In another reminder of just what sort of evil is done by men in the name of God ladies and gentlemen I give you this on the anniversary of the death of over 900 Americans.

In 1978, more than 900 Americans in a group called Peoples Temple, led by Rev. Jim Jones, were poisoned by cyanide-laced punch in Jonestown, Guyana.

For those of you who don't know about this event and Jim Jones I suggest you look. Especially after all those kool-aide remarks we heard during the last election.

I think this is one of the things pointed out in that movie "Religious", About how many people have been killed in the name of God.

I remember that day too well. It was a shock.

KoolAide gives me heart burn

Religion give me hartburn.

Well 3.5 billion other people who follow the bible in some fashion did not drink the cool aid.Is there a point to this thread?How many people die on a daily basis due to other religions.How many people die daily due to the Muslim religion.Why bash the Christians?

It didn't seem necessarily to be aimed at christians specifically, just at blind religious devotion in general. At least thats my interpretation of this thread.

People are free to believe in what they want to believe in without being criticized or mocked.

Lindyy

Every belief should be criticized. If you believe something you should be able to take and respond to criticism, otherwise it's blind faith and is on par with plain ignorance.

I disagree....who is anyone to stand in judgment of what another PERSONALLY believes? Is each individual so PERFECT that he/she can play judge & jury? I THINK NOT!!!

This is the USA is it not? Land of the free?

Lindyy

man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest....

I agree just wish it was so. Religion seems to dictate political view and has no right to do so. You said it, God will judge us and we have no right to judge others. I wish people would really think about that when debating on policy that affects of all. Its freedom of religion to believe what I want and to have gods free will. Its my decision not someone else's..

Well in the case of Jonestown someone did investigate and question.

They were murdered for their trouble.

Pro-lifers who are largely quite religious want to impose their standards on others on the abortion issue but think their faith and how they practice it should not be questioned?

The people at that compound chose to poison their children.

900 people died.

Did those little children chose their religion?

What about the children who die when their parents chose to pray over them instead of taking them to the doctor?

What about the children "married" to older men in some of these cults?

This list of offenses committed by churches against their members is long and frankly disgusting.


So, what's the standard? Leave people alone to practice their faith or question and criticize and perhaps save a life?

People are free to believe in what they want to believe in without being criticized or mocked

free i do not think so

George Carlin said it best...

I couldn't commit suicide...if my life depended on it...

You think the people killed on the tarmac who went to investigate wanted to die?

Do you think those little children wanted to die?

Weren't they a cult?

Honestly, that was a ridiculous comment. Did I said judge or jury? No. Sorry. Try again. Move along if you can't even debate the actual words I use. I said criticize. I feel if you cannot tell the difference between "criticize" and "judge and jury" then you should look these words up before attempting to comment with them. A person can criticize another without being perfect.

And if this is the land of the free, the I'm free to criticize whomever I want.

I have a very religious friend of mine whom I'm very close to. Back in high school as we grew up together I used to criticize basically all of his religious views for the sake of argument. He thanks me for it now on the basis that it made him have to think (key word, try it someday) about his own beliefs and decide in more depth if they were truly his. Now his faith is much stronger as a result.

I don't judge. But if I see something done, said, or thought, that I think is ignorant, stupid or wrong then I'm going to comment. Prepare to contest me.

OMG I don't know you, but I think I love you!