RELIGION FOR POWER/CONTROLLING THE MASSES.. this one usually crops up. If I look hard enough, I can find a few sections of the NT which 'might' at a stretch be deemed of that nature, but definitely the only 'power' the early church was allocated was the issue of dealing with sin. If a member of the fellowship was a)Claiming to live for Christ, and b) Indulging in immorality..he/she was kicked out.. disciplned.

The kind of power and control which is referred to by easytimes, is political. You can only want to control 'masses' when there is power and territory at stake.. usually greed plays a big part.

I totally reject the idea that such things are taught in the Gospels or Epistles..totally. The early church survived difficult persecution, and there WAS no 'power' OR 'masses' to be manipulated. They were little groups which met in upper rooms etc.

CONSTANTINE.. started the problem of 'manipulation of the masses'.... by legalizing Christianity and once it became fashionable to be 'Christian' it also became fashionable to be BIG Christians... top dogs.. king pins.. and that is the beginning of DEPARTURE from the sound new testament prinicples of humility in leadership.. "First shall be LAST" said Jesus.. "He who would be first among you must be servant of all"...how hard is it to grassssp this :)

That old Persian poet Omar had it in one .

" Make the most of what we yet may spend ,before we too into the dust descend ".

I have a friend who is currently undergoing a crisis of faith and she has become unsure of whether there is a God or not. This is a serious matter for her, as religion has been a central plank of her life for the last 30 years. Certainly, she has decided that she no longer believes in an interventionist God. But she feels that even if she no longer believes in God this won't actually change the way she lives (except that she'll spend less time on religious observance).

In "What is an Agnostic", Bertand Russell answers the question "Are you never afraid of God's judgment in denying Him?" Russell says "Most certainly not. I also deny Zeus and Jupiter and Odin and Brahma, but this causes me no qualms. I observe that a very large portion of the human race does not believe in God and suffers no visible punishment in consequence. And if there were a God, I think it very unlikely that He would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who doubt His existence."

Heresy, I know, but does it really matter whether God exists, or not?

Hey Boaz I never meant to infer that religions sole purpose is to manipulate the masses what I was saying is that it is used as a tool to do it. That’s why so many powerful people get deeply involved in religion and use the word of god as a reason to commit evil

Does anyone know how the ww2 cargo cult of Papua came about?
Have you after a storm seen the mystical rainbow serpent? rainbow to us?
Such is the Gods we invent hear the story's about ww1 battle Field Ancient British knights seen over the Battle fields?
After the death of a loved one have you felt them right there with you?
Do you understand it is not possible according to the Christian Bible, that until Jesus come the dead remain dead?
Can it be someone sees this thread as a reason to insult one religion but build up another?
Islam would call for my death, I do not believe.
Once Christians would too, is it not true like it or not we are one race one people?
I once was saved, born again Christian my life was saved, not however for long.
In my once Gods name a group in my new found Church,never far from mainstream Christians prayed for three days that God would heal a child's broken arm, before taking him to a doctor.
Some Christians and I think followers of most religions hide crimes carried out by ministers because they are Gods men? all religions not just one.
Why would we have many races but only one true God? why not more?
Do not feel sorry for me, no hell awaits me and no heaven awaits those who believe.

Belly ,the "cargo cult" I thought would be self expalainitory.Aust & Allies used to drop supplies to the Aussies in New Guinea during WW2 and the Papuans also bebefited from the drops of food and clothing.Thus the natives thought that the planes were gods who dropped the cargo.Hence the name "Cargo Cult".