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115 Comments
- Saintlink, on 10/12/2007, -17/+103Amen, preach the word! As a Catholic, I'm often disgusted with many Protestant groups that are constantly calling for end-of-the-world nonsense, highlighted perfectly by Tim LaHaye's "Left Behind" rapture tripe. To date, over 70 million copies of this falicy have been sold in the U.S., with book, music and video game plans already underway for a second round of the madness.
There are thousands of people here in the United States that believe this Armageddon scenario is a fulfillment of God's prophecies. Jesus never promised the Jewish people a great nation, a strong military industrial complex and an ever increasing GDP. The Jews of old were disappointed when they didn't get a king, but rather a teacher of virtue over evil--a lowly carpenter.
The same thing goes for these crazy (emphasis added) Christian Zionists that support an apartheid state (Israel) and its long standing history of subjugating the Arab (and Christian if you read your history books) peoples.
The history of Christian Zionism is not based on biblical teachings, lessons from history or even logistical common sense. It is a theology of mad men like Pat Robertson and his ilk. I hope the Catholic Church will continue to debunk this myopic and dangerous philosophy of "Christian Zionism". - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -10/+46As an atheist, I believe that religious extremists are the worst thing that has happened to mankind. If people truly believed in what their religions stood for (peace, compassion, respect, etc.) the world would be a much better place.
In closing, believe in whatever the hell you feel like, just do not try and enforce your beliefs on me. - sithmat, on 10/12/2007, -4/+26Another thing about Christian Zionism: It's not about a genuine desire to help the Jewish people in Israel defeat terrorism. It's about speeding up the "End of the World", whereby all Christians will enjoy a blissfull afterlife in heaven and all non-Christians will spend an eternity in hell. So Israel is really a means to an end for these people.
- shami, on 10/12/2007, -4/+24What puzzles me is that there are people in this day and age that still beleive that god is in the real estate business giving land to some and not others.
- jackelsmack, on 10/12/2007, -9/+29Brace yourself for the Malkinite onslaught, I can hear it now... "The Vatican has joined forces with the UN + the Islamofascist Terrorists! The Pope has joined the Jew-killing / Plane-bombing Army! He wishes to become King of America!"
- brstilson, on 10/12/2007, -5/+21One thing I never understood about the Christian Zionist movement...
If they really think it's God's will for Israel to own that land, then Israel doesn't need our help. So logically, Christian Zionists don't believe God is powerful enough to keep his people safe. - printenv, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18As a Protestant nothing gets me rilled up like a Fundamentalist Zionist *****. I commend the Chatholic church for telling them to shove it. Because that is exactly what they need to hear.
@sithmat
You are correct with your statement. I have a suggestion that will help them get to eternal bliss that much more quickly. I suggest a bullet in the head.
I suppose that is not very Christian of me. I do see the contradiction there. Not something Christ would do (so I believe). So that begs the question, when did Christ ever say to start wars, destroy nations etc. so that you may get to heaven faster? Didn't Christ say life would be tough? Didn't he say that your work is here on earth living as an example of his life? I don't ever recall him doing such things.
Now I do not suggest a bullet in the head and I do commend the Catholic church. And I am also very serious that I am appalled with "Christian" Zionists/Christian Fundamentalists making noise and claiming they represent me or Christ. So shut up. - Chompy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+19Myself, I'll start respecting the Catholic Church once they join us here in the 21st century and stop fighting stem cell medical research and spreading FUD about condom use in AIDS epidemic areas like Africa.
- Tarvok, on 10/12/2007, -10/+23You know, the more I read about the likes of Lord Byron and J.R.R. Tolkien (and the more uncomfortable I get with the militarist apoligism of his contemporary, C.S. Lewis), the more friendly I find myself becoming toward the Catholic Church.
Then I read something like this. I may never convert, but I find myself admiring the Roman Catholic Church more and more as time goes by. She may well be the Woman, and not the Whore as so many Protestants have taught. - Tarvok, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15@maklershed
"For starters, what exactly is a Christian Zionist?"
For seconds, why the hell was this guy modded down? All he did was ask a question, and a perfectly valid one!
