We rightly despise governments that practice torture, and the majority of countries have ratified the UN Convention against torture.
Yet christian churches demand our respect while preaching the despicable doctrine that sinners and non-believers will suffer eternal torture in hell. Atheists can write this off as a sadistic theist fantasy, but for the priests and their victims it is supposedly a fact. The churches should admit either that their doctrine about hell is nonsense, or that they are complicit in torture in violation of an international treaty.
I would love to see the Pope, etc., on trial in the International Court of Justice for crimes against humanity in the afterlife.
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I agree. Add to this all the damage they are causing in this life: Child rape and abuse, the suffering they cause by denying people the use of birth control, etc... http://www.atheistrepublic.com/forums/debate-room/dark-side-theism-super...
But it's taboo to criticize religion and churches and they are infallible in the eyes of many theists and even many atheists think it's off limits.
The church preaches of an afterlife of eternal torture for sinners but that does not make them responsible for torturing said sinners and so they are not culpable.
They may spread misinformation and false hope and many churches swindle people off money but in todays time they do not torture.
On the charge of denying birth control etc. I would say that they spread a false doctrine and are not responsible if the masses prescribe to said false doctrines.
Just because someone said that birth control is evil does not mean we must enact such laws and acts of violence against abortion clinics and those that do are solely responsible.
Take away their influence and all that is left is a book with stupid quotes. The problem is not that these quotes exist or a pope says to follow these teachings. the problem is that so many of us actually follow this nonsense and so we are responsible.
"The church preaches of an afterlife of eternal torture for sinners but that does not make them responsible for torturing said sinners and so they are not culpable."
Yes, I agree that they cannot be culpable for what happens in an unprovable afterlife. But they should be culpable for the agony they cause in this life and many people have had a lot of distress and fear about going to hell or that their loved ones have gone or are going to end up in hell.
And in the case of child rape and abuse, the religious leaders and churches have a lot to answer for, but very very little is done.
"The U.S. Catholic church has incurred nearly $4 billion in costs related to the priest sex abuse crisis during the past 65 years, according to an extensive NCR investigation of media reports, databases and church documents." - Nov. 2, 2015
https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/ncr-research-costs-sex-abu...
That's only the Catholic Church, only in the US. Add all denominations and other religions internationally, and it becomes a mind boggling problem.
And when one considers that the churches collect tithing from the general population, then uses that money spread their doctrines and pay for their sexual crimes, it starts to look like a gigantic criminal child prostitution ring and propaganda machine.
"the problem is that so many of us actually follow this nonsense and so we are responsible."
To some extent, I agree. The large masses get manipulated, and some of them just let themselves get manipulated. But many have no idea that they are being manipulated.
To say that the church is not culpable, is to me a bit like saying that Charles Manson is not culpable for the murders but only his manipulated followers. Of course the followers holds responsibility as well, but the manipulator is not at all innocent.
Of Course the Church is Manipulating People....Also considering it's Evilness when it comes to the 1930's with it's Open Alliance with Fascism.
That is exactly my point. They are not collecting the money like taxes. The money is donated voluntarily. And where power and influence festers so too will corruption.
Think about it. There are these bunch of people who have nothing to do all day (nothing productive all day). they have barely any skill based work or any service they provide. All they do is sell lies over and over.
As they say "an idle mind is the devils workshop" - It seems poignantly true for religious institutions.
If people stop handing over so much authority and money to such a wasteful organisation all their misdeeds would have no outlet.
Is it torture when you attend church voluntarily? Some would call such treatment Sadomasochism , Master-Slave relationship , Dominance and Bondage. If between consenting adults where is the tort. I am a rationalist but still a libertine at heart. If their toys involve whips and chains or eternal damnation what harm does that do me. Torture of unwilling victims is of course a crime against all humanity. Perhaps the real label of psychological torture can be applied to dragging children to church and having them watch scary Halloweenish dramas involving demons and hellfire. It is OK to scare kids a bit once a year as long as they know it is all in fun. An entire childhood of such treatment is evil.
True, considering how in the Past, Christians named it Devotion when they Whipped themselves and citing the "Holy Book's" verses. If there's anything that gives a very clear example of irrationality, delusion, distraction, lying and brainwash, that would be the Bible and Christianity.