Hasn’t belgium not had a government for a couple of years or so? How are they managing with the virus?
e: related to the lack of government chat that was moved. But I’m still interested to hear from anyone there.
Political posts not related to CV19 moved from CV19 thread to politics thread.
Silvaire wrote:
its a pretty fair description of the how US ‘society’ functions, including the part about Government making things worse
Well, that was not my intention 
but you probably got a point there.
Well, the pre viking era looks to me like the society NRA asks for ! Open carry of axles was the norm, and justice was given swiftly.
Don’t bite me too hard :)
Saying Christianity brought tyranny is a bit harsh 
When a King becomes Christian, he takes more duties than rights towards his people, the first of which is justice. The Church is meant to be independent from the King, and free to condemn such or such action. It made warriors into knights, and gave them the duty to protect the « widow and the orphan ».
Problems arose when the King decided to become head of the church, and the pope tried to become a king.
With Luther’s uprise, the church was meant to be head-less and spiritual life strictly personal. It failed so every kingdom built its own church, under its king.
Hasn’t belgium not had a government for a couple of years or so? How are they managing with the virus?
Well, since we have 5 governments we are like the equivalent of a snake with two heads; cut one off and we keep on crawling.
Jujupilote wrote:
Saying Christianity brought tyranny is a bit harsh
It’s the basic principle for all monotheistic religions, and -isms for that matter. Convert or die/be doomed/expelled/put in prison. Tyranny existed long before Christianity of course, but Christianity is the most successful “think/live like us, or die”-ism that has ever existed.
Full freedom of religion didn’t come into the constitution before 1964 in Norway. Before that time there were only exceptional paragraphs. It was not until 2017, only 3 years ago, that the Church was fully divided from the state. Already when the constitution was made in 1814, they originally wanted to include freedom of religion. But, they didn’t see how that could be done practically or rather “existentially”, and at the same time have people to swear to fight and die for the constitution. Almost everyone believed in Christ back then, so for the constitution to have any real power among the citizens, to have people willing to fight and die for it, Christianity had to be an intrinsic part of it. Fighting for it was a very important part, to be free and independent of Denmark and Sweden, which was the goal of many, but not everyone. Scandinavism was another strong movement back then, in direct opposition to an independent Norway.
It’s all politics, and Christianity is an excellent tool in making things happen. Historically, probably the best there is.
LeSving wrote:
t’s all politics, and Christianity is an excellent tool in making things happen.
One of my favorite authors has put it in one of his novels into the mouth of an unitarian patriarch living in the moors just south of Hadrian’s wall. It went along the lines of stating that man, left to himself, will develop in no more than any other animal, with no morality to speak of and generally behave like barbarians. But put the fear of God into them, and they will become civilized.
Some of my American friends of very strong beliefs will go as far as to state, that once we started to remove God from the classrooms and from the homes of people, society has gone down the drain. I hesitantly think they do have a point to an extent, as it certainly has become “easier” for people to rationalize away the teachings of justice and mercy that are common to most religions. Today, many people look at religions as what extremists make out of them, not what they were supposed to be by their founders.
I’ve been a Christian all my life, of protestant origins but have become much more private in my Christianity than I used to be. I have always been open to other religions and was part of some of the first oecomenical initiatives in my hometown, which eventually lead to very inspirational cooperation between protestants, catholics and the jewish community. I think if we had had Islam there in numbers we have to day, we might have pulled off bringing them into the circle too. In the end, all of us pray to the same God, even under different names at times.
Christianity as well as almost all religions have been abused and misused by exponents or it’s flag has been put before other interests over time and lead people from the path of mercy and understanding each other in God to fighting each other in his name. Personally I think even those who’se only recent exposure to religion has been watching a rerun of “life of Brian” should know that religious extremism with the ultimate goal of one religion conquering the other is not what the intention of any of the mainstream religions are. What does set the Christian religion apart is the message of love and forgiveness, but in others, these are there in different means.
As for Atheists, well, I can’t help thinking with amusement of Rowan Atkinsons excellent impersonation of Toby the Devil who welcomes them with “You must be feeling a right bunch of nitwits right now”.
Of course Religion has been a political mean as much as anything, but personally I would feel lacking without my belief in God and the basic morality found in the Bible and similar textbooks. If most of us would just about remember the basic 10 commandments, how much easier would our lifes be?
Mooney_Driver wrote:
As for Atheists, well, I can’t help thinking with amusement of Rowan Atkinsons excellent impersonation of Toby the Devil who welcomes them with “You must be feeling a right bunch of nitwits right now”.
Well, some people say they’ve had religious experiences. I haven’t and what other reasons do I have to believe in any particular one of the vastly different and mutually contradictory religions on Earth?
Religion (and I explicitly use that word rather than churches) is not a business with wins and losses. If you want, it’s more of a bet (I’ll call it belief) in something which may help you in your life or possibly beyond that. It also may help those around you. But that is for everyone to decide. For me, it has been a source of comfort in times of need and in hope in times of dread as well as thankfullness in good times.
Reasons, everyone has to find for themselves. Or they may come to them, one never knows.
Apart, Churches can be communities which are quiet good at helping each other, standing for each other and keeping communities together in good and bad times. Like any human organisations, some better, some not so good.
And regarding the quote, I said I remember this with a chuckle… it’s simply funny and by far not the only funny remark in there. But Rowan doesn’t know more than we do and what he believes, he wisely keeps to himself.
I do make a lousy missionary and fully conciously so. Religion is a freedom of choice. Not anything which should be forced at anybody.
Because God loves you, whatever your weaknesses, your fears, your shames, your mistakes. He reaches out to you, and waits for you to answer. I felt that call, several times, and wish every person to feel it too. Still, it doesn’t make me different or greater.
And Christianity is the religion of love. Is there another one ?
YT presented me this video :
A lot of research is emerging on the origins of islam, breaking up most of the myths.
There is wisdom in all religions. But to me, nobody could invent a story of a God sending His Son on Earth and letting him be killed by ordinary men 2000 years ago. That Heaven will come when all men let their hearts changed for love. Pretty apolitical isn’t it ?