Christian Zionism is the belief that the Jews are, to this day, the Holy People Of God who are just mislead at the moment. They believe that in supporting the posession of the Holy Land by the Jews, they are fulfilling prophecy, and bringing about the glorious end of the world. They believe the surest way to secure blessings for America (which is, itself, a Holy Nation in their eyes) is to support His Holy People, The Jews. - Envoy94, on 10/12/2007, -5/+18aristotle: Israel was called an apartheid state because Arabs are considered second class citizens in their own country. Even though they have a political party and MPs, discrimination against non-jews is institutionalized in Israel through many mechanisms. Just look at what government services Arab villages and towns receive compared to their Jewish neighboring municipalities. I personally wouldn't call it an apartheid state as that is a little too harsh, more like a Jim Crow state and just like back in Jim Crow times, a fancy reading constitution that promises equal rights and treatment doesn't guarantee it.
- Saintlink, on 10/12/2007, -4/+17Yes, it is fiction. Fiction based upon popular belief of what its target market holds dear to their heart. Therein lies the problem.
- goodoldharris, on 10/12/2007, -5/+17artgon:
You conveniently ignore the Occupied Territories. 3 million Arabs have been living under Israel's Military rule for almost 40 years. They have no vote and no rights. Their land is being stolen, or if you prefer, "annexed". They are treated as sub-humans by the class that controls the government - the Jewish-Israelis. Apartheid-state is an appropriate term for Israel. - cliffzdude, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14As a Christian, let me tell you what most Christians in the USA today feel and think:
1. Old testament: Fear God...
2. New testament: God loves you, love others as God loves you.
Now seriously, remove the Pat Robertson ***** (no, I don't think the word "*****" is a sin) and his ilk do NOT REPRESENT MOST CHRISTIANS.
Christianity is very, VERY clear that we are to back off the political crapola and leave that to the political crappers. Most who go to Church on Sunday morning love their family, work hard for a living, and find comfort in a loving creator. They don't sit around and demonize those not in church as one may assume. Really, we don't.
No, most Christians don't really give a rats ass or even spend the time to cook up a personally ideology regarding issues such as Zionism. The rapture sounds like a great movie and all, but Revelations is a very poetic book and can't be taken (as translated) quite so literally. Any Christian who says they look forward to the Rapture is forgetting that the Rapture, as portrayed in the bible isn't something to look forward to.
Take Christianity, and take away the zealots who are the very tiny vocal minority. What's left? Some of the sweetest, most giving, caring, and loving neighbors you'd ever wish to have. I've gone to many different churches in my life and I've always found that by and large the folks there on Sunday are just good ole sweet, loving, neighborly good folks. The churches I've been a member of feed the hungry, house the homeless, help the sick, and even help the terminally ill and their families. ...and ask nothing in return. As a child my family via our church participated in a program to help immigrant Vietnamese refugees. The regugees weren't Christians, we didn't ask them to convert. We didn't ask them to thank us. We didn't ask for anything in return, the church made a point that if we helped it was to help our fellow human beings. Nothing more... Just help...
I find it painful that a tiny, vocal minority has managed to create such a bad reputation for those whom I go to church with. Sad.... Painfully sad... - Saintlink, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Zionism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_times
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_behind
That is enough information to get you started if you're new to the concept of Christian Zionism. - masamunecyrus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10FTA: "'The Christian Zionist programme provides a world view where the Gospel is identified with the ideology of empire, colonialism and militarism,' said the declaration, accusing Christian Zionists of hurting hopes for Middle East peace. 'We reject the teachings of Christian Zionism that facilitate and support these policies as they advance racial exclusivity and perpetual war,' the declaration added."
That is the truest thing I've heard in a very, very long time. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -5/+15catcherinthe why
"The Vatican's envoy in the Holy Land"
question, if john bolton made a statement, would not a bunch of foriegn papers call it a statement from the US?
The title may be misleading but it is hardly inaccurate. - mc7winkie, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12If you haven't noticed the Church hasn't changed its stance on faith and morales in the almost 2000 years she has been around. I don't see why she would have to change to your standards now, do you?
