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Are all religions cults?

Are all religions cults?

  • Yes

    Votes: 19 38.8%
  • no

    Votes: 26 53.1%
  • I do not know

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • other

    Votes: 4 8.2%

  • Total voters
    49
Religion is evil and has been used as a excuse to commit all kinds of heinous acts. The nazis were christian and committed heinous acts in the name of Christianity.

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Most of our founding fathers were atheists and deists and realized the evils of religion so they decided to create a secular nation. Religion is a form of oppression. We have a church that says condoms make the HIV problem in africa worst. Religious fanatics here spend more money stopping gays from getting married instead of donating to charity or helping the poor. They also want to indoctrinate our children with false creationists theories. A society w/o religion like norway is a much happier one.

I would have to wonder where you get your information: While there were atheists among the founding fathers, most accounts put the number far less than a plurality. I'ml not sure that diests was even a word in common usage in the late 1700's. They did not create a secular nation, rather a nation free from any official religion. Religion spends more money stopping gays from getting married than donating etc, I would need a citation for that statement. The official church of Norway is the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway, and roughly 80% of the Norwegians belonging to that church. While there may be some anti condom churches encouraging Africans to not use condoms. I suspect I could find a religion that believed that all atheists should be hanged. While you might make the argument that Hitler was a christian in name, few would say that he was a christian in principle. Although he sometimes claimed to be a christian in later years, he ceased participating in any church early on.

BTW, I am an atheist myself, I just do not use false information to denigrate those who disagree with me.
 
Religion is evil and has been used as a excuse to commit all kinds of heinous acts. The nazis were christian and committed heinous acts in the name of Christianity.

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We have a church that says condoms make the HIV problem in africa worst. Religious fanatics here spend more money stopping gays from getting married instead of donating to charity or helping the poor. They also want to indoctrinate our children with false creationists theories. A society w/o religion like norway is a much happier one.

People are evil and have used religion as an exuse to commit all kinds of heinous acts. The Nazis were evil, and they twisted Christianity to suit their purpose. They weren't Christian any more than popes who killed other popes to become pope. The Catholic church isn't Christian. Some of the people in the Catholic church may be.

For over 30 years, the only theory indoctrination that has occured in public schools has been with the theory of macro-evolution. It's like arguing that it's important to be taught that I was adopted when I'd rather believe I was born naturally to my parents. Why is it so important that school age kids claim the big bang for their birthright?

Wiki (yes, not the ideal source, but quick) says religion does, in fact, exist in Norway. In fact, part of each citizens' taxes autmotically goes to support the church there. What demostrates that they are happier than the citizens of the US or Canada anyway?
 
If I use cult to define the post office today, then, yes, your scenario would be correct. However if society as a whole likes my defining the PO as a cult and begins using the term, it would soon be accepted as common language and the dictionaries would reflect that.

If words did not change meaning, there would be no reason for revisions of dictionaries, yet the Oxford English Dictionary in September redefined over 1500 words. Among them: base, black, color, letter, and value, (from their site), all common words for which, by your standards, would have no need for new definitions.

As for communication being difficult if words change meaning, grab a copy of The Canterbury Tales in original old English, or Olde, as Chaucer would say, and compare it to a "translated" version of today. It is reasonably certain that most would be more comfortable with today's version.

That's all true but it does not change the fact that today it means what the dictionary says and does not appear to be changing.

So still a no go.
 
People are evil and have used religion as an exuse to commit all kinds of heinous acts. The Nazis were evil, and they twisted Christianity to suit their purpose. They weren't Christian any more than popes who killed other popes to become pope. The Catholic church isn't Christian. Some of the people in the Catholic church may be.

Some people are evil. Some evil people use religion as an excuse to commit heinous acts; others need no rationale. But does falling short of perfection--of sinning--render one no longer Christian?

No comment at all on the astonishingly ignorant claim that the Catholic Church isn't Christian.
 
Some people are evil. Some evil people use religion as an excuse to commit heinous acts; others need no rationale. But does falling short of perfection--of sinning--render one no longer Christian?

No but if you do not walk the walk as well as talk the talk...

John 8:44-45:42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!
 
My point is that even those who strive to walk the walk often stumble.
 
My point is that even those who strive to walk the walk often stumble.

I got that and absolutely agree. My point was that you can call yourself a Christian all day long but you will be recognized for what you are.
 
Some people are evil. Some evil people use religion as an excuse to commit heinous acts; others need no rationale. But does falling short of perfection--of sinning--render one no longer Christian?
No comment at all on the astonishingly ignorant claim that the Catholic Church isn't Christian.
My point is that even those who strive to walk the walk often stumble.
I got that and absolutely agree. My point was that you can call yourself a Christian all day long but you will be recognized for what you are.

No, sinning doesn't render someone no longer a Christian. Willfully sinning, failing to repent, and pulling away from the teachings of Christ and His Apostles would render someone no longer Christ-like (a Christian).

