Quote: Ludicrous? Maybe.
No maybe there. Baptizing the dead in pushing up the dead abstentia, while offering a cunning, if greasy, solution to those who died before the particular
festive variation of the faith emerged, is certainly ludicrous. Hey, I just took a page from Joe Smith's book, via PZ Myers, and baptisied Joe Smith and
Bringham Young into the afterlife of eternal cosplay homosexuality. An eternity of glitter, long-eyelashes, sailor moon costumes and man on man action.
Ludicrous. Absolutely. But no less so than the Mormon version. And more honest, because I admit it is utter bullshit.
Quote: Dangerous? WTF? In what sense? NIMBY maybe?
Not In My Backyard? You have dead people in your backyard? Coolness. No dangerous. It provides an ugly, vicious lever against those who might question
or leave the faith. Once your dead and in, there is not backing out. You can leave the church, but granny stays and no hanging with her in the afterlife.
You leave us, you leave your poor, dead, granny. You wouldn't want that, would you?
So, yes. Dangerous. Ugly. Manipulative.
Quote: Manipulative? Dude, you can put that spin on -anything- these days. Who ain't trying to sell something?
Yes, but very few encyclopedia companies promise delivery only after you pop your clogs, and the few that do have very poor sales indeed. It is like a
Nigerian e-mail scam without the sincerity.
Quote: As for Revelations, lemme put it this way; I don't put too much faith behind that Left Behind series. If and when it does happen, we're all gonna be
scared shitless.
If and when it happens? If it is a 'when' it is not an if. Seriously, assholes with a heart full of schadenfreude have been predicting the end of
days from the beginnings of christianity. It is by nature an apocolyptic faith. God is coming, look busy (and if you are Mary, cover your ears.) From Sextus
Julius Africanus, to Bishop Gregory of Tours, Nausea, Luther, Miller, the list of arseholes claiming the end of days is long and constantly being added to.
Scary? Scared shitless? If you feel like filling your keks that is your business, and fetish.
No. Is the global flood of Noah scary? Jonah's special fish time scary? Destruction of Sodom and Gommorah scary? Revelations scary? Harry Potter and
the onset of uberty scary?
No. Because they are not real. They are fictions written to scare people into obedience, while at the same time rewarding the faithful with the
opportunity to observe the destruction of those who did not share their wisdom. Destuction for the enemies and a death free wank-fest for the gloriously
saved.
What utter crap.
And people buy into this.
And believe it?
Selfish and deeply cynical. Tough to enjoy heaven when you know that other people you knew are suffering. Unless you are of a mind as Aquinas and see the
pleasures of heaven being the observation of the sufferings of hell.
Imaginary twaddle.
Black, take some time to really examine the fundamentals of your faith from outside the bubble of your upbringing. You are already having issues with your
church's treatment of homosexuals, baptizing the dead, and their very recent racist past. Keep questioning.
Cheers,
Shayne