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Does the author, being born in the bible-belt, wants to target only Christianity or all the religions alike?
Posted: 06 Dec 2020, 09:59
by Sanju Lali
The author was born and brought up in the small 100 percent Catholic community of Fancy Farm, Kentucky deep in the bible-belt. Does he want to blame only Christianity because he says he had bad experience at the Church, or he wants to blame all the religions of the world alike. Don't you feel the author has to clear his stand on this before making any claim?
Re: Does the author, being born in the bible-belt, wants to target only Christianity or all the religions alike?
Posted: 06 Dec 2020, 11:02
by Maddie Atkinson
While this is in the context of Christianity, specifically Catholicism, I think that it can be put into other religious contexts. Many religious leaders, no matter what their religion, manipulate holy scriptures for their own gain, which is what the author is trying to question. The author is merely questioning his own religion, but it can apply to all!!!
Re: Does the author, being born in the bible-belt, wants to target only Christianity or all the religions alike?
Posted: 06 Dec 2020, 14:10
by Catie139
While it seems that Hunt was questioning predominantly Catholicism, I had the impression that it was more of his opinion than it was actual questioning. Any religion can find something to make a point. It all has to do with the perception of the person reading the source.
Re: Does the author, being born in the bible-belt, wants to target only Christianity or all the religions alike?
Posted: 06 Dec 2020, 19:31
by Shaunee1
He briefly mentions Jews here and there, addressing the issue of God picking out only a small amount of people as if the rest of mankind didn’t matter. He mentioned Islam once. I would imagine being raised Christian doesn’t make him biased, but rather the other Abrahamic or eastern religions are simply not his area of expertise.
Re: Does the author, being born in the bible-belt, wants to target only Christianity or all the religions alike?
Posted: 06 Dec 2020, 22:56
by Sushan Ekanayake
Apparently the author's main target is Christianity, since that is what he had learnt and worshipped since his birth, as well as the major source for his questions. Yet, the corrupted manipulations can be found in any religion, so more or less this book can be applied to any religion
Re: Does the author, being born in the bible-belt, wants to target only Christianity or all the religions alike?
Posted: 09 Dec 2020, 18:05
by Juliet+1
Since the author dedicates his book to "the billions of Christians who, throughout the centuries, have suffered overwhelming guilt, humiliation, torture and death at the hands of organized religion," I would think Christianity is indeed his main target. Any reader can, of course, generalize the ideas and comments in this book to other major religions. It's not difficult. But I thought that the author seemed much more concerned with developing a foundation for a belief in god that could be independent of any organized religion. He used the Roman Catholic Church as the example because that is the religious organization that he knows best.
Re: Does the author, being born in the bible-belt, wants to target only Christianity or all the religions alike?
Posted: 12 Dec 2020, 00:09
by Fozia RYK
The author appeared to be considerably more worried about building up an establishment for a faith in god that could be autonomous of any coordinated religion. He utilized the Roman Catholic Church as the model since that is the strict association that he knows best.
Re: Does the author, being born in the bible-belt, wants to target only Christianity or all the religions alike?
Posted: 12 Dec 2020, 00:13
by Huini Hellen
I think the author is clearly independent in his sentiments, and all he expects of us is to question the teachings provided by our churches. This basically means that he does not want us to blindly subscribe to doctrines that do not make sense to us, or that we cannot comprehend fully.
Re: Does the author, being born in the bible-belt, wants to target only Christianity or all the religions alike?
Posted: 12 Dec 2020, 12:34
by Karunavk
All religions aim at creating 'God-fearing' followers. Fear of hell and promise of heaven have its own version in all religions. Retribution for our acts is preached in all too. So although the author might have dedicated this book to Christians, this book appeals to a much wider audience.
Re: Does the author, being born in the bible-belt, wants to target only Christianity or all the religions alike?
Posted: 14 Dec 2020, 16:10
by Katherine Smith
I think that the author is questioning his own faith by writing this book, but as some users have pointed out it can be applied to other religions. I also believe that many of the issues that he raises such as corruption of morality in the face of power have been at the center of many scandals in the Catholic Church. These issues are not Catholic Church problems, but human problems which ironically, faith is meant to help alleviate.
Re: Does the author, being born in the bible-belt, wants to target only Christianity or all the religions alike?
Posted: 15 Dec 2020, 12:21
by Maddie Atkinson
Juliet+1 wrote: ↑09 Dec 2020, 18:05
Since the author dedicates his book to "the billions of Christians who, throughout the centuries, have suffered overwhelming guilt, humiliation, torture and death at the hands of organized religion," I would think Christianity is indeed his main target. Any reader can, of course, generalize the ideas and comments in this book to other major religions. It's not difficult. But I thought that the author seemed much more concerned with developing a foundation for a belief in god that could be independent of any organized religion. He used the Roman Catholic Church as the example because that is the religious organization that he knows best.
You are completely right! but do you think some of the more specific comments about the manipulations and contradictions in the Catholic Church can also be applied in another religious context? Maybe in like extreme sects like the People's Temple, or the Moonies, for example?
Re: Does the author, being born in the bible-belt, wants to target only Christianity or all the religions alike?
Posted: 19 Dec 2020, 15:46
by jeanmtdb
I think the author targeted Christianity because that was the faith he was brought up in. He had doubts about his religion at an early age but claims to believe in God. I think he has quite a bone to pick with the Catholic Church. While he studied other religions and philosophies, his animous is directed at the Catholic Church (right or wrong). We must remember that this is his opinion.
Re: Does the author, being born in the bible-belt, wants to target only Christianity or all the religions alike?
Posted: 20 Dec 2020, 16:25
by CConfounded
I feel like the author was generalizing. Christianity in and of itself is a broad religion with numerous subsections.
To me, the author was confusing traits that are common themes across humanity with the religions in and of themselves. I feel like most of humanity is wired toward religion, otherwise there would have been a purely atheist society long before this century. Thus, to a lot of people, it's easy to pinpoint the bad aspects of society on religion, when, in reality, its humanity itself which is geared toward destruction.
Re: Does the author, being born in the bible-belt, wants to target only Christianity or all the religions alike?
Posted: 22 Dec 2020, 10:04
by Ahbed Nadir
I feel he was generalizing. He was trying not to focus only on Christianity in a way. He included many common behaviours or themes practiced among different religions.
Re: Does the author, being born in the bible-belt, wants to target only Christianity or all the religions alike?
Posted: 23 Dec 2020, 15:57
by Bisqwik
Christianity in any form comes from Judiasm and Abrahamic religion. Differences in Jesus as a prophet exist in both, but otherwise the differences don't make it so different as to not be compared. Islam as well shares many of the same basic concepts and stories. Whether he has only been in one religion or even targeted just one religion, there are many compatible points with others.