Proof That Religion Makes People Stupid
Posted by: Andee / Category: Atheism, Church, God, Religion, Scary, Stupid
I woke up this morning and read that a famous Christian faith healer died of cancer this morning. I wanted to see him in action on YouTube laying his hands upon the heads of those who needed healing and pushing them to the floor like Benny Hinn, but I didn't have any luck finding it.
Hate it when that happens.
But... I did find something very amusing/scary while searching Google. It's a Christian blog called Jesus Christ is Lord. Let me tell you something, just one glance at ONE ARTICLE pissed me off so much that I wanted to go outside and kick a tree (and I LIKE TREES!!). Be warned that this little gem isn't for the faint at heart. Prepare yourself for a true display of how messed up in the mind religious people can get. You might want to take some time and take any prescribed high blood pressure medication, do some yoga, or take a shot of Jack Daniels.
You hath been warned.
Here are a few of my "favorites":
When Demons Attack Your Mind
First, you have to gain some level of control, awareness, or inventory of the thoughts and ideas that are in your head. If you have an “atom – smasher mind” that is totally chaotic with all sorts of different discordant thoughts running back and forth, your mind is literally ripe to becoming a demonic playpen. Not only that, but a person having such a mind will find it very difficult to be productive in many areas of his or her life: for instance such a person will have a hard time starting projects, finishing them, keeping appointments, etc. Such a person will either not pay much attention to detail, or pay entirely too much attention and lose perspective.Beware: The Toilet Demon
Remember to pray before dropping your pants.
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Also, please realize that if YOU do not control your mind, OTHERS WILL. Right now it may be the government and corporate influences that bombard your mind through the media and culture, and the evil spirits that they empower. But make no mistake, in the future it WILL be the beast, the anti – Christ. And I know that Scientology, Buddhism, Hinduism, New Age, and even some strands of “Christianity” offer techniques for you to control your mind: auditing, “mind exercises”, contemplative prayer, meditation, chanting, yoga, etc. What you are actually doing with these is giving full control over your mind to evil spirits that allow you to THINK that you are in control when the truth is that THEY are calling the shots. Instead of messing around with witchcraft and finding yourself bewitched, just obey what the Bible says. Find a quiet place. Get into God’s rest. And yes, Sabbaths are GREAT for resting the mind and body.
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And once you are fully aware that a voice or image inside your head is NOT from God and NOT from you, then the only other option is demons. Even memories: demons have the ability to dredge up stuff to tempt or torment you. As a matter of fact, there is even a type of demon called a “memory recall demon.” So, you CANNOT entertain the thoughts or the demons that send them. You CANNOT try to justify, rationalize, figure out, etc. the thoughts. You MUST IMMEDIATELY RESIST THE DEMONS AND TELL THEM TO LEAVE YOUR MIND USING THE NAME AND POWER OF JESUS CHRIST. Now realize this: only people who have made Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior have this power. If you have not, take care of it right now so that you can begin reclaiming your mind.
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You must speak to the demons out loud, even if only in a whisper (which helps if you are around other people). Say something after the effect of “Evil spirit, I know that’s you, and that you are nothing but a liar and a corrupter with no power, and no right to my mind because it is owned, protected, and covered by the One True God. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I command you to go from my mind, and in the Name of Jesus Christ I bind you from returning!” Now you do not have to repeat exactly that every single time. As a matter of fact, if you repeat something from memory, it will only be ritualistic legalism, not spiritually warring from your heart to make it real, and will block the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, coming up with something new and unique each time can be confusing, tiring, and time – consuming.
Pretty damned crazy, isn't it?
Wait! There is more!!
Wanna read about what one of their posters thought about the death of Gordon B. Hinkley? Former "prophet" of my former religion? This is an article written by Bill Keller:
An evil tool of satan masquerading as a Godly grandfather is buring in hell for all eternity! Gordon B. Hinckley, the leader of the satanic Mormon cult is dead at 97. Hinckley saw this cult grow from 9 million members to over
13 million members worldwide during his 12-year reign as its leader. While
Hinckley is already being memorialized as a “great man of God,” the fact is
his life has been an instrument in the hands of satan to help lead the souls of men to hell by following the false theology of the Mormon cult............
