What are you currently reading?

[bernie]

[ QUOTE ]
You want to talk specific religions, then go ahead. To smear all religion is just as bad as saying all non-whites are monkeys.

[/ QUOTE ]

actually it's quite different. pick any well known organized religion and there is a major problem with it.

if you read the whole thing, you'd know i was referring to christianity based religions since that's where the book goes. but ill include all the majors and most minors with it. since most of the greater world problems are because of religious crap.

am i against organized religion? for me, personally, you bet i am. especially when it gets crammed down my throat at all times. they've proven through their long track record that building a solid foundation of spirituality is the last thing on their agenda.

however, if someone gets helped by joining a cult and it makes them a better person, more power to 'em. just dont preach or try to recruit me.

im a recovered catholic and proud of it.

b

[Taxman]

I agree that I don't think organized religion is right for me, but let's not go too far in pointing out problems with all religion. Various churches have been the cause of some terrible things, but they also have been the impetus behind some great things. There is good to go with the bad. For many people, organized religion is the best way for them to practice and explore their faith. There are many problems that need to be addressed in nearly all religions, but I don't think they should be unilaterally dismissed.

[bernie]

you know i mentioned that if it helps someone, more power to em. anything that helps one become a better person without the expense of someone else is fine.(not sure if i said that right, but you get the idea)

what the church has done bad far outweighs what theyve done good, imo. it's far from equal. look how theyve handled recent events. it's frickin' pathetic. even when proven and shown how bad they are, people still flock to them turning a blind eye to what theyve done, and are doing.

that's what i have a problem with. the idea that it is easily dismissed or waved away. like it shouldnt matter.

i think it should be gone far in pointing out the problems with organized religions. why hide it?

b

[Taxman]

Hi bernie, by the way. You may or may not remember me, but I was ThatGuy on poki poker some time ago and we played to gether a few times. I also played under the name Taxis.

As for the problems with organized religion, there's no reason to hide them. What you're referring to I think is located higher in the church hierarchies or in seperate extremist groups. Any individual congregation is most likely not evil. There are multiple levels of course from the child molesting priest (still a tiny minority) to the organized coverups of those priests (more troubling than the priest themselves I think) to the extremist members of the Muslim Jihads (seperate groups with seperate beliefs from most Muslims despite the claims of some posters here). I think any and all problems should be thoroughly explored, but the people who just want to go to church and worship shouldn't be the target (I understand you agree with this). I see your point and I think that Gamblor overreacted with his response, but I can understand where he was coming from as well when he responded to your comment on "how screwed up religion is." Mostly, I'm just being a pain in the ass, so feel free to ignore me.

[Rushmore]

The Moon and Sixpence--Maugham
The Gates of Janus--Ian Brady
Koba the Dread--Martin Amis

All three great reading so far.

[scrub]

Also reading Random Walk Down Wall Street. Getting a kick out of it.

Passage to India for class.

What do you Montana fly-fishing guys think of Thomas McGuane? I loved Nothing But Blue Skies . Didn't like the other stuff quite as much.

I would imagine mentioning the Norman Mclean novellas is redundant...

scrub

[Ed I]

I've been meaning to read"The Longest Silence: A life in Fishing. To date all I've read by McGuane is the forwaed to Mike Lawson's book Spring Creeks.