Religion

[BREWSTERS]

I was brought up Catholic - used to be an alter boy for years - went to church every Sunday until I was about 18 and decided it wasn't for me.

I believe there was a guy called Jesus who had a certain outlook on life and had a few followers. Don't believe he changed water into wine (if he could, he'd have been a millionaire!) or any of that nonsense. The issue I have is the organisation which sprung up in his name.

The catholic church is riddled with corruption and all the stories that are coming to light around the world of abuse is sickening - meanwhile, seemingly nothing is being done in Rome. The Murdochs are at the sharp end of the phone-tapping enquiry, why isn't the Pope being openly questioned on the church's stance?

Anyway...the upshot of this, is that I want to officially 'resign' from the catholic faith, but it seems that there is nothing you can do, like a baptism reversal. Other than being excommunicated (which would be the church's action, not yours) the only way is to swap to another bloody religion.

I have a plan.

Seeing as the whole organised religion mullarky (IMO) is nothing but fiction (as someone on acorn said, based around a 'made up sky fairy') why not make up an official system of renouncing your faith?
What do you reckon? £10 a pop and they get a certificate saying they no longer wish to be regarded as a catholic (or whatever) and from then on will not be affiliated with any organised religion (aka cult).

Has this got legs? Anyone fancy a JV on this?

[Alien]

Or you could make up your own religion and convert to that?!

How about domainerolicism?

[namealot]

Church of the gullible. £ 100 to join with free entry into your chosen Paradise. Heaven etc in the event of your death, 100% no quibble money back guarantee if your not totally satisfied simply fill out a form … company discount available....

[newguy]

I've heard worse ideas. I think it's something that would work well in the states, where religion often plays a greater role in controlling peoples' lives.

[tifosi]

The sky fairy bit was me. Based on a tv documentary by Richard Dawkins.

I'm with you all the way. You could always become a Jedi. That's now a recognised UK church!

[WigWam]

Originally Posted by tifosi

I'm with you all the way. You could always become a Jedi. That's now a recognised UK church!

or he could join The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster & become a pastafarian

[Systreg]

.................

[Alien]

Originally Posted by WigWam

or he could join The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster & become a pastafarian

LOL, beat me to that, sounds tasty. I read about them earlier in the year actually in a newspaper article, lol.

[BREWSTERS]

Originally Posted by tifosi

The sky fairy bit was me. Based on a tv documentary by Richard Dawkins.

Ah, I looked back to find it but couldn't...made me chuckle!

Originally Posted by tifosi

I'm with you all the way. You could always become a Jedi. That's now a recognised UK church!

No, no...no organised religion, Catholic - Jedi - nothing. Not swapping one for another.

[tifosi]

I was brought up as a good little CofE boy. Though my mother told me later they only packaged me off to sunday school so they could have some 'alone time'.

I view all organised religions - of any persuasion - as abhorant. I'm a militant atheist and proudly so. I don't go bombing people, killing, maiming or persecuting for my cause I just bring the verbal fight to them if they start a discussion on the subject. One of the laws I detested the most from the last government was that of incitement to religious hatred. Then again I don't insite hatred I just refuse not to force people to question faith in all its forms. We stop children beliving in fairy tales and father christmas. Shouldn't stop there.

I like richard dawkins discussion on the topic of muslim children or christian children. When really they're not. They're the children of muslims, or christians. Forcing your own brang of crap on your children is just propagating the virus to the next generation. Child abuse. As the jesuit say... give me the boy until he's seven and I'll show you the man. Anyone who can shrug off the virus of religion as an adult has my admiration and respect. It's the hardest thing to do. The religion you follow is generally the result of geography.

Spirituality is nothing to do with doctrine. Then again I don't believe in heaven, hell, or the hereafter. Or souls. That's just a repackaged consciousness.

I got blacklisted by the Jehovas Witnesses once. That's only cos they knocked on the door and thought they could get a free ride with their branch of supertition. Over an hour later they were begging to go!

Real meaning of christmas! Phaw. Don't get me started. If you want the real meaning of christmas then go out into a field in 5days and dance around welcoming the winter solstice and the start of the new year. It's only another hijacked pagan festival the same as Easter... which is still fixed according to lunar cycles!

My mother said once she was disapointed with my heathen views. I wasn't brought up that way. Actually I told her you brought me up better than that, and to constantly learn and question. Thats the key. The right education is the only anti-virus.

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