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Originally Posted by Mayer
A couple things from my point of view. I wanted to just view the responses but your last couple posts were really interesting and warrent some response.
First, I thinks its wrong to assume that people who are religious live crappy lives. I'm a Christian, I believe in a heaven and a hell, but my life is great! I have fun, I live life to the fullest etc. Just because I choose to not have sex until I'm married doesn't mean my life is boring. I assume this is what you were getting at with your post, if not, then ignore.  |
I wasn't actually talking about sex (although I must say, you are missing out on that front!), nor was I suggesting that all people who lead religious lives are unhappy.
What I was referring to are the downtrodden people in this world who are told that in exchange for their suffering, they will be rewarded - when there is nothing to indicate that is the case. Keep your head down, pray hard, and do as the church / mosque / cult leader tells you, and you will be eventually rewarded with a life in the clouds. Sometimes the belief system in some religions is downright horrendous – things like you should let your child die after a car accident because accepting a blood transfusion would condemn them to hell. An extreme case to be sure, but symbolic of many situations where “belief” in the “will of God” is considered more important than the facts on the ground.
You see it all the time. Things like homosexuality and the rights of women being suppressed for no reason – people being told they should live a certain way under specific rules, even if it runs contrary to themselves.
Look at this Congressman Craig character. He’s gay, but can’t admit it, so he would rather just live a lie. Even though everyone knows the truth. He probably believes that if he denies his homosexuality hard enough he still has a shot at heaven. Ditto for that Pastor from the movie “Jesus Camp”.
How come so many conservative Christians are gay? What’s up with that?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mayer
Second, in your original answering of the questions, I found it interesting that you said people who abuse children should be taken out of society, yet abortion is great.
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There is a huge difference between an abuser who preys on a child, and a doctor performing a requested medical procedure, and frankly I am appalled you would look at the two as even remotely related.
Abortion is great because provides a great deal of help to our society. It allows young women freedom from the stigma of being forced to carry a child to term, and prevents unwanted children from entering the world to fend for themselves.
As far as when a fetus becomes a human – I don’t know. I suppose the accepted standard would probably be whatever the last point the medical community deems to be the last appropriate time to terminate a pregnancy. They would know better than I, and have more experts involved in the decision making process.