- Saintlink, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#Religion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ussr#Religious_groups
Theocracies are not the only philosophy of oppression and war. Atheist governments have had their fair share of war and abuse. Seventy years of Leninism and Stalinism took at least 100 million lives. That is the conservative estimate. - BillDoor, on 10/12/2007, -6/+15I wonder whatever happened to the guy who blow up the King David Hotel and the guy who told him to do it?
Oh, that's right, they both became Israeli Prime ministers. - Saintlink, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11artgon,
http://www.opinionjournal.com/federation/feature/?id=110008836
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/NUE654291.htm
There is plenty more of where that came from. Israel cares about Israel and Israel only. It is founded on the principal of being a "Jewish State", weather you like it or not. The United States isn't a "Catholic State", would you like it to be? Probably not if you're anything besides Catholic right? The state of Israel has a long, violent history and has often been at odds with Christians.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=israeli+attacks+christian+areas
Fully 30% of Lebanon is Christian. Israel was kind enough to bomb airports, cars and other infrastructure trapping thousands of Americans (many of them Christians) in the country, essentially holding them in quarantine until our troops showed up and bailed them out. Where the rule of reciprocating love?
I am tired of Christians here in the United States forcing the idea of a Jewish state down everyone else's throat. I am tired of Christians making apologies for Israel when shows total disdain in attacking near or directly Christian neighborhoods in the Middle East. Last but not least, I'm tired Christians who think that all this suffering and bloodshed is in fulfillment of God's will.
I make no apologies for all the Arabs and Muslims that have attacked Israel over the years. As neither an Arab nor a Muslim I can't exactly speak on their behalf. As a Christian however, I will continue voicing my disapproval of Israel and its actions. History is full of flawed leaders, stop trying to whitewash the past and present. - Trublmakr, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Why do you think your God takes sides? Did a different God create "those" people? We're all in the same boat brother.
- ajtheman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Good for the Vatican! As much as I oppose their views on so many things (stem cell research, homosexuality, contraception) at least they're doing something right and proving not all Christians are crazy militarists! Living in the southern United States myself, where alot of these "Christian" Zionist groups are very prominent, I must say that I find the whole concept of Armaggedon prejudiced and macabre. Blind faith and lack of education can be a VERY dangerous thing when they back an extremely militarist state like Israel. Somebody prominent in the Christian community needs to speak out against this, and I'm glad the Vatican is stepping up to plate. I just hope they're actually going to speak out against this and this isn't just an empty gesture.
- masamunecyrus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7You, sir, are an idiot and I hope you take your head out of your brainwashed ass and learn your history. Christians CAME from Catholicism. Catholicism was the original, and then it broke off into two different forms -- those who believed that the bishop of Rome was just a bishop (the Orthodox Catholic Church), and those who believed that the bishop of Rome was the 'universal bishop', i.e., the Pope.
From there, I'm sure things broke off every now and then, but then came Martin Luther King. Now, Martin Luther King didn't want to break off of the Catholic church -- he just had some disagreements and wanted them settled. However, many people took it to the extreme and Lutheranism was made. After that, things spiralled out of control to where we are today -- some 10,000 different forms of Christianity with several new ones made every day. Add that to the fact that 90% of all protestants, for some reason or another, believe that all Catholics are going to hell (who are you to judge who is going to heaven and who is going to hell? It explicitly says in the Bible not to judge others and to let God judge them.), which is ironic because modern Christianity came from Catholicism and the very Bible that you're reading was assembled by the ancient Catholic church!
Simply put, I'm sick of "If you don't believe what I do, you're clearly not going to be 'saved' and you're going to hell." Get your head out of your ass, stop spewing the hatred that your parents and pastor have ingrained into your mind, and start thinking for yourself, for once.
EDIT: I find it mildly amusing that this nonsense is coming from someone who named himself, "democracysucks." - elShaggy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8I've learned enough about religion from my parents forcing church upon me. Enough for me to question my authority, and think for myself. And through this i have seen through the ***** that is all modern religion. Shinta, you bugg off and add something worthwhile.
dmoney, notice my use of the words "I believe".
from sam5271 "Jesus is already here; he is everywhere... Just look inside your heart; in your child's eyes; or in your neighbours"
So true, and beyond what we even know. We have entered a christ conscious era. These are strange times. - tehbishop, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12Read Sam Harris' "The End of Faith" and you'll see why its a scary world we live in today with all these people that are delusional.
