Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on May 28, 2012 at 3:16pm

So threatening children with immolation is just one form of child abuse that we must tolerate?  No thank you - I'll stick by my desire to ban that sort of behavior.

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Permalink Reply by Unseen on May 28, 2012 at 4:00pm

I suppose it all depends on how one looks at it. I imagine the theist is going to view you as terrorizing children with the threat of no chance at an afterlife.

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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on May 28, 2012 at 4:07pm

Yeah, and if I cornered their children and told them all about death, and how once you die "that's it", game over, you don't exist anymore - then I suppose that might be abuse.  That's not what I'm proposing, however.  Telling children stories, with the intent of scaring the shit out of them, without ever letting on that it's just a story and not to be taken seriously - that's child abuse.  What do you suppose a theist might say about that?

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Permalink Reply by Unseen on May 28, 2012 at 4:20pm

I grew up in the Episcopal church, and all I can say is that Hell was almost never discussed. In fact, the only time I can even remember the word coming up is in the Lord's Prayer which claims that Jesus descended into Hell during the period between the crucifixion and resurrection. It's mostly the hellfire and brimstone end of Christianity that spends a lot of time and energy on scaring people with the threat of swimming in a sea of molten lava forever.

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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on May 28, 2012 at 4:29pm

And back to my initial statement - I don't feel anyone should have the right to tell their children that punishment might include being burned alive.  If your church could avoid that then certainly others could as well.

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Permalink Reply by Unseen on May 28, 2012 at 4:34pm

In some ways, being Episcopal is a lot more like being a Unitarian than a Baptist.

Permalink Reply by Mabel on May 28, 2012 at 3:55pm

I would like to put a ban on the sorts of ideas that can be passed on to children, however. Primarily, I feel that no one should have the right to tell their children that a possible punishment might include being burned alive. 

@ Heather - I like your idea of banning parents being able to tell their children they will burn alive if they don't please Gord.

Gord is so mean. Fuck Gord! Darn. There I go again acting as if there is a Gord. There is no Gord. What a huge relief. 

I always did find it inexplicable why this Gord deity got off so much by "allowing" people to burn alive because they didn't believe this Jesus character died for their sins, even if they were good people. But yet a mass murderer could utter the words "I believe in Jesus as my redeemer" with his last breath and float right on up to heaven.

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Permalink Reply by Mabel on May 28, 2012 at 4:45pm

In some ways, being Episcopal is a lot more like being a Unitarian than a Baptist.

@ Unseen - Episcopal = God light lol.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Stewart on May 28, 2012 at 9:34am

Nope: However I would argue that churches should be treated the same as any other business (taxes etc) while the influence that religion has should be diminished through rationality, logic, scientific methods and the fear created by religions (hell, etc) should be treated as any psychoses/neoroses as delusional behaviour without prejudice.

Also, the undeserved 'respect' afforded priests (e.g. as pastoral marriage counsellors) be marginalised in order to afford real commentators an opportunity to debate pressing social issues (e.g. abortion) without rancour or fear of retribution, hell and damnation. 

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Permalink Reply by Eric Diaz on May 28, 2012 at 10:20am

I would not. They may be wrong, but is their right to be wrong.

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Permalink Reply by Tom Holm on May 28, 2012 at 11:04am

I wouldn't ban it per se, as it would directly interfer with peoples right to believe in stupid shit, but getting rid of it altogather would be a much better solution. I hate the way religion is used to control the masses, and I hate it even more that people choose to not think for themselves for a change. But I would not want to ban it but I would rather watch it fade into obscurity along with other mythologies

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Permalink Reply by John Major on May 28, 2012 at 2:08pm

I wouldn't ban religion but I would stop state money going to finance religious schools. I don't want my tax money going to promote religious education.

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