This question is a joke. Also, the mods should add a joke tag to allow dumb answers.

    • theshatterstone54@feddit.uk
      142·
      11 months ago

      Indeed. Wasn’t one of the commandments to avoid false idols and stuff? And wasn’t one of Jesus’ things about you being able to directly pray to god or something? Just saying, the church is and always has been a scam, a political institution used to better control the masses, especially applicable in large population nations and empires (like the Roman Empire), loosely based on ideas of some guys’ teachings. And that’s the case for all organised religion.

      • cerement@slrpnk.net
        101·
        11 months ago

        there are stories that in the Councils to determine which gospels to include in the New Testament, one of the first gospels to be deemed heretical was one where Jesus argued against the establishment of a church …

  • sylver_dragon@lemmy.world
    22·
    11 months ago

    We don’t worship the Christian god. If you look at a US dollar bill, this is explained quite clearly.
    In God We Trust.
    This is printed right there, on our real god: money.

    • phorq@lemmy.ml
      13·
      11 months ago

      Blasphemer! “Money” is always spelled with a capital letter! or are you not a capitalist?

      • sylver_dragon@lemmy.world
        5·
        11 months ago

        Our Money, which art in our wallet.
        Hallowed be thy buying power.
        Thy interest come, thy inflation be done.
        In our bank accounts as it is in the Fed.
        Buy us this day our daily bread,
        and forgive us our impulse buys
        as we forgive those who advertise against us.
        And lead us not into poverty
        but deliver us from want.
        For thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the wealth
        for ever and ever.
        Cha-ching!

        • flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works
          1·
          11 months ago

          This is gooood! It’s it original? (sorry not meaning to be a dick)

          I feel like it weekend slightly around impulse buys and advertising, but otherwise I love it!

          • sylver_dragon@lemmy.world
            2·
            11 months ago

            Yup, just made it up on the spot. Granted, I had to use Wikipedia to remind me of the original text of the Lord’s Prayer. It’s been a few decades since I broke away from the indoctrination of my youth.

  • HSL@wayfarershaven.eu
    21·
    11 months ago

    Tags don’t exist in Lemmy, so it’s not something we can add to the community. How about adding [joke] or [non-serious answers only]?

    • Scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech
      2·
      11 months ago

      Was going to say… ask any Christian what their favorite parts of America are and they’ll prattle off exactly what corporations want them to say.

  • RotaryKeyboard@lemmy.ninjaEnglish
    71·
    11 months ago

    As an atheist, I had to ask myself how I know people are worshiping a god. In the US, it seems to boil down to a few things:

    1. Giving money to an organization in order to participate with the community
    2. Showing obedience to authority by allowing them to dictate some (but not all) of one’s behavior
    3. Being hyper-focused on how the organization got to where it is today and whether what they do today aligns with its initial values and goals
    4. Performing rituals in hopes of causing specific outcomes

    Based on this, I am already worshiping Apple.

    • Shdwdrgn@mander.xyzEnglish
      2·
      11 months ago

      I would argue that nobody gives money to their church as a form of community participation. Rather, they give money in the hope that they can buy their way to salvation or as payment to ease their guilty conscience. Probably both.

      • RotaryKeyboard@lemmy.ninjaEnglish
        21·
        11 months ago

        I live in Utah. Mormons are absolutely required to tithe in order to participate in temple ceremonies. I’ve never been LDS, but my understanding is that the accounting for how much you tithe is carefully monitored. It’s also my understanding that you must participate in temple ceremonies to achieve admittance into heaven.

        • Shdwdrgn@mander.xyzEnglish
          11·
          11 months ago

          So it’s a cult. Not like that’s any huge revelation, but there’s no way anyone can claim they are NOT a cult.

        • meyotch@slrpnk.netEnglish
          11·
          11 months ago

          Your statements are correct about the practices of tithing and temple attendance. The things you mention are widely practiced among the faithful. My dear father and oldest brother attend their annual “tithing settlement” while I happily deposit an extra 10% into my savings.

    • theshatterstone54@feddit.ukEnglish
      11·
      11 months ago

      I disagree woth the third one, as it implies using critical thinking to evaluate the success of an organisation, be it in a positive or negative light. I haven’t heard a single strongly religious individual immediately agree that Joseph and Mohammed were p*dos, and using that as evidence to make a sound reasoning and evaluation on their religion’s moral principles.

        • theshatterstone54@feddit.ukEnglish
          1·
          11 months ago

          They do use critical thinking but never apply it on their own religion, just all the others. To quote Richard Dawkins, “We’re all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just take it one god further”.

  • kava@lemmy.world
    51·
    11 months ago

    We have slowly been in the process of this for a long time. People are becoming less religious but more consumerist. Traditional religion is being replaced by influencers, celebrities, brand names, etc.

    We’re never going to outright call it religion but it is functioning in a similar role for our society.

    • meyotch@slrpnk.netEnglish
      2·
      11 months ago

      Instagram is a force that gives us meaning! A sad, thin and nutrient-poor sort of meaning but it does seem to calm the shakes for some people.

  • Today@lemmy.world
    51·
    11 months ago

    We do that too. That’s what our nationall holidays are about - greeting cards, candy, tires, and tvs.

    • Scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech
      2·
      11 months ago

      They seriously watch Christmas specials all about anti-consumerism and finding the real meaning, then immediately go out and buy buy buy. Legit riots on black friday just to save a bit. It’s so disconnected that it’s just baffling to me. Our family has strict spending limits on gifts - if we even give them at all. We have enough stuff, keep your money

  • Today@lemmy.world
    51·
    11 months ago

    If you were going to choose s corporation to worship, which would it be?

    I really like Costco. They have almost everything i ‘need’ and you can get a hot dog and a soda for $1.50.

  • loaf@sh.itjust.works
    4·
    11 months ago

    I’m going to go pray to my wallet now for your heathen soul. May the Almighty Dollar bless you and not send you to Debt.