Religious group violated rules

Free Thinker wrote:

<quoted text>
God wants Spiritual Fruit-Not Religious Nuts!
It pays to have an Open Mind! Fear is Manmade and
Religion is Fear. Jesus attacked religion He didn't Start One!

Fear is a survival tool in all living things, not just man. Dogs are afraid of firerworks and thunder.
I am afraid of being run over by a Budweiser Beer truck driven by a Belgian.
Religion is a belief system that gives man an abstract answer to reason his existance on earth.
He forgot he once was a single cell life form floating in Sharks Bay, Australia.

I had to laugh when I read you comment about Jesus.
Sorry, kiddo, but that young Jew Rabbi set off a string of fireworks that still explodes amongst us today.
Look in your phone book yellow pages and see how many Christian Churches listed.

Yes, he was angry with the "Establishment" and spoke up, leading a Peace not War type of protest.

Jesus became a martyr and the rest is our history.

Except for many extreme zealots on the Christian path, I do not find the ideas offered by Jesus offensive or threatening to my free thinking.
In fact I accept, "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You" a really GOLDEN RULE.
So people passing out balloons is better than people passing out from drinking too much Bud.
Live and let live!
The Old Boy on The Back Porch

Berkshire Bob wrote:

<quoted text>
Fear is a survival tool in all living things, not just man. Dogs are afraid of firerworks and thunder.
I am afraid of being run over by a Budweiser Beer truck driven by a Belgian.
Religion is a belief system that gives man an abstract answer to reason his existance on earth.
He forgot he once was a single cell life form floating in Sharks Bay, Australia.
I had to laugh when I read you comment about Jesus.
Sorry, kiddo, but that young Jew Rabbi set off a string of fireworks that still explodes amongst us today.
Look in your phone book yellow pages and see how many Christian Churches listed.
Yes, he was angry with the "Establishment" and spoke up, leading a Peace not War type of protest.
Jesus became a martyr and the rest is our history.
Except for many extreme zealots on the Christian path, I do not find the ideas offered by Jesus offensive or threatening to my free thinking.
In fact I accept, "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You" a really GOLDEN RULE.
So people passing out balloons is better than people passing out from drinking too much Bud.
Live and let live!
The Old Boy on The Back Porch

I'm not a young man and am probably older than you!
"Religion is a belief system that gives man" ...a REASON to fear!! You don't need more fear in this already crazy world!! You need the love and compassion of a great prophet like Jesus!All religion does is cause MORE fear and they as GREEDY a bunch as ever! And people don't need religion as an excuse to do good things...non religious people do good things all of the time!
Religion is just an indoctrination handed dwon from generation to generation...Well, it's time people started using what their "God" gave them..
a brain and fre will...it was very heartening to see 6 churches closing in Pittsfield..people are leaving religion to find their own spiritualtiy..not some Dogma made up by men!!
"Look in your phone book yellow pages and see how many Christian Churches listed." This one made me laugh!!
Of course...what an easy way to fleece the public out of their hard earned money...they are as bad as the politicians!! I worked for several years in Stockbridge for a so called "Non Profit" religious group..The money that was wasted was Unconscionable!!! They live in a $1.2 miliion dollar mansion..with new cars every year..and they fly all over the country..and it's on the donor's dime..While they give their help a 33 cent raise..mighty christian of them..and I could go on and on about the abuses of the money they received!
"I do not find the ideas offered by Jesus offensive or threatening to my free thinking."
No, Jesus wasn't offensive in the least!! It's his followers who try to shove him down people's
throats that's offensive...maybe in the next parade we can have some devil worshippers flying black balloons with little tracts inside of them to convert people...that I would truly love to see...And I bet jesus would rather shit woth the devil worshippers..since he sought out and sat woth the most down trodden and peope who were thieves and beggars...if Jesus wanted a chruch he could have built his own..after all he was a carpenter!!
"In fact I accept, "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You" a really GOLDEN RULE."
It's a great rule..too bad people don't follow it...it's been changed to "Do As I Say But Don't Do As I Do!!!
"Live and let live!" Great obseervation..too bad most people don't live by that rule!!

Free Thinker from Springfield.
You are a wise old man. A Sage from Springfield.
I don't think you are older than me,though.

My belief is simple. I have find that if I open my mind and shut my mouth (tough to do because I am of Irish Heritage) I really believe God or Higher power speaks to me by giving me a sign I just had to learn to look for these suggestions.
Once I started doing this it was creepy how it works, and it does work.
Thanks for your sharing your good advice.
And May you be Heaven, two hours before the devil knows you're dead.:>

Live and let Live!