What's your religion?

[LostInNerSpace]

I'm a scientist. Our doctrine is rationalism. We believe the Lord Einstein will be resurrected in a Japanese laboratory sometime in the not too distant future.

[Peguy]

Originally Posted by heart

Western Civilization more and more affected by New Thought/New Age/Neo-Paganism-Earth/Greenism religion. If one absorbs any media or is in public education system, no way to avoid it now. Not that many even questioning if they want this or if it is a good thing, just accept it.

I have given much thought to this issue before, and overall I can only say that it's influence is due to several factors concerning the weaknesses of "Christendom". However, on the overal philosophical scale - it doesn't really stand much chance against Christianity, due to its several internal weaknesses.

A concentrated effort on the part of Christian revivalism could easily swipe this heresy aside, like all the other heresies before.

I could go into more details about this, but I'm just not in the mood really.

[Oleander]

We know how Christianity dealt with independent thought in the past. The Inquisition was only one small part of a long history of violence and suppression. Christians may have been advised to take up your cross but the reality has been crucifying everybody else. I prefer the ideas of Valentinus, who was a Christian but not as is understood today. Even by his day, the 200s, what was to make itself The Church was working to eliminate dissidents.

[Peguy]

Originally Posted by Oleander

We know how Christianity dealt with independent thought in the past. The Inquisition was only one small part of a long history of violence and suppression.

As scholars have been discovering for at least 20 years now(especially with the opening of the Vatican archives), the supposed bloody trail of the Inquisition has been blown out of proportion. Barely 2% of all people ever brought before the Inquisition were ever executed, which meant an average of three people per year. Most previous estimates of executions were largely based off the numbers of effigees burnt, not actual people.

The vast majority of people brought before the Inquisition received rather light sentences, mostly house arrest(which in practice largely amounted to a daily curfew).

We could also add that the Inquisition was one of the first legal institutions to mandate that a defendant had a right to a lawyer; and that the court would provide one if the defendant couldn't afford one.

[Journey]

Originally Posted by Victor

Are you a politician or a Christian?

I am at a complete loss to understand what you are asking and why.

Politicians influence a group of people to attain or wield power. I have no such intentions. (My only attempt at an answer.)

I think I now have a glimmer of what you are getting at, and I don't think you understand what a Christian is at all.

[Peguy]

Originally Posted by Journey

I am at a complete loss to understand what you are asking and why.

Welcome to the club.

[Eryndil]

Christian - kind of liberal and not really a member of any particular church.

[dynamiteninja]

Roman Catholic - but as liberal as you can get.

[Peguy]

Originally Posted by dynamiteninja

Roman Catholic - but as liberal as you can get.

I'm disappointed in you.

[Victor]

Originally Posted by Journey

I am at a complete loss to understand what you are asking and why.

Politicians influence a group of people to attain or wield power. I have no such intentions. (My only attempt at an answer.)

I think I now have a glimmer of what you are getting at, and I don't think you understand what a Christian is at all.

You asked me to pray for a particular political outcome.

And this violates the separation of Church and State.

And along with the Constitution I irrevocably support the separation of Church and State.

And I pointed out that you don't seem to understand that our secular Constitutions arose out of the Wars of Denominational Religion.

And that our Constitutions guarantee freedom of religions.

The Islamists want to replace our Constitutions with Sharia. Then there would be no freedom of religion.

I do think your views are dangerous to Christianity and all other religions.