Church Potential

[Anonymous]

SamBee wrote:

There used to be a saying, “no atheists in a foxhole”, but the same was often true of army chaplains too…

Religion can and does help people through disasters, even minor ones. If a situation is desperate, it can give you the motivation to carry on. This is very much the positive side of religion, and we don’t hear much about it now… it’s nearly always the negative side, like how religion has been involved in war and genocide.

SamB, I like the way you put this and I think that is what I think as well…for all the harm religion does in the world…I think it does far greater good for far more people. And that is why I return to it, and that is why I StayLDS. There are always outliers, and sometimes we learn from those outliers, but you can’t accurately describe the population by the characteristics of those outliers.

To answer some of Ray’s questions…I would say because I choose to believe in the teachings of Christ that ring true for me. I see what benefits me and my family, and I choose to believe it is right. I may be wrong…but I believe there is a truth out there and Christ’s teachings bring me closer to it than anything else I’ve found…so I stick with it until I find more.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Heber.

We know religion has ugly aspects which are used to control people. But we can also see how it helps people through depression, bereavement and so on. The LDS has a good record when it comes to practical help offered by members to one another. I see a lot of local members here working for various charities, and so on, and it can’t be said that they’re getting any material benefits from it, or even huge numbers of converts.

The atheist answer is frequently that you need to dose yourself up with medication or speak to a counselor if you’re upset about something, but that doesn’t cover everything. Prayer does actually help psychologically, if it doesn’t help spiritually.

While I realize that the LDS has a few skeletons in the closet, blood atonement being one of them, it actually has a better track record than many of the major Christian denominations. (Although FWIW, the Salvation Army and the Quakers come out better than the LDS on this front) The LDS had no Crusades, nothing on the scale of the Spanish Inquisition, no wars on the scale of the reformation in Europe etc. So I’m not trying to excuse these things, but just pointing out that if some churches point the finger, then they need to look at their own past.

[Anonymous]

Those were some good points SamBee.

A good book to read is “a case for God” by Karen Armstrong. She doesn’t talk about God as being literal but she talks about how important a part he plays in our lives. Prayer is proactive when we really consider our blessings and focus on areas we want to refine. There are many ways how religion can be benifitial.

[Anonymous]

findingmyownfooting wrote:

Those were some good points SamBee.

A good book to read is “a case for God” by Karen Armstrong. She doesn’t talk about God as being literal but she talks about how important a part he plays in our lives. Prayer is proactive when we really consider our blessings and focus on areas we want to refine. There are many ways how religion can be beneficial.

I liked Armstrong’s ideas around God as an important influence or belief that helps our lives…but I remember reading it and also thinking those same things Armstrong is saying about God could also be true even if He is a literal being. I like to think of it that way, because I like the idea I have a Father in Heaven…it just works for me.

[Anonymous]

SamBee wrote:

Religion can and does help people through disasters, even minor ones. If a situation is desperate, it can give you the motivation to carry on. This is very much the positive side of religion, and we don’t hear much about it now… it’s nearly always the negative side, like how religion has been involved in war and genocide. …

People like to say that religion starts wars. Actually I think greed does.

Religion is a coping strategy that does help people through tough times, but it can (& has) also been used as an excuse to NOT love others.

I’d say that greed starts wars to an extent… like with the leaders, but when it comes to civilians I think it’s more about fear & ignorance (ie prejudice).

Old-Timer wrote:

Why are you willing to follow Christ’s teachings above all else?

That is a good question, Ray. To me, Christ isn’t just Jesus, but the Spirit. So anything that makes sense intellectually, spiritually & by experience is “Christ’s teachings” whether it is included in the cannonized (filtered & changed) scriptures or not. I do think that there are still pearls of wisdom that have remained part of scripture & I treasure those because they help me along.

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