Here are just a few of the theological issues that makes the satanic Mormon cult totally inconsistent with Biblical Christianity and why a Mormon is no more a Christian than a Muslim is. The god of the Mormon cult is NOT the God of the Bible. Their “god” is named Elohim and was once a man like you and I who came from another planet. Mormon theology teaches that men can eventually become a god and have their own planet. When a Mormon talks about “god,” he is talking about this fictitious god of Mormonism and NOT the God of the Bible!
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When a Mormon talks about “jesus,” he is NOT talking about the true Jesus of the Bible! What Jesus you put your faith in is so critical, since this is why anyone who puts their faith in the imaginary jesus of Joseph Smith and the satanic Mormon cult will die in their sins and their souls burn forever in the flames of hell!
It's pretty damned clear that I am no fan of the Mormon church, but this guy is absolutely insane! I can't believe how many people follow this dill-hole. It would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic.
You should read what they think about homosexuality... on second thought, it will just make you want to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge...
When will people learn?
Religion is about control, money and power. It's about keeping you in line and gaining access to your pocketbook.
Andee
November 28, 2009 at 4:00 PM
Mormons Are New Testament Christians, not Creedal Christians
The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) is often accused by Evangelical pastors of not believing in the 4th Century Christ and, therefore, not being a Christian religion. This post helps to clarify such misconceptions by examining early Christianity's theology relating to baptism, the Godhead, the deity of Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
Baptism:
Early Christian churches, practiced baptism of youth (not infants) by immersion by the father of the family. The local congregation had a lay ministry. An early Christian Church has been re-constructed at the Israel Museum, and the above can be verified. The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) continues baptism and a lay ministry as taught by Jesus’ Apostles. Early Christians were persecuted for keeping their practices sacred, and prohibiting non-Christians from witnessing them.
The Trinity:
A literal reading of the New Testament points to God and Jesus Christ , His Son , being separate , divine beings , united in purpose. . To whom was Jesus praying in Gethsemane, and Who was speaking to Him and his apostles on the Mount of Transfiguration? The Nicene Creed’s definition of the Trinity was influenced by scribes translating the Greek manuscripts into Latin. The scribes embellished on a passage explaining the Trinity , which is the Catholic and Protestant belief that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The oldest versions of the epistle of 1 John, read: "There are three that bear witness: the Spirit, the water and the blood and these three are one." Scribes later added "the Father, the Word and the Spirit," and it remained in the epistle when it was translated into English for the King James Version, according to Dr. Bart Ehrman, Chairman of the Religion Department at UNC- Chapel Hill. He no longer believes in the Nicene Trinity. . Scholars agree that Early Christians believed in an embodied God; it was neo-Platonist influences that later turned Him into a disembodied Spirit. For example, it was an emperor (Constantine) . who introduced a term, homoousious, which defined the Son as “consubstantial” (one being) with the Father. Neither term or anything like it is in the New Testament. Harper’s Bible Dictionary entry on the Trinity says “the formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the New Testament.” Furthermore, 11 of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were non-Trinitarian Christians The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) views the Trinity as three separate divine beings , in accord with the earliest Greek New Testament manuscripts and the Founders.
Theosis
Divinization, narrowing the space between God and humans, was also part of Early Christian belief. St. Athanasius of Alexandria (Eastern Orthodox) wrote, regarding theosis, "The Son of God became man, that we might become God." Irenaeus wrote in the late 2nd Century: “we have not been made gods from the beginning, but at first merely men, then at length gods” Justin Martyr in mid 2nd Century said: “all men are deemed worthy of becoming ‘gods,’ and of having power to become sons of the Highest” Clement of Alexandria explained “Saints . . pure in heart . . are destined to sit on thrones with the other gods that have been first put in their places by the Savior.” The Gospel of Thomas (which pre-dates the 4 Gospels, but was considered non-canonical by the Nicene Council) quotes the Savior: "He who will drink from my mouth will become as I am: I myself shall become he, and the things that are hidden will be revealed to him," (Gospel of Thomas 50, 28-30, Nag Hammadi Library in English, J.M.Robinson, 1st ed 1977; 3rd ed. 1988) leaders regarding theosis.
