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The basis of Christianity and one of the ten commandments is thou shalt have no other god before me.

That is what they believe.

If you don't follow the bible the way Christians do (the ones who actually do) then you're in on that one, too. It's just how they believe, I was raised to believe it, too.

I don't, though, not like that. It's why I guess I can't say I'm a "christian" in that sense of the word. But I don't care about that and my family doesn't either..I believe in personal spirituality and faith and I have used morals and values that I learned in Sunday School and such, but I can't say I am a christian because I don't believe in everything the Bible says. I've learned from Buddhism that there is beauty in being open, even if it's not another god or religion. I love the tradition behind Catholicism...the chain of command when praying, the saints. I live by all of these things because they're what I learned and believe in, not because someone told me to. To me that is what faith is, in anything.

I could study Wiccan for the rest of my life, but I would never claim to understand the religion better than he does. A practicing member of a relgion who has truely experienced it will always understand a religion much better than any outsider ever could.

Arlos is a Wiccan?

I will be waving down on you from heaven while you burn in hell!!!!!!!!!!!!


In all seriousness though, who cares what you believe in, as long as YOU believe it. Freedom of religion baby, thats what its all about

ugh i had this whole thing typed out then had to switch computers and didn't want to submit a partial post. lame. anyway

that's total BS mark. I know plenty of 'practicing' christians who know about as much about it as a 5 year old. they do it because that's what they're told to do and it's acceptable. practicing it does not give you this miraculous vast amounts of knowledge, and thinking that it does is the epitome of the stereotypical christian attitude on a false christian. going to church every sunday does NOT teach you the fundamentals of christianity.

you don't understand much about your religion at all if you honestly believe the crap you just spouted off in your previous post. to understand christianity, you have to know the facts and those aren't taught at your weekly bible study. TRUE christians do not believe themselves better and that their way is the only way. TRUE christians know acceptance and the history of their religion in addition to their faith in the written word in the bible.

In case you lack reading comprehension, arlos WAS a practicing Catholic until he was 18 - he'd also be able to tell you more about your religion factually than you know an inkling of. Understanding has nothing to do with faith. Understanding is the grasping of the ENTIRE concept, not just in the belief of it - this is why *you* cannot presume to understand it better than anyone else.

I grew up with a close friend whose father was a baptist pastor - this man was the truest of christians. He knew theology inside and out, had a very strong faith and was committed to living to the words that he preached. What he NEVER did was tell anyone who came in his church to learn that their way was the only right way - he told people of all religions that they were welcome to come in and learn as he has, but in the end it's our own faith that will prevail, and that no one in his church would ever be forced to believe anything. He is the definition of a Christian man - someone who knows it all, understands it all, preaches it all, still has faith in it all, and after all that knows that he doesn't have all the answers.

It seems that recently you've re-discovered your faith and more power to you, but you are no true christian so please don't come in some thread telling someone that your way is the only way when you don't even know what your way is, and if you do, you certainly don't follow it.

gyps with the smackdown!

Tikker wrote:

Gypsiyee wrote:Telling Arlos he doesn't understand Christianity is like telling Harrison he doesn't understand how to be a douche. .

haha

oh shit

That's golden.

tee hee hee.

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2 ... t-atta.php

Hahahahah

According to our source, the Church is arguing that such attacks on their physical plant and website constitute "illegal interference with business."

Are they allowed to claim themselves as a business when they are already operating as a religious organization?

They're not officially a religion yet to my knowledge, but they're trying.

Harrison wrote:They're not officially a religion yet to my knowledge, but they're trying.

I believe I asked about Scientology in this forum before. I still don't get it. If it's so hokey and crazy, why do so many prominent people not only members but devout. There has to be something to it.

Part of it is the tactics that they use to recruit new people. They're pretty much straight out of the Brainwashing for Dummies handbook.

Cults have all sorts of ways of getting devoted members. The Moonies have them, the Hare Krishnas have them too.

That Doomsday cult in Japan had them too, and they released Sarin nerve gas into the Tokyo subways to try and bring about the end of the world.

People apparently thought there was so much to Jim Jones' teachings that hundreds of people lived in gulag-like conditions in the jungle in south america just because he told them to, and then later committed mass suicide, including parents deliberately feeding their kids cyanide-laced kool-aid because he commanded it.

How about that cult that all offed themselves to deliver their spirits up to the UFO that was hiding behind the Hale Bopp comet?

Really, for a lot of people, they've felt disconnected and ostracized much of their lives. This is even worse now that our communities are getting so fragmented. A lot of these cults become a surrogate family, with those people getting told, sometimes for the first time, that they're important and that they belong. If you've been alone all your life, and suddenly a whole group of people are telling you they want you to be part of their group with them, and that what they're doing is trying to help you... That can be pretty powerful stuff.

-Arlos

PS. Yes, they're officially a religion in the US, and are thus tax exempt. I believe that happened in the 70s.

Gypsiyee wrote:Telling Arlos he doesn't understand Christianity is like telling Harrison he doesn't understand how to be a douche.

poor Harrison.

