Nick Nicholson wrote:
I was awakened to the truth about religions when I was about 35 years old and Chairman of the School Board and member of the Church Board of one of the largest Lutheran churches in Michigan. In these positions, I found out the true nature of religions. The school shoved religion onto brainwashed children and failed to teach them much of known science when it conflicted with their religious teachings. And the only interest the church board ever had was raising money, especially enough to keep the diocese running. Yep. To hell with the poor. Yes, I have read the bible cover to cover more than once, and when I took a hard look at what it actually says, it supported my growing belief that religions were nothing but scams.
And over the last few years, it has become obvious that religions have become hate groups. I watched them in Kansas City in the 1990’s holding up signs that said "Kill the Gays." And signs held up by the same people that said “Join the Baptist Church….” Now, religions are into pushing for book banning, abuse of LGBTQ people, causing the deaths of more pregnant women because of their protracted fight to ban abortions nationwide, denial of basic human rights for gays, trans people, atheists, and same sex marriages. Last I heard, failure to be able to obtain an abortion is responsible for a 6 percent increase in deaths of pregnant women in states where abortion has been banned. And religious wars continue in Nigeria where Christians are killing Moslems and vice-versa. And the fact is that the Christian religion has been murdering or supporting the murder of over 12 million people over the last 2,000 years. Not just the crusades either. Christians used the charge of “blasphemy” to have their personal enemies killed, including burning at a stake. Then the Spanish Inquisition and the Salem witch trials. Then on to Africa and South America where they murdered native people who refused to accept Jesus Christ as their lord and savior. And Martin Luther, a Christian who founded the Lutheran Church, encouraged Hitler to murder 6 million Jews. Nice guy. Really followed the supposed love they neighbor requirement of his bible.
In any case, certain members of this forum have become downright hateful, vicious, and profane in their comments to me because I have challenged their beliefs in Christianity. So, I decided to state my opinions and conclusions as an article so the haters can have one spot to curse me and will not have to go looking all over. Here goes.
There is exactly not one verifiable piece of evidence that anything in the Bible is true. Not one. There is exactly not one single piece of valid evidence that any gods have ever existed. Not just the Christian god. This includes any of the other 2,000+ gods invented by 4,000 religions of mankind throughout history. If we get rid of Christianity, undoubtedly, some other sect will pop up. There is exactly no provable reason to believe that any religion is anything but a scam created for the purpose of controlling others and taking their wealth. That is exactly what religions do. Some will actually help the poor now and then in an effort to demonstrate their belief in their book, but the end result is always recruit more members for their bankrolls. The real reason churches act benevolent is to attract more members to join the flock for fleecing. And they make a major effort to conduct both Sunday schools and secular schools for one purpose. That purpose is the brainwashing of children into believers for the rest of their lives in order to maintain and grow the flock over time for the purposes of controlling them and taking their money.
Christianity uses the carrot and stick approach to controlling others and fleecing them. The carrot is the false promise of heaven and the stick is the phony threat of hell. Interestingly enough, in order to keep that control going for as long as possible and covering virtually everyone in the church, you can sin all you want, and as long as you repent and believe in Jesus Christ before you die, you get to go to heaven anyway. Handy that little “get out of jail free” card, right? After all, all they really want is your money, and if they throw people out for not doing what they say, they would lose too much money. Longest running scam around.
Anyway, the good news is that year by year, more and more people are figuring out that religions are a scam. A study made a few years ago found that about 40 percent of Americans claimed they are not religious. Studies also found that the more educated and the more intelligent Americans are the ones who figured out that Christianity is a scam. Yes, a well backed, well deigned scam, but a scam, period. And yes, Christianity has seriously become a hate group. Comments on my comments elsewhere prove that. I have been vilified, cursed, called every name they can think of, and explicitly told that they hate gays, same sex marriage, trans people, and others not following their decrees. Yes, they propose eliminating the freedoms others have while they continue oppressing anyone they disagree with and are continuing to make major efforts to prohibit abortion nationwide. Not to mention the recent growth of Christian Nationalists, a strong reminder of Hitler’s minions. Then the religious nuts in Alabama went off the rails to declare Invitro fertilized frozen cells at fertilization clinics as babies and established legal penalties for the loss of a single cell. So, the clinics are shutting down due to the threat from this absurd law. Just more stupidity that demonstrates the validity of the claim that Christianity is all about control of others. Next, they will have adults and kids jailed for masturbation. And seriously, my claim of their fleecing of their flocks is further supported by the meme below about Joel Osteen, a TV preacher in Houston, Texas.
I was awakened to the truth about religions when I... (
show quote)
Okay Nick, I see you faced the seven deadly sins, head on. And as a person who listens, I can say your complaint against religion is founded in truth. So, I have empathy, however, for you to turn away from God, and blame God, for men and women in committing sins, you are then blaming the wrong horse.
Now, how is a religious group a hate group?
I never understood that concept. And here's why,
Some religious groups, especially Christian groups are founded on peace, not war. Christianity has always preached for peace, and Christ, the head of the Church taught, "Love Thy Neighbor". So, to blame the whole organization for believing in Christ, because the actions of a few is selfish and unfair. Therefore, many people here on the OPP will challenge you, often in fighting words, on that subject. I am not going to do that. Instead, what I am going to do is explore your post, and tell you where I think you are right, and where the conclusion is wrong.
The Bible is a collection of books, that are believed to be inspired by the word of God. That is all the books are. The book is a record of one family's plight through life, the ages and for all time. That one family was the family of Adam. With that being said, I will speak about the Judeo-Christian belief, and nothing else. I can only speak in what I know.
The family of Adam is a story of innocence that was, at an early age, attacked by the angels. This attack was so bad against the species that fear that rests in every human being, is derived from that attack. From that point on, mankind has healed from that attack. However, the story is also about promises that were fulfilled, and promises that are to come.
The book also establishes in an ancient way, a method of gaining fidelity with God. In the whole of the book, since the book was written by man, man recognizes both God and the devil. The good and evil.
Using the mentality of man through the ages, the evidence and interpretation of the evidence has brought to life a rich knowledge to mankind that is preserved to those who were not there.
When I was younger, I thought I could prove God. The problem is that if a person does not accept God or is angry at God, that person is not open enough to understand God, therefore can never appreciate that God speaks to man, through man. But God does not stop communicating to man through man, but resorts to nature, and all things created.
God is trying to prove He exists, where the devil or adversary seeks to prove, that the devil does not exist.
Now that's many contradictions, we can put that on hold. Let's sum up some of your complaints.
1. A school shoving religion onto brainwashed children and failed to teach them much of known science when it conflicted with their religious teachings.
2. The church authority is only interested in money.
3. discriminating against the LGBTQ community by taking away their human rights.
4. abortion issue.
5. Christian Churches are responsible for the murder over the past 2,000 years.
I am checking if this is your complaint before I respond. Did I about sum up your complaint?