Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Many European nations have official state religion (Christianity) - how many times in these nations have you heard they persecute, behead, and kill non-Christians?
Stop making all religions seem bad.
It's hard to look at religions like Hinduism and Buddhism and proclaim them to be bad. But they are unnecessary and problematic. They make it seem like those with different beliefs are wrong.
Many European nations have official state religion (Christianity) - how many times in these nations have you heard they persecute, behead, and kill non-Christians?
Stop making all religions seem bad.
Is there a difference between having a "state religion" and a theocracy? Remember when the Catholic church had so much power in Europe?
Quote:
One of Germany’s highest courts rankled Catholic bishops by ruling that the state recognized the right of Catholics to leave the church — and therefore avoid paying a tax that is used to support religious institutions. The court ruled it was a matter of religious freedom, while religious leaders saw the decision as yet another threat to their influence on modern German society.
Quote:
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Germany issued a crystal clear, uncompromising edict, endorsed by the Vatican. It detailed that a member who refuses to pay taxes will no longer be allowed to receive communion or make confession, to serve as godparents or to hold any office in the church. Those who leave can also be refused a Christian burial, unless they “give some sign of repentance,” it read.
Quote:
In Belgium, Greece and Norway, churches are financed by the state. Churches in Austria, Switzerland and Sweden all use the state to collect taxes from members, but the contributions are either predetermined amounts or, compared with Germany, a more modest 1 to 2 percent of the annual assessed income tax. Spain and Italy allow congregants to decide whether they would like a percentage of their income to flow to religious organizations or be earmarked for civic projects
Can you show us where that is happening today? Why don't we just deal with what is going on now and not go back into ancient history to justify what is happening to people now. How does that help?
I am pretty sure it was the Christian church that perfected the art of burning alive on the stake.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.