How has religion hurt the world throughout the years?
67Where in the world is God today?
In this fast paced modern Hi Tech internet age has He fallen behind like the rest of the people who refused to conform to the latest craze or fad? Did He pack His bags and head off to a distant planet to start all over again? Only this time no forbidden fruit on a tree and Satan has been left behind to terrorize those that did not make the grade.
If you look at the growth of religious orders and gospels and mega churches He should be able to find a welcome spot. Or have they all just a knowledge of Him or more to the point taken some of His Son's many words and published their version of the Gospel of Jesus and would not know him if he showed up in person? Or maybe he would not meet the educational "No Saint left behind requirements"!
Many of these well meaning organizations have myriads of information on Him and His creation, and followers can quote many of His sacred scriptures, but then again volumes have been written on Shakespeare by people who claim to be authorities on good old Will, but they have never even talked or shared a beer with the guy! Yet for some reason known only to themselves, know how he lived, felt, and thought. Sounds kind of crazy, and yet if Will came back to life and walked among them would they accept him into their fold? Or would they have painted such an unrealistic picture of him that they would call him an impostor and politely ask him to leave? Book him into a mental hotel or Find him a place on Jerry Springer...." See Willy slap the Dickens out of Prince Charles live on Springer!!!!
I think its time someone yelled stop the bus! And let's see who is actually on it..... and why we let them on in the first place? Many of us from birth because of the environment we were raised in have been yoked with burdens that were never a predestined load to bear and all this has accomplished so far (For some of us!) is the slowing down and hindering of our growth and wellbeing.
For example if you grew up in a religious organization you were at an early age introduced to their doctrinal lenses on the world around you.
After a while you could become a clone, marry a clone and produce more clones.
Sounds exciting!!! Amen!
On the other hand you could have had non religious parents who were independent free thinkers and encouraged you to explore and discover the ends of the earth and live a vibrant life. With encouragement like that the world would be your Oyster and you would be a cool person to hang out with and your of spring would be fruitful and multiply? (Sounds real attractive to me)
Then of course you could have grown up in a drug, alcohol, dysfunctional family environment. Learned how to yell, fight, self sabotage and in general live a very depressing and unhealthy life, you know! Marry, Divorce, Re Marry produce more unhappy Fagan's (Oliver twist), who unless they received some serious intervention would carry on the family tradition and be the butt end of comedians jokes. The chances of an early checkout in that sinario are pretty good!
Another case that could find a home in the first and third paragraph above is race and color and that has been the catalyst for some pretty distraous consequences on account of mans false illusions about his superiority.
Now if our mental heath is dependent upon the environment we have grown up in! Then Darwin's theory of the survival of the fittest would most definitely come into play and the world would be a very unfair place, would it not. Just ask your local Rabbi! But that's not happening is it?
Ok! Now ask yourself if there is a God...Where in the world is he in all of this, I mean why would he create man and then let him of the leash only to mess up the backyard and scare of the neighbors. Is this the loving thing to-do?
If you look at the last 2000 years we have had one religious war after another. The middle east, northern Ireland, The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, WW2( Yes Hitler believed he was doing gods work by eradicating the Jewish population), Bosnia . So if God is a religious God I sure don't want to meet him and most defiantly not on a bad day.
Maybe he is in corporate America? Then again they don't really have a head just a breathing mass of hungry share holders and some for some reason known only to themselves are always hungry for more and will never be satisfied.
Yes maybe there are some corporations that do genuinely care, can't think of any at the moment lol. But they do care about their public image and the good old bottom line and if you have ever had a pink slip then you know all about corporate unconditional love, no security there!
Now I don't think he lives in statues or religious artifacts because if that was the case you could buy him take home and pop him up on the mantel piece or nail him to the wall. Better still stick your old bath tub out in the front lawn end up and depending on which God is in vogue proudly display it, kneel before it, and ask it lots of questions even pray to it.
I have news for you whether its made of wood, alabaster or a precious metal it wont answer you back and if it did your property would be declared a scared spot and there goes your peace and quiet as you struggle home through the candle awed multitudes.
