My DW spoke and sang at TSCC today so here I sit in the back of the chapel with my daughter and two of my sons listening to the old fart that talks last pontificate about the torture and death of the first hippie.

The older I get the more I am convinced that people need to be led.

Guilt, guilt, guilt. It is so annoying.

Be glad you have you can surf the web during Sac Meeting. In my day all we could do to pass the time was write "...in bed" underneath every title in the hymn book.

Ah! So that was you who did that! ;)

I think the vast majority need and want to be led too. They want guilt, hope, community, ritual, and someone in control.

It's no coincidence that so many religions use the sheep analogy. You'd think people would be upset by that, but no, they like being led around like a bunch of sheep. Just slap a costume and hat on a religious leader and presto- the sheep have someone in charge.

I'm actually coming around to the opinion that religion is necessary to keep them under control, angst-free and entertained.

There are too many people out there who might not function well without religion shaping their thoughts. What would they do? Religion is really the only thing some people have going in their lives, especially among the lower socio-economical groups in the world where religion actually helps their situation in life- guilt and all.

If only religion wasn't so full of made up BS, it wouldn't be as bad.

Yeah it is so bizarre that I used to WANT to be a sheep.

Perhaps the primary driver that has led us (or some of us) out of the church is our rejection of submission as a virtue. I think you must reject parts of the church before any of the historical and doctrinal inconsistencies have any meaning to you. Prior to that you are blind: similar to a sheep following a shepherd into an abattoir rather than walking off into the green pastures beyond.

I really might have to start my own cult.

You mean they actually mentioned Jesus instead of talking about Joseph Smith? Wow, far out! ;)

My denomination (Lutheran) does the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday. I bowed out this year (see my post in the testimony of Jesus thread for why), but the times I have gone it seems way too torture-pornish for me.

The last time I was in a Catholic Church, I checked out the paintings they had for the stations of the cross. Agony. Pain. Suffering. Truly sick.

This is how they feel uplifted? This is what they keep coming back to see? No thanks.

People need to be led?

More likely they need to get laid.

Peacefully and purposely I pray.


inthenameofjeebuscristamen

amen

Cows voluntarily return to the barn for milking.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2014 07:57PM by donbagley.

Yaaaaa torture!!! ;-)

Hey man! How's it going, besides having to sit through sacrament?

I don't approve of the stations of the cross. I think it's intended to draw out the latent masochism in the worshippers and make them more submissive to authority.

I also don't think that all Christians celebrate torture. I'm aware of a large church that holds a "Resurrection Celebration" every Easter in a very large venue.

It's clear from the Gospels that God didn't torture Jesus; certain Jews and Romans did. That's the story, I'm not saying anyone has to believe it. It's also clearly stated that God resurrected Jesus. That could be why Easter tends to be more popular than Good Friday.