Do those few good works done by these organizations absolve them of the responsibility for all these horrible acts?
You have absolutely no clue. People today focus on right-wing Christian extremists as representative of all Christians and that's just not true any more than the Muslim terrorists are representative of a typical Muslim.
Christian activists were behind everything from the abolition of slavery in America, to early child labor laws in England, to establishing safe institutions and protection for the mentally handicapped, to disaster relief efforts in this century. Unfortunately, all the good things that religious organizations do gets completely overlooked by the media.
What makes a hotter story: "Youth pastor molests a prepubescent girl" or "Christian groups rally to stamp out Malaria (http://www.biteback.net/) and save over 50,000 infant deaths by fund-raising and distributing mosquito screens"?
Please don't assume that faith groups don't do any good in this world. To the contrary, they're far more financially generous and socially active towards social justice and charity than the typical non-believing citizen.
And those whack-job right-wingers who give religion a bad name--Do you really, honestly believe they're doing it for their god? The offensive behavior of the modern-day Christian extremist is so completely opposite of the faith teachings of Jesus, that I'd argue they shouldn't even be classified as Christian.
People will use whatever excuse they want to conduct their wars and evil desires. If religion was erased from the face of the earth this second, there would still be the same wars, sexism, and oppression, but with a different excuse attached to it. The religion itself is not the problem. It's the humans who will twist it (or any other excuse) to their ends that's the problem.
This whacked-out woman who's defending the youth pastor tries to use faith to excuse his behavior and people freak out. But if the same person had held up, "Society's to blame!" or "He was molested as a child himself!" would readers be just as upset? Bullshit defense is bullshit regardless of where it comes from.
This is why all gods have the same flaws, desires, kinks, passions, and psychological problems that men do.
Where do you get this stuff? You must be thinking of the Greco-Roman gods; the Judeo-Christian god is not at all like that.
I'm not trying to argue or jump down your throat. I'm just hurt. And I'm sick and tired of agnostics/atheists coming down on all religion like a hammer.
I'm not that person you're describing in your statements of blanket hatred towards all faith groups.
I'm a liberal. I'm a feminist. I'm bisexual. I'm a Christian. I donate 15% of my income to charity. I share my goods with the poor when I meet someone in need. I'm an activist for social justice. I counsel troubled teenagers. I'll give a lift to an old woman who just missed her bus. I never force my beliefs or condemn anyone. I believe and live a lifestyle where I put others before myself and treat others how I would wish to be treated. I do this because I love my God. He is a God of kindness and mercy and this is how he would want his followers to live.
no subject
You have absolutely no clue. People today focus on right-wing Christian extremists as representative of all Christians and that's just not true any more than the Muslim terrorists are representative of a typical Muslim.
Christian activists were behind everything from the abolition of slavery in America, to early child labor laws in England, to establishing safe institutions and protection for the mentally handicapped, to disaster relief efforts in this century. Unfortunately, all the good things that religious organizations do gets completely overlooked by the media.
What makes a hotter story:
"Youth pastor molests a prepubescent girl" or "Christian groups rally to stamp out Malaria (http://www.biteback.net/) and save over 50,000 infant deaths by fund-raising and distributing mosquito screens"?
Please don't assume that faith groups don't do any good in this world. To the contrary, they're far more financially generous and socially active towards social justice and charity than the typical non-believing citizen.
And those whack-job right-wingers who give religion a bad name--Do you really, honestly believe they're doing it for their god? The offensive behavior of the modern-day Christian extremist is so completely opposite of the faith teachings of Jesus, that I'd argue they shouldn't even be classified as Christian.
People will use whatever excuse they want to conduct their wars and evil desires. If religion was erased from the face of the earth this second, there would still be the same wars, sexism, and oppression, but with a different excuse attached to it. The religion itself is not the problem. It's the humans who will twist it (or any other excuse) to their ends that's the problem.
This whacked-out woman who's defending the youth pastor tries to use faith to excuse his behavior and people freak out. But if the same person had held up, "Society's to blame!" or "He was molested as a child himself!" would readers be just as upset? Bullshit defense is bullshit regardless of where it comes from.
This is why all gods have the same flaws, desires, kinks, passions, and psychological problems that men do.
Where do you get this stuff? You must be thinking of the Greco-Roman gods; the Judeo-Christian god is not at all like that.
I'm not trying to argue or jump down your throat. I'm just hurt. And I'm sick and tired of agnostics/atheists coming down on all religion like a hammer.
I'm not that person you're describing in your statements of blanket hatred towards all faith groups.
I'm a liberal. I'm a feminist. I'm bisexual. I'm a Christian.
I donate 15% of my income to charity. I share my goods with the poor when I meet someone in need. I'm an activist for social justice. I counsel troubled teenagers. I'll give a lift to an old woman who just missed her bus. I never force my beliefs or condemn anyone. I believe and live a lifestyle where I put others before myself and treat others how I would wish to be treated. I do this because I love my God. He is a God of kindness and mercy and this is how he would want his followers to live.
Please stop hating me. I don't hate you.