I have lived in this country (North America) since June 25th 1988 and while I love the vastness and beauty of this contentment I'm not in love with American Christianity. My journey through the American churches has been sadly disappointing. I came here with a passion for God and all that he has to offer us. I expected (naively) that the church here would be just as passionate, but I was greatly disappointed. You see I had and still have a wonderful love for god and the glorious wonders and life he has to offer through an intimate relationship with him.
Over the past 20 years I have only met a hand full of people who were thoroughly passionate about God, the vast majority had a knowledge about him or were more concerned about their status before others or telling other Christians how they should live their lives or building their own kingdoms and bringing converts into the same bondage as themselves
. In short I believe God brought me to this country to teach me how to love the lost sheep of his flock and it has been very hard class to take! Many times I have wanted to quit. But as I slowly progress and gain his understanding of unconditional love I gain understanding of how he feels by the churches rejection of his love
. All God wanted in the very beginning was a relationship with Adam and eve. It was so simple! God having healthy fellowship with his creation. They talked about everything and laughed at each others humor , there were no big list of rules to follow except one don't eat the fruit of just one tree....that was it!
Yes we all know the rest of the story and the resulting fall out. The world has not lived in peace since and will not until it surrenders its false illusions of grandeur and superiority at the foot of his throne and accepts the free gift of his son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. There is no other way, the struggle has been going on for centuries and will continue until Jesus returns to claim those that love and follow him and those that have rejected him will tragically not enter into his eternal peace and life everlasting.
So where is God? He is here right now ready and willing to enter your life and the best way to ask him in is to ask him or his son Jesus to give you the faith to believe that they exist and leave the rest up to him and not to religion......
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Your article makes many great points and is surely thought-provoking.
I think the word "religion" has gotten a bad rap myself, from its opponents—who make it into something it is not. My dictionary defines religion as "Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power regarded as creator of the universe."
I see nothing boogeymanish about that. Another definition is "A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader. [such as Jesus Christ]."
I see nothing sinister about that either.
You wrote: "If you look at the last 2000 years we have had one religious war after another. The middle east, northern Ireland, The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, WW2 (Yes, Hitler believed he was doing gods work by eradicating the Jewish population)."
WW2 had zero to do with religion. The Japs were not a religious people. Hitler did not think he was doing God's work. Hitler hated Christians and Christianity. The only "religion" he was interested in was a Germanic neo-paganism.
The Inquisition was not a war. In fact, it was more political than religious. The so-called religious wars of Europe were more about political power and land than religion. That is why a close examination of them shows Protestants and Catholics fighting on both sides. Religion was used as a pretext in some cases.
The Crusades were a natural reaction to the slaughter of Christians by Muslims. Many people do not know that the Muslims came out of a small part of Arabia at a time when all of the Middle East and North Africa were covered by Christians. Yes, the Muslims did and do wage religious war. That is because their religion is based on forced conversion. This is not the Way of the Christian faith at all. One has to volunteer for it.
Certainly man has the capacity to kill people, wreak havoc, and commit all sorts of insane, evil acts. With religion he is bad enough. Without religion? 100 million killed by official Atheist governments in fifty years makes all those ever killed in so-called "religious wars" over thousands of years pale in comparison.
You wrote: "My journey through the American churches has been sadly disappointing"
I am very sorry to read this. I myself am a church visitor. I love to visit churches though I have never belonged to one. I have been to 1000 churches, I would guess. And my experience has been positive at every single one of them. I have been to Roman Catholic Mass and Pentecostals rolling on the floor. Every church I have ever been to I have been warmly welcomed, I have enjoyed the service, I have enjoyed the people. I go not for my benefit but to worship God. I do see that people come together and worship in all sorts of ways. I think a community of like-minded believers worshiping God together is a very good thing.
I surely agree with you that "All God wanted in the very beginning was a relationship with Adam and eve. It was so simple! God having healthy fellowship with his creation."
Amen! I am with you there.
I have to disagree with Lisa. Many people do find God in a church, but He's certainly not confined in any church. People can find God wherever and whenever he draws them to himself. Although the relationship with God is personal, between the believer and God, he seems throughout the Bible to encourage the gathering of his people together for worship so that they might use their spiritual gifts to build each other up and so that their love for one another would prove that He is real. Believers will be together for all eternity as the bride of Christ.
