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	<title>Comments on: “[R]eligion is the most damaging thing man has ever created.” -Michele Ulriksen</title>
	<atom:link href="http://reedsecular.org/2009/03/19/%e2%80%9creligion-is-the-most-damaging-thing-man-has-ever-created%e2%80%9d-michele-ulriksen/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://reedsecular.org/2009/03/19/%e2%80%9creligion-is-the-most-damaging-thing-man-has-ever-created%e2%80%9d-michele-ulriksen/</link>
	<description>Promoting Freethought at Reed College Since 2005</description>
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		<title>By: Dwayne Walker</title>
		<link>http://reedsecular.org/2009/03/19/%e2%80%9creligion-is-the-most-damaging-thing-man-has-ever-created%e2%80%9d-michele-ulriksen/#comment-795</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Dwayne Walker]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Nov 2010 05:39:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://reedsecular.org/?p=801#comment-795</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Thought you might be interested in this.  It concerns a reunion recently held by the survivors of VCA in Ramona, CA.]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thought you might be interested in this.  It concerns a reunion recently held by the survivors of VCA in Ramona, CA.</p>
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		<title>By: Taheerah</title>
		<link>http://reedsecular.org/2009/03/19/%e2%80%9creligion-is-the-most-damaging-thing-man-has-ever-created%e2%80%9d-michele-ulriksen/#comment-781</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Taheerah]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Oct 2010 17:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://reedsecular.org/?p=801#comment-781</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A comment for Patrick Julius

Napalm was created by Harvard Scientist cooperating with the US military for the US- a Cristian country

Chemical weapons - famous for it&#039;s use by Iran known for it&#039;s religious based wars.

Carpet Bombing - popularized by Britain, a christian country

Nuclear Warhead - the patent goes to Leo Szilard but its use was by the Podestant government of the US and at a time when religion and government was not taboo.

Misogyny - if you ask any Misogynist whether or not they follow any religion I&#039;ll bet they will say yes.

Lynching, Racism and Genocide - all religious based.  All those who participate(d) in the act of these can explain the acceptance of their acts through the bible - which ever one they read or don&#039;t

So what good is religion when religious people are being very unchristian like.  Why not just bag religion and be good people.  That&#039;s where true &quot;godliness&quot; lies.  Our values are inborn, religion is trying to take credit where there is none.  You think God makes you be a good person but even if there was no god you probably would still be a good person.  Look at children- They are born good; it&#039;s not until religion makes their impression on them that they change.  All of the RULES that they break on a daily basis are largely from religions rules.

  Here&#039;s an example:  My daughter at the age of one was deemed the devil was in her by religious people because she couldn&#039;t sit still.  She was busy walking around touching things in these people&#039;s church.  She was one and everything she did was natural.  Who are you to turn &quot;Gods&quot; work into something so bad.  If you truly do believe god is good let all his creations just BE. 

