Again this man, now in Nirvana, tells it like it is, in my view, anyway....

-- Modified on 10/25/2008 7:32:10 AM

As a believer in both God and money, both (in sufficient supply) are real and necessary for a complete and happy life. Too many religions are unnecessary, institutional shrines to God as bank and bankers are to money

-- Modified on 10/25/2008 11:51:10 AM

I agree with your posts heading.

While I honestly believe that religion in and of itself is contrary to the development and well being of the human person, as it advocates the position that a human cannot know anything of value and must depend on revelation ostensibly from "God" but in actuality from a church hierarchy, I do believe in a transcendent dimension to life, in spirituality. For me this takes the form of Bakti Yoga.

But politically, I think religious institutions should be taxed as the for profit machines that they are.

Cheers

Gregory

-- Modified on 10/25/2008 11:16:26 AM

' I am however a worshipper....

George Carlin worshiped the Sun, because the Sun posed no judgment upon him, he could see and feel the sun, and the sun provided the essential sustenance for his life.

I worship the lady I am with at the time, for the same reasons '

Spirituality is a demonstration of how much God (however you define him) loves me.

Religion is (among other things) a demonstration of how much people love God.

I need the former whereas I do not believe that God needs the latter.

Youd still be running around in the jungle eating berries and fucking your sister.

Religion is the first form of government ever.

How about "Kill them all, God knows his own", a quote from a pope (forget his name) preceding the massacre of a town in southern France during the Albigensian crusade. Organized religion is responsible for more butchery on this planet than any other social or political movement. It is very naive, to think that we need a religio/political hierarchy to tell us how to live, so that we may be civilized.... and I'm not at all sure that organized religion played any roll in the early evolution of man....

-- Modified on 10/25/2008 12:50:58 PM

Before Chistianity. Before Rome. Before the Vikings. And you will find strong minded men using some means to control the weaker.

Religon was the first thing that could do this on a large scale.

Now we have guns and stuff so we dont really need the other stuff. Violence has become the ultimate authority from which all law derives.

Oh come on, organized religion has been entirely and singularly about political oppression until recent times. Ever heard of Liberation Theology?

and we still have violence, what is the point of your post?