"Religion is considered by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by

[Samian'sEighthAccount]

rulers as useful"; thoughts? It's famous quote by Seneca.

Just wanted to know what you personally think of his words :]

[ArtMajors]

The wise would be those who know God and so don't need religion. They see religion as a pediment to seeing what IS, and what IS is God and the Truth. Of course rulers have used religion and have even invented it to control people. I think some evil good of rich men created the old testament and started the Jewish religion to get a group of people to fight wars for them in the name of God so that the rich could take over the resources of the conquered countries. Then there is the whole business with the Romans and Constantine who rewrote the New Testament to include the pagans, they took out reincarnation and put in the eternal fires of hell as a way to control the people and then the Catholic Church steps in and tells people ithat they have to pay the state and the church to get into heaven. Common people would naturally be afraid not to believe in the Bible and what the priests told them to do.

[JimC]

then why did lenin, stalin, ho chi minh, pol pot, mao tse tung and other communist leaders try and fail to wipe out Christianity, it was because they knew that it is the most dangerous threat to their atheistic way of life.

And I know that atheist doesn't mean communist but communists are atheists

[vrzz]

Very true, and accurate..


The following is one of my favorites:

"With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion." - Steven Weinberg