(June 15, 2016 at 12:42 pm)robvalue Wrote: I feel more and more that religion is used as a tool to achieve political goals. The people at the top don't have to believe any of it, they just need those on the ground to believe it, to motivate them with magical threats/promises.If anything in your doctrines makes sense to a fifth grader of at least average intelligence, you're out of luck.
I suppose ultimately there is no authority for what is and isn't a religion, just like no one can decree someone is or isn't a Christian.
The only real sense would be legal... how is this covered I wonder? I think in America you have to be a certain size to get tax breaks, and pretend you're sort of a charity. But what else do you need? You also get to not show your books, for some reason. So what would the government accept as a minimum before giving you these unfair advantages? How stupid do your beliefs and rituals need to be?
The god who allows children to be raped out of respect for the free will choice of the rapist, but punishes gay men for engaging in mutually consensual sex couldn't possibly be responsible for an intelligently designed universe.
I may defend your right to free speech, but i won't help you pass out flyers.
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.
--Voltaire
Nietzsche isn't dead. How do I know he lives? He lives in my mind.
I may defend your right to free speech, but i won't help you pass out flyers.
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.
--Voltaire
Nietzsche isn't dead. How do I know he lives? He lives in my mind.
