Govt.& Religion - - Hand in Hand Governments have a strong vested interest in creating a military to back up their decisions.Who better to staff this force than people who have allowed themselves to be convinced that they will be going to a "better place" if they get killed following orders.These warrior recruits even have their own built in cheering committee [ministers & chaplains] assuring them of the "better place" waiting for them; to counter any natural reluctance about putting their life on the line.All they have to do is obey orders coming from a group of men { politicians } whose well deserved reputation for corruption and lack of integrity is lower than that of a car salesman.Who do you think would be more willing to take on a suicidal mission,someone looking forward to an after-life or someone who wasn't .Is it any wonder that the politicians who play chess with our lives prefer religious people to stoke their War Machines.They certainly aren't going to bet on people who refuse to blindly get drawn into questionable conflicts.

you go to the trouble to make a comment and it disappears F#*^# YOU !!!!!!!!

ALWAYS display the sign of the sacred cross of Jesus ! This will protect you from demons and werewolves.

If you want to worship some invisible thing that "secretly" controls everything,you do n't need to give your money to the money-grubbing hustlers running the church to do it.
If this invisible thing is out there,it can hear you from anyplace,not just a church.
- - - BEWARE : - - -
The big-mouthed,charismatic,money-grubbing hustlers WHO RUN THE CHURCH,just want your money ! {money = power} So stop paying them and they will disappear like fog disappears when the sun comes out.
- - GOOD RIDDANCE - -

Good Job, Well Spoken

this is only about half of what I wrote I don't know what happened to the rest,but it's discouraging !

Church attendance isn't an accurate reflection of the numbers of people who actually believe the crazy shit their ministers and priests talk about. There is a large group { IN THE CLOSET } who are only interested in the social aspects available there. I personally have relatives in this group. I have asked them,"how can you be such hypocrites"? You don't believe that crap any more than I do! They've responded "that's true,but church fills a social need we haven't been able to fill anywhere else,and we aren't the only ones".The tragedy of their situation is this:If you have decided that religion is irrelevant in your life but the social aspects are appealing,you're forced to be a phony if you participate,or isolated if you don't. {THE OLD CATCH-22} I believe fewer and fewer people attend church for the opportunity to grovel and beg favors from a GOD,as part of a group. And more and more attend to socialize with friends and neighbors.I believe this group with the social agenda is becoming larger because there are more fractured relationships with modern families than in the past. The close knit families of the past whose social needs were satisfied with family activities have become a rarity. Where can the lonely and isolated turn? A lot of people end up in the bars to satisfy their social needs,although most people recognize the church as one of the FEW - VIABLE - ALTERNATIVES. People like myself,who know that the church scene involves orchestrated groveling and begging,have too much pride,-dignity,and self respect to sacrifice beliefs to achieve a social outlet. I think people are increasingly rejecting the crazy bull-shit the bible asks us to believe,but are staying as church members because the church experience qualifies them as"good people" {in their mixed up minds}.They become part of the ever increasing group that has learned to desensitize themselves from all the religious hoop-la and focus on their social needs.When this social group achieves dominance,{which it surely will} I look forward to major changes responsive to the wants and needs of the majority.Churches will become more of a social community club,not requiring any groveling and begging to participate.The force that should be applied to help facilitate these changes is their precious tax exempt status.If the church refuses to be responsive to the wants and needs of the majority

Aren't you suspicious of big mouthed religious leaders [with limited intelligence]"claiming to know" exactly what a God [with infinite intelligence] wants - -[all the time]. Hey, they gotta pretend to know something if they wanna get PAID. Right ? ?

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world.Indeed it is the only thing that ever has:" - - Margaret Mead

"PASS THE COLLECTION PLATE"
Why would you pay someone to interpret something written in your own language, - - unless you're STUPID ?