Why do religions have to convert people?

Is there a god? What is the meaning of life?
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Thinktank
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Re: Why do religions have to convert people?

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Speaking of white supremacists - the church I went to was a little bit 'white supremacist' just
like some other churches. The JWs actually believe they are God's only true church on earth.
That's very similar to white supremacists. And the church I was going to believed they were better
than all the other churches, because we went strictly by the bible, not man's made up nonsense, like
other churches.
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janalta
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Re: Why do religions have to convert people?

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That's just one of the entirely ridiculous things about religion.
How many religious sects can really be the one true church ?
Jews claim to be the original church of god's word.
Catholics claim to be the almighty powerful word of god and his son.
Jw's are gods one true church.
LDS are the one true church, and the only true account of the life of Joseph Sm...er...I mean....Jesus Christ.

So - either ALL churches are too full of themselves to know what the truth really is - or god doesn't have a clue what he's doing, keeps changing his mind about what he meant to say...and really isn't so almighty after all.

Or...it was all just invented by humans, who twisted words, meanings and laws to suit their needs.
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Thinktank
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Re: Why do religions have to convert people?

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The reason there are a billion Christians on earth is the bible has too many things in it
to be invented by people - so those one billion Christians 'believe.'

The reason there are so many different churches around and each one has a confident preacher standing at the front,
is that people give money to churches in exchange for the church doing some good things. But none
of those churches are the true church, and no person knows much more about God than another person.
We probably know about as much about God as the percent of brain that we use, which is small. But maybe
it's better than nothing, even the most crooked giant $billion dollar churches.

Maybe the churches are better than nothing.
WHEN WILL WESTERN WAR PIGS WIND THIS UKRAINIAN GENOCIDE DOWN?????????????

"Fisman's Fraud" - most important Canadian book of 2024. covid fear tactics of fraudulent scientist David Fisman - misinformation distributed by U of Toronto researchers.
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Thinktank
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Re: Why do religions have to convert people?

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Don't communist countries try to say there is no God and no church?

How did that work out for places like Russia and Ukraine?
WHEN WILL WESTERN WAR PIGS WIND THIS UKRAINIAN GENOCIDE DOWN?????????????

"Fisman's Fraud" - most important Canadian book of 2024. covid fear tactics of fraudulent scientist David Fisman - misinformation distributed by U of Toronto researchers.
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maryjane48
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Re: Why do religions have to convert people?

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money
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janalta
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Re: Why do religions have to convert people?

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People believe because the bible has too many things in it to be invented by people ????
That doesn't make sense....not even a little bit.
Books, technology, movies, automobiles, space travel, medicine, poetry, flight, fashion, industry.....all invented by people -a whole lot more astounding, fascinating and realistic than what is written in the bible.

Communism is a political system...not a religion.
The great majority of society operates just fine without Christianity....has for thousands of years, always will.
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alexoliversen
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Re: Why do religions have to convert people?

Post by alexoliversen »

I remember a comment by another forumer, not to mention names, said Christianity was the Monsanto of Religions. This comment struck a cord with me, as it seems like all religions are ineffable by nature thus force/will you to believe what they believe. Through I have do not have problem with Christianity as much as I have a problem with Muslims Extremists or Christian Cultist(Wako Texas, Jonestown, LRA). As the claim for a greater good means peace for all people, forcing someone to believe, sometimes by force, such as Muslim Extremist or Christian Cults, is anti-thesis of one united humanity and one god. As it implies sides and opposition. Even in such religions they use terms like, "Peace be with you," and "Peace on Earth as it is in Heaven." Yet how is that peaceful? If we look at the Golden Rule then allowing others live in peace is to allow oneself to live in peace.

It saddens me to see people who try to force people into their beliefs. We all have a right to search for truth and peace, but it should not be at the cost of others.
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janalta
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Re: Why do religions have to convert people?

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Don't most religious people force others to believe and follow their religion every day though ?
Those people are called....parents.
While I wouldn't go so far as many militant atheists by saying that the religious indoctrination of children is a form of child abuse ( ok, some of the extreme methods used by religious zealots IS abuse ), I do personally feel that it effectively stifles and child's natural curiosity, free will and free thinking. It is a form of brainwashing and I truly feel for the children of deeply religious parents.
Children are supposed to question, that's how they learn and grow. Religion snuffs that out....you don't question our religion, you just believe what I tell you.
Religion teaches them to believe what they are told by those in authority without question. It teaches them to be afraid of things that don't exist, to sit around passively and beg a being that doesn't exist to solve their problems for them.It teaches them that bad things don't just happen by random chance or because bad people make them happen...because everything is part of god's plan. It effectively causes them to be nagged by feelings of confusion, fear, shame and guilt for the rest of their lives.
Children will believe what their parents and grandparents tell them. They believe that Santa flies around the world in one night delivering presents and that a magic bunny hides chocolate for them....because grown ups don't lie and know everything.
If a child can not reason the flaws behind the Santa and Easter bunny myths....how can they possibly be expected to truly grasp and understand the religious garbage that is being preached to them ?
You tell them that Jesus was god's son...but he had to die to pay for all of the bad people's sins. So....does that child have the capacity to differentiate that story from reality ? Is dad going to kill him if he lies or steals or hits his sister ?
God had to flood the earth and kill all of the men, women and children...along with all of the animals...because people were bad.
Bad people go to hell and burn for all eternity.
A five year old does not have the reasoning skills to know that 'bad' isn't misbehaving at school or fighting with a sibling.
What a horrendous fear to instill in your poor children !!
You tell them about the devil and hell...and then wonder why they're afraid of monsters and the dark.
You tell them that to go to heaven and be with god ( the one who kills babies ) , they have to believe what you teach them...all of it. They learn that only the chosen people from your one true church get to be happy forever....so sorry about your Jewish best friend from school.

