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In Reply to: Re: Bobby Kelly posted by Perry on January 25, 2008 at 13:13:21:
This is what I said: “Age is not the determining factor. I've known mature teens and aloof adults.” I wonder if you may have missed the point that besides age being, maturity might also splay a role; even more specifically, the lack of religious maturity, or a strong education on religion. Religious maturity allows the individual to recognize evil and prepares the individual to be aware and skeptical of the predatory parasitical teachings of Berg and Maria. In lack of those elements (religious, age or experience) people might have more of an excuse about being duped. Some SGAs knew very early on that they would have to leave.
Of course you are not denying people their right to believe what they want. You are just voicing your opinion, so am I. To suggest that religion is at the root of society's problems denies all the good that religion does to preserve the core beliefs of a society and so to keep that society together. Doing away with those structures will weaken the society. This is true even in the COG. This principle goes beyond Christianity and the Bible, it also goes into all types of ideological groups that sustain the supremacy of a set of precepts as their guiding light.
I am not religionist in the sense you conclude. In fact, I may be considered by many as a secularist but I recognize the value of religion for the society that practices. I recall reading a quote attributed to Mark Twain, that “there is nothing wrong with Christianity, the problem is that so few practice it.” I am willing to bet that this very same thing is valid for the vast majority of religions.