Arlos wrote:Part of it is the tactics that they use to recruit new people. They're pretty much straight out of the Brainwashing for Dummies handbook.

Cults have all sorts of ways of getting devoted members. The Moonies have them, the Hare Krishnas have them too.

That Doomsday cult in Japan had them too, and they released Sarin nerve gas into the Tokyo subways to try and bring about the end of the world.

People apparently thought there was so much to Jim Jones' teachings that hundreds of people lived in gulag-like conditions in the jungle in south america just because he told them to, and then later committed mass suicide, including parents deliberately feeding their kids cyanide-laced kool-aid because he commanded it.

How about that cult that all offed themselves to deliver their spirits up to the UFO that was hiding behind the Hale Bopp comet?

Really, for a lot of people, they've felt disconnected and ostracized much of their lives. This is even worse now that our communities are getting so fragmented. A lot of these cults become a surrogate family, with those people getting told, sometimes for the first time, that they're important and that they belong. If you've been alone all your life, and suddenly a whole group of people are telling you they want you to be part of their group with them, and that what they're doing is trying to help you... That can be pretty powerful stuff.

-Arlos

PS. Yes, they're officially a religion in the US, and are thus tax exempt. I believe that happened in the 70s.

Yeah but these aren't emo teens we're dealing with here. These aren't lonely children, dumbasses or anything. This is Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Isaac Hayes, seriously famous multi millionaire people with splendid careers. What is the draw?

well, for starters - yes, they are those people, they are celebrities & all that. But they still could be some unhappy people, searching for something that will give them a life with a little meaning...

You thought the Cruise video was whacked, watch some of these:

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=S ... Deposition

-Arlos

That's actually some seriously cool shit. This guy is intense. I'd love to sit down and listen to someone as versed as he is in Scientology. Fascinating that he is so bought in.

it's no different than listening to anyone who believes in their religion

hardcore christians, muslims, athiests, etc all sound equally odd to anyone on the other side of the fence

Wow, Mark. That absolute certainty thing is scary. Do you think a prerequisite for getting into Heaven is having absolutely unshatterable, unquestionable faith? Do you think life on Earth is nothing but a test of faith to see who is worthy of life beyond it?

"You can't teach a man what he thinks he already knows."

You, apparently, are done learning when it comes to metaphysical matters. You have all the answers you need, which is great, I guess. I, on the other hand, will remain open and continue to accumulate more knowledge, hear more opinions, and expand my perspectives until the day I die. When that day comes, I'll look back on my life and smile because of everything I had gained due to remaining open to new ideas and experiences. Even on the verge of death, I will not have faith in God or anything beyond, I will expect nothing, though I will have hope of something.

"A wise man is wise because he knows that he knows nothing."

Personally, I think claiming absolute certainty in any matter is foolish. I might say the color of the paint on my wall is white, but I would never claim absolute certainty of that. I might have strong opinions when it comes to certain things, but those opinions can always be changed, because I am always willing to consider new ideas, new evidence, new logical reasoning, etc.

Well, I suppose the one and only thing that I'm certain of is that nothing is certain.

I seriously don't understand why Scientologists get persecuted so much.

Because you have to be some special level of fucking retarded to believe in any of that. I'm fairly sure you'd fit right in.

yeah, the invisible man who sees all, knows all, talks to some, but not all, is much more believable

Harrison wrote:Because you have to be some special level of fucking retarded to believe in any of that. I'm fairly sure you'd fit right in.

Why? It's just a system of beliefs. All that junk about Xenu and the atomic bombs isn't really what Dianetics is about you know? If you'd gotten any of your information from a source other than South Park you'd know that.

The way I see it, all this crap people talk about Scientology is no different then someone saying Jews are all gay because they way funny Jew beanies.

It's not the faith that is the issue, it is the other shenanigans the Church itself is part of that are the problem. People can worship Xenu or their own left foot for all I care, but bilking people out of thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, engaging in brainwashing techniques, other illegalities such as Operation Freakout and Operation Whiteout, and slimy crap like suing the Cult Awareness Network out of business after the CAN labeled Scientology as a cult, then stepping in and buying the rights to the name & client list are why *I* have a problem with Scientology.

Odd spiritual beliefs are one thing, (hell, my own would be considered odd by a large portion of the populace), but shady and criminal temporal activities including fraud, theft and extortion are an entirely separate kettle of fish.

-Arlos

Arlos wrote:Odd spiritual beliefs are one thing, (hell, my own would be considered odd by a large portion of the populace), but shady and criminal temporal activities including fraud, theft and extortion are an entirely separate kettle of fish.

I'm not sure I've ever read an objective article on Scientology from either side, and that's what's scary to me. All those things you mentioned above are most likely from highly dubious sources looking to discredit them. The other day my brother came ranting to me that apparently some scientologist killed a mentally handicapped kid by trying to cure him of his mental ailment. I asked him how those people didn't get arrested. He said it wasn't illegal. I'm pretty sure locking someone up until they starve to death is illegal. Stories like this come out all the time, almost of them rumors.

I have a let them be approach to Scientologists, just like I do with all other religions.