Is God Dead In Europe?
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Of course, I think the writer of this article is missing it:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060109/cm_usatoday/isgoddeadineurope
Is it possible that Europe is onto "the swindle", and having found it to be hollow and incapable of providing any real comfort in today's challenging times, is now searching for that comfort elsewhere? Is it so awful that people are having fewer children? Less stress on the planet and it's resources. Consider this, the writers of this piece recognize that the only way the Pope's wealth can increase, is if attendance grows, and tithing increases. It's all about money. Not God.
Perhaps the despair people feel and the despair that the Pope is impotent to relieve from his crystal throne, is why parts of Europe are experiencing population reduction. Despair born out of the church's god, which in reality is money and power - not a creator who loves and cherishes each and everyone of it's creations.
It's not God that they don't believe in. It's the churches. Is there no one out there that can rally us around a God that is not interested in micro-managing our lives? A God that isn't exclusionary? A God that celebrates each of us for our diversity and isn't all about judging us? If anyone is sending out the message, can it be heard above the din of the Jerry Falwells, Pat Robertsons, Popes, Cardinals, and every other money loving, power hungry con artist out there?
Perhaps what this really means, is that Europe is sending out a message to the religious fanatics: "If all you can do is try to frighten us into adopting your belief systems through threats of horrid afterlives, then maybe you should take your message elsewhere or not share it at all".
Let's unmask the wizards, pull the curtains down and reveal the real God to the masses:
God is love, caring, understanding, comfort, support, and tolerance. God is non-judgmental, and above all else, not one to be feared. God should be respected, not feared. Fear and guilt are tools of the con artist. Any text or anyone that proclaims anything to the contrary is strictly out for the con. Those messages are meant to scare the masses into submission to other humans, not God. These messengers are the same messengers that created a bible that portrays all women as either whores or villains. God's text would not do that. God's people would not endorse that message. God's people don't believe that anyone is "going to hell", whether they're Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, homosexuals, non-believers, etc. God's people, try to find good in all people, and cherish and nurture that good. God's people wouldn't dare to proclaim anything in the realm of our realities to be "secular". All that we know are gifts from God and should be respected as such. God wants us to celebrate these great gifts that were given to us, by building on them, not shunning these gifts as being secular or evil. God's people are not exclusionary. God's people do not fight wars, or kill others in God's name. God doesn't want sheep. God wants relationships. God wants us all to work together to make this world a better place.
God is a very simple, easy to understand concept. No one is more qualified to understand and implement that concept than each of us as individuals. We don't need "experts" to help us have a healthy relationship with God. God hasn't appointed anyone on this planet to be closer to, or have a greater understanding of God than anyone else. God is in all of us and that makes each of us capable of thoroughly understanding God. We just have to look within ourselves to find that understanding. The message is there. We just have to stop looking to others with dubious motives and look to ourselves.
Maybe messages about the real God could fill churches in Europe and elsewhere again.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060109/cm_usatoday/isgoddeadineurope
Is it possible that Europe is onto "the swindle", and having found it to be hollow and incapable of providing any real comfort in today's challenging times, is now searching for that comfort elsewhere? Is it so awful that people are having fewer children? Less stress on the planet and it's resources. Consider this, the writers of this piece recognize that the only way the Pope's wealth can increase, is if attendance grows, and tithing increases. It's all about money. Not God.
Perhaps the despair people feel and the despair that the Pope is impotent to relieve from his crystal throne, is why parts of Europe are experiencing population reduction. Despair born out of the church's god, which in reality is money and power - not a creator who loves and cherishes each and everyone of it's creations.
It's not God that they don't believe in. It's the churches. Is there no one out there that can rally us around a God that is not interested in micro-managing our lives? A God that isn't exclusionary? A God that celebrates each of us for our diversity and isn't all about judging us? If anyone is sending out the message, can it be heard above the din of the Jerry Falwells, Pat Robertsons, Popes, Cardinals, and every other money loving, power hungry con artist out there?
Perhaps what this really means, is that Europe is sending out a message to the religious fanatics: "If all you can do is try to frighten us into adopting your belief systems through threats of horrid afterlives, then maybe you should take your message elsewhere or not share it at all".
Let's unmask the wizards, pull the curtains down and reveal the real God to the masses:
God is love, caring, understanding, comfort, support, and tolerance. God is non-judgmental, and above all else, not one to be feared. God should be respected, not feared. Fear and guilt are tools of the con artist. Any text or anyone that proclaims anything to the contrary is strictly out for the con. Those messages are meant to scare the masses into submission to other humans, not God. These messengers are the same messengers that created a bible that portrays all women as either whores or villains. God's text would not do that. God's people would not endorse that message. God's people don't believe that anyone is "going to hell", whether they're Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, homosexuals, non-believers, etc. God's people, try to find good in all people, and cherish and nurture that good. God's people wouldn't dare to proclaim anything in the realm of our realities to be "secular". All that we know are gifts from God and should be respected as such. God wants us to celebrate these great gifts that were given to us, by building on them, not shunning these gifts as being secular or evil. God's people are not exclusionary. God's people do not fight wars, or kill others in God's name. God doesn't want sheep. God wants relationships. God wants us all to work together to make this world a better place.
God is a very simple, easy to understand concept. No one is more qualified to understand and implement that concept than each of us as individuals. We don't need "experts" to help us have a healthy relationship with God. God hasn't appointed anyone on this planet to be closer to, or have a greater understanding of God than anyone else. God is in all of us and that makes each of us capable of thoroughly understanding God. We just have to look within ourselves to find that understanding. The message is there. We just have to stop looking to others with dubious motives and look to ourselves.
Maybe messages about the real God could fill churches in Europe and elsewhere again.
posted by David Ess at 10:59 AM
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