With respect to OW's ninja request about not arguing, I would ask that this post not be seen as a criticism or argument, but rather a legitimate attempt to understand k33n. My apologies if any of it seems confrontational.
It also does bad things, but so does every organisation. We have to take the good with the bad, and make sure the bad, repressive bits don't get out of control.
Dwarfy, have I been getting through to you?
And k33n, do notice the 'discussion' bit in the thread title. You can of course make a 'Rant-y religion bashing' thread, but I doubt it would stay civil for long...
Just because my points are controversial and I am ready to back them up does not mean that I am ranting or unwilling to discuss. My original point was that spirituality has been co opted by religion, and that spirituality is inherently good while religion is inherently bad.
Like I said earlier, the first two tenants that Arx has said are key to Christianity and are impossible to get anti-human ideas from:
#1 Whosoever believes in me shall not perish, but shall have eternal life.
and
#2 I tell you, the greatest commandment is this: love the Lord your God with all your heart. The second is like it: love your neighbour as you love yourself.
Have both been coherently used to justify horrible actions and restrictive anti-human worldviews.
In addition to Orange Wizard Ninja's citation request [more ninjas -- see below] What is your opinion on other beneficial things that justify "inhuman" action? Is patriotism bad? What about loyalty? And natural resources: are coal and oil inherently evil?
Apologies if this sounds like a straw man; I am just curious where you draw the line, and why.
Additionally, why do you believe spirituality to be inherently good? One could argue that many people use it as an excuse to waste their lives being "spiritual" (note: not saying everyone does, just some, just like very few religious people start wars or riots), rather than contributing to the good of the world, especially since it encompasses so many different things. No doubt someone has asked you this already, so I'll look through the thread and delete this question if I find it, but are you referring to any specific spirituality? If not, an explanation of how you define spirituality would be helpful.
In response to the ninja above,
Yes, 'controversial' is not what comes to mind when reading your posts. 'Euphoric' is closer.
Hiding behind high school mindsets and a meme that mocked a mentally ill child with a hat is extremely unbecoming.
And no, citation are not needed. Is perfectly acceptable to logically discuss the consequences of beliefs and ideas without an appeal to authority.
I believe OW was asking for an example of a time when "love your neighbour" has been explicitly or implicitly used to justify inhuman actions.