November 28, 2009 at 4:02 PM
Theosis
Divinization, narrowing the space between God and humans, was also part of Early Christian belief. St. Athanasius of Alexandria (Eastern Orthodox) wrote, regarding theosis, "The Son of God became man, that we might become God." Irenaeus wrote in the late 2nd Century: “we have not been made gods from the beginning, but at first merely men, then at length gods” Justin Martyr in mid 2nd Century said: “all men are deemed worthy of becoming ‘gods,’ and of having power to become sons of the Highest” Clement of Alexandria explained “Saints . . pure in heart . . are destined to sit on thrones with the other gods that have been first put in their places by the Savior.” The Gospel of Thomas (which pre-dates the 4 Gospels, but was considered non-canonical by the Nicene Council) quotes the Savior: "He who will drink from my mouth will become as I am: I myself shall become he, and the things that are hidden will be revealed to him," (Gospel of Thomas 50, 28-30, Nag Hammadi Library in English, J.M.Robinson, 1st ed 1977; 3rd ed. 1988) For further information on this subject, refer to NewTestamentTempleRitual blogspot. The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) agrees with Early Christian church leaders regarding theosis.
In the words of Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) Apostle, Bruce R. McConkie: "There is and can only be one who is supreme, who is the head and to whom all others are subject". Becoming like God is not saying we will ever be equal to Him, frankly we won't and can't. He, and only He, will forever be worshipped by us.
The Deity of Jesus Christ
Mormons hold firmly to the deity of Christ. For members of the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS), Jesus is not only the Son of God but also God the Son. Evangelical pollster George Barna found in 2001 that while only 33 percent of American Catholics, Lutherans, and Methodists (28 percent of Episcopalians) agreed that Jesus was “without sin”, 70 percent of Mormons believe Jesus was sinless.
Grace Versus Works
One Evangelical Christian author wrote of his sudden discovery that his previous beliefs about salvation were very different from those held by the early Christians:
“If there's any single doctrine that we would expect to find the faithful associates of the apostles teaching, it's the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. After all, that is the cornerstone doctrine of the Reformation. In fact, we frequently say that persons who don't hold to this doctrine aren't really Christians…
Our problem is that Augustine, Luther, and other Western theologians have convinced us that there's an irreconcilable conflict between salvation based on grace and salvation conditioned on works or obedience. They have used a fallacious form of argumentation known as the "false dilemma," by asserting that there are only two possibilities regarding salvation: it's either (1) a gift from God or (2) it's something we earn by our works.
The early Christians [and Latter-day Saints!] would have replied that a gift is no less a gift simply because it's conditioned on obedience....
The early Christians believed that salvation is a gift from God but that God gives His gift to whomever He chooses. And He chooses to give it to those who love and obey him.”
—David W. Bercot, Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up: A New Look at Today's Evangelical Church in the Light of Early Christianity, 3rd edition, (Tyler, Texas: Scroll Publishing Company, 1999[1989]), 57, 61–62.
November 28, 2009 at 8:15 PM
The more I look at it the more I realize that religion induces a form of mental illness. Looking at it that way it puts all of their silly and irrational thoughts and behaviors into context.
The psychosis is brought on by spiritual abuse, whether it's involuntary or not. Often the abused returns to abuser because the irrational mind can not distinguish what is real.
Ultimately in organized religion it is essentially mentally insane people giving advice to other mentally insane people.
November 28, 2009 at 9:08 PM
TGD,
I agree with you to a degree, although I wouldn't really say that they are mentally ill.
In my opinion, mentally ill people lack the ability to distinguish fact from fiction because of genetic traits. I believe most religious extremists have the ability to accept new ideas and learn but they don't want to step outside of their cozy little bubble.
That being said, there are certainly many people out there who would fit the criteria of mentally ill religious zealots. I just don't think that *all* of them are mentally ill. If that were the case we would see next to no people leaving their religion and embracing science and reason. People do change, it just takes a giant wake up call of some kind. To a mentally ill person, there is no kind of event or thought process that could change their minds that they talk with God and they have a personal close relationship with Him.
This is especially evident
in the case of people who grow up in religious households instead of choosing a particular reason because they study and analyze a religion before choosing to believe in it. Those born into a certain set of beliefs have a less chance of stepping outside that comfort zone and they are then they are stuck.
Like I said, I agree to a point... if my rambling makes sense at all... hahaha... I'm sleepy.
Bot,
Thank you?