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Originally Posted by MrSelfDestruct
The way I see it, religious charity is spiritual blackmail. They will offer you help, but you must convert to their way of thinking. Even when devoutly religious, I questioned this, as I felt that as a good Christian and good Catholic, I was obliged to help others in need regardless of who they were.
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Well, no, actually. thousands of churches and other spiritual groups have been providing everything from soup kitchens and food drives in modern, western urban centers to building hospitals in the third world to generally administering to the poor and sick for quite a long time, without any need to convert.
Are there religious organizations who may withhold aid to those not of their persuasion? I'm sure there are those who do. But again, when one makes a broad statement like "They will offer you help, but you must convert to their way of thinking" one is guilty of tarring every religion with the same brush as whichever church you had this moral dilemma with.
I'm agnostic, personally, but there are churches and other religious people and groups who do fantastic work without expecting a single thing in return. Blanket condemnation of all organized religion is as unwarranted as a blanket condemnation of the entire United States because you don't like George Bush's policies.
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Originally Posted by lukethebandgeek
That's the other thing. Hell. I can't fathom that humans could be created and due to mistakes in the 'earthly life' be doomed to torment forever.
I dislike the fear that religion generates about homosexuals, about women's sexuality, about other religions, and other cultures.
I dislike the emphasis on the "afterlife" which may not exist instead of the emphasis on this real life now.
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Again, you paint all religion with the same brush. Many large faiths do not preach about hell or an afterlife. Many religions have female pastors and there are several large branches of Christianity alone who recognize gay rights.