Some religions try to control how people think and act. (10)

God`s going to get you! Oh yes He is. And He has nothing whatsoever to do with religion. Religions are invented by people, not God. Thats why we brush our teeth "religiously", kids go to school "religiously", ..... So Cybahippy, you are right, here!

But,now, give this a thought.... what is the Bible? Its the instruction manual for behaving how God wants us to behave, and the Chruches use it in the ways that suit themself, a little twist here, a bit of warp there.... whatever. So, like good people everywhere, we are supposed to read it for OURSELVES.. because its called The Living Word of God, and what you read, sort of speaks to you at that moment in your life.... its a Guide Book for Life. Churches tried their best to keep it away from ordinary folk for a long time. Then they burnt those who insisted on doing their own thing, and those who refused to acknowledge the almighty church. So dont go confusing God with Religion... He hates it too!

As for interesting stories. They are not interesting stories.. they are instructions. Like the Good Samaritan, its not a "story" to tell, its telling us something... and because I realy like that story, Im going to tell you about it:
This guy was attacked and left bleeding on the side of the road. Along came a Priest, and he crossed over to the other side to pass by. Then along came a Pharasee, one of the religious elite, and he too crossed over to the other side and went on his way.
Then along came this Samaritan, the lowest caste of those days, a person who was not allowed to enter a church even, and he stopped, used his wine to wash the injured guys wounds, loaded him onto his mule, and took him to the next town, took him to an Inn, asked the Inn-keeper to take care of the guy, gave the Inn-keeper money for his keep, and said he would return on his way home, and see if he owed any further money for the injured guys keep.
THAT IS HOW WE SUPPOSED TO BEHAVE. To care for each other, irrespective of our circumstances. And this is what we supposed to be teaching our children.. Not the whoo-haah boring religion.

Its not, I think, the Religion thats at fault here, But the people who invent the Religions. They the guys who end up with the plastic buckets of money.... from all the gullible people they conned out of their hard earned income.

New Age Beliefs? Thats an interesting one. I have heard that things like Herbalism, the belief in the powers of crystals, positive thinking, mental telepathy, etc are all classed as EVIL New Age Beliefs. And my reason for scoffing the instigators of this new way of looking at Age Old Beliefs... they scared people may just start thinking for themselves..... and the next payment on the Church Lear Jet will be a bit late, or non-existent, if too many people start having independent thought.