You're not wrong but I would argue that "normal" religions like Evangelical Christianity are every bit as fucked up as JWs or Scientology, if not moreso.
Most evangelical Christians support the idea of eternal, conscious torment for unbelievers. When I was a Christian I internalized this belief to the point I had a bit of a mental breakdown. I'd argue though that I actually was the totally sane one. I just bothered to spend more than a few seconds dwelling on what eternal torment actually implied. Personally I believe that teaching kids that unbelievers are tormented forever in a lake of fire to be child abuse. At least the JWs believe in annihilation of unbelievers and reject eternal torment, for one.
I'm also speaking from the perspective of a US American and I get that our religions here are not in the same situation as those in other countries.
Edit: ah, I see you're talking more about organizational structures than beliefs.
To a Finnish person whose experience of religion has been the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, American Evangelical Christianity is anything but normal
Any successful communist revolution in the US is going to have to figure out what to do with those damn Mormons and I hope it won't be our War in the Vendee
Western religion is absolutely putrid and totally corrupt. I have zero qualms with people who follow religion for a sense of community or personal liberation and like actually follow the teachings. Like everyone else my problem is with this terrible supply-side Jesus bullshit that's everywhere.
There were also Zen-Buddhist guides for Japanese soldiers on how to handle the disgusting things they did to Chinese civilians. It was a mechanism to make sure the soldiers didn't refuse orders. Zizek talks about this in the Peterson-debate.
Full support for government regulation of religion, shit like Scientology or even the JW's should not pass any sane "FDA but for religion"
You're not wrong but I would argue that "normal" religions like Evangelical Christianity are every bit as fucked up as JWs or Scientology, if not moreso.
Most evangelical Christians support the idea of eternal, conscious torment for unbelievers. When I was a Christian I internalized this belief to the point I had a bit of a mental breakdown. I'd argue though that I actually was the totally sane one. I just bothered to spend more than a few seconds dwelling on what eternal torment actually implied. Personally I believe that teaching kids that unbelievers are tormented forever in a lake of fire to be child abuse. At least the JWs believe in annihilation of unbelievers and reject eternal torment, for one.
I'm also speaking from the perspective of a US American and I get that our religions here are not in the same situation as those in other countries.
Edit: ah, I see you're talking more about organizational structures than beliefs.
To a Finnish person whose experience of religion has been the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, American Evangelical Christianity is anything but normal
Any successful communist revolution in the US is going to have to figure out what to do with those damn Mormons and I hope it won't be our War in the Vendee
herbalife sentence
can't. saltwater would let them float
I feel like religion is fine so long as it doesn't interfere with your grasp of reality.
I don't really care about individual believers or beliefs, it's these frankly evil pyramid scheme organisations I'm after
Western religion is absolutely putrid and totally corrupt. I have zero qualms with people who follow religion for a sense of community or personal liberation and like actually follow the teachings. Like everyone else my problem is with this terrible supply-side Jesus bullshit that's everywhere.
Oh, don't you worry, there's supply side Buddha shit too, that one huge international Japanese Buddhist org springs to mind
People are a bit shit everywhere I'm afraid
Not surprised to hear this honestly. It feels like you have to go out of your way to seek out radical religion.
Oftentimes these types of organisations ARE what people run into when they're seeking out religion though
There were also Zen-Buddhist guides for Japanese soldiers on how to handle the disgusting things they did to Chinese civilians. It was a mechanism to make sure the soldiers didn't refuse orders. Zizek talks about this in the Peterson-debate.
Yeah me too. Organised religion rubs me up the wrong way.