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Wow this post looks like it went in about 5 different directions, after reading through the posts, a few thoughts just from my point of view....
For the original post, I have seen a clip of Dave where the caller asked if they had to be a Christian to attend his classes. Dave's answer was absolutely not! It was my understanding they are told specifically not to involve prayer in their meetings (i have never attended so take that for what it is worth).
Rational or not, by default, I do believe humans have a strong desire for religion and ritual. It may be they want to follow authority and have dependence on someone / something else. Keeping this in mind, religion is a great means to deliver or propagate any self improvement system. In addition to Dave's plan, alcoholics anonymous is another example.
To the poster who asked "What does religion have to do with money?", the true answer is everything. Look up the book "Thou Shall Prosper" by Lapin. He discusses the spiritual nature of money, whether it is paper, plastic, or gold. By itself money has no value at all. It is only worth what we believe it is worth. Don't believe me, if you can get your hands on a handful of bills from some other country that you know nothing about, stop and look at them. You might say "what am I going to do with this" or "these are worthless to me". They are not worth anything to you because you have not faith in them, they might be worth a significant amount to someone from that country.
If your friend can avoid getting upset when someone says "bless you" or "merry Christmas" or when the blessing is said at dinner, they will be fine.
For the other post. The United States of America is not a "Christian nation". Please look up the Treaty of Tripoli signed 1796. A mere 20 years after our founding.
"Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen (Muslims)"
At most, this country was founded by deist who believed there was a creator, but intervention stopped there.
Prayer does not belong in public schools period. And if you disagree, then explain who's god will your children pray to in that school. What if the teacher is a Hindu? Is there a problem with her leading your children in prayer thanking Ganesha, Shiva, and Vishnu?
"God Bless America" doesn't belong on our money, or in our pledge. It wasn't put there until the 1960's in an attempt to separate ourselves from communist Russia. At this point it is superstition.
Religion treats marriage as a holy union in God's eyes. The government treats marriage as a business partnership. Tax exemptions, property rights, medical benefits, parental rights are all tied into marriage. As for homosexual marriages, these rights should carry over.
One final thought is a couple of great points about The United States is we have freedom of speech, but we also have a free market for products and ideas. Dave sales a system. If you do not like his message you can take your dollar else where (this should have applied to wedding cake bakers also). In the same way if you do not like the message of the Westboro Baptist Church, you don't have to listen or give them money, but they have every right to say it. And while I am disgusted by alot of their opinions, and 99% of the population may say the members of Westboro are not "real Christians", I would be willing to bet that if John the Baptist was alive today, he would be on the street corner protesting with them. Remember that is why the queen had has head cut off and served on a silver dish in the first place.
For the original post, I have seen a clip of Dave where the caller asked if they had to be a Christian to attend his classes. Dave's answer was absolutely not! It was my understanding they are told specifically not to involve prayer in their meetings (i have never attended so take that for what it is worth).
Rational or not, by default, I do believe humans have a strong desire for religion and ritual. It may be they want to follow authority and have dependence on someone / something else. Keeping this in mind, religion is a great means to deliver or propagate any self improvement system. In addition to Dave's plan, alcoholics anonymous is another example.
To the poster who asked "What does religion have to do with money?", the true answer is everything. Look up the book "Thou Shall Prosper" by Lapin. He discusses the spiritual nature of money, whether it is paper, plastic, or gold. By itself money has no value at all. It is only worth what we believe it is worth. Don't believe me, if you can get your hands on a handful of bills from some other country that you know nothing about, stop and look at them. You might say "what am I going to do with this" or "these are worthless to me". They are not worth anything to you because you have not faith in them, they might be worth a significant amount to someone from that country.
If your friend can avoid getting upset when someone says "bless you" or "merry Christmas" or when the blessing is said at dinner, they will be fine.
For the other post. The United States of America is not a "Christian nation". Please look up the Treaty of Tripoli signed 1796. A mere 20 years after our founding.
"Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen (Muslims)"
At most, this country was founded by deist who believed there was a creator, but intervention stopped there.
Prayer does not belong in public schools period. And if you disagree, then explain who's god will your children pray to in that school. What if the teacher is a Hindu? Is there a problem with her leading your children in prayer thanking Ganesha, Shiva, and Vishnu?
"God Bless America" doesn't belong on our money, or in our pledge. It wasn't put there until the 1960's in an attempt to separate ourselves from communist Russia. At this point it is superstition.
Religion treats marriage as a holy union in God's eyes. The government treats marriage as a business partnership. Tax exemptions, property rights, medical benefits, parental rights are all tied into marriage. As for homosexual marriages, these rights should carry over.
One final thought is a couple of great points about The United States is we have freedom of speech, but we also have a free market for products and ideas. Dave sales a system. If you do not like his message you can take your dollar else where (this should have applied to wedding cake bakers also). In the same way if you do not like the message of the Westboro Baptist Church, you don't have to listen or give them money, but they have every right to say it. And while I am disgusted by alot of their opinions, and 99% of the population may say the members of Westboro are not "real Christians", I would be willing to bet that if John the Baptist was alive today, he would be on the street corner protesting with them. Remember that is why the queen had has head cut off and served on a silver dish in the first place.
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