Quote:
Originally Posted by Madmartagen
im assuming you are talking about christianity coleman and nyck. can anyone here please tell me why christianity or religion for that matter is benefitial and not just a waste of time, money, effort and space?
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Maybe not you, but alot of people would have trouble living life without the "safety net" of the belief in an afterlife. It gives hope to alot of people. Churches can be used as support groups, you make friends and relationships in a good church - There's alot more to christianity than angry ultra-conservative whinging mothers.
Also, there are guidelines to live life by if you take the bible for what it is - A metaphorical "storybook" with meanings and morals that can be applied to everyday life.
That's how I was brought up and I haven't practised in years, yet those morals and guidelines have stayed with me and are in the back of my mind constantly in everday life.
Some people take it the wrong way and apparently these same people have the loudest voices when it comes to imposing their bullshit on everyone else.
My father and mother, are both dedicated baptists, and yet they have no problems with fitting in to society. They never try to "recruit" people to christianity. Ever. I stopped going to church when I was like 14 and they respected my decision and never brought anything up about it again. They never asked me to explain myself or anything....
They have no problems with interracial relationships (My brother in-law is full samoan), other religions (infact - my father has a deep interest in other religions), gays or gay marriage (My parents have many gay friends), or anything that typically fires up these kinds of christians, I'm very proud of my parent's (and most other christians I know - and Jews for that matter) ability to practise religion and still be very, VERY open-minded.
To top it off, my father and mother both work high priority careers in the education and health industries respectively - They have never tried to intergrate their religous beliefs in to their jobs.
I'm not trying to brag here, I'm just using them as an example for what christianity and religion means to me, and as an example for how I believe those who choose to be religious should act, and how many do act.
Religious people should keep it to themselves, unless asked, because generally most people have made their minds up about religion and that should be understood and should be respected.
Unfortunately, because of that subtle christian appearance people don't even realise they're christian unless they ask and thus only the loud-mouth, annoying, extreme, try-to-make-you-convert, type christians create the face of the christian religion.
So I can absolutely understand what you're saying....
