I respect your response in this thread and agree with you about a lot of what you said. However. it has come to my understanding that although I feel organized religion is corrupted on so many levels it's the choice of the individual to discern and shape their beliefs. I don't agree with how religion itself spreads hate, but imo it's the lack of the followers of their specific belief to allow themselves to be, for lack of a better word, brainwashed and close minded enough to not notice when things have lost their intended purpose. Religion is not the only form of community, or populace, to fall into this trap. It is apparant in all aspects and levels of society. Unfortunately instead of leadership being a quality in everyone, it is only found in a small percentage of the population. IMO ppl are more likely to follow, because it is easier, than to take their own position about things and following through with it.
You made some really intelligent points!
Indeed most people are like sheep, and tend to follow the masses. I've been labeled everything in the books for following my own path and beliefs. I don't try to fit in with any group of thought, but at the same time, I use all my experiences in life to relate with everyone else. I think the purpose of life is to learn and evolve from all of our experiences.
I am my own person, and to the best of my knowledge, this is what I think reality is....I guess I am not afraid to think outside the box, or be verbally persecuted because of it.
I agree it is up to the individual. I think we are all brainwashed to an extent. Some are just worse then others. From a psychological standpoint, it's almost like the whole mob mentallity, where you have a group of people doing something. Because everyone else in the group thinks that the "something" is okay to do, it's accepted as the norm. I find it VERY interesting. Society as a whole even has this mentality.
I just wish people would stop seeing eachother as this or that, and as actual human beings; no worse or greater then themselves. Only then can we have true freedom and happiness and greatest of all, REAL peace.
My whole beef with religion is that it divides us. We need something to do the opposite and bring every single man, woman and child together! You can't force everyone into any religion.
There are truths in everything, although everything is NOT the truth! I hate to go somewhat off topic, but I think it is relevent to what I am saying...
The Chirstian Bible speaks of a NWO; The whole one-world government that will be used to control us. Some people see it as reality, other's don't.
Obviously this is a ****ty ordeal, and there are indeed people such as The Project For A New American Century, trying to make this a reality. A 3rd world war could indeed ignite their fire.
Even if you think it's BS, let's assume it is real for a minute...
At first it will tear us further apart. But I do see it eventually FORCING all the people to come together and fight back in one way or another, as one.
How can we know good if we can't identify that which truely is evil?
This may be what we, as an entire planet, need to bring us all to good terms with eachother. We're all too ignorant and set in our own ways to change on our own.
I try to live by Einstein's words, that Every action has an equivalent, but opposing reaction. Cause and effect!
