Elton John

[TheMissus]

For those of you who appreciate quotes in context:

"I think religion has always tried to turn hatred toward gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays."
"But there are so many people I know who are gay and love their religion," he said. "From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/13/britain.eltonjohn.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest

 

[wanderingone]

For those of you who appreciate quotes in context:

"I think religion has always tried to turn hatred toward gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays."
"But there are so many people I know who are gay and love their religion," he said. "From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/13/britain.eltonjohn.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest

and of course he didn't say "Christian organized religion" he said religion, and he said religion not faith - religious practices all too often turn away from faith and focus on tradition. I love the traditions of my church, but I recognize they are traditions built around the practice of faith, and stripped away I still have faith regardless of confirmation services, acolytes and communion wafers.

In not caring for "organized" religion Elton John shares an opinion with many including many Christians who feel denominations divisive, who feel the "real" church should be home churches etc..

He's focusing on one failure of certain religious groups, and failing to consider those groups who are welcoming and who have turned away from things like racism.

I too despise those houses of worship where what is preached is hatred, blind allegiance to _____ (fill in the blank with whatever religion is guilty of it) and hatred of intellectual and academic pursuits that might lead to questioning and discussion.

 

[Judy02]

For those of you who appreciate quotes in context:

"I think religion has always tried to turn hatred toward gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays."
"But there are so many people I know who are gay and love their religion," he said. "From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/13/britain.eltonjohn.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest

Thanks...

sad thing is, I can think of appaling acts that have happened in the Church before, and I in no way feel obligated to sell the 'christian religion' and make out the church is great or perfect. Some have done horrible things.

Some unbelievers though see that as us representing how God would be/behave, and some believe that is how God is and don't want to know, which is sad

That's what worries me sometimes when people are a bad witness. xx

 

[UntakenName]

That's what worries me sometimes when people are a bad witness.

I think there are quite a few here. Apparently they don't think there is such a thing as a bad witness. They just claim to be the messenger, even though they destroy the message.

 

[quatona]

Says all religion should be banned because he claims its teachings are homophobic.

Let's look at it from the opposite perspective. Imagine the outcry if someone said homosexuality should be banned because it's offensive to [some] religious and non-religious people?

Calling for a ban just because you don´t like what other people are doing is stupid.
When saying "imagine" you make it sound like there aren´t people who want to have homosexuality banned. There are plenty of them (amongst them politicians and persons of influence on the public opinion), and therefore there is an outcry.
Whilst Elton John is not a politician, but a pop-singer, and on top of that he seems to be pretty much alone with his idea. Therefore no remarkable outcry.

 

[lioninoil]

You don't have to accept it, but there's a difference between not accepting it and trying to bully people and dictate what they do in their personal life.

As Christians, we have been CHOSEN, BY GOD, to be a moral example to the heathen.

The heathen, by virtue of the fact that they do not know God and have rejected God (Romans 1:18-25, Romans 3:10-18) are incapable of doing any good thing, must be led by those of us whom God has chosen.

By virtue of the fact that they are heathen, and do not know God, the heathen cannot possibly realize that what we are doing is actually for their own good. Hopefully, when ungodly "civil law" has been replaced by the complete Law of God in the totality which God gave to us at Mount Sinai, the heathen will see the error of their ways and convert to Christianity and obey God's Law.

God has not only given us Christians the right to dictate to the heathen what they can do in their own "private" lives (because there is no such thing as a "private" life — everything, private and public, must come under the dominion of Almighty God), but God EXPECTS us Christians to do everything in our power to implement His Law throughout society and the world.

 

[quatona]

As Christians, we have been CHOSEN, BY GOD, to be a moral example to the heathen.

The heathen, by virtue of the fact that they do not know God and have rejected God (Romans 1:18-25, Romans 3:10-18) are incapable of doing any good thing, must be led by those of us whom God has chosen.

By virtue of the fact that they are heathen, and do not know God, the heathen cannot possibly realize that what we are doing is actually for their own good. Hopefully, when ungodly "civil law" has been replaced by the complete Law of God in the totality which God gave to us at Mount Sinai, the heathen will see the error of their ways and convert to Christianity and obey God's Law.

God has not only given us Christians the right to dictate to the heathen what they can do in their own "private" lives (because there is no such thing as a "private" life — everything, private and public, must come under the dominion of Almighty God), but God EXPECTS us Christians to do everything in our power to implement His Law throughout society and the world.

Dream on.

 

[chalice_thunder]

As Christians, we have been CHOSEN, BY GOD, to be a moral example to the heathen.

The heathen, by virtue of the fact that they do not know God and have rejected God (Romans 1:18-25, Romans 3:10-18) are incapable of doing any good thing, must be led by those of us whom God has chosen.

By virtue of the fact that they are heathen, and do not know God, the heathen cannot possibly realize that what we are doing is actually for their own good. Hopefully, when ungodly "civil law" has been replaced by the complete Law of God in the totality which God gave to us at Mount Sinai, the heathen will see the error of their ways and convert to Christianity and obey God's Law.

God has not only given us Christians the right to dictate to the heathen what they can do in their own "private" lives (because there is no such thing as a "private" life — everything, private and public, must come under the dominion of Almighty God), but God EXPECTS us Christians to do everything in our power to implement His Law throughout society and the world.

Too many people make such a sick perversion of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

 

[lioninoil]

Dream on.

Well, how can the heathen possibly be expected to know the difference between right and wrong if they don't believe in God?

Look at the world: it's run by heathen and pretty much anything goes.

That's why it's so important for Christians to get into positions of power as quickly as possible, so that we may bring the world, which is evil, under dominionship of God as quickly as possible.

It's really for everybody's good.

 

[quatona]

Well, how can the heathen possibly be expected to know the difference between right and wrong if they don't believe in God?

Because these are two distinct topics.
(How can Christians know the difference between right and wrong if they believe in a false god concept?)

Look at the world: it's run by heathen and pretty much anything goes.

Both are inaccurate observations.

That's why it's so important for Christians to get into positions of power as quickly as possible, so that we may bring the world, which is evil, under dominionship of God as quickly as possible.

It's really for everybody's good.

Your modesty and humility is almost unprecedenced.

 

[white dove]

For those of you who appreciate quotes in context:

"I think religion has always tried to turn hatred toward gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays."

Really? Religion in general or just Christianity? I'm wondering if he's including Eastern religions, as well. I don't think a Buddhist, Taoist or Hindu would turn their nose up at a homosexual believer. Also, liberal Christianity would get the boot, too.

"But there are so many people I know who are gay and love their religion," he said. "From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."

I don't completely agree with that. Look at the shooting that occurred in Georgetown and the Amish's ability to forgive and to extend themselves beyond what is fathomable.

I'm sure there are a plethora of examples of people of faith who live out compassionately-filled lives, just as I'm sure plenty exist of those who claim to have no faith at all.

 

[white dove]

Might not necessarily be a bad thing. Think about it, if it were banned then you and I would have to break the law, risk being imprisoned, risk being tortured and even risk death to praise to our Lord. It happens already in many countries around the world and those saints have what I would call "faith."

Sure we don't all need to be physically persecuted to establish our faith, but it sure would seperate those who go around saying "yeah I'm a Christian" and those who really know they are Christians.

I thought this statement was intruiging.