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NadeemM · Joined: 19 May 2006 Posts: 8

Sophia in the following answer that I got from her. I can understand her point!Religious fanatics are mostly emotionally and mentally weak people. They have a hard time dealing with turbulence's of every day life, so religion offers them a constant support. It must be nice to be able to blame all of your actions on God, so you do not have to take responsibility for them. They also enjoy getting together with others like minded people: their strength is in numbers. They gladly give up their ability to think as a payment for sense of belonging. Being led by the nose by power hungry religious leaders is their every day reality. However, intelligent and self assured individuals could never partake in an arrangement like that. Because we are used to question everything.

CelinaJ0382 · Joined: 06 Dec 2003 Posts: 4

Some church doctrines demand you not think.BB

WH · Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Posts: 4

Most people are afraid of being alone. You are not alone if you follow someone, right? That is basically why there are many people who have not experienced actual religion or that personal and harmonious relationship with God.

GirishPhalorh · Joined: 08 Aug 2003 Posts: 9

no but that is obviously her opinion the implication she is intelligent makes me wonder if she has to brain cells to rub together .

jenny1993 · Joined: 15 Jan 2007 Posts: 6

Yes they do, but so do the norms. Give someone a idea and put it in their heads, it'll stick with them for a long time.

kiwi182 · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 6

I think you are confusing "religious" with "fanatically Christian".I'm religious. And yet, I do not blame my gods and goddesses when I'm having a bad day, nor do I depend on my religion to always support me, not when I can support myself. Also, my religion encourages people to think critically about why they are doing something instead of just being sheep.

BuffMe · Joined: 27 Oct 2003 Posts: 6

This is nonsense.Sophia has a right to her opinion, but this does not describe me at all. I am religious, but I am not fanatic.This Sophia person sounds as if SHE is the fanatic one.

julielove327 · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 5

First of all religious people are not weak. He made us in His image and God is not weak. The truly religious person does not blame God for all their actions, rather we seek God's wisdom in how to deal with life. That's the most ignorant statement I've ever heard. I suggest you brush up on your Christianity knowledge before casting judgment on others. I don't believe in organized religion, I do believe in God, Heaven & Hell and the Bible. I know very intelligent, self-assured people who partake in arrangements like that. Maybe you should try it. You won't find yourself so bitter sounding.

brian9077 · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 7

anyone who gives up thinking for themselves is probably suffering from low self esteem or other personal issues.i don't believe in "cookie-cutter" Christians either. God made us all with specific gifts and abilities, to work together in unity. the bible even discusses it by referring to us as parts of a single body. not everyone is a hand or an eye, right? but we need each part and should rever each part and its abilities...

jl · Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 5

I don't agree at all with anything Sophia said. I am what I suppose some would call a fanatic. I go to church as often as I can, hubs is the youth pastor, we teach our little kids the Bible, we actually practice things right from the Bible, etc etc. Yet we are not mentally and emotionally weak. I don't use my "religion" as a crutch. I didn't become a Christian so that I could have a scapegoat for every mistake I make. Frankly, I don't know why she would think that - perhaps Christians are different in the States than we are here in Canada? Anyways, I will continue. Everybody has a hard time dealing with life's turbulence...life ain't easy. But I don't get support from my "religion" - I draw strength from Jesus Christ, who is my friend and constant companion. There is a big difference between the two, please understand that! I do not blame all of my actions on God - far from it. If I screw up, then I am to blame. I will own up to it as well, although sometimes it takes a few minutes for me to calm down enough to do so! LOL But there are plenty of nonchristians out there who blame things on God or on other people too.....I don't see where she's going with that either.Name me one person who does not like to get together with people who are like-minded sometimes. That is a very weak argument on her part....like she's grasping at straws.As for giving up our ability to think....that is utterly ridiculous. My pastor is not a power-hungry scum who wants my money and my loyalty! He is a good and honourable man who has faithfully stood by our tiny church and the Bible despite the horrible treatment he has received for doing so. He is not in this for power - if he was our church would have more than 40 members and we wouldn't use the old KJV. Again, this Sophia character shows a lack of knowledge in her answer. Our pastor doesn't lead us by the nose - he opens up the Bible and shows us what it says, he encourages us to study it for ourselves to make sure we are being taught the truth, and he tells us that if he makes a mistake or we disagree we need to come see him with our Bibles and figure it out together. Does that sound abusive to you? It is not abusive - that is what a real pastor is supposed to do.As for that last sentence....that is just plain rude. I am an intelligent woman. I am not a moron simply because of my faith. And I question everything as well. Do you really think that everyone who is a Christian is brainless and isn't capable of making an informed decision about anything? I think that this Sophia person, whoever she is, sounds pretty darn full of herself - that last sentence amounts to some major ego massaging on her part. Oh yes, Sophia, you are just so much smarter than the rest of us. I kneel before your massive intellect and fervently hope to attain your lofty heights of wisdom one day, if my pastor lets me. *rolls eyes* Maybe next time she could trot out something original, something that every other person hasn't already said? Seeing as she's so smart and self-assured and all?

