You have a point though it always makes me sad to see the type of view that you have expressed.

No matter what religion you look at it could become a force for good if the followers of that religion were to re-focus on their basic precepts and follow them.

Religions are basically a medium. They are not an end in themselves. They are conducting units for basic truths.

The problems arise when people forget that; when the medium is mistaken for the message.

When Christ says that to take care of the sick and hungry is the same as taking care of him he echos numerous other religious texts from around the world; notably such texts as the upanishads from india.

The point is not to get caught up with the latest edicts from rome or the newest interpretation of "limbo" or to allow any of that to lead us into un-necessary disputes.

To do that would be paying too much attention to the medium rather to the message.

The point is to remember that the message from christ that i mentioned above indicates that there is one consciousness that enlivens all beings; that the sufferings of the poor and hungry are, in fact, our own suffereings.

If we could remember that kind of thing then we'd be getting back to the message.

I agree with the fact that people "use" Christianity as a means to get what they want, or justify what they do. But that's not real Christianity. To generalize about people who are of the Christian faith is just as bad as hating people in the name of the cross.

I shudder when I see certain politicians proclaiming their Christian beliefs and then using this stand to justify discrimination. That is not Christian.

What you want to outlaw is people using Christianity to further their own personal causes, or to justify hate. I wish that could be outlawed.

But those who practice true Christianity know that hate has no place in their beliefs. In Christ's teachings, there was one definite thread throughout - and that was love. Christ, through teachings and example, taught us that loving each other was the only way to truly serve God.

As a Christian, I don't want to be made to answer for those who have twisted my faith and redesigned it to justify their actions. Why should my beliefs be outlawed, when the core of my belief is love and acceptance? When you say Christianity should be outlawed, then you are telling me that what I believe is wrong and I should be punished for it. That's scary. Remember the Nazis?

Osama Bin Laden urges his followers to kill people, innocent or not, in the name of God. Yet, if you read the Koran, you'd see that what he claims is his religion does not sanctify killing. Another example of twisting a religion to justify hate.

I don't know what the answer is, really. I can only live my own life according to my beliefs and hope that I am judged on my own merit and not generalized about because I am a Christian.

It is unconstitutional to make Christianity illegal. What needs to happen in the USA though is strictly enforce the first amendment of the constitution. The Christian Coalition and other right wing Christian groups of the same ilk are stomping all over the first amendment.

Before some misinformed Christian tries to tell me that "separation of church and state" is not in the constitution. Yes, those words are not in the constitution--it was a phrase from Pres Thomas Jefferson's letter to a group of Baptists feeling religious pressure from the majority (my how 200 years later they learned to turn that around and exert pressure!!). But the phrase "separation of church and state" became shorthand for the phrase in the constitution: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...

If we could be sure our federal government enforced, legislated and interpretted laws based on the constitution we would not have faith based initiatives, leaders who claim we are a Christian country, base foreign policy on the book of Revelations of the bible...

Scary. I understand why you want to make Christianity illegal. I do not need to go that far, just keep religion out of politics! (And if they do not stay out, take away their tax exemptions!)

drlolipop2,

It's not just Christianity, though. Religion kills! You go!

Victim No More!