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Religious Leaders Excuse Behavior

"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use."
-- Galileo Galilei

Throughout history many men in high leadership positions have used their power over people's hearts to build up strife, evil and everything in opposition to godliness itself. These types of leaders have caused many to wonder (even today) if there really is a God. Now, this thread is not about atheism as there is already a thread on that - this thread is about - Do men who use religious power for their own selfish acts really believe they will stand accountable to the same God they are supposed to represent? Or is it that they do not believe so it makes it easy for them to contradict goodness?

Behavior Excuse Leaders Religious

I believe that if a person uses religion for a selfish reason that produces evil in this world that they do not believe in what they say they do. I think they just use the idea of God and religion to get people's attention and to build a trust barrier there. Once they have reached the point that they had originally desired and no longer have to worry about what people think, that's when their true selfishness begins to pour out.

Now, there could be situations where a person does start out with really good intentions, but what he/she may have started out with being good turned to something evil because of the corruption of other people. Take communism, for example. The original idea for communism was so that everybody would be equal. That way one person would not be starving while another had more than what they needed. That idea was quickly corrupted by the selfish desired of men. It became an act of dictatorship.

Religious Leaders Excuse Behavior Beliefs Religious General

While my tag says I'm agnostic, I do believe in God. I believe that the people who have used religion to their own selfish means will have to answer for it. I cannot think that they really believe what they are saying, in some cases it would just be ridiculous. Take Rev. Phelps for instance. He spreads his `God hates fags!` propaganda all over the country. Now anyone who is truly a christian, in my opinion, cannot believe that God hates anyone. He gets on radio talk shows, tv shows, and gets interviewed for the paper all the time for his hate mongering. I believe he is using religion as his means to become famous. How can one like him truly believe what he is saying?

So many religious leaders have claimed revelation from God for different doctrines, its almost impossible for people to know the complete truth any more. I think that they will stand accountable for the people that where led astray by them. I think in addition, there will be some accountability for deliberately leading people astray as well as there own disbelief. How many people simply cannot believe anymore because they have been spoon fed so much falsity that they can no longer see the truth as it was meant to be?

Behavior Excuse Leaders Religious

I think relatively few. That is, very few people have been pushed beyond the point where they are unable to believe any longer. Belief and the ability to believe are not facets of life any other person can remove, even wolves in sheep's clothing, as it were. I think many more people choose not to believe, because it is easier than changing their lifestyles to reflect the truth they already understand. There are also many people who choose not to seek out the truth, because they have been hurt or offended by leaders or peers in previous religious situations. When it comes to procrastinating the search for our true spiritual identity, any excuse is a poor one.

Those who use positions of power to deceive or to manipulate others are universal figures in religion. Whenever a religion has a sliver of truth in it, Satan will use man's lust for power to try to destroy it. Fallen leaders are not in themselves signs of false religions, but if the official religious doctrine is altered without the aid of revelation from God, the religion is not true.

People who knowingly lead others astray are spiritual murderers. They try to persuade others to act contrary to the principles of salvation. Therefore, I feel that God takes this quite seriously. I hasten to say that leaders within false religions, if they sincerely believe their doctrines are true, may operate in a state of ignorance, and do many good things. But without the truth, the religion has no power other than the strength of its people and their faith in the true principles they receive among the diverse doctrines they hear. Those who knowingly and actively endanger the souls of those within their stewardship are intentionally evil.

The congregation also bears some responsibility - it is their job to listen intently to the teachings of their religious leaders, to ponder, study, and read the scriptures, and then to pray about the doctrines they have heard, and ask the Lord to tell them whether they are true. If they do not receive an answer, one of two things can be assumed - either the doctrine is false, or the asker has not put himself or herself into a proper position to receive confirmation from God.

Behavior Excuse Leaders Religious

Users, keep in mind the topic is based on this:

Do men who use religious power for their own selfish acts really believe they will stand accountable to the same God they are supposed to represent?

The topic is NOT how to discern truth or if these leaders are true or false.

Religious Leaders Excuse Behavior

My direct answer to the question is yes, but they choose to ignore the inevitable truth because they prefer to satiate their temporal desires. They make a value judgement by the deception of the adversary. In their hearts, each knows that his or her actions have eternal consequence.

Religious Leaders Excuse Behavior

I think it depends on how far back in history you look. Some of the Roman Emperors actually believed that they were gods. This was during the times where Christianity and Peganism were very actively mixed and at times separated by the rulers. During these times, I believe that some of these rulers were so insane with power that they actually believed their immoral acts were just and that they were not held to the same "standards" as those they ruled. Many of them believed that they were, by nature, closer to God than those at lower status.

I see a lot of this in the Middle East Religions.

Vincenzo