Is it just me of have the Believer vs atheist debates gone stale? I used to enjoy the banter, but recently the whole argument seems quite pointless and appears to have stagnated.
After so much said from both camps - so many factual arguments and red herrings tossed about, we’re no closer to that elusive middle-ground than we were a year ago.
Stable-and-unshakable-in-our-faith Believers - like myself - continue to thwart the attempts of the Godless, while deluded atheists continue to stick their heads in the sand, denying science, reality and common sense all at once.
This article is not an attempt to inject new life in the stalemate debate, but rather to show that there’s only one faith that’s not religious at all.
So let’s get to it then, starting with the long-established major world religions:
Buddhism – Religio-meter (6/10) – The Buddha’s teachings are followed and the path to enlightenment sought on the way to achieving a life of acceptance and nirvana.
Hinduism – Religio-meter (10/10) - Devotional rituals & traditions to achieve release from the cycle of rebirth and good works & yoga to reduce karma for bad deeds. Many gods.
Islam – Religio-meter (10/10) – Strict observance to the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed as prescribed in the Koran and a devout life of service to Allah.
Newer, money-making cults include:
Church of Scientology – Religio-meter (7/10) - created by L Ron Hubbard as an outgrowth of his earlier self-help system called Dianetics. Journalists, courts and the governing bodies of several countries have stated that the Church of Scientology is an unscrupulous commercial enterprise that harasses its critics and abuses the trust of its members.
Heaven’s Gate – Religio-meter (6/10) – Cult leaders and followers all committed suicide to take their souls to a spaceship behind Comet Hale-Bopp. This one of the most bizarre cults to exist in recent times.
Satanism/atheism – Religio-meter (10/10) – Although these sister-cults might prefer to be listed separately, they do share matching cornerstone beliefs and identical ideologies. This cult sees man as nothing more than another animal and lives by one commandment – “Do what thou wilt”. No known deities are worshipped, per se, but prophets/cult leaders include Alister Crowly, Anton Lavey, Charles Darwin and others.
There are more religions of course, but we don’t have all day and it’s time to arrive at this ESSAY’S thought-provoking conclusion.
Of all the world religions - major and minor - it seems that the only faith that CANNOT be classed as a religion is Christianity.
You see, Christianity is not about man-made religions or belief systems, it’s about a personal RELATIONSHIP with God’s only Son, Jesus Christ, and I’d rather be following a living God who knows the heart of man since He created us.
To the atheists I wish to say this: There’s nothing more soul-destroying than following a Godless faith.
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