This even ignored the little verifiable evidence in the bible that pointed   
   >to a spring birth.   
      
   Christianity is well known to be flexible enough to include just about   
   anything in it's drive to dominate.  Easter hijacked spring fertility   
   rites, and if you take a look at the Catholic church worldwide you   
   would swear you are looking at a multitude of different organizations.   
   What is common in one area is unheard of in others.  The contrast   
   between South America (and Mexico with it's Day of the Dead) and   
   Europe is amusing.   
      
    I have noticed that the lower the overall education level and more   
   primitive the culture the more involved the people are with religion.   
   It isn't nearly as important among the educated and more advanced   
   cultures.  Not being fools, these cultures insist they are as   
   religious as anyone but it is mostly lip service.   
      
   After all, it isn't called the opiate of the masses for nothing.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)