Quote: (05-13-2016 11:43 PM)Scoundrel Wrote:
^^^ +1 Rep point to Mage for a stellar post.
Catholicism, and more broadly Christianity (and really to a certain extent all religion) seeks to make betas of us all. It's goal is to make us subservient and obedient; to follow commandments, and to bow and beseech before an omnipotent power beyond our ability to comprehend.
Whatever can be said about its promotion of "traditional" values and male/female relationships, the basic belief of every major religion is that God exists as the ultimate Alpha. Man's relationship to God is essentially that of subject to master. God decrees, man has no choice but to fall in line — or perish.
I've long held that religion is OK for women, and the poor & uneducated, but is unbecoming in everyone else. (Incidentally, I've never met a man who is fervently religious whom I didn't find to be effeminate and/or crazy.)
Men should be focused on conquering the natural world — and one does that by mastering science and learning to think rationally, not by putting one's faith in the so-called "supernatural."
I grew up Catholic, and attended Catholic schools. I'm old enough to have had nuns as teachers in grade school. If I had to express my overwhelming impression of Catholic clergy in a word, it would be: sexless. Remember that the Church requires its priests & nuns to essentially swear off sex permanently. The Pope is a celibate man. Perhaps there is some sensible justification for this requirement — I've never heard it.
Both your and Mage's posts are thought provoking. And for sure I'm not a very good Catholic. But religion does not necessarily seek to make betas and docile men. Perhaps the fiercest warriors in history were the Knights Templar and other knighthood orders.
To me, as a convert in the Easter Rite, I had a hard time with the bowing down part. It is more than the Roman kneel. I came to understand, and my priest approved of my words, that I "bow down to God, and no one else."
Through force and fear, anyone can be made to bow down and submit. I think it was Plato who said "courage is knowing what to fear."
When you fear God, you need not fear any earthly power. When you bow down to God, you need not bow down to any other.
I can find some stuff on how the Knights interpreted their religion to be warriors. I don't think they had a secret, separate religion.