BioBeing

Words of wisdom

Satanism of the LaVey (?) school is OK with me, as distinct from the "devil worshipping satanic ritual" crap which seems to be nothing more than media hype.

Of course, where would Xianity be without greed and self-interest? Jesus may have been against it, but that really doesn't seem to stop most self-professed Xians.

Personally, I hate small-minded bigots and hypocrites of any religious persuasion. Too many people use whatever religion is handy (or make their own up) to gain power over others.

MBS

I dislike all the religions with Middle Eastern origin. The values Christianity, Islam, and Judaism share are all authoritarian in nature. God resembles an ultra-powerful earthly ruler, and not a very good one at that. This god forces the people under him to acknowledge his justice and benevolence or he will roast them in hell. Very ironic indeed. I also dislike the way these religions are so adament about possessing the "Truth". If something is beyond doubt, it is probably not worth believing.

I'm sure there are fundamentalists and reactionaries in all religions, particularly where there is poverty and lack of education. Middle Eastern religions seem to be more persistently fundamentalist despite economic development and increased modernity. I'm not very familiar with eastern religions, but the liberal interpretations of religions like Buddhism don't have any of the authoritarian cultural baggage which permeates Christianity and Islam. Liberal Christians and Muslims, on the other hand, de-emphasize the parts of their religion they don't like, but the basic message is still authoritarian.