NationStates Jolt Archive

I have this theory about religion. I believe all churches and religions should come with an expiration date. The reason is that over time all religious movements stray from their original values and form into something very different than the founder's intent. Eventually all succesfull churches are either taken over and used for political purposes, or become destructive in a way that contradicts the values of it's founder.

For example, Christianity was great for a while, but then the Catholic church started doing things like the crusades and the inquisition. Islam has great value as a religion, but it obviously became a tool of political conquest centuries ago and a tool for terrorists today. Mormonism started out as a socialist commune, but look how conservative and Republican Utah is today. What happened? How did they all get so far off their original course?

The world would be a lot better off if people were told up front that their new religion is going to be good for 100 years or so, and then it will be time to find a new religion.

What do you think?

Good idea. But I feel that it shouldn't apply to all religions. Not all religions stray far from the concept. Christianity shore has. But look at Judaism. Jews have been bashed for sticking to their old traditions for centuries and they still hold fast to the customs of olde.

Interesting idea, but it's sort of built in with the concept, don't you think? When an inflexible religion ceases to be relevant, it begins losing followers and eventually becomes a footnote in a dusty theological text.

Also, who gets to decide how far is too far?

Interesting idea, but it's sort of built in with the concept, don't you think? When an inflexible religion ceases to be relevant, it begins losing followers and eventually becomes a footnote in a dusty theological text.

Also, who gets to decide how far is too far?

As you said, the # of followers decides it all.

Interesting idea, but it's sort of built in with the concept, don't you think? When an inflexible religion ceases to be relevant, it begins losing followers and eventually becomes a footnote in a dusty theological text.

Also, who gets to decide how far is too far?
Christianity remained relevant long after it strayed from it's original form and became a tool of political power and opression. Membership is not a good gauge of how much a religion has changed or whether it is still a positive force in the world.

As for who sets the date...if these founders of religions are prophets you'd think they could figure that out. hehe

Christianity remained relevant long after it strayed from it's original form and became a tool of political power and opression. Membership is not a good gauge of how much a religion has changed or whether it is still a positive force in the world.

Well, that's quite a blanket statement. Not all Christianity has "become a tool of political power and oppression." I'll admit some have used it for those ends, but nearly every idea ever had has been the cause for someone to do something horrible to someone else. Except maybe for ice cream. :D


As for who sets the date...if these founders of religions are prophets you'd think they could figure that out. hehe

Heh, I can see it now:

Prophet: Believe all that I shall tell you for God has spoken to me.
Follower A: What'd he say?
Prophet: He said some stuff about being nice and good to your fellow man, but most importantly, he said to stop believing in me on December 14th, 2087.
Follower B: Okay...what's a December?
Follower C: Is that a Friday? Why doesn't he move it to Monday and that way we can have the weekend?
Prophet: You're missing the point...
Follower A: I'm confused. If we're supposed to stop believing in him on this date, does that mean we should believe in him again after that date because we should follow his origional commandment?
Prophet: No, look, it's really very simple...
Follower B: I think Follower A just said something terribly heretical.
Follower A: No I didn't.
Follower B: Yes you did! Now we have to stone you.
Prophet: Wait, what? Who said anything about stoning?
Follower B: BURN THE HERETIC!!!
Follower C: Does this mean we get the weekend? How about fish? Is it okay to eat fish?
Follower A: I'm not a heretic! YOU'RE A HERETIC, FOLLOWER B!!! BURN THE HERETIC!!!
Prophet: No one is going to burn anyone!
Follower B and A: Screw that! He's obviously a false prohpet. BURN THE FALSE PROPHET!!!
Follower C: Why is no one talking to me. Forget all of you, I'm going to form my own church and we'll eat fish as much as we want and have weekend.
Prophet: God, why hast thou forsaken me?!?
God: Sorry, what? Oh, it's always like this, but what are you gonna do? People are people.
Prophet: What?
God: I said, that's just the way it goes.
Prophet: *burns*
Follower C: Who want's to join my church of the Weekend Fish?
Follwer A and B: Sounds good.

