"".. we will all face judgement, and showing true love for others means trying to show them what the result of that judgement could be.

"God is a God of love, but also one of judgement. When a church forgets that it forgets its purpose for being.""

Dougthebear, Sat 1 May 2010 10:06:48 AM

"what the result of that judgement could be" is a narrative. Such judgement is speculation.

To say "God is love, but also one of judgement" is just manipulative dogma.

Severin, indeed, certainly more dire than the Uniting Church's trivialities.

It is ironic when it was in effect a dummy spit by King Henry VIII over Catholic refusal to give into his whims, that formed the Anglican Church. If one wants to talk about a rewrite.

DougTB - judgement from whom I wonder.

According to some theists we can be as evil as we want on earth (apparently some believe all humans are evil despite being of God's creation or in his image) as long as we seek forgiveness. Obedience over goodness

Sells' article reminds me of my mother's stories about her childhood growing up as a Catholic. She was also schooled by nuns. From her recollections she only remembers the lessons about burning in hell, the guilt, hate and judgement. It was all about confession and repenting. Sometimes my mother would make stuff up for confession because noone could believe that a human being might actually have the odd good week without sin. There was not much in the way of love and compassion thrown into the mix.

My grandparents marriage was doomed from the start having been pregnant and 'forced' to marry even though my Grandfather was a protestant. He had to promise the children would be raised Catholics but I don't think My GM's family ever got over the shame. What a waste of a life to be spent on resentment.

Anglicans were thought of as heathens by the Catholics having (from their POV) changed God's word to suit the whims of a selfish King. Just look at the comical nature of English history, the various Kings, Queens and medieval hollowmen behind the scences at every historical turn. The poor commoners didn't know if they were coming or going, one minute having to forsake one 'faith' for the other or be beset upon by whichever of the royal moral brigades held power.

Some, more modern Christians accept evolution as part of God's plan which completely goes against Creationist thinking. Some Churches even accept women as equals and don't see menstruation as a wickedness by the devil. Women are no longer burned at the stake for nothing more than dissension or a slight taken by some vindictive neighbour.

Yes Churches have changed and thankfully they will continue to do so for the better. Playing the holier than thou card about whose Church is the purer serves no purpose.

Pelican, thank you for stating your starting position as to religion, it could be argued that you cannot see the doctrine of eithe rthe Anglican or the church of Rome except through the prism of your grandparents marriage.

So are your comments really just a way of rejecting what you think that the churches did to your family?

If you don't believe in God's judgment then that is up to you, but why bother entering into a discussion about something which really doesn't affect you, as you have already rejected Christianity?

DougTB
I don't see religion just through the prism of my parents' experiences, I am merely relaying just one example where religion did more harm than good. The example I gave was to demonstrate the ill-will and consequences when the various sects seek to outdo one another as is implicit in this article.

Sells also has a right to comment about the Uniting Church even though he is not a member, we all, theist and non-theist alike, have the same right to free speech even if it means on occasion disagreeing.

Even atheists can be affected by by policies that are influenced by a religious agenda whether it be indoctrination in public schools or revenue used to fund chaplains, in some cases whom possess very little to recommend them other than a religious faith.

Dougthebear wrote: If you don't believe in God's judgment then that is up to you, but why bother entering into a discussion about something which really doesn't affect you, as you have already rejected Christianity?

Dear Dougthebear,

One can reject Christianity and accept God. Muslims, Jews and Bahai'is also believe in God's judgment. All three are monotheistic religions without a primitive humanoid God figure like Jesus between the worshipper and God.