Quote
Dynamix
I'm tolerant of religions. It's when religions instill intolerance in people and cause bad patterns of behavior that I take issue.
Dear Dynamix,
I think it kinda defines a cult when they insist that their way is the only way, and they foster an "us and them" mentality. So in fact, many of the cults who point their fingers at folks like for being "intolerant" are actually the ones displaying intolerance.
For all it's faults, you do not see the Catholic church planting agents in this group to "get the goods" on people who talk about paedophilia and other abuses rampant in their ranks. You don't see them suing people right and left who discuss it's shortcomings. You don't see Buddhists declaring that anybody who isn't Buddhist is ___________ (put an unflattering appelation here, such as a wog, raw meat, doomed, going to hell, an enemy, a suppressive person, the spawn of satan, a sheeple, yadda yadda). Did you ever meet an Episcopalian in front of somebody's house, with a picket, handing out flyers containing malicious lies about somebody because that person quit their church or said he or she didn't like the politics therein? I don't see the Lutherans going to recruit kids at the college campuses, getting them into halucinogenic drugs and tantric sex, then hypnotizing them to believe it's their destiny to save the world, if only they obey their "spirit guide" or "guardian angel". Of course, this "mission" might involve buying and selling halucinogens to other young people, and recruiting them into the "order" but what the hey?
As for religion, I have never cared what somebody's religion is. Traditionally, our family line has laid it on the line to preserve freedom in America. I am like them. I believe passionately in freedom- except when you think you are free to engage in criminal activities. Then I think you should be stopped.
When unwitting people are taken in by a mind control operation and exploited, THEN I mind. When that operation is cloaked in "religion", I become furious. When that "religion" is cloaked in the same American Flag which is supposed to stand for freedom of religion and human rights, I go ballistic. Any religion's rights stop at the point they do damage to people- whether that damage is female circumcision, excessive tithing, destroying families, hypnotizing people without their knowledge, or dangerous spiritual practices applied to children who have no choice.
What I don't understand is why it is so hard to make criminal prosecutions against some of these people. Aside from the fact that many of these groups have members in influencial places and swarm critics like angry bees when anybody points a finger at their hive, there are still more of us than there are of them.
Love,
Os