Don't force your religion on your children !!! Teach them everything about this world....teach them what your family believes....but teach them also about all of the other religions out there. Teach them about atheists and agnostics and explain why these people don't believe the same things. Teach them about Zeus, Apollo and Thor. Teach them about science, astronomy, archeology, history, evolution.
Teach them to think for themselves. Give them all of the information in the world so that when they're old enough, they can choose what to believe....and let them know that you will love them and accept them unconditionally, no matter what they choose.
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Re: Why do religions have to convert people?

Post by canada bound »

Recently my 9 yr old son lost a friendship, we were disappointed especially for the reason.

When they played together the other day, the young boy who is very Christian asked my son, do you believe in God?

My son who is very interested in Science and recently watched the Jack Black movie "Nacho Libre", said

in a rough Mexican accent

"I believe in Science"

That was enough for his parents to keep him away, I guess he now was a perceived threat to their way of belief.
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cliffy1
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Re: Why do religions have to convert people?

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janalta wrote:Don't force your religion on your children !!! Teach them everything about this world....teach them what your family believes....but teach them also about all of the other religions out there. Teach them about atheists and agnostics and explain why these people don't believe the same things. Teach them about Zeus, Apollo and Thor. Teach them about science, astronomy, archeology, history, evolution.
Teach them to think for themselves. Give them all of the information in the world so that when they're old enough, they can choose what to believe....and let them know that you will love them and accept them unconditionally, no matter what they choose.

Excellent, Exactly how I feel about the subject. I was raised catholic but from a very early age I rejected it as absurd. I studied many religions, spiritual paths, psychology. quantum physics, metaphysics and much more. My personal cosmology is unique to me. When asked what I believe in I say I'm a spiritual anarchist but lately I realize that has too many restrictions. I'm just a human being trying to make sense of the insanity around me - politics, religion, war, environmental destruction....

Humans have a very warped sense of their place on this Earth and within the cosmic dance and I place a great deal of the blame for that at the feet of religion.
Trying to get spiritual nourishment from a two thousand year old book is like trying to suck milk from the breast of a woman who has been dead that long.
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Hmmm
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Re: Why do religions have to convert people?

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cliffy1 wrote:Excellent, Exactly how I feel about the subject. I was raised catholic but from a very early age I rejected it as absurd. I studied many religions, spiritual paths, psychology. quantum physics, metaphysics and much more. My personal cosmology is unique to me. When asked what I believe in I say I'm a spiritual anarchist but lately I realize that has too many restrictions. I'm just a human being trying to make sense of the insanity around me - politics, religion, war, environmental destruction....

Humans have a very warped sense of their place on this Earth and within the cosmic dance and I place a great deal of the blame for that at the feet of religion.

Don't take this wrong, but it sound like you are or we're heavily into drugs as a youth. LSD? Shrooms?

It's not that I don't agree with some of what you say, but the way you say it sounds like an acid trip. Duuuuuuuude.
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Re: Why do religions have to convert people?

Post by hobbyguy »

It doesn't take LSD or 'shrooms to have moments when you see through the absurdities of organized religions.

Simply generalized (I know, look out!) we are born with an innate morality. If and when you really get in touch with that part of yourself, it will be in conflict with parts of the practices and teachings of organized religions. http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/11/as-babies-we-knew-morality/281567/

Organized religions are little more than the political parties of moral and spiritual thought. Party "line" is promoted to support the power structure of the religion (which is often intertwined with political power - see the Holy Roman Empire for an example). Party discipline can be nasty - see the Inquisition for an example.

Tithes = taxes. Ever notice that the grandest structures of societies with a theocratic bent are temples, churches - or whatever word is used in that society? And who "lives large" around those structures?

Ever looked into the politics of those who decided what books would be included in the bible? Or what the rejected books said? Or why the "Christian" bible contains the old testament at all? Or includes Revelations?

Or ask those questions during confirmation lessons and observe the reaction?

Ever wondered why if the line of thought and teachings is so powerfully good, organized religions always have a version of heresy and labels for heretics?

That said, within the teachings of most organized religions are kernels of wisdom. You often need hip waders to find them though...
The middle path - everything in moderation, and everything in its time and order.
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Hmmm
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Re: Why do religions have to convert people?

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hobbyguy wrote:It doesn't take LSD or 'shrooms to have moments when you see through the absurdities of organized religions.

.
i take neither and I can easily see through it, but that was not my point. My point was the way he described his journey. And yes, it for sure sounded like a trip do some sort. No judgement call on it, but I know what they sound like.
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Thinktank
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Re: Why do religions have to convert people?

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one of the organized religions that impresses me least is the JWs.

I could get a whole thread going on them.
WHEN WILL WESTERN WAR PIGS WIND THIS UKRAINIAN GENOCIDE DOWN?????????????

"Fisman's Fraud" - most important Canadian book of 2024. covid fear tactics of fraudulent scientist David Fisman - misinformation distributed by U of Toronto researchers.
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Re: Why do religions have to convert people?

Post by Jo »

Then by all means do, but keep this one on topic.
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