Jesus Camp

[Robert]

Originally Posted by GT40FIED

Did a christian just tell me I'm not open minded? Hello pot...my name is kettle. If anything I'm TOO open minded. I think anyone should be allowed to believe whatever they want and do whatever they want unless it hurts others. Therein lies my problem with overly fanatical members of any religion (though in this country they are predominantly christian). People in numerous states have banned things like gay marriage...not because it makes sense from a political or economical standpoint, but rather because a few obscure passages in the bible say it's wrong. I've also personally found that christians in general are against any kind of sexual exploration. So in turning your personal religious convictions into law these people have essentially told gays that they aren't worthy of the same rights as others. Nevermind that the few countries that have legalized it are doing just fine...or at least as well as they were before. This is just an example, but the problem is pretty rampant. I mean...if you truely believe the "end days" are near, then what's the point in energy conservation? Why not just trash this planet? No one will be around to enjoy it anyway so let's go hog wild. Right? Then again, people have been wrong before.

You see Rob, I don't have any quarrel with people like you. You believe what you want to believe and even though it's not my cup of tea, that's cool for you and I take no issue with it. Nor do I take issue with sensible people of any religion. However, you've got to realize that preaching to people isn't the only way of forcing beliefs on them. Anytime you vote for a law that is exclusionary based on your religions tenets you are basically forcing your beliefs onto others. People need to learn to seperate what they think is good for themselves and what's good for mankind as a whole. I wholeheartedly think that the actions of many of these fanatical christians (or muslims or jews or whatever) confrom to the Jungian archetype of an external tormentor...in this case a vengeful god. I truely believe that religious fanaticism is not something to be rewarded as it often is in this country...I think it belongs in the DSM-IV along with all of the other mental illness diagnosis. Just remember...this does NOT apply to the 98% of religious folks that are just trying to make good of their lives. More power to them. It's just unfortunate that they get drowned out by the crazies.

You just generalized me and sterotyped me into your view of a Christian. Remember it was Christians who founded this nation (Canada and America) and allowed freedom of religion. Don't sugguest for a moment they were not open minded. Christians are some of the most open minded and tollerate of people out there. You on the other hand have a problem with all organized religion, and in previous posts were calling for the removal of churchs for tax free statuses.

Has God ever forced his views onto you? I have never forced my views or preached to someone for the sake of it. God doesn't yell at you to get your attention he waits calmly whispering and hopes you will take up a conversation.

I think you need to be very careful of the use of the terms fanatical that you describe things that are 'extreem' or 'unusual'. I didnt see anything in that video I hadn't seen before (minus the kids with camo paint - though I've seen it paint balling) so it wasn't 'extreem' to me. However I find someone playing video games for 5 hours a day to be fanatical. See where being open minded comes in here?

There are things out there we haven't experienced/seen before. That doesn't make them wrong or bad.

[GT40FIED]

Originally Posted by Robert

You just generalized me and sterotyped me into your view of a Christian. Remember it was Christians who founded this nation (Canada and America) and allowed freedom of religion. Don't sugguest for a moment they were not open minded. Christians are some of the most open minded and tollerate of people out there. You on the other hand have a problem with all organized religion, and in previous posts were calling for the removal of churchs for tax free statuses.

Has God ever forced his views onto you? I have never forced my views or preached to someone for the sake of it. God doesn't yell at you to get your attention he waits calmly whispering and hopes you will take up a conversation.

I think you need to be very careful of the use of the terms fanatical that you describe things that are 'extreem' or 'unusual'. I didnt see anything in that video I hadn't seen before (minus the kids with camo paint - though I've seen it paint balling) so it wasn't 'extreem' to me. However I find someone playing video games for 5 hours a day to be fanatical. See where being open minded comes in here?

There are things out there we haven't experienced/seen before. That doesn't make them wrong or bad.

Actually I think the founding fathers were simply able to suspend their beliefs long enough to do what was right for everyone, not just themselves. But then again they were a bunch of rich white guys who didn't want to pay taxes. My, how times have changed. And you're right...there are many christians who are not judgemental and intollerant. Then again in that short trailer a woman dumps everyone in the world into 2 categories...believers and non-believers. And yeah, I do believe that many churches should pay taxes because many of them essentially sell a product. If you're church can seat more people than a football stadium, you obviously don't need any help with money.

Of course god doesn't yell at me. He doesn't yell at anyone. In fact, I would assume that if god exists in the way that you believe he does, he doesn't have time to talk to anyone. You talk to him, but whether or not anyone's listening is open for conjecture. Seems to me like that's a long wait for a train that doesn't come.

The clip I posted is just a trailer...I don't think I could post the whole movie (and would you really sit here for an hour and a half watching it? Over on youtube, however, I think someone cut the film in it's entirety up into several pieces. And you don't think that young children screaming "righteous judges now" is fanactical? Hell...it's fanatical on more than one level. It's not extreme or unusual (actually it's both), but it easily falls under the term "fanaticism".

And you're right...things aren't wrong because they're new and different. In this these things are wrong by virtue of the fact that they are morally repugnant and undertaken in the guise of belief.

[AzCivic]

fanatic Christians...they're such a problem in today's world. AAAAAAAAAHHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!

why can't some of you rant on and on about the atrocities of some religion OTHER than freakin Christianity?

How about you get your pink panties in a bunch about those that want to KILL YOU NO MATTER WHAT YOUR RELIGION MAY BE! nah, just do what you always do, not much of anything I guess.

"oh no Christians are baaaaaaaad!!!!!! I'm scared that I might be held accountable for my actions, fuck religion! God doesn't have the time for this and that, I know everything!!!"

[GT40FIED]

Originally Posted by AzCivic

fanatic Christians...they're such a problem in today's world. AAAAAAAAAHHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!

why can't some of you rant on and on about the atrocities of some religion OTHER than freakin Christianity?

How about you get your pink panties in a bunch about those that want to KILL YOU NO MATTER WHAT YOUR RELIGION MAY BE! nah, just do what you always do, not much of anything I guess.

"oh no Christians are baaaaaaaad!!!!!! I'm scared that I might be held accountable for my actions, fuck religion! God doesn't have the time for this and that, I know everything!!!"

Actually, extremist christians are a big problem. They've made their way into positions of power in DC as well as city and local offices. Hell...our president thinks he's got god on his side when it comes to the most disasterous war America has ever fought.

Why always christians? Because they're the ones in majority here in this country and the ones who seem to do the most dumb shit (again...in this country, anyway). I suppose if I lived in Israel I'd be pissed at jews and if I lived in Saudi Arabi I'd be pissed about muslims.

Let's quit pretending religions like islam (which is what I assume you were mocking with your asinine comment) are religions of the sword and christianity is all about peace. Christianity has launched more wars and continues to do so than any other force on the face of this earth. More people have died because of this "peaceful" religion than for any other single reason. "Oh N0z! BuT St3V3!! 1t pR3@cH3z PE@CE!". Yeah...and just like islam it also preaches tons of fucked up violence that no thinking person would embrace today. So go kill your son and fuck your stepdaughter, Abraham.

So wait...I'm not taking responsibilities for my actions because I'm NOT religious? Bwahahahahaha. Seriously? Religion negates any sort of personal responsibility in so much as all it takes to releave yourself of personal responsibility is to talk about how god made you how you are...essentially saying it's his fault not yours. Have you ever listened to those sad old fuckers at AA meetings? All they do is pray to god and put blame on everyone BUT themselves. It's fucking pathetic.