Page 31 of 31 FirstFirst ... 21262728293031
Results 301 to 303 of 303
  1. #301
    5 Star Poster sukumvit boy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    los angeles area
    Posts
    2,241

    Default Re: The Concept Of Being "God Fearing"

    Here are some interesting facts regarding the tax exempt status of Scientology as a 'religion'.
    Here in the US it qualifies but in the UK the results are mixed.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sciento...tus_by_country



  2. #302
    Senior Member Platinum Poster
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Posts
    13,472

    Default Re: The Concept Of Being "God Fearing"

    I view Scientology as a commercial enterprise rather than a religion, because the religion does not have a basic set of beliefs that define the religion, but offers a sequence of challenges through which a candidate must pass before being declared 'clear' which confers superior status on a member compared to someone who has just joined. Crucially, every stage of 'enlightenment' must be paid for, and the simple fact that in effect, you cannot 'become' a Scientologist without paying for it makes it a private club or commercial enterprise. There is no entry fee for Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists and so on.

    More to the point, Mike Huckabee once declared that God's law is superior to the Constitution, stating in 2008

    "I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution," Huckabee told a Michigan audience on Monday. "But I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living god. And that's what we need to do -- to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view."
    https://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/H...Gods_0115.html

    His view at the time was considered typical of the 'Evangelical Christian' movement but too marginal to be taken seriously, but he doubled down on his views in 2015 when he stated publicly

    I respect the courts, but the Supreme Court is only that -- the supreme of the courts. It is not the supreme being. It cannot overrule God," he said. "When it comes to prayer, when it comes to life, and when it comes to the sanctity of marriage, the court cannot change what God has created.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/29/p...urt/index.html

    The passage of time has resulted in the very same people once believed to occupy the margins now occupying positions of influence in the White House, Congress, and most worrying of all, the judicial system.

    Here is an almost excellent overview of the Evangelical movement, particularly interesting to read of the 'Know-Nothing Party' fearful of an 'invasion' of Roman Catholics as an example of the actual divisions within American Christian communities, carried forward to those who supported Jefferson and those afraid he was going to confiscate their Bibles. But what John Fea does not do is justify any connection between Evangelical Christians and the political system, he takes it as a given fact of American life, but in doing so has nothing to say to the millions with a different god or none at all.
    https://www.theatlantic.com/politics...l-fear/563558/



  3. #303
    Senior Member Platinum Poster
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Posts
    13,472

    Default Re: The Concept Of Being "God Fearing"

    I am not sure if I should fear God, but I fear for Pastor Paula White, the President's' Spiritual Advisor'. Here she is on a marathon rant about the victory God must bring to the Republican candidate, but it looks and sounds more like a pagan ritual staged by Tadeusz Kantor. She strikes the air with her fist as behind her, some dude in shorts and a towel on his arm walks up and down behind her, reading from I assume is a Book of Spells. I was expecting her to sacrifice a pigeon and examine its entrails, -if it happened they didn't record it. It also appears to be the case, that for all her prayers and invocations of Angels coming from Africa and South America, their trip was a waste of time. But hey, God's paying for it all, and bullshit is cheap in America these days.



    2 out of 2 members liked this post.

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 0
    Last Post: 10-27-2012, 09:33 PM
  2. Replies: 1
    Last Post: 09-18-2012, 04:39 PM
  3. Replies: 4
    Last Post: 02-28-2012, 12:01 AM
  4. Replies: 6
    Last Post: 12-15-2011, 04:56 AM
  5. Replies: 4
    Last Post: 12-08-2011, 01:42 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •