Is Christianity like a drug?

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   Castlepalomaposted 11 years ago

   I have lost my Brother since he has turned to being a pastor, he will not return my calls, everyone he knows now, are all pretty well Christians. Most Christian, I know it seems they often are unable to enjoy themselves except through Jesus. Just like any form of addict their entire body's pleasure sense is taken over by the drug. I'm naturally happy about beauty that surround me, where a Christians believe beauty is a gift from God or anything is proof of Yahweh existence, as their God has given us everything.
   
   I know Christian opposed to any usage of 'illegal drugs mainly because they are illegal and can be harmful. Yet, that dose not stop predominate Christian America from for being at the tops in crime and drugs links. They believe in the supernatural where devils and angels surround us, they look at flowers and sunsets and see their one and only God ( Yahweh)! I know often christian want to ask me a question or respond to something I posted, but they don't often because they afraid of what it is. There inability to be coherent with logic and science then switch the conversation about devils, angels, going to hell, war, fighting, conspiracy and on and on it's seems like they are on some kind of legal or illegal drug.  Many times they put down my thoughts or their own thoughts from the head, to replace them with  bible quotes, and most often conversation come right back to the addicting bible again.
   
   I think that religion reduces thinking for yourself , I am what I think. Sometime the main reason I come to this dark side of the form is to understand my pastor brother better, yet so little has changed.
   
   What is your thoughts? I mean, what are you really thinking without the one and only instruction book to everything?

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      Randy Godwinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      It is an old book written long ago by primitive men who used their own idea of a god to feel superior to their fellow man.  It is still used for the same reason today. 
      
                                                     

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         Castlepalomaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, the smartest man in the cave the group thought he knew God the best, so the group assume him as the leader Then this assume leader was making up  a one sided God story to empower himself which today has turned into an over ego world. . Each of our lives would work better when we lead ourselves.

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   2. 79

      Chris Nealposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I'm sorry about your relationship with your brother. My brother and I have had an on-again, off-again relationship for years, although religion has had little to do with that.
      
      I know from experience that it's hard to talk to people who believe so different from you. This was true even before I became a Christian. I don't think that becoming a Christian reduces your ability to think for yourself. I've seen both sides up close and there's not less emotion and assumption on the non-believer side than there is on the believer side, nor is there more. I don't know if you two argue or if you don't, I don't know what your relationship was like before, and I don't know if he's working overtime to "convert" you or if you're working overtime to "deconvert" him or both.
      
      That fact that you likened me to a "dumb animal" didn't make me want to talk to you anymore, I will say that.
      
      
      
      This may be the end of any interaction we have, but I will say that sometimes your writing is difficult to read. I know you live in Canada, and sometimes I've wondered if it was Quebec or some area where English is not the primary language. I didn't want to say it because I didn't want to seem any more insensitive than I probably already do. Most of the time I can understand you well, but sometimes I just can't make sense of what you say, and it has nothing to do with religion.
      
      I've seen posts by Christians that are difficult to understand as well. I try to be clear about what I say and I know I'm not always successful. The Bible is full of ideas that are impossible from a purely rationalist, materialist point of view.
      
      Your assumption? Decision? Assertion? that the Bible is "addictive" reminds me of the people I've seen on these forums who have quite openly said that since they can't understand what the Christian believes or why, they have decided that they must simply be uneducated and unintelligent. It's just not so.
      
      
      
      
      I've been pretty open with my story. And I spend a lot of time in forums where believers are not congregating, so I've taken some heat for it. Obviously, your relationship with your brother is not the same as your relationship with me, and there's so little I have to go on to try to help you. I don't know if I have or not, but I hope so.

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         Castlepalomaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         I never said Christian are not intelligent, and would not say that about any group. Overall I.m no better or worst than the next guy and only try to get a closer understanding about religious people because there is so many of them. Maybe I'm  not wired be able to understand religious belief and may not in my life time, one can only try

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            Chris Nealposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Well, I hope your relationship with your brother improves.

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            1. 75

               Castlepalomaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks for your concern, not many are

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   Disturbiaposted 11 years ago

   I have to say that you could be right, Christianity could be an addiction to some people. Honestly, I have many friends who go to church and believe in God, however, they also believe in evolution, know that the bible is just a book of parables used to illustrate certain concepts, they are in general a well educated, good, normal group of people. They do not see the devil hiding behind every rock and they don't believe in demons, and they don't think everybody else but themselves are going to hell. They are not at all like some of the extremist types one often finds mentioned here in this forum.  I think that those types of people, the ones who can't seem to understand simple logic and will just chant their mindless mantra over and over regardless of the fact that it makes little or no sense are drugged and made high by Christianity. They are no longer in touch with reality. They have nothing else in there lives and have become twisted and hateful as religion feeds their addiction.

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   1. 75

      Castlepalomaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Even though people who are runners groups of people who every day run for 10 Km OR more, It can be  positive thing, OR for some, it is a positive addiction. An addiction is doing  something that is obsessive to the point of off balancing your life. I'm lucky in loving what I do for most wakings hours of my life, yet It can get obsessive at time, then I must keep it in check,
      
      I would not want to  join a club if everyone was actually like me, Why would everyone would want to be so close to being Christlike as humanly possible rather than leading their own life.. it's like a drug?
      
      I

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      Disappearingheadposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      This is so true. I've met two types of Christian: those that retain their critical thinking and those that do not.
      
      Those that do not believe that Christianity comes with a non-negotiable set of doctrines and to question these is to cross a line into something that is "not a proper Christian". There is a herd mentality and an unwritten rule that a proper Christian does not question the preacher. To enjoy anything in life without reference to God is considered "Worldly".
      
      However the good news is that in the UK at least, that belief in Young Earth Creationism is not compulsory. As it is not spelled out in Genesis how God did it, theistic evolution is consider acceptable. Hence stats I've seen show that in the UK something like 22% of Christians believe in a literal creation in six days as opposed to 46% in America.

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         Mark Knowlesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         How odd. I have only met two types as well. Those that do not retain their critical thinking, and those that do not retain their critical thinking, but think that they do.
         
         Critical thinking = theistic evolution is impossible and there is no reason to believe in majik. Especially the absolutes you guys believe in.
         
         If a goddunit - we need to reject everything we think we understand about how evolution works or goddunnit in such as way as it did not know what the outcome would be and is therefore not omni-everything.
         
         Which is it you Critical Thinker you?

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            Castlepalomaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            How do you apply so strong a critical thinking process  to the 90% of people in the world that think or believe in God? I wouldn't want to be over critical suppress my imagination or creative side of the brain. Just lead with the heart or Imagination part, then shortly follow up with my mind of critical thinking.
            
            The acceptance for me there is some form of higher power or higher energy to tap into in the Universe, and it works. The problem I have with each group in Religion is they think they own all spiritual energy or higher power under one God, being Yahweh and so on, then create this fight club which begins unbalancing  like a drug  obsession  to protect their God. Why dose their God need so much money, wars in his name which makes a less friendlier world.

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         2. 60

            Disappearingheadposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            

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3. 61

   Ron Montgomeryposted 11 years ago

   It is the bath salts of the masses...

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   webclinicianposted 11 years ago

   I have seen people that have become "addicted" to religion especially if they got the hang of it recently.
   One of my colleague left medicine...and his GF... to become a priest.
   Son of our friend gave away his sports car as he literally wanted to be poor as God didn't want material things...well it seems he found it hard and he is less intense with religion now.
   It will pass or not, all we can do is accept and understand people along the way.

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   1. 75

      Castlepalomaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I have friend that received one million dollars and then him and his wife gave to their church $750,000. They are both getting a divorcee. Now he has lost his three kids and moving on to missionary word in a third world country.
      
      Another Christian guy I know gave up his whole big farm to a homeless guy and his family of eight, lives in a school bus for the last 6 years

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