In my opinion, the Catholic church stopped making the tough choices a long time ago. And, they domonstrate that Christ is no longer the head of their church - instead man is - many of them self serving. The Catholic church can do all the good it wants by human standards, but if it's teaching the doctrines of man and not of Christ, then it's not Christian - regardless of what it claims to be or what its origins were. And, again, I'll say that there may be Christian people who associate themselves with the Catholic church, but I think that most who would take the Bible seriously would either flee the organization or actively demand change.

All men, all religions, and all churches will eventually be recognized for what they are. A church doesn't need a hierarchical beyond it's members, deacons, shepards/elders, and Christ to exist. So what's the Christlike purpose of the Catholic church, and why does "it" do what "it" does?
 
All men, all religions, and all churches will eventually be recognized for what they are. A church doesn't need a hierarchical beyond it's members, deacons, shepards/elders, and Christ to exist. So what's the Christlike purpose of the Catholic church, and why does "it" do what "it" does?

To many Christian churches follow a doctrine that is based on tradition rather than biblical president or the direct teachings of Christ.
 
I haven't slogged through this entire thread, but I'd say that various interpretations of any religion tend to act in cult like ways when the punishment for non blelief is such that extricating yourself from it becomes a problem.

In this regard, just about any religion can become cult like, but do not have to be so. They are not all alike, however, as some are more intrinsically cult-like in nature than others by very design.
 
Look at this list
US doesn't make cut for happiest nations list - Business - World business - msnbc.com

If you look at this map
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Atheists_Agnostics_Zuckerman_en.svg

that's where all the atheists tend to be. In happy nations. The extremely religious nations like our's tend to be third world countries.
Still didn't answer ANY of my questions. The MSNBC report you cite, does not even take religious involvement into account. By the way, Israel is #9 on the "Happy List". Are you implying that Israel is an atheisitic/agnostic nation? Survey says.....................................FAIL.


One more thing, accordng to a recent Eurostat Eurobarometer poll, France claims to be one the most "athesitic" nations on Earth. Also ranking near the top were South Korea, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Russia...........none of which made your "Happiest Countries" list. Any explanation for that? I'm waiting................... *crickets chirping in the background*
 
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I learned more recently about the Epic of Gilgamesh and how it has stories in it that are almost exactly mirrored in the Old Testament of the Bible.....(Creation and "The Flood")

Couple that with how Christianity came after, yet has extremely similar theories from previous Roman and other Pagan religions... and Ive come to the conclusion that somewhere along the line people made their own stories and those stories turned into a way to wield power over the people.
 
Still didn't answer ANY of my questions. The MSNBC report you cite, does not even take religious involvement into account. By the way, Israel is #9 on the "Happy List". Are you implying that Israel is an atheisitic/agnostic nation? Survey says.....................................FAIL.


One more thing, accordng to a recent Eurostat Eurobarometer poll, France claims to be one the most "athesitic" nations on Earth. Also ranking near the top were South Korea, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Russia...........none of which made your "Happiest Countries" list. Any explanation for that? I'm waiting................... *crickets chirping in the background*


Actually israel is shaded light blue on that map i posted, so i guesing there are quite a few atheists/agnostics. BTW this is just one list. Many of them dont even have israel on them.
 
99.9% of that is not true at all.

Lambert (2003) has examined the religious affiliations and beliefs of the Founders. Of the 55 delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention, 49 were Protestants, and three were Roman Catholics (C. Carroll, D. Carroll, and Fitzsimons). Among the Protestant delegates to the Constitutional Convention, 28 were Church of England (or Episcopalian, after the American Revolutionary War was won), eight were Presbyterians, seven were Congregationalists, two were Lutherans, two were Dutch Reformed, and two were Methodists.
A few prominent Founding Fathers were anti-clerical Christians, such as Thomas Jefferson[13][14][15] (who created the so-called "Jefferson Bible") and Benjamin Franklin.[16] A few others (most notably Thomas Paine) were deists, or at least held beliefs very similar to those of deists.[17]
- Founding Fathers of the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But don't let facts get in the way of bigotry.

You pick out only the bad things church organizations have done while leaving out anything good.

Actually Jefferson was a deist. He just said he belonged to a church because americans back than were the same way they are now. They want a christian president. If obama said he muslim like his father he would not have won. He said he was christian. I hope he is an atheist. But i will take his word that he is a christian. And ben franklin was a confirmed atheist.

Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity.
-Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782
Thomas Jefferson quotes
 
Christians also used the bible to justify slavery. It was Lincoln who was either an atheist or deist that led the fight to emancipate them. Just goes to show that people that dont subscribe to a religion have more morals.
 
I would have to wonder where you get your information: While there were atheists among the founding fathers, most accounts put the number far less than a plurality. I'ml not sure that diests was even a word in common usage in the late 1700's. They did not create a secular nation, rather a nation free from any official religion. Religion spends more money stopping gays from getting married than donating etc, I would need a citation for that statement. The official church of Norway is the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway, and roughly 80% of the Norwegians belonging to that church. While there may be some anti condom churches encouraging Africans to not use condoms. I suspect I could find a religion that believed that all atheists should be hanged. While you might make the argument that Hitler was a christian in name, few would say that he was a christian in principle. Although he sometimes claimed to be a christian in later years, he ceased participating in any church early on.

