Scientology

[symyjym]

Yeah I take your point there. It's also true that on the balance of probability, he may have existed.

That said, I can see more than just 1 'point in denying it': 1 point for every religious nut that is certain that he did!

In the absence of any real proof, I believe it's my moral duty to be skeptical of claims that he definitely existed.

I'm atheist and I don't have a problem with Jesus as a man, and what he tried to change.

He wanted to abandon the vengeful laws of the Jews. The core of his teaching was a "new commandment" to love one another, to love your neighbor as yourself, to forgive your enemies, etc.

I don't have a problem with what he was teaching and at its core is as relevant today as it was then. All the supernatural stuff like the virgin birth came later.

 

[thejackal]

I'm atheist and I don't have a problem with Jesus as a man, and what he tried to change.

He wanted to abandon the vengeful laws of the Jews. The core of his teaching was a "new commandment" to love one another, to love your neighbor as yourself, to forgive your enemies, etc.

I don't have a problem with what he was teaching and at its core is as relevant today as it was then. All the supernatural stuff like the virgin birth came later.

Same here. I'm also an atheist and totally agree with "Jesus' teachings" as we understand them.

I'm just not convinced he actually existed.

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

There are literally millions of Christians around the world and going back through history who became Christians because they believe Jesus came back from the dead. And most of us have faith in themselves AND other people too. It is possible to do that AND believe in God.
If you're after a genuine discussion, rather than just having a rant, calling people 'idiots' and what they believe 'imaginary bullshit' just because they think differently to you, probably isn't the best way of encouraging dialogue

 

[sir albion]

There are literally millions of Christians around the world and going back through history who became Christians because they believe Jesus came back from the dead. And most of us have faith in themselves AND other people too. It is possible to do that AND believe in God.
If you're after a genuine discussion, rather than just having a rant, calling people 'idiots' and what they believe 'imaginary bullshit' just because they think differently to you, probably isn't the best way of encouraging dialogue

Agree although surely you must live life on facts and not fiction....bloody religious crap.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

There's 2 strands to the cult. One strand attracts the narcissistic side of celebrities and pretends that this self-obsessed, selfish, fame-hungry life that they crave is spiritually enlightening. It basically creates a fake religion based around their lifestyle and tells them that what they are doing isn't just good but the right way to live. Tom Cruise COULD see his daughter if he wanted because celebrities are allowed to break the rules.

http://pagesix.com/2016/06/07/scientology-is-blamed-for-keeping-tom-cruise-from-suri/

And the point of having these celebrities on board is because it is the marketing department for the other side which is truly dark side, where impressionable young people searching for some meaning to their existence are ruthlessly exploited, financially drained, brain washed and told to ostracise everyone outside the cult.

Scientology is pure evil.

Completely correct. The people who control it win in two ways. They get money from their rich followers. Lots of money. And they can indulge their psycopathic personalities by controlling people and playing with them. Evil, it is.

 

[Albion my Albion]

Completely correct. The people who control it win in two ways. They get money from their rich followers. Lots of money. And they can indulge their psycopathic personalities by controlling people and playing with them. Evil, it is.

BTW, I've never given a pound to the Church of Scientology.

 

[Albion my Albion]

Same here. I'm also an atheist and totally agree with "Jesus' teachings" as we understand them.

I'm just not convinced he actually existed.

Myth of Jesus as humanist teacher. In many Christians minds that is worse than an atheist.

 

[looney]

Scientology is pure evil.

Yep and they are expert con artists who will fleece you for every penny you have. That cult should of sunk along with his boat he molested women on when hubbard snuffed it

 

[looney]

Same here. I'm also an atheist and totally agree with "Jesus' teachings" as we understand them.

I'm just not convinced he actually existed.

He did, plenty of witness accounts on that. He was just a renegade jew who spent his life Proselytising as he had a good reading of jewish scriptures. . It was Paul and the Catholic Church that created fairy tales around him.

 

[One Love]

He did, plenty of witness accounts on that. He was just a renegade jew who spent his life Proselytising as he had a good reading of jewish scriptures. . It was Paul and the Catholic Church that created fairy tales around him.

You seem to have very strong opinions on everything under the sun!

