I don't believe this in my personal life but I wonder about others. Do you think people use religion as a crutch?

They blame things on religion or they pacify themselves that what they do they do "in the name of religion" even if it is not the right thing to do?

Is religion a crutch?

I live in Moncton. One of the astonishing things about this town - and maybe yours - is that the churches seem to go into hibernation from Sunday noon till next Sunday morning. No wonder they're declining. The only church that seems at all active is a very commercial Wesleyan outfit down the street from me. It appears to be a sort of religious MacDonald's.

Anyone have any good religious podcasts to recommend? Could be interviews, sermons, talks, or whatever. I know CBC has podcasts of some of Tapestry's shows, but I wonder what else is out there. And while I prefer progressive/liberal material, I'm not averse to trying out some more conservative stuff if it is well done and thoughtful. Of course, given that I'm UU, there's no requirement that it be Christian.

Mendalla

I would not like to see the pain that besh went through in "when is a david not a person" be totally for nothing. (and I believe that he did indeed feel pain and frustration, even if it was of his own making)

So, I'd like to resurrect the following from that exchange and invite anyone to share their ideas:

Besh asked: How will you get into heaven? What's the point of your religion at all?

and I replied (I've reorganized a bit, if anyone happens to go back to the original)

[quote=GoldenRule]

This really is an ad - and it is for God.

Sometime this week, I will have an article on a large, national blog www.thenewsmark.com

it is on what religion means to me. You might not agree.

Does it seem to anyone else out there that focus on religion is apt to lead to insanity? 

Or that insanity leads people to intense interest in religion?

Is whatever link there is between religion and insanity greater than the link between religion and other important fields of human interest? 

I have a question for you, and it is quite simple in nature. I assume a large portion of those who visit this site (that's you!) are members of either Christianity or some other monotheisitc Abrahamic religion. If you are, I address this question to you. Why do you believe in the monotheistic Abrahamic god (Yahweh) and not the Greek pantheon of gods(Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hades, etc...)? I am not trying to offend in any way, shape or form. I am simply curious as to what reasoning the majority of you have.

Sincerely,

A Curious Skeptic

well, I think that the whole "born again heterosexual" thing is a load of bull, unless you were actually gay by choice... oh, and let me clear this argument up. There are people who choose to be gay, for past relationship problems, or wanting to try something new, or for whatever reason and then there are the people who just were born that way, and can't help it. The people who think all gay people made a choice are probably stereotyping because of one or two people.

In the last while I have seen statements like "My mother has 5 degrees" or  "I have gone to 3 universities". is that suppose to mean that people who are more educated have a better handle on religious matters?

Does it mean that these folk are more spiritual?

Seems like a put down to me.

Any thoughts on this.  Does the church have any position on such an event?

 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/burning-cross-ignites-racial-tension-in-nova-scotia/article1480350/