I dont think it is killing religion.
I think "Prosperity Gospel" is a heresy. Moreover, I think it was designed to line the pockets of certain ministers. To me, the whole concept of "giving to get" is an irresponsible doctrine to teach and disrespectful to God. God is not some "holy slot machine" into which you pour donations with the hope of getting a "jackpot" payoff.
Giving should be done to support one's church and as an expression of thanks for God's blessings. I give and, in many instances, I do so anonymously. I give with no expectation or hope that God is going to reward me. I give because I am humbled by and grateful for the success and life with which God has blessed me. I do not give because some modern day huckster is selling sacrilegious snake oil.
As far as "celebrity pastors," I happen to know a couple of these guys personally, and the level of self-absorbed narcissism is stomach turning.
Giving should be done to support one's church and as an expression of thanks for God's blessings. I give and, in many instances, I do so anonymously. I give with no expectation or hope that God is going to reward me. I give because I am humbled by and grateful for the success and life with which God has blessed me. I do not give because some modern day huckster is selling sacrilegious snake oil.
As far as "celebrity pastors," I happen to know a couple of these guys personally, and the level of self-absorbed narcissism is stomach turning.
Does anybody else have "losing my religion" by REM running through their head???
The Dark Ages. It was in that era that all science was thrown out as heresy and everything was put in the "Holy Book". All progress of mankind were catapulted back hundreds and hundreds of years. Yeah. All that work the Romans and the Greeks did? Aqueducts? Paved roads? Sewage systems? These existed LONG before the Dark Ages in the Roman Empire and we lost that technology until we after the Dark Ages had ended.
This isn't even accounting to all burning and pillaging "Christian" explorers did to the Aztecs, Mayans, Incans, and other native peoples of the Americas who had burned almost every text that defined their culture and technologies that were well beyond the Europeans at the time. There is a reason why what we do know pales in comparison to what we don't about the Native Americans. We burned their knowledge to a point where even their descendants are clueless about their heritage.
And, finally, there is finally the Creationists who, not long ago, wanted to replace Science courses with Creationism. They wanted to feel they were entitled to say the Earth is only 3,000 or so years old. They wanted to have the entitled right to say that dinosaurs never existed, that the bones archaeologists did up were planted by the hands of Lucifer to stray man from faith. They wanted to say that Evolution doesn't exist when it does and is proven by the Galapagos Islands itself, where Charles Darwin have first explored the idea of the Theory of Evolution.
It is fine to believe what you want. I myself am a pagan because I believe all faiths hold a part of a truth far grander than we can ever conceive. I believe, in a way, that our own personal beliefs govern our own realities. I will not stop you from believing what you believe but I'll be damned if you don't give me that same respect. What can't people just accept others beliefs and not fringe that science is true if for nothing else that it is proven to be? Science changes to fit what is true and what isn't. There are so many things that were thought to be true and then reversed by way of proving it to be (not by blind faith that it is). Plate Tectonics is the most notable case I can think of that shows that Science adapts and will always adapt to what is true and what isn't.
Im jumping way ahead of my typical argument. Religion is one thing, God is another. The answer to the OP is about religion. Ask yourself what is Religion? Can you have or Practice Religion without God?
Of course a lot of great thinkers have argued for and against God. Same with science. Gods existence doesn't come down to faith or belief even. I just know, aint an aswer. Sure there's theories both for and against. Most are just reworded first mover theories or Intelligent design, with Creationism thrown in. Others argue for evolution types ie we just popped into being living. That life just started.
Here's the short version, if ya want more it'll cost.
What kills most God arguments is the problem of evil (Google it) What kills the no God arguments is LOVE.
There are basically 2 kinds of Love. Broken down 2 ways. Egotistical(Egoism) and Altruistic(Altruism). Since we are animals in the sense we came from and are part of nature, we can look for examples of love in nature.
So define love and look around in nature for examples. You will see both egoism and altruism. We can explain egoism type love. Science can anyway. Most examples will fall into that catagory, including Religions.
But what science or anyone else cannot rationally explain is WHY Altruistic Love exists.
I argue it comes from God.
Of course a lot of great thinkers have argued for and against God. Same with science. Gods existence doesn't come down to faith or belief even. I just know, aint an aswer. Sure there's theories both for and against. Most are just reworded first mover theories or Intelligent design, with Creationism thrown in. Others argue for evolution types ie we just popped into being living. That life just started.
Here's the short version, if ya want more it'll cost.
What kills most God arguments is the problem of evil (Google it) What kills the no God arguments is LOVE.
There are basically 2 kinds of Love. Broken down 2 ways. Egotistical(Egoism) and Altruistic(Altruism). Since we are animals in the sense we came from and are part of nature, we can look for examples of love in nature.
So define love and look around in nature for examples. You will see both egoism and altruism. We can explain egoism type love. Science can anyway. Most examples will fall into that catagory, including Religions.
But what science or anyone else cannot rationally explain is WHY Altruistic Love exists.
I argue it comes from God.
And each points their finger at everybody else and says: We are right,they are wrong, everybody else is going to hell but us, because we got it right.
That is what I cannot stand about religion. A big part of why I stopped going to church was the preacher said if you watch church on TV you are going to hell. My grandma watched boston ave methodist churches broadcast on TV every sunday morning. I took it as an insult and basically saying my grandma was going to hell, because she was poor and didnt have nice enough clothes or the money to go to church. So, she watched it on tv. I dont see any problem with that.
I don't think the internet is killing religion. Seems like the internet generates more of everything - good, bad, or indifferent. I do get the feeling that denominational chuches are declining in membership and participation, but I think there are many factors in play other than the internet.
The gospel of prosperity - I love the slot machine analogy!!! Why didn't the tribes think of that angle??? Reels of Prosperity with Joel Osteen and some of his colleagues on the screen.
Cedar Creek
The gospel of prosperity - I love the slot machine analogy!!! Why didn't the tribes think of that angle??? Reels of Prosperity with Joel Osteen and some of his colleagues on the screen.
Cedar Creek
Why the loaded question?
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Well now I do!
I suppose the internet has something to do with it. It allows people to have quick access to lots of views and philosophies that they wouldn't have been as likely to come in contact with pre-internet.
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