Jae · Joined: 18 Aug 2004 Posts: 6

I don't know. Some religions require blind obedience, while some institutions brainwash tell their followers what they must believe and what actions they must take. (i.e -the the American gov't - Freemasons/CFR - sending your sons n brothers to kill in the name of peace. Yes, I'm calling that gov't a religious belief system...following the corporate gods of money and power) On the other hand, some 'religions' are structured to give access to information of their belief, and encourage open and active seeking and questioning. Many people find their religious beliefs become faith applied in everyday life, and it helps them immensely in times of trouble, knowing at least partial answers to many of life's uncontrollable griefs. Most religions I know do not blame God for personal or societal troubles, but do teach individuals to realize our actions have consequences which we will have to live with.Fortunately it seems it will always be possible for any individual to seek spiritual knowledge, to find what higher purpose we can accomplish while on this earth. No religion or gov't can stop us from seeking spiritual answers for ourselves.Being intelligent, as you are, I'm sure you will appreciate the spiritual aspect of being more than animated dirt, of being free from the temporance of the physical, of being empowered in a way no man can take from you. Don't use your cynicism for man and his religions as an excuse for not seeking the truths of the Spirit.Seek, learn these things for yourself, enjoy !

kenziep · Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 4

My mother has, and that has caused a great strife in our relationship over the last 5 years. My mother was my support beam growing up. She taught me to be open minded, and strong. She also taught me that 'true' religion comes from the Bible and heart. To this day I adhere to those principles and I continue to learn about other's and their beliefs, because I do understand I am human and can be led a stray down the wrong way, but now she crtisizes me for doing exactly as she was taught.She says that my step-children can never be her grandchildren because they do not share my blood. She says that I live in sin although she lived with my step-father for many years before they married, and yes I have had two children out of wedlock, but I am still with their father. My little sister is a one night stand with a married man! Last Father's Day I bought a ring for myself and my beloved and under the full moon exchanged vows of loyalty, fidelity and trust to him. I have never seen him cry other than when he was told he was going to die, and he cried that night. Our reason for not getting married is outside of his hands. His seperated wife, had a drug problem, baddly, that is why he left her and the court granted him custody of the other two children, and now she is lying in bed on life support, camatose. Think Terry Shivo. Yet after eight years my mother refuses to accept that I am happy and in love, and the two older children call me their 'real mom.' They actually argue with the social workers about it and docters each time.Than about 5 years ago my mother joined this new church and not only never told her little 'church ladies group,' that she had another daughter. She never mentioned she had any grandchildren, than for mother's day one year she took me out to lunch and guess who we ran into? She tried to lie and say I was a distant cousin, in front of my face! "No, I'm her eldest child, and she's expecting her second grandchild." You can guess what happened the following Sunday when one went up and told my step-dad, we've always been close.My mother has always had trouble making friends, but she is what I would call a lazy friend. Once in a while she'll see you. but its usually when she wants somthing. In this church group she had bonded with women with those same characteristics, but she has thrown her old values and wisdoms she used to believe in to belong, and in the process lost her relationship with her daughter just to belong with them. I do see her as an emotionally dependent and weak person, and she never used to be that way, but alas she has become one of those people also.She no longer does as she would like to do, because they say it is wrong. She no longer plays the music she loved so dearly as a teenager, because it isn't proper. She will not be seen in public with questionable people, such as myself, she won't even take her grandchildren to church with her, because their parents aren't married since they are condemed to be burned in hell as the church says, they are not allowed on holy ground because the are bastards. My mom is no longer my mom, because she is so into this Methodist church she follows only what they say. She no longer even believes in free will, becuase they say that is a lie of Satan!And all so she could belong. She refused to help with the local clean up of Katrina, because it was God's will to punish those who sinned against him. She actually told my two older children she didn't understand how we could have a home at all because of our living in sin! Ben Jr. who was 13 at the time stood up and told her to get the hell out of his parents house, she didn't deserve to enter a "Good Home." I was in the hospital giving birth at the time to Lily Constantina. How's that for giving up free thought just to fit in?