The key point is that we not see the church as a religion to be followed, but a place to assist each other in building our individual relationships with God so that we might grow in faith and love for Him. There will never be a perfect church or small group or Christian on this earth.
Fully agree with you. We seem to have made a mess of the whole thing once too often. Time to pause and take stock. Thanks a lot.
Great words, I agree with you, religion that's all about following rules and looking good does much damage. Love is at the foundation of our relationship with God and others. Without love religion brings legalism and death to what ever it touches.
Its true that because of spiritual tunnel vision created by denominational leaders, the world often grasps greater spiritual truths than the church. Look at the spiritual parallels to movies such as the matrix and lord of the rings, most of the church can't even recognize what these worldly Hollywood screen writers do.
But I will not advocate breaking with the church because God is a God of order and has given a measure of authority to his true delegated leaders. I do agree with leaving a church that God has left but submission to authority is a necessary part of growing in God.
It does depend on how we are brought up, doesn't it?
It was so easy for me to turn my back on organized religion, since growing up in Belfast meant the old Protestant/Catholic thing. It didn't make any sense. I thought it was stupid and insulting -- why would the Republic of Ireland WANT the North? But on the other hand, why would the UK CARE if Northern Ireland rejoined the Republic? Since religion and politics and sociopolitical perspectives were all inextricably interwoven, I left as soon as I could.
Since then, I have made a point of staying away from any organized religious sect. But that doesn't mean I don't have a passionate interest in the complexity of the universe, its origins and even perhaps its purpose. I've tried to learn about as many philosophical perspectives as I can in different religions, finding much to respect and much to emulate.
Hi Mike -
I read and I learn....so you've been in America for 20 years now. You've stated a contrast between experiencing church here compared to Ireland....I'm curious as to where besides Oregon have you gone to church in the U.S.? I thought Christianity in Europe was dieing....have I been misled?
I've been dissatisfied with church here in Washington too....I so missed my 4 square church back in Hawaii and then having gone back this past February, it's not the near perfect church I thought it was either. It's us flawed people who make up the church wherever one goes, that get in the way. We need to live and move in Love (God being Love) and FREEDOM (not oppression from our own bretheren!) And we are supposed to be under grace, not the law.
So when are you and Cynthia going to come up here? I'll make some corned beef and cabbage and buy some Grolsch and you two can come party with my family and the Holy Spirit! Bring Mickey if you want!
Oh yeah, and I'm glad you answered the request!
No problem.
Hey Mike I am going to delete your comment on this story and post this link to the article you wrote on my hub. http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Churchs-Techniques-In-
I believe that it was prophicized by the prophets that people would flow to the holy mountain of the lord to the house of the God of Jacob even in the last days.
Wow! When I asked this question, I never expected to see an answer from a devout Christian, but it's been great to read. I'm not religious myself; this hub has been a good way for me to remember that some believers are good, thoughtful, intelligent people.
I particularly like the way you've shown that an individual's belief in God is not necessarily the same as an organized religion's doctrine. People should know that Christians don't (and don't have to) believe every twisted proclamation made in their name. The same can be said of Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists...any religion, really.
Thank you for a fascinating hub. Let's hear it for independent thought! *applause*
Great Hub! I totally agree with you. A person would never find God in a church. It will always be a personal relationship between Him and Us. All we need to do is read the Bible which is how He speaks to us, and have faith and trust in Him.

















mikeq107 Hub Author 7 months ago
James watkins :0)
Thank you mate for such an amazing comment...on a subject that has been open to such strong bebate down through the centries and while I will agree to disagree with you on many of your opinions above and great they are I might add Thank you!!!
I will leave your great comment for the readers that follow and each man to decide for himself LOL..I leave the bebating to those poor misguided souls in the religous forums and the pubs of Ireland and boys in the forums..lol
Thank you so much for such a wonderful heart felt and long comment
Sincerly
Mike ;0)