Mike Dulak grew up Catholic in Southern California, but by his teen years, he began skipping Mass and driving straight to the shore to play guitar, watch the waves and enjoy the beauty of the morning. “And it felt more spiritual than any time I set foot in a church,” he recalled.

Nothing has changed that view in the ensuing decades.

“Most religions are there to control people and get money from them,” said Dulak, now 76, of Rocheport, Missouri. He also cited sex abuse scandals in Catholic and Southern Baptist churches. “I can’t buy into that,” he said.

  • Karyoplasma@discuss.tchncs.de
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    1 year ago

    The bible describes God as a manchild that gets upset and throws a tantrum when his playthings don’t function the way he wants them to. The loving, benevolent God only exists when things are going his will and then he gives out presents of kindness. It’s pretty much the definition of an abusive relationship with a narcissist.

    • samus12345@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Abusive narcissists control people, so why not make up a magical abusive narcissist to control a lot of people?

      • Adalast@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Oh oh oh, let’s make him omnipotent and gaslight everyone by saying all the abuse is just his way of showing love so we can excuse our own toxic traits as holy.

      • merc@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Speaking of controlling people, isn’t it an interesting coincidence that the religions that tend to survive are the ones that say that the political leader (king, emperor, kaiser, tsar, chief, raj) has a divine right to rule, and is chosen by god? Also, what an interesting coincidence that whenever the king has a divine right to rule, the religious head seems to have a cushy life? How unusual is it that the suffering of common people is something that is good for your soul, especially if you bear the suffering silently.

        It’s like every successful religion coincidentally also sets up a society that’s easy for a leader to rule over. Crazy huh?!