BTW, I am an atheist myself, I just do not use false information to denigrate those who disagree with me.

The mormon church spent 180,000 to stop prop 8
Mormon church reports spending $180,000 on Proposition 8 - latimes.com
IMO any money spent stopping gays from getting married which the bible makes no mention of, is money not spent helping the poor which the bible requires. In fact any one who believes that christians actually help the poor are crazy. They support a party that is so anti welfare. Religious folks are the most intolerant and judgmental. People like gates and buffet donate a lot to charity and dont need religion to tell them to.

318387_278935058795101_187145274640747_933288_1576121534_n.jpg
 
I would have to wonder where you get your information: While there were atheists among the founding fathers, most accounts put the number far less than a plurality. I'ml not sure that diests was even a word in common usage in the late 1700's. They did not create a secular nation, rather a nation free from any official religion. Religion spends more money stopping gays from getting married than donating etc, I would need a citation for that statement. The official church of Norway is the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway, and roughly 80% of the Norwegians belonging to that church. While there may be some anti condom churches encouraging Africans to not use condoms. I suspect I could find a religion that believed that all atheists should be hanged. While you might make the argument that Hitler was a christian in name, few would say that he was a christian in principle. Although he sometimes claimed to be a christian in later years, he ceased participating in any church early on.

BTW, I am an atheist myself, I just do not use false information to denigrate those who disagree with me.

I would say a nation free from an official religion is a secular one. By secular i dont mean atheist. I would say many nations in the world are secular. The only ones that arent are the islamic ones that follow sharia law. And for the condom thing it was the pope that said the condoms make the HIV problem in africa worse. A supposed man of god and a former member of the nazi party is probably the most intolerant person of all blaming other folks for their own problems instead of taking credit.
 
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The mormon church spent 180,000 to stop prop 8
Mormon church reports spending $180,000 on Proposition 8 - latimes.com
IMO any money spent stopping gays from getting married which the bible makes no mention of, is money not spent helping the poor which the bible requires. In fact any one who believes that christians actually help the poor are crazy. They support a party that is so anti welfare. Religious folks are the most intolerant and judgmental. People like gates and buffet donate a lot to charity and dont need religion to tell them to.

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Man, you're just all over the map aren't you? Have you got a point about cults?
 
Man, you're just all over the map aren't you? Have you got a point about cults?

He asked for proof that churches rather stop gay from getting married than donate to charity and i gave him some. I dont care if religions are cults or not. I would say yes but the fact that we are having this conservation would disappoint our deist/atheist founding fathers.
 
He asked for proof that churches rather stop gay from getting married than donate to charity and i gave him some. I dont care if religions are cults or not. I would say yes but the fact that we are having this conservation would disappoint our deist/atheist founding fathers.
You're not proving anything with Robertson, if you read the Bible you would know that charity is to be done quietly, and not for public consumption.
 
Actually Jefferson was a deist. He just said he belonged to a church because americans back than were the same way they are now. They want a christian president. If obama said he muslim like his father he would not have won. He said he was christian. I hope he is an atheist. But i will take his word that he is a christian. And ben franklin was a confirmed atheist.

Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity.
-Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782
Thomas Jefferson quotes

More people have died at the hand of man for no reason other than power than all of religion combined.

You said nothing about any founding father in particular, you said most of the founding fathers. I showed you were wrong.

I don't think I will respond to you anymore because you are either very uneducated and immature or just a common troll.
 
I would say a nation free from an official religion is a secular one. By secular i dont mean atheist. I would say many nations in the world are secular. The only ones that arent are the islamic ones that follow sharia law. And for the condom thing it was the pope that said the condoms make the HIV problem in africa worse. A supposed man of god and a former member of the nazi party is probably the most intolerant person of all blaming other folks for their own problems instead of taking credit.

The way I interpret secular means free from religion. I would agree that does not necessarily mean atheist, although I would hard pressed to come up with a nation free from religion that was not atheist. My point is that the founders never intended the nation to be free from religion, most were religious. Rather they intended the nation to be free from any official religion.
I am aware that a pope at one time stated that condoms contributed to the aids problem in Africa, in my book an absurd statement. It also denigrates the good works that many of the worlds churches do in Africa and other third world countries. It is interesting that the proof presented that religions spend more fighting gay rights than charitable works and helping the poor is the Mormon church. For starters, I doubt that 180K is anyway near the amount that the Mormons spend on charity. I don't know about now, but when I was growing up, there was a large LDS church in the next block that contained a cannery where food was put up for the poor, I would assume that a similar attitude exists in the church today. My point with Hitler was that while he sometimes claimed to be a Christian, his actions were not, and he got away from the church early on. While I will agree that the Muslim countries are theocracies, there are a few countries that have an official religion without being theocratic. Norway, I believe is one of them, and England, if not now, has been so in the past. Don't know about now.

"A supposed man of god and a former member of the nazi party is probably the most intolerant person of all blaming other folks for their own problems instead of taking credit"
I'm confused about this statement, could you enlighten me?
 
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