Tag: Christianity
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Is it unspiritual to be poor?
Some religious people and theologians believe that it is unspiritual to be poor. They argue that poor people are unaware of the spiritual principles by which our wants and needs are satisfied. Wealth, they say, is a cosmic ‘thank you’ for our contribution to the world. If we have plenty, it’s because we give plenty.…
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Universal Intelligence – however you conceive it – loves all its children equally
Not long ago a local Councillor from Northern Ireland stated his belief on UK national radio that Hurricane Katrina was God’s retribution against gay people in New Orleans (apparently a gay festival would have taken place in the city two days later had the hurricane not happened) and added that the Tsunami in December 2004…
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Warnings from history
Religions get interpreted by their followers in many ways. Some have been very positive (such as affirmations of love, compassion and forgiveness), but they have also been used to justify violence and repression. In the past few years Muslim suicide bombers, for instance, have frequently set out to kill innocent people with the words of…
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Religious texts
There are many wonderful religious writings. Most were written in allegorical style and were never meant to be taken literally (although some people do); others are reasonably accurate records of events as far as we can tell. Some reflect the best information available at the time of writing, but were subsequently proven to be untrue.…
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How to spot a fake prophet
Teachers, philosophers and prophets Throughout history, humanity has benefited from the leadership and inspiration of many great teachers. but all too often their followers made a god of the prophet, created a mythology, established dogma, and lost the original message. Once a religion is established, it becomes possible for an elite ‘priesthood’ to control their…
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Anatomy of a religion
All religions have certain things in common: They separate ‘us’ from ‘them,’ believers and non-believers, members and non-members. They lay down set beliefs, creeds and rites of practices. Usually they insist that followers subscribe to the whole package. They usually expect followers to contribute financially. An appointed ‘priesthood’ or ‘clergy’ sporting special robes and/or role…
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Faith is not just for the religious
Faith is trust in an idea even when there’s no logical proof. It is often believed to be misguided because it does not depend on sensory evidence. However, faith has accomplished wonders and continues to do so. Without it, no-one would ever take a risk or try anything original. To have faith that we can…
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Surprise, surprise! Adam and Eve never existed!
Surprise, surprise, Adam and Eve never existed! Who says so? No less than the leader of the world’s 1.1 billion Roman Catholics, ‘G-d’s representative on Earth’ – the Pope. Scholars have known for over 200 years that most of the Bible stories are myths, that even the accounts of historical events were written hundreds of…
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The early Christians had no knowledge of Yeshua’s ‘miraculous’ conception and birth
The early Christian community seems to have had no knowledge of the Christmas stories. Even the two gospel authors who mention them make no reference to them after the first two chapters. Yeshua’s birth is not referred to in either ‘Matthew’ or ‘Luke’s’ accounts of his adult ministry, trial, crucifixion or resurrection. Most reputable scholars…
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Nativity scenes should not show cows, donkeys or angels because they aren’t mentioned in the Bible!
Wandering through Bournemouth Square, I came across a model of the traditional nativity scene set in a glass and timber presentation case close to the annual Christmas market. Of course most people are familiar with stable scene, the ‘holy family’ surrounded by farm animals, shepherds, angels and the three wise men bearing gifts of gold,…