Christianity remained relevant long after it strayed from it's original form and became a tool of political power and opression. Membership is not a good gauge of how much a religion has changed or whether it is still a positive force in the world.

Well, that's quite a blanket statement. Not all Christianity has "become a tool of political power and oppression." I'll admit some have used it for those ends, but nearly every idea ever had has been the cause for someone to do something horrible to someone else. Except maybe for ice cream. :D

As for who sets the date...if these founders of religions are prophets you'd think they could figure that out. hehe

Heh, I can see it now:

Prophet: Believe all that I shall tell you for God has spoken to me.
Follower A: What'd he say?
Prophet: He said some stuff about being nice and good to your fellow man, but most importantly, he said to stop believing in me on December 14th, 2087.
Follower B: Okay...what's a December?
Follower C: Is that a Friday? Why doesn't he move it to Monday and that way we can have the weekend?
Prophet: You're missing the point...
Follower A: I'm confused. If we're supposed to stop believing in him on this date, does that mean we should believe in him again after that date because we should follow his origional commandment?
Prophet: No, look, it's really very simple...
Follower B: I think Follower A just said something terribly heretical.
Follower A: No I didn't.
Follower B: Yes you did! Now we have to stone you.
Prophet: Wait, what? Who said anything about stoning?
Follower B: BURN THE HERETIC!!!
Follower C: Does this mean we get the weekend? How about fish? Is it okay to eat fish?
Follower A: I'm not a heretic! YOU'RE A HERETIC, FOLLOWER B!!! BURN THE HERETIC!!!
Prophet: No one is going to burn anyone!
Follower B and A: Screw that! He's obviously a false prohpet. BURN THE FALSE PROPHET!!!
Follower C: Why is no one talking to me. Forget all of you, I'm going to form my own church and we'll eat fish as much as we want and have weekend.
Prophet: God, why hast thou forsaken me?!?
God: Sorry, what? Oh, it's always like this, but what are you gonna do? People are people.
Prophet: What?
God: I said, that's just the way it goes.
Prophet: *burns*
Follower C: Who want's to join my church of the Weekend Fish?
Follwer A and B: Sounds good.[/quote]
lol exactly! I love it.

All hail ice cream

Honestly, I'm just trying to figure out if I should find a new religion or have none at all.

Well, the fact that you're asking the question is a good sign. Do some exploring. Go to faith.com and read on some of the paths other people are taking. Don't worry so much about what has been done in the name of the religion, figure out what it's message is and see if that's something you are comfortable with. There are so many paths out there, such a bewildering variety of human belief in divinity that, if you feel a need to seach for God, there must be one that will give you the tools to do it. And, if you end up as athiest or agnostic, you'll be able to say you came by it honestly.

ut o now that ive voted to have an expiration date im thinking that that whole judiasm thing has lasted way past what i would have used for an expiration date and they still seem to be doing a pretty good job

the trouble is what to replace the expired religion with. its fine to say that the catholic church has had a 2000 year run and its time to replace it but what if we all have to start believing in some shirley mcclaine kinda stuff??

maybe its better to just stay with what we've got

the trouble is what to replace the expired religion with. its fine to say that the catholic church has had a 2000 year run and its time to replace it but what if we all have to start believing in some shirley mcclaine kinda stuff??


Well, that's what Dennis Kucinich did. He used to be Catholic and it worked for him. :)

You're the second person to make a comment about Judaism, but even that religion has gone through many stages of change and development. I vaguley remember a story where Jacob (or was it Joseph) was commanded to inhabit the promised land and kill everyone who was already living there. I don't think any modern Jews would endorse that sort of attitude today, no matter how agressive the current Prime Minister of Israel is against Palestinian "terrorists."

every religion changes over time. even your own beliefs change as you go through your life
but the basics of judaism have been the same for a long time even if day to day practice has changed.

im thinking about how every now and then someone wants to get together a committee to rewrite the US constitution and how horrifying the suggestions are.

we dont need some new modern messiah of reincarntation if you sacrifice a virgin to zuul kinda thing.

even if they do get a bit moldy over time, maybe we should keep with the old ones until the last believer dies then choose a new one