- masamunecyrus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Moreover, Jesus specifically 'hung out' with the lowest of people and the scum; people like prostitutes, thieves, and any other ill-respected type of person you can think of. He was kind to people and never once threatened them that they would be doomed to hell if they didn't clean themselves up. However, these 'scum' were by and far better people than the Pharosees, who considered themselves morally superior, when they were actually far more evil than most.
Christians are supposed to lead by example, not by fear. The closer people 'get to God,' the further they become, as to become 'closer to God,' you must think that you are currently more morally superior than you once were, and you will start to notice that you're 'morally superior' to others, which is an attitude that is just like the Pharosees'.
Christians are no better than anyone else, and you shouldn't judge other people, nor should you consider yourself 'morally superior' to anyone else. Just because you're a Christian and you've 'asked God to save you from hell' doesn't mean that you're going to heaven no matter what you do -- your actions show your true heart and if you are evil, being a Christian doesn't make it better. Likewise, if you act as a Christian SHOULD act, regardless of your religion or beliefs, then God will smile upon that. That is one belief of Catholicism and I don't know about you, but I find it much more agreeable and truely 'Christian' than 'I'm Christian, I'm going to heaven and you're damned to hell unless you join my particular sect of Christianity.'
And @lukeydukey: My bad, force of habit -- you always hear about MLK, Jr. (perhaps because he was alive and influential much more recently), and so you kind of get used to the name. At least I didn't put on the 'Jr.' tag, eh? ^_^ - pbh101, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7just wanted to add (probably already been said) that if you look closely at the church's position (via relevant encyclicals and wednesday addresses compiled handily and referred to as the 'theology of the body') with an open mind, you will see that it is rather cohesive and logical. there's nothing about 'getting with' the 21st century. the church has NEVER changed its dogmas (core beliefs), but sometimes people get that confused with ancillary things, like: married priests, altar girls (i know some who think the church is apostate for this), fasts on good friday, limbo. those things CAN change, and have been, and exceptions are made today (there are married priests today, but only in rare cases)
things that won't change: contraception, female priests, abortion, euthanasia, and others. basically, nonnegiotables. i would put millions on the fact that the church will never do any of this. if it did, it wouldn't be the Church Christ started anymore. - maklershed, on 10/12/2007, -5/+11Could someone please explain the content of this article to an agnostic simpleton such as myself? I read it but dont quite get it. For starters, what exactly is a Christian Zionist?
- pbh101, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7just wanted to say that with the a couple of exceptions by Chompy, this particular thread has been one of the most sane and thought out I have ever seen on Digg
bravo for growing up a little more, digg! - tehbishop, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6if only humanity was smart enough to realize this they would cherish this life more instead of killing others and wanting the next life to come ... idiots.
- lukeydukey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Amen brotha. If anything, Christianity is really about humility and care for others. The true call (IMHO) of a Christian is to serve God by serving others, not to bring anybody down.
@masamunecyrus Didn't mean to make that sound like i was pissed about that. Spending junior year in High school with one rediculously hard english class can do that to you. And yes, at least you didn't add Jr. =) - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Zionist Christians (don't know how they can be called christians) since they do not follow Christ teachings, are as extremist as Hamas Muslims.
Simple as that.
Jesus never killed or threatened anyone (he forgave), so what right do they have to promote violence. - Saintlink, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5You're welcome. The marketplace for ideas is better than pretending like problems such as this doesn't exist. Enjoy your reading.
- maklershed, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Thank you for the information Tarvok and Saintlink.
- rtonkins, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6@ valkyries
Perhaps you should read who was taking land first. While I don't agree with what the crusades turned into, ultimately it was in response to something....
http://americanthinker.com/articles.php?article_id=5024 - lukeydukey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5One correction, It's Martin Luther. Not MLK.
as for the Protestants. I'm not hating or anything. But seriously, it's one thing to disagree with some thing about the Catholic Church. But don't start a new church over that little thing you guys don't like. - sam5271, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6That is one Concept that shocked me... I am from Greek Orthodox/Catholic origin. I know they're not the same but very close..
