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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
Free For All said:
That doesn't prove they hate religion... if anything it just goes to prove our founding fathers wanted religious freedom. ;)
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They wanted religious freedom but thought it should private. That's why they specially said that there should be no religious test for any public office and put a separation of church and state clause in our constitution. Unfortunately being a christian has become a requirement for office and schools want to teach pseudo science to our kids. Our fondling fathers would be ashamed of how religious we have become as a nation.
 
99percenter said:
Treaty of tripoli clearly states we aren't a christian nation

"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,—as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen,—and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."

Just more proof that our deists/atheists founders hated religion.
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Are you even slightly familiar with the historical context of the Treaty of Tripoli, or did you just happen upon it in a Google Search? First, consider this, four years later, the Treaty of Tripoli of 1797 would be broken, rendered of no effect, and its controversial phrase would never again appear in a United States government treaty. Next, consider that this was one of four so called "treaties" of friendship between the US and the Barbary states designed to reassure these North African (Muslim) States of our "friendly" intentions and to, ultimately, prevent incessant raids by the Barbary Pirates along with the subsquent enslavement of captive sailors.

No charge for the History lesson, now go back and tell your professor the truth. :roll:
 
Fiddytree said:
He wasn't an atheist. He was a religious utilitarian and perhaps a deist. He would attend churches that preached helping your fellow man, and self-improvement. He would donate to them, if he appreciated the sermons. If he did not, he would not donate further. It is in his Autobiography.

Surely, a man such as yourself, would be open to the notion that primary sources should be closely read before commentary?
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"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life, I absenteed myself from Christian assemblies."
"Lighthouses are more helpful then churches.

Doesn't sound like a guy that went to church.
 
FluffyNinja said:
Are you even slightly familiar with the historical context of the Treaty of Tripoli, or did you just happen upon it in a Google Search? First, consider this, four years later, the Treaty of Tripoli of 1797 would be broken, rendered of no effect, and its controversial phrase would never again appear in a United States government treaty. Next, consider that this was one of four so called "treaties" of friendship between the US and the Barbary states designed to reassure these North African (Muslim) States of our "friendly" intentions and to, ultimately, prevent incessant raids by the Barbary Pirates along with the subsquent enslavement of captive sailors.

No charge for the History lesson, now go back and tell your professor the truth. :roll:
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Argument i was making is we aren't a christian nation and the treaty of tripoli is explicit that we weren't. Do you agree or disagree? I know very well what the treaty of Tripoli was for.
 
99percenter said:
"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life, I absenteed myself from Christian assemblies."
"Lighthouses are more helpful then churches.

Doesn't sound like a guy that went to church.
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You attempting to school Fiddytree in history? :lamo
 
Medusa said:
in fact, hitler was an atheist,but his crimes arent related to his being religious or not...

But Vatican never did anything to prevent him from commiting holocaust, as he did for the bosnian genocide....
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And, exactly what could the Vatican have done to stop the genocide..................sent out the Papal Guard to take on the Nazi shock troops?
 
FluffyNinja said:
And, exactly what would the Vatican have done to stop the genocide..................sent out the Papal Guard to take on the Nazi shock troops?
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How about condemning it. The nazi's were christian. The fact that the pope was indifferent to it is disgusting.
 
99percenter said:
They wanted religious freedom but thought it should private.
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State churches existed well into the 19th century, you know.


That's why they specially said that there should be no religious test for any public office
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That's why my fifth great uncle supported it during the ratification. He was also a devout Christian of the Congregationalist sect.

Unfortunately being a christian has become a requirement for office and schools want to teach pseudo science to our kids. Our fondling fathers would be ashamed of how religious we have become as a nation.
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And yet accusations of atheism lived in Presidential politics for many many decades during and after the founding generation?
 
http://thinkreason.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/atheism8x6.jpg

atheism8x6.jpg
 
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Fiddytree said:
State churches existed well into the 19th century, you know.
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Not only that, but the Capitol building was used for church services for decades (approved by Congress in 1800).
 
on dollars, ı read 'in god we trust'. ı never feel disturbed when ı read that. in fact a piece of god belief never hurts you,conversely it helps you be stronger in the life.if you avoid from all kinds of extremities, religion is good thing..
 
99percenter said:
"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life, I absenteed myself from Christian assemblies."
"Lighthouses are more helpful then churches.

Doesn't sound like a guy that went to church.
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Men of thought doubt alot.

