Tag: religion
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Merry Christmas Everybody
It’s not unusual for religious people to believe that their prophet or guru came into the world in a miraculous way, and Christians are no exception. In Yeshua’s case, tradition has it that he was born in Bethlehem, but this was an invention of the authors of Matthew and Luke’s gospels, keen to tie him…
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Religious Beliefs
Beliefs are collections of thoughts or ideas we hold to be true. We’re not born with them – all beliefs are learned, many in childhood. Nothing we believe is ever certain. Beliefs are transitory in nature, and millions have died for beliefs that no longer hold water, for instance that the world is flat, heavy…
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People don’t like inconvenient facts getting in the way!
A Brummie friend told me about his upbringing. ‘If I’d been born in Pakistan,’ he said, ‘I’d be a Muslim. If I were from Israel, I’d be a Jew, if from Italy, I’d be a Catholic. When you’re from my part of Birmingham, you’re an Aston Villa supporter. It doesn’t occur to you to be…
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Holiness was equated with purity in 1st Century Jewish society
In the 1st Century BCE, holiness in Jewish society was equated with cleanliness and governed by the Purity Laws. They dated back to the Torah written hundreds of years before. These are the basis of Christian morality because they were the basis of Yeshua’s morality. Among the 613 strictures of the Torah were: To circumcise…
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To be a Christian is to see the 21st Century world through 1st Century eyes
To be a Christian today is to see the world the same way as a small group of religious mavericks living in a tiny part of the world nearly two thousand years ago. It is like looking at our 21st Century world through 1st Century eyes. Isn’t it better to look at the 21st Century…
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The Christian gospels repeatedly disagree – with each other!
In my book, 201 Things About Christianity You Probably Don’t Know (But Ought To), I give dozens of examples where the four official Christian gospels disagree with each other. ‘Luke’ even disagrees with himself (since he also wrote Acts of the Apostles). Those who say G_d wrote or inspired the Bible are shooting themselves in…
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Is religion just a form of placebo?
Our beliefs rule our lives and help to create our experience of life. They influence us whether we are paying attention to them or not and it doesn’t matter if they are true – the effect is the same. An untrue belief has just as powerful an effect as a true belief. The world we…
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Heresy and Truth – Talk to Maidenhead Unity, June 2016
In the early 1980s, the newly appointed Anglican Bishop of Durham, Dr David Jenkins, said he did not believe the gospel birth stories nor that that a physical resurrection had taken place, and that such beliefs were not necessary to be a good Christian. Now you may remember the uproar in Christian circles. Many –…
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Six Steps in the Formation of a Religion
Step One: the charismatic being Most religions can be traced back to a teacher, usually with great charisma, who either appears or claims to have answers to the deeper questions. Often they claim that G-d spoke directly to them and expect their followers to believe it. Step Two: he attracts followers The charismatic one comes…
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What G_d is like?
If there were a G_d or G_d-like life force what would it be like? Not this, for sure! In my opinion, it would have all of the following characteristics: Bountiful and giving A loving G_d would surely know what we need and be willing and able to supply all our needs. For everybody, not just…