 

[Albion my Albion]

There is nothing wrong with embracing and practicing Jesus teachings. It's his adherence to some of the Jewish rituals, despite his rejection of others, that makes it seem irrelevant. Why do you have to eat bread and drink the fruit of the vine to remember someone or something? It is never necessary.

 

[Albion my Albion]

You seem to have very strong opinions on everything under the sun!

Everything on earth. There is nothing truly under the sun.

 

[symyjym]

There is nothing wrong with embracing and practicing Jesus teachings. It's his adherence to some of the Jewish rituals, despite his rejection of others, that makes it seem irrelevant. Why do you have to eat bread and drink the fruit of the vine to remember someone or something? It is never necessary.

It's not about embracing his teachings, it's about recognising the important ones. To love one another, to love your neighbor as yourself, to forgive your enemies, do unto others etc. It's not about praying or worshipping him, it's just seeing him like Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, Mandela, a Bob Marley or any other good role model for humanity.

I certainly don't think Hubbard could be mentioned in the same breath as the above examples.

 

[B-right-on]

Anyone here a member?
What's it all about?

If there was some on here, I dont think they are likely to stick their head above the parapet after reading some of the posts on this thread............. Makes them seem worse that a Palarse fan.

 

[Albion my Albion]

It's not about embracing his teachings, it's about recognising the important ones. To love one another, to love your neighbor as yourself, to forgive your enemies, do unto others etc. It's not about praying or worshipping him, it's just seeing him like Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, Mandela, a Bob Marley or any other good role model for humanity.

I certainly don't think Hubbard could be mentioned in the same breath as the above examples.

Why isn't L Ron just as cherished as the others? He gave people a way to escape their nightmares and enlighten themselves beyond what anyone else was able to do.

 

[Triggaaar]

Yeah I take your point there. It's also true that on the balance of probability, he may have existed.

That said, I can see more than just 1 'point in denying it': 1 point for every religious nut that is certain that he did!

In the absence of any real proof, I believe it's my moral duty to be skeptical of claims that he definitely existed.

I'm also an atheist, and have no problem with the belief that Jesus existed. His existence adds no weight to the claim of god at all.

 

[symyjym]

Why isn't L Ron just as cherished as the others? He gave people a way to escape their nightmares and enlighten themselves beyond what anyone else was able to do.

It's a controversial organisation that takes advantage of peoples psychological state of mind and financial position.

 

[NooBHA]

I'm also an atheist, and have no problem with the belief that Jesus existed. His existence adds no weight to the claim of god at all.

I too have no set religious beliefs any more but all my family are Catholic and many of them still go to Mass.

My belief is that every Religion is the correct Religion. Simply because religions are a ''Faith of an individual'' If you truly believe in it then it is the correct religion for you, so long as your beliefs are not such that you condemn others for their beliefs. That's why Faith is good for people so long as it is maintained within that individual and not projected on to other individuals who may believe in something different.

There was a wonderful statement made in the Franz Werfel film ''Song of Bernadette'' about Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes and the Catholic Faith

Werfel was a Jewish film maker from Hungary who escaped Nazi Capture through France into Spain around 1943. and he made reference to the Catholic Faith by stating ''If you have a faith then no explanation is necessary. If you do not have faith then no explanation will suffice''

A wonderfully simple explanation and true tolerance of other people's faiths and beliefs. I like that explanation.

 

[One Love]

Everything on earth. There is nothing truly under the sun.

Do you know what an idiom is?

 

[Triggaaar]

My belief is that every Religion is the correct Religion. Simply because religions are a ''Faith of an individual'' If you truly believe in it then it is the correct religion for you, so long as your beliefs are not such that you condemn others for their beliefs. That's why Faith is good for people so long as it is maintained within that individual and not projected on to other individuals who may believe in something different.

But faith isn't of an individual, because people pass it on to their children and preachers preach it etc.

There was a wonderful statement made in the Franz Werfel film ''Song of Bernadette'' about Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes and the Catholic Faith

Werfel was a Jewish film maker from Hungary who escaped Nazi Capture through France into Spain around 1943. and he made reference to the Catholic Faith by stating ''If you have a faith then no explanation is necessary. If you do not have faith then no explanation will suffice''

A wonderfully simple explanation and true tolerance of other people's faiths and beliefs. I like that explanation.

He doesn't seem to be tolerating those who don't believe in a made up god.