Alternative or misinterpretation of religion?

BradfordLass72 we can't understand what "heaven" really is. I know Jesus said "In my Father's house are many mansions" but I think he would have been speaking rhetorically so that the masses could understand him. We don't know what part of us goes to Heaven. I think neanderthals would have had souls.

They might get Tom to open it Fennel if so, please take photos and post on here.

I heard some rather alarming news last week.
There's a huge empty listed building down the road from us which used to be a care home. I found out it had been bought by the "church" of Scientology as their NE headquarters. They bought it 10 years ago and are just starting to refurbish it.
This will cost a fortune, hopefully they'll run out of money.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-46034983

Shortly before the end of her final summer term at school - they were nearly all off to uni soon - dd's school arranged a talk on the dangers of cults, religious or otherwise.

It was extremely hard hitting, explaining how they frequently target people (e.g. students away from home for the first time, who might be lonely or otherwise struggling) - and how even if they're neither of these, the psychological techniques they use can be so powerful that even people who simply went along to a session 'for a laugh', with no intention of joining, can easily be sucked in.

Must say I was very grateful to the school for this - it certainly made dd very well aware.

You are mistaken Bradfordlass , the thief on the Cross wasn’t a Christian

I've always wondered why, if God created humans and made millions of them (Neanderthal, Cro Magnon etc) since the world began, he only decided, about 2,000 years ago, to let a handful of Christians into Heaven.

It's only one of the things I struggled with when I was a Christian.

Perhaps the key to cults is that they offer absolute certainty. Mainstream religions are, in general, given to saying that there are some things that we simply cannot explain or understand as whichever god's will is beyond human comprehension – the reason for terrible natural disasters that kill thousands of innocent adults and children, for example. The leaders of cults are usually – sometimes surprisingly – charismatic figures and are always cleverly manipulative, appealing directly to the lonely, the vulnerable, the insecure and the dispossessed.

I think everyone succumbs to drinking the kool-aid or taking the bait upon occasion, especially when complete crap is presented as fact very cleverly -

If humanity as a whole quit experiencing its deep-seated need to believe, what would happen? It would be a much kinder world if people's daily practice were to see anything and everything as it actually is this minute even if fleeting instead of staring down that narrow tunnel wishing it were different! But that's a pipedream -- although within reach-

Can you imagine if people didn't feel an inner deficit? Or if people were inherently sane (enough), from birth, to understand that they are a badass without having to buy a book to discover that they always have been?

So many possibilities! But we believe, and with such deep conviction that it inevitably causes conflict and polarity instead of pluralism -

Bummer!

I grew up in a mixed marriage ,Dad was raised in the orange order,mum's family were devout catholics.We were raised catholic .My dad converted and was a practising catholic for around 15 years ,until mum had a bad late miscarriage ,She was in danger of losing her life but the priest insisted the baby must be saved over her.She already had 4 wee girls .
My father pleaded with him that mum should be saved for the sake of the family she had...he wouldn't budge so dad asked him to leave.He didn't go back because mum was put on the pill to avoid any more miscarriages and it was against church teachings.
.They still sent us to church and when I met my OH his dad was a bigot who insisted if I took his sons name I must take his religion.We decided to marry in church to appease him and we raised our kids in the CH of Scotland.Religion causes so many problems for people that I dont understand why they stick with it.I've probably been in more churches than anyone I know but I dont believe in any of them.
Thankfully the religious divide in Scotland isn't as bad as it was ,but its still there and still causing trouble .If I had my way I'd ban them all ,its just a crutch for folk who need support and its often the wrong kind of support they get they dont call it the opiate for the masses for no reason!.It might be better if councellors could be made available to help through crisis ,it would without doubt be more effective and less divisive

Doodle
It was and is never my intention to offend.
When you write a comment or start a thread, there is always the strong possibility that a good portion of readers won't agree with whatever you've written.
You can't second guess what others are feeling at tbat moment in time nor can you know everyone's views on religion or any other topic.
If you write about spending money there will always be someone who has little, to bash you for being 'smug' but would I bash them for not having any? Absolutely not.
In the OP I was only talking about cults after watching a programme on Waco, not mainstream religion.
There is no need to denigrate people who believe in everything and nothing but equally, there is nothing shameful about declaring your views on the subject.
Why anyone would be offended at a different view...I have no idea.
I'm not offended when comments have said they're sorry I have no religious faith.
Are we to go down the route of Labour voters being offended at anyone who votes Conservative or Green etc or vice versa?
Should I be offended at people who deride the fact that I don't eat meat and tell me that humans are naturally carnivores?
Everyone has their views and I'm never offended if people don't share mine...that would be utterly ridiculous.
Likewise, I would wish others to stop getting 'upset' or offended at differing views. That is equally ridiculous if the comment is not directed at the person but the subject matter only.
These, for the avoidance of doubt, are my personal views.

