Oh For God's Sake....

[InvisibleGuy]

(((Hugs))) back to you Jamie. I don't want to come across like I'm disrespecting anyone's belief system or church, that's the last thing I want to do. I just see the same behavior repeated after years and years over and over again and it's like there's a pattern there, I can't just pretend it doesn't exist...and it gets to me, it has totally changed me not just wrt my religious beliefs, but it's changed who I am in some ways. I think some of the stuff I've been through has really made me kind of jaded, like I said, and I'll be the first to admit that.

I think the patterns I'm referring to are probably pretty obvious at this point. Priests raping children. The Catholic church actually helping to cover it up. The Catholic church actually moving, protecting child molesters, ffs. Catholic priests having sexual relationships with married women.

I think, besides all the other reasons I've mentioned, that Catholic priests raping children by the hundreds is enough of a reason for me to have a huge, huge problem with that church.

Ffs, I'd ask anyone what does it take for you to have a problem with your church, if priests raping children doesn't do it then what does?

We're also not talking about a few isolated cases, we're talking about hundreds and hundreds of cases of rape. And the Catholic church has paid well over $100 million to settle these lawsuits, to keep them out of court and out of the media's prying eyes. Lets just try to sweep it under the rug. Smh.

[Cuchculan]

All the abuse mentioned happened in Ireland too. It did put people off the church. But not off the God. They still found ways to keep their faith. It just didn't include the church. Lot more than abuse went on here. Mother and baby homes. Babies either killed or sold. We were a church state. The church had a hand in everything. Not these days. They were exposed for the evil bastards that they really were. That is just the church. That is not the God. They simply abused their positions of power. Take that power away from them and they are nothing. We had a case only this year. New hospital. On church owned grounds. Hospital was badly needed. But people said ' no '. Until the church made it clear they would have nothing at all to do with the hospital once it was built. That was the fear. It would be handed over to them to run. After all the history involving them in the past nobody wanted a church ran hospital. There was uproar over this for months. People wanting to know, once built, who would own and run the hospital? Even those in power wanted answers. Shows how much trust people have in the church. But the church and God do not have to be the same thing. You can move away from one and still hold onto the other.

[InvisibleGuy]

I couldn't agree more.

Nothing screws up religion more than making it an organized religion. Nothing fuqs up religion more than putting two or more people in the same church. And trying to run it. Ffs. That's a recipe for disaster.

[InvisibleGuy]

^ Sorry, I need to edit my last comment...there are things that ruin religion worse than that, it's the leaders of that church raping children. Yeah. That would be worse.

[CloudMaker]

If god did not bless this man then why is he so wealthy?

I don't understand the world sometimes but I do not question the word of the LORD!

[Cuchculan]

He is not wealthy because God blessed him, if you are talking about Preachers who are rich. They use the word of God to exploit others and take money from them. Their money is tax free because it comes from a religion / church. They are greedy robbing bastards. That would never have been God's wish. That the preacher becomes rich using his words. Buys a big house, big car and lives a life of luxury. Should be giving back to those in need. So nobody lives below the poverty line.

[InvisibleGuy]

Ffs.

There is so much I could say right now.

So, so much.

Ffs.

[CloudMaker]

If god does not approve... of his wealth .... or his actions ........ then why does he allow it?

[Cuchculan]

Who says he allows it. If you believe in God, you also believe in sin. What is to say that these people are not really sinners? Most of them are fake. They claim they can heal. Which is a lie. I don't see them as working for any God. I see them working to make themselves rich. They have no other intentions at all. The proof is in the end result. Nobody is healed at all. The person is proved as a fake. Sad reality of it is that people are looking for hope of any kind at all. These people know that and offer them false hope. They all should be investigated. These so called healers. They can't prove they can heal, they should be charged with fraud.

[CloudMaker]

Who says he allows it. If you believe in God, you also believe in sin. What is to say that these people are not really sinners? Most of them are fake. They claim they can heal. Which is a lie. I don't see them as working for any God. I see them working to make themselves rich. They have no other intentions at all. The proof is in the end result. Nobody is healed at all. The person is proved as a fake. Sad reality of it is that people are looking for hope of any kind at all. These people know that and offer them false hope. They all should be investigated. These so called healers. They can't prove they can heal, they should be charged with fraud.

They are around and they are wealthy and rewarded for it,,, so god must approve on some level. I don't claim to understand why.... god works in mysterious ways.

[CloudMaker]

Maybe the good that comes in offering hope outweighs the bad that you think of... in gods eyes...

[Cuchculan]

You are been asked to believe in a God. Just as you are been asked to believe in the power of healing. I accept that much. It has been proven that the power of collective prayer can do good for people. Bit like you knowing a thousand people are all praying for you. Because you are aware of this it will have some effect on you. Placebo effect or real? Does it really matter? If it is doing you only good. But why should a person have to pay for any kind of healing? If we accept that it comes from a God, it should be free. There should be no charge. Most of your American healers put themselves up there like they are something special. Like they are God like. This I don't agree with. This I see as wrong. It is by doing this they are making their money. I know the normal Catholic church makes lots of money too. They pay the priests. Pay them well. But your average priest does not live in a mansion with a swimming pool. So I suppose it depends on your God. And how you see the bible. We spoke of this in earlier posts. Some live by the bible like it is guide to life. Which it is not. Others read it. Say a few prayers. That is it for them. Fools and their money are easily parted.

[Ironman]

If god did not bless this man then why is he so wealthy?

I don't understand the world sometimes but I do not question the word of the LORD!

Worldly riches are far different than riches in Heaven.
A man can be the poorest in the world and still get into Heaven before the richest man would.

[Chantellabella]

I'll just throw in one of my favorite quotes while I'm on my rant lol.

I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.
~ Ghandi

Yeah, that's one of my favorite sayings also.

I'm not talking about the people who truly live a life of treating others as they would themselves. As with every race, color, religion, and neighborhood coffee shop, there are people of all flavors of ethics.

But I believe Ghandi when I encounter people who start an apology with "I'm a Christian, so I have to apologize because the bible says so," or "The bible tells me to condemn you," or "You're not good enough because you don't go to church." Like when I read L's answer about the person telling her it was better to attend church then to believe in God. I wonder what my higher power would say to that! Something like, "Didn't I tell you to not put anything or anyone before me? Well putting your religion before God is the doing just that."

Since none of us are dead yet, none of us know what we're supposed to do or believe or say. Everyone has some interpretation and even the bible and other holy books can be misconstrued.

Sometimes I wonder if this is just some random humanity test and we're put here like rats to learn some very important lesson.

I like to wonder about humanity and life.

It gives me hope to believe that "people" "humans" "credit card shopping homosapiens" are not the reason and end result of this mess.