Quote:
Originally Posted by mercuryrising  So what do you suggest? Jesus is an enlightened man. You don't wish to enter an institution that studies his teachings. Furthermore, you think that they are trying to keep people from becoming like Christ himself.
Your argument seems to lead to banishing Jesus to obscurity because you see a no-win situation.
As far as controlling the masses, materialism has been much more effective. Compare how many advertisements promising to make us all rock stars you and I view per day in comparison to religious commentary. |
You have misunderstood my statement. My point is that Christianity has been hi-jacked. I can and do study the teachings of Jesus without entering an institution. I do so because Christian institutions do NOT exist to further Jesus's teaching, but to self-perpetuate and to further their own goals.
I don't see where I have argued to 'banish Jesus to obscurity because I see a no-win situation.' (Please point that out to me in my post, because if it is there I misspoke.) What I argue is that Jesus's teachings have been overshadowed by, as another poster said, "The hypocrisy, controlling, punishing, conditional love and conflicts of interest, the money, lying, abuse on many levels, power tripping, hiding of truths to further their own interests."
Your statement comparing the methods used by Christianity to control the masses to advertisements and commercialism is laughable. I have yet to see a commercial that claims if I don't buy their product I'll spend an eternity in hell, burning in a non-consuming fire and suffering never-ending intense thirst and indescribable agony. Now, THAT is control!
Let's talk about the Christian belief that one's reward is in heaven, some invisible place that exists in the clouds or beyond where the streets are paved with gold and there's a mansion with my name on it if I only follow the rules. And by the way, when the plate is passed I should put my hard-earned money in it for the Christian church to use here and now, since MY reward will come after I have died. In this way, Christianity convinces folks that it's honorable to be poor and deprived here in this life. And why? So those poor folks will give the little money that they have to the Christian institution. How convenient for Christianity that they can go about instructing us all to look for our reward in heaven. Can't be disproved, can it?