When I came to the states I was surprised by this group of so called "Christians" on TV who worship in football stadiums. They claim to follow Jesus; but most of their readings and teachings are from the OLD TESTMENT... They prmote throw their channels financial support for the "poor; tortured jewish souls". They show you someone from Russia, or Japan who is struggling to go back to his homeland of Isreal...and pledge for your money... God why right does a russian, or Brazilian have in a land 1000s miles away...
Any way... having been paranoid all my life; I was convinced, that these groups were from Jewish Organizations; who felt threatened by the Birth and spread of Christianity and decided to attack and distroy it from within. I am not totally paranoid. Did we forget history.... The Catholic Bishops of Spain who were Jewish trying to distroy the church.... It is in history ....look it up....
Right now I don't know whether These "Chirstian Zionists" are really a product of the Zionism in General.... I mean they really believe less in what Christ and Christianity is all about; and they stick more to the old testiment and Moses....
Or are they really the ones using the Jews for their own goal... and that is; they want the establishment of the jewish state; so that Jesus would come again...
I have something to tell those..... Jesus is already here; he is everywhere ...
Just look inside your heart; in your child's eyes; or in your neighbours....He has been here all along.... you just have been so blind to see him...
After all his two disciples were blind to him after he was risen... - Aggaman, on 10/12/2007, -5/+9That's because the Catholic Church has had a long history of scholarship and intellectual achievement. For many centuries the Catholic Church was the repository of Classical learning and culture. The incident with Galileo looks bad, but that was really Galileo's own fault (if he hadn't been such an ***** about the whole thing, he would have been treated better). The church retains this intellectual tradition. Every Catholic Priest I have ever met is someone you could conduct a serious intellectual discussion with (and sink a few shots of liquor!!). The same goes for rabbis. You can always have a good talk with a rabbi, because Judaism values intellectualism and has a long history of intellectual achievement.
In contrast, Protestantism tends towards being a religion of the thick. Of course, there are many intelligent Protestants, but Protestantism itself lacks the huge intellectual tradition of other relgions (Protestant theologians are pretty lame when you stack them against Aquinas, for example). Protestant individualism tends to promote epistemic relativism and a resistance to discussion and argument. The smaller size of many Protestant sects also tends to foster a resistance to criticism. In my experience, if you criticize Catholicism, you are more likely to get a reasoned defence than an angry diatribe (the Catholic Church feels itself to be large and secure enough to withstand such criticism). Of course, there are always exceptions, but this seems to me to be a general trend.
For the record, I am an atheist, but I have had many fascinating discussions with Catholics, so while I don't agree with them about much, I certainly do count them as amenable to reason.
edit: I forgot to say that I was quite unnerved at the choice of Pope, but he seems to me to be a definite improvement over the old one. - nocountries, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I could post you twice as many articles on why everything you believe is a load of crap.
All I know is that you'd feel differently if you lived in Southern Lebanon.
What you can't answer is this: What about anti-Zionist Jews? Are they jew-haters, too? Do they hate themselves?
OK, I want a white state. I want it somewhere in Africa. Blacks will be allowed to live there but any black who leaves will never be allowed to return. They will be allowed to live in refugee camps and cross the border only to work as cheap labour.
If you criticise me I will accuse you of being anti-white. If any black country so much as sends a soldier within 10 miles of our border, we will invade them, occupy their land in perpetuity and send in white settlers. We will also bomb neighbouring black civilians whenever we feel like it and tell the world we are fighting for freedom.
We will of course have full diplomatic relations with our friends and supporters in Israel. - masamunecyrus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Indeed, people don't need to focus on religious disagreements. I'm Catholic, and my mother's side of the family has a long history of all being German Catholic theologians, whereas my father's side of the family all go way back to the upper-class English, which were by and far predominately protestant. And then, I have a fascination with Japan and Asian countries, so I am exposed and read about Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Taoism, and several others all the time. In my experiences in and with Japan, the Japanese people are very, very kind and polite people, and there discriminating against them for their religion is just as bad as discriminating against people's race or color, in my opinion.
