Whaaattt?

He's better off out of any organisation like that.

 

But that's his community. His children rely on the priest for their places at the local RC school. He shouldn't be subjected to harassment and undue personal pressure for simply doing what his community voted him into parliament to do.

 

Render unto Caesar, that which is Caesar’s?

 

More on churches and their doings. You won’t believe it…

Leicester Church of England: A preacher asked me out and then started stalking me

 

If I had my way there would be none of these faith schools around, they condemn grammar schools but still allow the nonsense to go on.

 

I agree. They perpetuate division far more than any grammar school. When I was at grammar school we did have a religious element of sorts to the morning assembly, and although I attended I never actively took part. Even at that age I disliked organised religion, and any suggestion there was a caring and loving God!

 

Absolutely, @pete. Indoctrination of children should never be allowed within a school, state or private.

 

My husband was born and raised Catholic, Catholic schools, Alter boy, Catholic College . I am Protestant. Of our 38 year marriage, he will go to my church, but he never goes to his church. But, we do attend weddings and funerals in Catholic churches of his friends, and relatives. It is eye opening of the money spent for certain funerals. The more Priests up on the alter praying for the person in the casket the higher the soul goes, well according to what I hear from husband.

And when his Catholic brother got a divorce, wow, the thousands of dollars and the paperwork that had to be done for the Catholic church to end that marriage, what a racket. Yes, and he has a daughter, don't ask how they view her, who knows. I just roll my eyes.

Probably because the minister that married us was not a Priest his parent probably did not think we were really married, and we got married in a garden courtyard. LOL.

When the youngest brother of husband got married, he married a Catholic girl, I heard my Mother in Law say, she wished all her children had married Catholics, yep, old lady that is how you develop a good relationship. Good thing her approval toward me truly did not count in my eyes, as I was 36 by then had an established career, and had run two households by then, so did not need her input into anything.

 

Religion can certainly be divisive in partnerships, families and communities. I went to Sunday School as a child, did the 2 years compulsory RE subject at grammar school and that was it. My mother was somewhat keener on the church than was my father but neither pushed myself or my siblings either way.
I never set foot in a church - not even for my father's funeral ( just sat outside in the graveyard ) until about 3 years ago. The only reason I do that is because I agreed to locking and unlocking the church on a rota basis. The history of the church building is fascinating as it dates back to Norman times and was a Priory before that. The religious aspect doesn't bother me and I often enjoy a quiet word with the Dinosaur fossil and those entombed. Trying to imagine what their lives were like in the previous centuries. Plus of course, it's also a damn sight cooler in there at the moment

 

Religion has always, since day 1 thousands of years ago, been about teaching obedience and fear, not about teaching morality, kindness, analytical thought and questioning authority or systems. This applies to the witch doctor to the most grand, elevated ranks of the Roman Catholic church, the C of E, the envangelicals, Muslims and all religions that teach followers to consider themselves above the rest who are in need of saving.

It's about power and control more than care and nurture.

 

Being good for fear of consequences (ie a god's wrath, eternity in a hell, etc) traps people at the moral development level of a 6 yr old. That is the tragedy of religion.

 

I'd like to see some comments on the above by the people on this forum who DO have a religious conviction. Just to help balance the books, as it were.

 

Not sure what you mean by someone who "does have a religious conviction" Growing up in the hard core Pentecost Protestant church, we were taught even the wrong thought would send you to hell. Finally at about 15 I realized that God cannot send you to Hell for seeing Gone with the Wind movie, he was a loving God. And so went my journey. How one is convicted depends on the relationship one has with God, the length of time with God, the experiences etc. But that is my opinion. In general, we are all humans, we do dumb things, only by grace are we saved. And I know I will do more dumb things in the future. As we humans are frail beings. I don't run about yelling Christianity etc. and thinking my way is the only way, I am always interested in other religions. It is just that many religions have that human component of Egos to want people to follow their way, to feel superior that people follow them, but instead its the following the teaching of the word that is far more important. And that word, we can all jump in on how one interprets that word, and what word, and who wrote the word. I look about in my own little town, there are 12 protestant churches, all 12 believe that their way is the only way to teach the Bible.
So again, what is religious conviction? Totally subjective. Same question would be What is a good marriage?

 

I wasn't even in my teens when I came to the conclusion that if there was a god he certainly wasn't a loving god. If he was loving, why did my father who was sports mad have a heart attack at 32 which stopped him playing sport. A loving god wouldn't do that. We were also told that god was all powerful, so he must be responsible for everything that happens. My Grandmother had been active all her life then had a stroke which meant she couldn't even get out of bed without help. My best friend was sports mad but was in a wheelchair from his mid 30s due to degenerative disease. If that's your loving god, I want nothing to do with him/her/it.