Corrections: Ratko Mladic former General of Srpska Army.
from/This/hers
from/This/her

I know many J W’s, not one is cruel to their children , the father was brutal not because he was a J W, he just was .

I am not comfortable with their teachings, when my brother married ,his wife’s father wouldn’t attend the wedding , but he loves his children and they love him, not one has joined his Church

AnnieBach
I wasn't talking about Christianity or any mainstream faith.
Cults like the one holed up in Waco and Scientology to name another.
I know that there are many, many more which flirt around the edges of mainstream.
I knew a very nice family, mother, father (married) son.
They were Witnesses.
Father was a baker/pastry chef but would not cater for or make celebration cakes under any circumstances.
He was eventually sacked by the hotel who employed him.
His wife, who was not a Witness when they married, bore his rages.
Their son, a quiet lad with no friends, started to wet the bed after a beating frim his father because, during bible study, he used the name God instead of Jehova.
Thus was only disclosed to me when I visited at the mother's request and there was an odd unpleasant smell in the house.
She took me into the kitchen where she was trying to dry hers son's bedclothes by the fire before her husband came back.
He'd been made to sleep in the same wet bed and pjs for a week and her husband wouldn't let her wash them.
She wanted help to leave with her son who was about 11 yrs old.
He killed himself aged 14.
I have no truck with any religion or spirituality nor wars or arguments.
I can easily smile and walk away no matter the provocation.
Just watching the trial of Radich Mlovich confirmsvmy belief thst there will always be divisions in society, between race, religion, rich and poor and a host of other divisive influences.
Me? I can make friends out of people who initially want to lock horns.
It's just how I am. Kind of vanilla, I guess.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Glad you had a happy ending too, Doodle

My ‘boy’ who doesn’t believe is with me too PECS. Aren’t we lucky. I didn’t have to make any choices. Sorry you did.

Doodle my brother has a very strong faith.. since he chose to be baptised at 17. It is an integral part of his being and I totally respect that. He lives his faith every day but is respectful of my choices too. We share almost identical values.. only dividing when it comes to belief in a deity.

As it happens the boy I left the church for all those years ago is sitting on the sofa opposite me. I made the right choice.

PECS I’m sorry you had to leave your church. There are some strange priests/vicars around. As I mentioned, none of my family are religious. A fact known at the church I attend. I have never been made to feel unwelcome. There are many others in the same situation.
I hope I don’t impose my faith on others (reading your post varian gave me a mental picture of bashing people on the head with a bible ) but I do say sometimes that I will pray for people on GN. I usually only say so to those I know are believers or those who ask for people to pray for them or their families. I will pray at other times for people whose stories or troubles touch my heart but who won’t necessarily know that I do so.

I think cult leaders have, or use charisma to influence key followers who then go out and recruit the next lot.

I have been to some religious services which use strong 'advertising' type approaches to engage the congregation: images, stirring music and manipulation of the congregation through emotive language and call and response. I find that approach quite cult like.

I wasn’t looking for love, acceptance or support when I made the choice , I was surrounded by them,

Cults are different , I have never had any involvement in one but it seems it is the cult leader who is worshipped

Everyone is looking for love, acceptance, support, and for some it is Christianity which fulfils all of that and more.
Its just that some get drawn into cults.
Nothing at all wrong with people who have faith.

varian I never have, I do remember you telling me * I hope you didn’t sent your children to a faith school* it was none of your business was it ? If I had said ‘ I hope your sent your children to a faith school’ you would have said ?

I have never crticicsied your faith or any faith Annie.We only ask that you do not impose it on others.

I was raised in a 1950s gently religious home and attended a place of worship each week. I was used to meeting people of different denominations and faiths amongst my parents' friends and family. As a young teen I went to the mass meeting of the evangelist Billy Graham and went to accept Jesus. I was a regular at church youth clubs, was confirmed as a member of the C/E at 15. Culturally I was a C/E Christian but with a keen awareness of the Coptic and Greek Orthodox Christian churches, Liberal Judaism and Sunni Islam due to close family friends and relatives. I chose to study A level RE. However at 17 I went to seek the help of my priest . I was in love with a boy who was not part of the church community that was so much a part of me. I was in teenage turmoil. The advice I got: leave the boy or leave the church. I left the church.

I have never criticised atheists yet I find critcism of Christians on every thread related to faith / spirituality.

Faith in God is the same as believing in the tooth fairy.

Sheep mentality

They are looking for certainty, security, community