People just need to be more peace-loving, but that generally only happens after gigantic wars, in which case the peace mentality vanishes after several generations and a new war must arise. - Nik420, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Here is a page that lists many definitions of terrorism:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&hs=hUo&lr=&safe=off&client=firefox&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:unofficial&defl=en&q=define:Terrorism&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title
Isreali actions since the state's inception definitely fit almost all of the definitions I read on this site, including the one stated by the US DoD. I don't support Iran or Syria's actions to support small scale fanatical terrorism, but let's call a spade a spade. Israel uses the full weight of it's nation's armed forces to conduct terror strikes on their neighbours, and Palestinian vassal state subjects. Why is massive attacks from a highly armed state against civilians and local infrastructure seen as "legitimate responses" by Israel, but some individual nut with a bomb is an EVIL terrorist?
On another note, the US War in Iraq seems to be defined as a terrorist action according to their own Department of Defense definition of Terrorism. - pbh101, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6"You still have to remember it's fiction, just like the Da Vinci code. Just remember it's just some guy's portrayal of what will happen in the end days. There's nothing wrong in thinking and writing. This is America right? You can have a target market."
the only reason both these examples of fiction (DVC and Left Behind) are popular is b/c they are playing on the mass ignorance and sometimes outright prejudice of people. I read DVC, and it is definitely not good writing, even for an 'airplane book.' LB is successful b/c people do believe that, and some people actually believe DVC (approx 1/3 who read it, polls have shown) but others are more willing to believe lies about the Catholic Church b/c its the Catholic Church.
Sure, you can have a target market, but when a side-effect of you targeting it means spreading ignorance on a wide, wide scale, let's be thoughtful.
ps If you look at what Dan Brown of DVC and the authors of LB have said about whether they believe their own books, they will vacillate between 'yes' and 'no' and in general be very vague on the subject. It's more than fiction to some people, and authors should wield their great power "with great responsibility" - grantilius, on 11/11/2008, -0/+2oh, so Iran and the other Arab countries run by Islamic clergy and law, that purged themselves of Jews, homosexuals, and Christians, and dont let there women go outside unacompanied, and stone them to death when they get raped, are better then Israel, who at least tries to have a semblance of equal rights in their law?
- masamunecyrus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@dietCoke:
The problem is probably that the only time that one would usually notice that someone is a Christian is because they are a fundie and make it obvious, whereas a normal Christian would act like a normal person. Thus, the perceived number of Catholic-hating protestants would be higher (and, for that matter, protestant-hating Catholics) because you wouldn't know that the non-fundies were Christian at all -- which is a good thing, religious fundies bug me (because there's no reason that every analogy made should be an analogy to the Bible ^^). And the 90% was an exaggeration -- afterall, 63% of all statistics are made up on the spot. ;-) - LiterateWolf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2King of America? Bush would beat him to it.
- DarknessGP, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6ajwinder, maybe you should get some facts straight. With the exception of the Crusades. All the others in your list where never supported by the religion. They were someone who claimed to be of the religion trying to use it as an excuse to justify their actions. It's a common occurance in most societies. There is always someone abusing some group of people for their own benefit.
- Trublmakr, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Why only the religions of the middle east? Pointing out "flaws" in any religion is easy,.. but hardly the point. Arguing over which religion is "correct" in a world of countless different belief systems is fruitless - if not destructive. What we should be doing in the "information age" is mining all the worlds faiths for themes of commonality when differentiating between right and wrong. These themes exist - and quickly lead any man (of even limited morality) to the conclusion that rightousness is not exclusive to one particular doctrine. The irony is that we all - as human beings - inherently know the difference between right and wrong,.. we just choose to ignore our "personal" faiths because self-serving governments or religious leaders tell us it's okay - usually in contradiction to the very faiths they claim to represent. We need to rely much less on organized religion - and more on the common wisdom of humanity. I'm not suggesting people abandon their faith,.. just question the motives of others in interpreting it.
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