If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.
Discuss.
Can’t Bring Yourself to Type the Word “Ass”?
Eager to share our brilliant political commentary and blunt media criticism, but too genteel to link to horsesass.org? Well, good news, ladies: we also answer to HASeattle.com, because, you know, whatever. You're welcome!
Sounds like a foundation for a cult….alienation first and foremost.
OTOH, if tradition and ritual become ossified, and lose meaning beyond merely doing things the way they’ve always been done, then shaking up the usual relationships could make sense – like forming an intentional community.
Sounds like a typical family to me. Imagine a female rabbit with more hungry bunnies than tits, all jammed together in a cramped hole, you get my drift …
Liberal Scientist has it right. The early Christians were a cult … a small group of believers in the magical powers of their beliefs. Their behavior was seen recently with your Jonestown cult.
The scary thing is the bad effects when such cults grow large … a phenomenon of religious fanaticism pioneered by the Roman State and since practiced by its descendants. The blood spilled by the crusaders and the Arab conquerors has since nourished the demons of slavery and genocide,
Do not be fooled by the use of My name.
So if God is the great un named being, the “I Am That I Am,” perhaps Science is the real God?
Anyhow, as an atheist I revel in the miracles we humans can do. So today, over at TA, I posted some comments from a small group f scientists, many of whom I know. Their work should make any believer jealous of the miracles wrought in the name of science.
From 1,
Yes, Christianity is the most successful cult ever. It really took on a momentum of its own once the Roman emperor, Constantine, took over the early Christian church and used it solidify his power. After him, the Frankish king, Clovis, managed to adopt Christianity as a means to of be the first emporer of the Holy Roman Empire. He killed a lot of people to get there, too!
Major religions are pretty much successful cults that gained acceptance and power through guile and deceit.
Well, that certainly explains the evangelical right.
That explains a lot. The RW has self-loathing like they stocked up at Costco.
“…your Jonestown cult.”
To whom are you pinning Jim Jones?
(I address the question to Steve Schwartz, not “God”)
That would have been the Nazerite stoned on ‘shrooms and Ergot…
I am not sure God is paying attention, but I imagine the deity as a non human would see Jonestown, Pol Pot, Shaka Zulu, etc as being of us rather than of the Deity.
Speaking for myself, I think bad cults are very normal human things. Isn’t the explanation of why so many folks buy Apple stuff at a premium? Oh hey, don’t American have cults over Miley Cyrus, Madonna, Tom Cuise, health foods…, or do those religions have other names?
Apple marks great stuff, but it costs an arm and a leg! If they we cheaper, they might give other companies some serious competition.
Yes but Applefans are devout.
@7 No…Sam’s Club. They’d never deign to set foot in a joint run by bleeding-heart liberals who actually give their employees a fair shake?
This is why religious organizations should be subject to the same laws as the rest of us.
“The vice principal of Eastside Catholic school, who was fired last month after school officials learned he had married his male partner, said … he was told he could keep his job if he got a divorce. Mark Zmuda, 38, … said the school’s president told him he could keep his job if he divorced his husband of five months and had a commitment ceremony with his partner.”
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/.....f-divorce/
Roger Rabbit Commentary: This would be somewhat understandable if they fired him for being gay based on a religious objection to homosexuality. But they’re not objecting to his homosexuality. They’re not even objecting to living with his male partner. They’ve told him he can teach in their Catholic schools even though he’s gay and even if he lives with his male partner. They’re objecting to a social policy of our state. They’re punishing him for exercising a civil right that state law gives him. AND THAT’S A DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT. There’s no way the Church wins this. If they can fire employees for this, they also can fire employees for voting, or having children, or riding a bicycle, or any number of other legal activities.
Hey, you can find all kinds of neat shit on You Tube! Here’s a Republican predicting 40% unemployment if Obama is
re-elected.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypDjtNOeDZw