The Paulines haven’t moved so far away from their fore fathers in wishing us damnation. They claim to worship a benevolent god who wants to be in a some kind of relationship with man but at the same time they tell us this gods has a plan to make BBQ of some people for a period of time so long I can’t conceive it properly and that my brothers is love. Below is the wishes of one Tertullian, writing in the early centuries of this religion
You are fond of spectacles, expect the greatest of all spectacles, the last and eternal judgement of the universe. How shall I admire, how laugh, how rejoice, how exult, when I behold so many proud monarchs, and fancied gods, groaning in the lowest abyss of darkness, so many magistrates, who ย persecuted the name of the lord, liquefying in fiercer fires than they ever kindled against the Christians, so many sage philosophers blushing in red hot flames with their deluded scholars, so many celebrated poets trembling before the tribunal, not of Minos but of Christ, so many tragedians, more tuneful in the expression of their own sufferings , so many dancers
E. Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
With nice, warm loving thoughts like these toward others, it’s a wonder more people aren’t knocking down the doors to Christian Churches to join up. I think anyone who sees Christianity as a “loving” faith is suffering from a severe mental illness.
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It’s not about love, it’s about being right. Being right gives us the feeling that we are winning and successful. This is why we have a tendancy to do this as humans. When I am beset by such an approach as offered above I find the only sane response is to make sure the person gets the chance to find out whether they are right or wrong in the very moment that they make the claim. They can, of course, decline and be quiet about it all….
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Well, since my ‘Faith” tells me I’m always right about whatever it is I think, as long as I believe powerfully in my “Faith”, I’m set for life! Damn! I LOVE my “Faith”!
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I love your faith too and I need as much!
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I think so too.
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I don’t think I would make good BBQ at all. What were they thinking? ๐
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I have no idea!
Hugs my dear friend
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Oh, lovely chap!
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I tell you
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it is this “holier than thou” aspect of religion that always kinda gave me the heebie jeebies. Once you aquire that particular trait, it is just a stones throw away from a witch hunt. Not to mention the absolute exhilaration at the thought of all of them sinners burning in hell as they smugly look on.
Disgusting examples of humanity.
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Very disgusting and these were the church fathers. We are lucky because the church has been forced on many fronts to toe the line
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Well, now I certainly feel all warm and fuzzy, emphases on ‘warm’.
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haha
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Weren’t the inquisitors responsible for devising some of the most cruel and barbaric instruments of torture? It seems many theists relish the concept of eternal torment.
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You know, once you believe these people are destined for much worse, nothing stops from devising cruel means to get them there.
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Love Gibbon. Decline and Fall occupies a prominent place on my bookshelf.
He was reviled for suggesting the story of Nero burning the Crispyans was a load of crap and he thought Tacitus was another that the God Botherers had got their grubby paws on.. ( although his terminology was a little different, of course! )
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I am liking the book. A very interesting read.
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