Aren't Religions Actually Dictatorships, With God As Dictator?

Question

Its a fairly obvious fact.
The Bible and Koran, for two examples, were not voted on and enacted by a debating democratically elected parliament.
They are dictates from God.
Which of the Ten "Commandments" aren't even crimes in a secular sensible government?
Is the Pope anything but a dictator?

Answer 1

I tend to agree with you. For a long time I have felt organized religion is more like organized crime.

Answer 2

No.

A dictator rules over a people who have no choice but to obey.

Last time I checked, you are not obligated to belong to ANY religion, even in places like Iran or Saudi Arabia.

Since it is voluntary, no, it's NOT a dictatorship. As you gave in your example, there are two sources, 3 main religions. According to you, you would have to obey ALL of them, be forced to obey ALL of them. That is simply not so. I know far more Christians who eat pork than don't and few who don't eat pork do it out of religious principals. However, doesn't the Old Testament of the Christian Bible state not to eat meat of an animal with a cloven hoof? Many Christians will say that Christ gave a new covanent, yet hold the Ten Commandments as the word of God's Law. They just ignore a lot of the other commandments in their Old Testament.

One of the things that I learned while studying Judaism is about the phrase "Chosen People". From what Rabbi taught us in the class, it had nothing to do with God choosing a people, it was about a people choosing to obey what God gave them.

You do have choice. Under a dictatorship, you don't.

Answer 3

Not in the least. You make the same mistake the religious extremists make--putting the responsibility--or the blame--for individual actions on a philosophy.

All cultures have a set of values--a moral code. And, whether you take the spiritual aspect as being 'true" or not, that's what a religion is. But ANY philosophy--whether it has religious trappings or not--can be perverted.

In blaming "religion" you do exactly what the fanatics do--excuse the individuals who commit wrongs by putting the blame on "soebody else."

And you ignore the other side of the coin: the massive amount of good done by religious leaders. Keep in mind that our modern notions of human rights and liberty come from Christianity. The message of peace that Buddism offers is a powerful one--and has stopped far more bloodshed in the last 2500 years than any other single philosophy. And so on. True, there are Hitlers and bin Ladins and Pat Robertsons. But there are also Gandhis, Mother Theresas and Jimmy Carters.

Answer 4

No, believing in our Father and Son in heaven is not a dictatorship. You see you have a choice in this matter. When you are a true Christian it is because you choose to be.You will never be forced into anything that you do not want to do. God our father wants us to choose him he gives us a choice. In a dictatorship the people have no choice the Dictator chooses what he wants for his people and not what the people want or need. Believe me you would never want to live in a country where you have no rights. You think our country is bad try and live some place where if you say something against the Dictator you and your family will be tortured and killed. Like North Korea, China, Venezuela, Cuba, Africa. There is the rich and the very poor in these country's not room for a middle class. And I mean these people are so very poor. That is what a dictatorship causes. It is hell. The people are beaten down and are not allowed to have there own opinion. This makes me very sad indeed. They have no rights or freedoms. If they want practice what they believe in and get caught they will go to prison and die or God willing somehow make it through.....

Answer 5

In a sense you are correct in that God is a benevolent dictator. He certainly does not seek a vote on matters. However, Christian and Jewish religions are completely voluntary. That is not always the case for Islam in certain parts of the world.

But this is no great revelation, is it? Many organizations are dictatorships, coaches of teams for instance.

.

Answer 6

Not stealing and not murdering are laws. The first 4 commandments are about your relationship with God. If adultery were a law about half of the US would be in jail. It's sad the way society has declined.

At least the bible doesn't say to hate your neighbor if he is a different religion like the quran does.

Answer 7

Fortunately in our part of the world that is only true if you let it be. I think it is only in parts of the Islamic world where that is true,and can you imagine how horrendous that would be. I can't imagine they all believe what they are told and it must be like living in hell for them.
Just remember our world was like that a few centuries ago so there is still hope that they will become less fundamental some time in the future.

Answer 8

actual, each and each e book of the Bible, somewhat the recent testomony books, went via rigorous evaluation and debate earlier being blanketed in the Bible. lots of the books that did no longer make the "very final shrink" are being popularized by using so reported as theologians immediately as lost scrolls of the Bible. in certainty, such lost scrolls have been skipped over of the Bible because of the fact it grow to be obtrusive they weren't the stimulated observe of God.

Answer 9

Pretty close.
Except that dictators demand loyalty and religion demands us to follow on blind faith

Answer 10

You are confused.

I guess if you want to justify an absurd point of view bad enough, it is possible.