Now where did i get that title from? I am so sure i have heard it somewhere. Anyway...
I have always heard of these get rich early retirement schemes. Haven't we all? It has come to my attention that the church is not taxed in most countries regardless of how much income in generates. This amazes me but i understand why. Another thing is the priest is entitled to about 20% of the money given in. This doesn't sound like much but a small following of lets say 100 people giving in $1 each on Sunday, that equals to $20 for an hours 'work'. Yes, that is peanuts but what about 1000 followers? And who says they are going to give only $1? Or even better, the Catholics who give Tithe (That's ten percent is it not?) Now that is how to ensure retirement in style. This is not a bad option to fall back on if not all goes to plan in the future. And the best part is, those assholes in power (What a blunt statement considering they have never done anything to offend me... Then again they have never done anything to please me which they are taking my tax money to do) will not get a single cent of it! Of course the other option is staring up a gambling ring or casino but of course, taking peoples hard earned money like that is way bellow me, I'll stick to church plans...
Anyway, on a more serious note, jokes aside, why does this happen. Religion seems to be one of the biggest money making scams ever. Again i'm going to specifically target Christianity but that is only because i am more familiar with it. Capitalism. This is the main structure of society today. Is it not coincidental that the same group of people that started and controlled the church started capitalism? Lets hold the capitalism for now and push back even further in history.
The Dark/Middle ages...
How did kings manage to milk their empires of wealth day after day with little question or uprising? Answer- religion. The king was second in power to God. Why didn't he make himself the Alpha? Because it was useful to be able to use God as a scapegoat for questions he could not answer or actions that could not be justified. This was also a good way of keeping people content, after all he was not taking people's lively hood etc for personal gain, he was only doing God's will. The Church kept the people in check by scaring them into submission for the king and in return they were handsomely rewarded with money in plenty (And little altar boys... Why can i never resist this joke?!)
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5 comments:
religion is not necessarily a scam…
Its true, capitalism and religion have always gone hand in hand, but it’s the capitalists, those smart bastards, who used and abused religion for their own gain, have been doing so even in biblical days…eg. The pharasis…there’s even a part in the bible when they used the church as a market place of sorts and Jesus flipped out…yeah…
The communalists ( less tactful than the capitalists) tried to get rid of religion, and we all know how communism was such a flop.
Looking back on time, like the French revolution, when people got fed up of giving money to the church which ended up in peoples pockets, they rebelled and banned religion (but mainly because it was so connected to the monarchy ).
Revolution became their religion, but even then, after the death of king Louis and the establishment of the fisrt form of democracy (committee of public safety then council system)-all run by the leading revolutionists- people in power still abused this system to suit their own personal gain and interests (like sending people they just didnt like to the guillotine as “traitors” yet they had done nothing).
It was a bloody time, and people came to hate them even more than they hated the church!
Eventually Napoleon came along and re established Catholicism as well as practice of any other religion in France.
He recognized the importance of religion, called it “the social cement” as it had a way of keeping people together…
still, he re established it and manipulated it in his favour, although on the surface the kept the state and church separate…
As we used to say in psychology class, Christianity and capitalism merely share a parallel correlation (as proven in my comment above), and to say one is the cause/source of another is too reductionist a statement…
I like how your comment just about covered what was coming i part 2. The french revolution etc. But at least you left me a bit to cover. You are totally right and it is reductionist but you are just proving my point. religion is a tool that i manipulated and used a lot. But that is not all it is, i am merely emphasizing this aspect for now.
ah okay, lemie keep my analytical comments reserved and let you go ahead and unravel your grand atheist plan...lol
i just posted another long ass comment on your part two btw...i couldnt help it, you brought up communism and all my history class arguments in Mr.B's room came flooding back...lol
Excellent comments, Eizzy. Makes me think of one of the best teachers I ever had (11th grade, World History) Linda Case-Reynolds was her name. FANTASTIC class!
It also reminds me of a fabulous book The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett. It's set in the 11 or 1200's, just before Europe began their renaissance period. Fascinating account of the church's involvement & influence.
Let's not forget that some Kings would not bend to the Church's will, but rather started their own variants. Think Henry VIII & the beginning of the Anglican church...
Interesting dialogue, friends.
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