Comment by actionfromafar

10 hours ago

You don't understand. You must always respect authority. Trump is the highest authority in the land, put there by God.

This is the real danger of religion. When you train people from birth to turn off their brains and submit to authority without question, this is what happens.

  • This is not an accurate description of religion, at least not as practiced by anyone I have ever known who is religious.

  • Not quite. Religion, when taught properly, can serve as an innoculant against corrupt states, as it ingrains a kernel of understanding that man, and all his works are flawed, falling short of the perfection only attainable by the divine. There is always something higher worth maintaining loyalty toward. Like most things though, practicing that doesn't make you super popular with "leaders of worship" who wield their position in a human institutions as a tool to their own ends.

    • I agree wholeheartedly. Religion, practiced as designed, is extremely positive in my experience. I think the issue is that religion is and has been abused throughout history. I’m really not sure how to deal with this issue though. It seems the Abrahamic religion are quite vulnerable to this kind of abuse, likely because a core part of the doctrine is submission to authority.

      I’ve never seen a Buddhist led genocide for instance, and I think a big part of that is the emphasis on looking inward for answers instead of outward.

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I’m sure they said the same about Obama…. Right?

  • Each time that Obama expanded a domestic policing organization that then went to American cities and executed citizens, the same thing was said about him, yes. All zero times.

I no longer know if it's sarcasm

  • That's because this is a pretty mainstream opinion now. I'd say... a quarter to a third of the population holds such beliefs.

    If you ever shook your head at theocratic regimes such as Iran, well maybe look a little closer to home. "But... the people in charge of Iran are hypocrites, they do nasty stuff at home behind closed doors."

    Again, may I point to Mom: "we have mullas at home".

  • It depends on what team you’re rooting for in the sports game that has become politics in the US.

    • People believing the president of the United States has been ordained by God, and can therefore do no wrong, should be extremely concerning to EVERYONE, no matter what team your rooting for.

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    • This has been the case for a long time. What's new and weird with this "sports" game is that the side with the umpire in their pocket has suddenly decided the game is bloodsport.

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