-----Original Message-----
From: Spudboy100@aol.com <Spudboy100@aol.com>
To: extropians@extropy.com <extropians@extropy.com>
Date: Friday, October 22, 1999 9:36 AM
Subject: Re: religion bashing?
>In a message dated 10/22/1999 12:06:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
>zharadon@inconnect.com writes:
>
>> This is a step above those who really apply
>> the statement "it would be easier to fit a camel through the eye of a
>needle
>> then for a rich man to get into heaven" to their lives. If there were
>> someone who applied religion to his life completely, he would be a
complete
>> idiot.
>One of my criticisms aimed at this particular thread, is that atheistic
>bashing of religion, invariably, is Christianity-for better or worse. Why
is
>this? Basically because most if the posts to this thread have, at least,
been
>brought up in a nominal Christian environment. I would include the
off-spring
>of people whose parents utterly rejected religious faith three decades ago
as
>"organized deceit". Was there not a Christmas tree or Yule Log in your
>houses? Didn't Granny take you to Church in your sunday finest, maybe when
>you were four.
>
>My critiques of atheistic criticisms is that its mono-cultural. How many of
>you have steeped yourselves in Hindu or Buddhism, before your reject it? I
>don't mean, merely read books about it, but spoken with people who know
their
>faith? How many know what the belief systems of one billion Muslims are,
>beyond media snippets? Judeo-Christian is largely an academic word, since
>their are no Judeo's. The Jew's belief differ markedly form what is
normally
>taught. How about Confucianism or Taoism (hat-tip to Fritjof Capra).
>Zoroastrianism, New Age, and so much more.
I've had a close friend who was Muslim, many friends who were Wiccan, and a few friends who were Mormon. I'd say Islam is much, much worse then Christianity, primarily because most of its adherents actually believe it and apply it to their lives and their society. Of Mormons, there seems to be two types: those who have left the church and are broken by guilt for wanting to enjoy life, and those broken by the church who no longer want to enjoy life. Wiccans are generally just flaky.