Benjamin Franklin, the delegate to the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention. He has frequently been used as a source for positive "God" talk. It is often noted that Franklin made a motion at the Constitutional convention that they should bring in a clergyman to pray for their deliberations:
In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when present to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings?... I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth - that God governs in the affairs of men. (Catherine Drinker Bowen. Miracle at Phaladelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention, May to September 1787. New York: Book-of-the-Month Club, 1966, pp. 125-126)
...Franklin presented his motion after "four or five weeks" of deliberation, during which they had never once opened in prayer... Franklin's motion was voted down... [Franklin] made the motion during an especially trying week of serious disagreement, when the convention was in danger of breaking up. Cathrine Drinker Bowen comments:
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Sounds to me he probably didn't like the church.... but I think he liked Jesus.. (if he was real)

About March 1, 1790, [Franklin] wrote the following in a letter to Ezra Stiles, president of Yale, who had asked him his views on religion...:
As to Jesus of Nazareth, my Opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the System of Morals and his Religion, as he left them to us, the best the world ever saw or is likely to see; but I apprehend it has received various corrupt changes, and I have, with most of the present Dissenters in England, some Doubts as to his divinity; tho' it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and I think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an Opportunity of knowing the Truth with less Trouble...." (Carl Van Doren. Benjamin Franklin. New York: The Viking Press, 1938, p. 777.)
He died just over a month later on April 17.
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Hopefully he died a christian. :(


I got all that **** from this The religion of Benjamin Franklin, founding father
 
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99percenter said:
Argument i was making is we aren't a christian nation and the treaty of tripoli is explicit that we weren't. Do you agree or disagree? I know very well what the treaty of Tripoli was for.
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The Treaty of Tripoli was rendered null and void, therefore what it purports is of no real historic significance today. To answer your second question.........hell no we're not a "Christian Nation".................does anyone think that based on our current state of morality, that Christ would consider it so? Was it founded upon Christian Principles, by a majority of men who publicly claimed to espouse these same Christian principles?...............Most assuredly.
 
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Fiddytree said:
State churches existed well into the 19th century, you know.




That's why my fifth great uncle supported it during the ratification. He was also a devout Christian of the Congregationalist sect.



And yet accusations of atheism lived in Presidential politics for many many decades during and after the founding generation?
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I commend your uncle for being open minded to a non-christian president but I'm sure not everyone felt this way. And states cant take away a right in the constitution. If that's what the states did it was against the founders wishes.
 
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FluffyNinja said:
The Treaty of Tripoli was rendered null and void, therefore what it purports is of no real historic significance today. To answer your second question.........hell no we're not a "Christian Nation".................does anyone think that based on our current state of morality, that Christ would consider it so? Was it founded upon Christian Principles, by a majority men who publicly claimed to espouse these same Christian principles?...............Most assuredly.
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That's where you and i disagree. I think the founders weren't christian and that's why they decided on a secular nation instead of a christian one.
 
Medusa said:
on dollars, ı read 'in god we trust'. ı never feel disturbed when ı read that. in fact a piece of god belief never hurts you,conversely it helps you be stronger in the life.if you avoid from all kinds of extremities, religion is good thing..
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Most of the crap was put in during the 50s. Has nothing to do with the founders.
 
99percenter said:
How about condemning it. The nazi's were christian. The fact that the pope was indifferent to it is disgusting.
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Nazi's were Christians huh? You still haven't gotten past that one yet? Do you truly feel that the Ostrich Approach is working out that well for you? You do realize that you're making a complete ass of yourself? The other Atheists on this site are even avoiding your ignorant arguments like the plague. :lol:
 
FluffyNinja said:
And, exactly what could the Vatican have done to stop the genocide..................sent out the Papal Guard to take on the Nazi shock troops?
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vatican would be able to struggle with nazis as they struggled with communism..but they didnt...
 
FluffyNinja said:
Nazi's were Christians huh? You still haven't gotten past that one yet? Do you truly feel that the Ostrich Approach is working out that well for you? You do realize that you're making a complete ass of yourself? The other Atheists on this site are even avoiding your ignorant arguments like the plague. :lol:
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I'm sure they are a bit more tolerant of religions than me but still believe that religion has a corrupting influence on man. I'm just more passionate about it.
 
99percenter said:
They wanted religious freedom but thought it should private. That's why they specially said that there should be no religious test for any public office and put a separation of church and state clause in our constitution. Unfortunately being a christian has become a requirement for office and schools want to teach pseudo science to our kids. Our fondling fathers would be ashamed of how religious we have become as a nation.
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Pseudo science? Creationism? Evolution? All I want is if you don't know for a fact you should teach everyone every body's viewpoint and let them decide.
So Creationism along side Evolution.
 
99percenter said:
That's where you and i disagree. I think the founders weren't christian and that's why they decided on a secular nation instead of a christian one.
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27 of the 54 Founding Fathers had Christian Seminary degrees. Sessions of the Continental Congress were opened with prayer sessions. Thomas Jefferson and other Founders regularly attended Church services that were held IN THE US CAPITOL BUILDING. How does that strike ya? Go ahead; try and refute it. :lol:

There's a whole world of historical facts out there that you've yet to tap into youngster. :lol:
 
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Free For All said:
Pseudo science? Creationism? Evolution? All I want is if you don't know for a fact you should teach everyone every body's viewpoint and let them decide.
So Creationism along side Evolution.
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No. Creationism isn't a scientific theory and no sane biologist believes in it. This letting kids decide is crap from the religious right to indoctrinate our children.
 
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