Gratitude - Page 4 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Maroon 300D · #46 08-24-2006, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmac2012

I'll go along with that. I was raised Mormon and while it has its good points, the way they mutually reinforce their particular set of beliefs regarding God and life after death is just a bit much.

I think threats just aren't a good motivator for some people. I learned a long time ago that when you make a decision based on fear, it will not be a good decision.

cmac2012 · #47 08-25-2006, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carleton Hughes

Uhhh,tell me about the polygamy thing,won't you?

Well, cough, cough, my experience with it was quite limited. Despite their tears, I told wives 2 and 3 that the whole thing just wasn't working out and besides, the sherriff was coming.

My great-great grand-daddy pulled an handcart across the plains to hang out in Salt Lake City. He eventually moved, with his two wives and brood, to Juarez, Mexico onna account of federal heat on the polygamy thing. My paternal grandmother is descended from wife # 2 which means I am also.

Yes, you are addressing the product of a polygamous union.

Best I can gather, the early Mormons were a hardy, industrious lot and that plus the clean living probably gave a lot of the men a robust health and the means to support multiple wives.

cmac2012 · #48 08-25-2006, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Botnst

Much of our lives is spent seeking and giving reassurance concerning our consensual reality. This is the reason we find comfort in family and in people with similar cultural sensibilities. That is a major aspect of what you and I are doing right now.

One aspect of religion is that even when folks don't believe in God per se, they recognize the formalization of that reinforcement mechanism. Is it "good?"

Whatever floats your boat.

You make some good points. I got the feeling from many Mormons that their belief system was part of a mutually assured delusion. Everybody wanted so much to believe that their version of the afterlife was, in fact, the real deal, unlike those wacky beliefs at other churches.

Seems like a good way to get stuck. Does make for good social cohesiveness, though.

Hogweed · #49 08-25-2006, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surf-n-Turf

I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for delivering us from our sins. I thank God for delivering us from Evil. I thank the Holy Spirit for guiding me in my quest for divine understanding. Where do ya'll stand??? I'm a simple man. Let's keep it that way.

amen, brother. Peace in Christ

aklim · #50 08-25-2006, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmac2012

You make some good points. I got the feeling from many Mormons that their belief system was part of a mutually assured delusion. Everybody wanted so much to believe that their version of the afterlife was, in fact, the real deal, unlike those wacky beliefs at other churches.

Seems like a good way to get stuck. Does make for good social cohesiveness, though.

Without an afterlife, what you have would be lost. Therefore, an afterlife is important if you want to ensure that people behave. Otherwise, Hitler would be dead and life goes on. This way, you can feel assured that he will meet his victims in the afterlife and thus terrify more people into behaving otherwise the boogeyman will get you, in this life or the other.

So, what happens if my wife dies and I remarry and later see her in the afterlife? Where will my loyalties lie? With Wife I or Wife II? Will I have both of them fighting for me?

Maybe a Menage e trios?

peragro · #51 08-25-2006, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

Without an afterlife, what you have would be lost. Therefore, an afterlife is important if you want to ensure that people behave. Otherwise, Hitler would be dead and life goes on. This way, you can feel assured that he will meet his victims in the afterlife and thus terrify more people into behaving otherwise the boogeyman will get you, in this life or the other.

So, what happens if my wife dies and I remarry and later see her in the afterlife? Where will my loyalties lie? With Wife I or Wife II? Will I have both of them fighting for me?

Maybe a Menage e trios?

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're only married til death and then you part.

Dee8go · #52 08-25-2006, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siduri19

religion explains death....very simple.

How about "Religion explains life," Siduri? Whew! You are a tough customer.

The Catholic church seems to thrive where education is less readily available (look at the third world or anywhere else 100 years ago), because it plays on superstition. It is sad when one has to apply force to make one's point. That's what scaring the s**t out of children is. Just don't confuse "religion" and spirituality.

I don't have much use for religion per se, but decided it was important to attend church for my daughters' benefit. I realized that a lot of the basis for my own morals came from going to church as a child. I never thought I got much out of it, and my family was not very "religious" by any means. Still, it all made an impression on me. Society does benefit from organized religion as long as it is "healthy." That is, if it is life-affirming.

aklim · #53 08-25-2006, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee8go

How about "Religion explains life," Siduri? Whew! You are a tough customer.

The Catholic church seems to thrive where education is less readily available (look at the third world or anywhere else 100 years ago), because it plays on superstition. It is sad when one has to apply force to make one's point. That's what scaring the s**t out of children is. Just don't confuse "religion" and spirituality.

I don't have much use for religion per se, but decided it was important to attend church for my daughters' benefit. I realized that a lot of the basis for my own morals came from going to church as a child. I never thought I got much out of it, and my family was not very "religious" by any means. Still, it all made an impression on me. Society does benefit from organized religion as long as it is "healthy." That is, if it is life-affirming.

That and the fact that the catholic church can't even be relative free of corruption and lies makes me doubt it.

Dee8go · #54 08-26-2006, 12:11 AM

Aklim, just remember that just because the representatives create a poor impression of what they represent, doesn't mean that it is false.

I'm certainly not defending the Catholic church, but it and every other church is made up of human beings. We're all sinners, all fallible (according to Christian theology, anyhow). T

herefore we are all subject to mistakes. Of course, all those errant priests, cardinals, popes, etc. that tried to hide their own sins will ahve to answer to God in the end.

aklim · #55 08-26-2006, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee8go

Aklim, just remember that just because the representatives create a poor impression of what they represent, doesn't mean that it is false.

I'm certainly not defending the Catholic church, but it and every other church is made up of human beings. We're all sinners, all fallible (according to Christian theology, anyhow). T

herefore we are all subject to mistakes. Of course, all those errant priests, cardinals, popes, etc. that tried to hide their own sins will ahve to answer to God in the end.

Sorry but the pope is NOT a representative of the catholic church or am I mistaken? What about a cardinal? Lets see, priests molest kids. OK. No problem. Just a few errant priests. Move along. Cardinals are Princes of the church, right? After all, they someday could be Pope. Cardinal Law lies about the errant priests. Gives them good references and does the catholic shuffle on them. OK. How would you explain that? Never mind it for a moment. Lets move along to the Pope. Where does he stand in the organization? What did he do to Law? Let him resign from Boston Archdiocese but keep his rank. WTF??? Next, he does the Catholic Shuffle again and reassigns Law to a different part of the church in Rome.

What do you expect me to believe about this organization? That it is good but for a few priests? If Law had fired them instead of covering it up and shuffling them around, I would. He is a Cardinal and not some whacked out catholic that did something bad. To compound it, the Pope dithers and lets Law pick out his own punishment. WTF?? Then he shuffles him away somewhere to duck the issue. Sorry, if the corruption is all the way to the top, the organization is rotten to the core and not just a few rotten apples. The whole barrel is bad (organization wise) and not just a few bad apples. What is the current Pope doing about it? Besides hoping it goes away?

Hence the necessity of religion. Without it, there is no afterlife and no way to be punished. That means that all the bad person has to do is to escape judgement in this life. With religion, there is an afterlife and so no escape from judgement. That is the ticket to extorting obedience to a path from a person.