If you are RELIGIOUS, you should be a FUNDAMENTALIST. <---meaning you should FOLLOW EVERY RULE

[martin and co]

I realize that most people are born into their respective religions, but as they grow older, they have the choice to stay in that religion or not.

I agree with you about the Bible thing. Man wrote it, yet today, many religions are teaching from it. If someone doesn't agree with how their religion works, why not do one of the three things I listed in the OP?

No one needs religion. We all know what's right and wrong. One can believe in a god without religion.

1. What does "stay in that religion" mean? Writing a letter to the pope to tell him you quit? pointless. Convert? pointless. You are who you are andif you go out of your way to make a change to change something that theres no point in changing, you're just wasting time.

2. You edited your OP so I didn't reply with those changes in mind. I do so below:

a. Whats the point in changing religions? Its all the same stuff just paraphrased.
b. Does the 40/hr/week average joe really have the time and money to start, organize, and promote his own religion? No.
3. Whats the point to "leave your religion" and believe in "your god"? Like, what difference does that make? So you can sayyou're not affiliated with ______ anymore? I think no one can be held responsible for a organizations misdeeds. If every catholic who feels the catholicchurch committed crimes would officially leave their faith, then why doesn't every single person who disagrees with ANYTHING their country does hand intheir citizenship?

Whats the point in religion? Well, whats the point in anything? Most things have a human-imposed meaning to them, so whats wrong with the social gathering thatis church?

Besides religion, theres really very little else in this world that ever set a moral compass for people. Ok, so its legal to sleep with a million women, watchporn, use profanity, steal as long as you don't get caught, lie as long as you're not under oath, etc. but should you do/use those things? Well I thinkif you compare people who do those things, and people who don't, the ones who don't are on average "better people", with exceptions ofcourse. Yes the catholic church participated in the crusades, but it also established a worldwide heathcare system. Some catholic council (forget which)mandated that all churches build neighboring hospitals and care for the sick regardless of whether they can pay for the treatment or not. I just use thecatholic church as an example since its so controversial, but I'm not catholic myself.

Religion is really pop-culture and a part of life at this point, like the happy birthday song (why sing it? because. Why not write your own? because.) andtheres really no point to go to drastic measures to distance yourself from it for the heck of it.

 

[jdmevoixmr]

Originally Posted by rawjs

OP,
You make a very good point, BUT plenty of fundamentalists make-up the rules to benefit themselves as well

QFT. Don't listen to what anybody says unless they can back it up. If they just say "well I think" then it's some hot basura.

 

[kickmatic23]

interesting points made... i'm not getting involved tho, i think its best when one keeps their beliefs to themselves