*I don&#039;t mean you in the you above.  This is not mean to be a personal attack]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A comment for Patrick Julius</p>
<p>Napalm was created by Harvard Scientist cooperating with the US military for the US- a Cristian country</p>
<p>Chemical weapons &#8211; famous for it&#8217;s use by Iran known for it&#8217;s religious based wars.</p>
<p>Carpet Bombing &#8211; popularized by Britain, a christian country</p>
<p>Nuclear Warhead &#8211; the patent goes to Leo Szilard but its use was by the Podestant government of the US and at a time when religion and government was not taboo.</p>
<p>Misogyny &#8211; if you ask any Misogynist whether or not they follow any religion I&#8217;ll bet they will say yes.</p>
<p>Lynching, Racism and Genocide &#8211; all religious based.  All those who participate(d) in the act of these can explain the acceptance of their acts through the bible &#8211; which ever one they read or don&#8217;t</p>
<p>So what good is religion when religious people are being very unchristian like.  Why not just bag religion and be good people.  That&#8217;s where true &#8220;godliness&#8221; lies.  Our values are inborn, religion is trying to take credit where there is none.  You think God makes you be a good person but even if there was no god you probably would still be a good person.  Look at children- They are born good; it&#8217;s not until religion makes their impression on them that they change.  All of the RULES that they break on a daily basis are largely from religions rules.</p>
<p>  Here&#8217;s an example:  My daughter at the age of one was deemed the devil was in her by religious people because she couldn&#8217;t sit still.  She was busy walking around touching things in these people&#8217;s church.  She was one and everything she did was natural.  Who are you to turn &#8220;Gods&#8221; work into something so bad.  If you truly do believe god is good let all his creations just BE. </p>
<p>*I don&#8217;t mean you in the you above.  This is not mean to be a personal attack</p>
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		<title>By: Dannielle Parker</title>
		<link>http://reedsecular.org/2009/03/19/%e2%80%9creligion-is-the-most-damaging-thing-man-has-ever-created%e2%80%9d-michele-ulriksen/#comment-753</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Dannielle Parker]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:38:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://reedsecular.org/?p=801#comment-753</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hi Kimberly,
I think I remember you. I was in VCA from Christmas Eve 86 thru 87. I&#039;m sorry you are having such a hard time in life. With a few exceptions, I think everyone in that place came out worse. It says a lot about the place that there are people being haunted 20 + years later. I left a message on the phone number you posted. I hope to here back from you.]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hi Kimberly,<br />
I think I remember you. I was in VCA from Christmas Eve 86 thru 87. I&#8217;m sorry you are having such a hard time in life. With a few exceptions, I think everyone in that place came out worse. It says a lot about the place that there are people being haunted 20 + years later. I left a message on the phone number you posted. I hope to here back from you.</p>
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		<title>By: elva martinez</title>
		<link>http://reedsecular.org/2009/03/19/%e2%80%9creligion-is-the-most-damaging-thing-man-has-ever-created%e2%80%9d-michele-ulriksen/#comment-735</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[elva martinez]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://reedsecular.org/?p=801#comment-735</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hey  victory  girls  from  ramona.  i  heard  about  a  reunion happening  this  summer  .  jodi   i  went  to  victory  when u  were  their i  think  u  were  the  laundry  helper.  call  me  give  me  the  info  on  whats  being  planned.  i  am  not  very  swavey   on  computers  so  its  just  easier  to  leave  my  # its  714- 913- 0323.  if  anyone  knows  any  thing  .  please  call. thanks  and  good  night.  i  just  finished  reading  the  book  michelle  wrote.  .  i  think  if  other girls  wanna  do  it  we  can  comprise  .    our  difrent  experance.   for now  im going  sleep  on it   i couldnt put  the book  down  .its  now  3 in  the morning.]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hey  victory  girls  from  ramona.  i  heard  about  a  reunion happening  this  summer  .  jodi   i  went  to  victory  when u  were  their i  think  u  were  the  laundry  helper.  call  me  give  me  the  info  on  whats  being  planned.  i  am  not  very  swavey   on  computers  so  its  just  easier  to  leave  my  # its  714- 913- 0323.  if  anyone  knows  any  thing  .  please  call. thanks  and  good  night.  i  just  finished  reading  the  book  michelle  wrote.  .  i  think  if  other girls  wanna  do  it  we  can  comprise  .    our  difrent  experance.   for now  im going  sleep  on it   i couldnt put  the book  down  .its  now  3 in  the morning.</p>
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		<title>By: Buffie (Fant) Schulte</title>
		<link>http://reedsecular.org/2009/03/19/%e2%80%9creligion-is-the-most-damaging-thing-man-has-ever-created%e2%80%9d-michele-ulriksen/#comment-709</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Buffie (Fant) Schulte]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:20:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://reedsecular.org/?p=801#comment-709</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I too was at Victory, even stayed a few weeks longer in order to graduate. This was at the end, just before the school moved to Florida. I&#039;ve spent many years wrestling with my experiences there. I probably didn&#039;t have as rough a time as some others, never was in the GR room, never in detention, etc. But I definitely got into worse things after I left than before I went! I think that you can&#039;t force someone through the motions of doing the &quot;right&quot; thing, and then say &quot;oh look, they&#039;ve changed&quot;. No they didn&#039;t change, they only did what they had to do to survive. 

Many of the tactics the staff used were degrading: separating the &quot;good&quot; sheep from the &quot;bad&quot; goats. What made you a bad goat? Well, maybe you weren&#039;t religious enough, or maybe the staff felt it wasn&#039;t &quot;real&quot;, all very arbitrary. The rewards/punishments were used purposely to create conflict between the good girls and the bad girls, and to be sure that those not in on the reward had their faces really rubbed in it.

But mainly the problems I came away from the school with, were a lack of real solutions to real life problems. Going from this environment where you have no choices at all over any element of your life, to being able to do anything I wanted, any time I wanted was so extreme. I made a lot of bad choices. Do I believe that all of this has made me what I am today? Yes, but I would never put my kids into this sort of place.]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I too was at Victory, even stayed a few weeks longer in order to graduate. This was at the end, just before the school moved to Florida. I&#8217;ve spent many years wrestling with my experiences there. I probably didn&#8217;t have as rough a time as some others, never was in the GR room, never in detention, etc. But I definitely got into worse things after I left than before I went! I think that you can&#8217;t force someone through the motions of doing the &#8220;right&#8221; thing, and then say &#8220;oh look, they&#8217;ve changed&#8221;. No they didn&#8217;t change, they only did what they had to do to survive. </p>
<p>Many of the tactics the staff used were degrading: separating the &#8220;good&#8221; sheep from the &#8220;bad&#8221; goats. What made you a bad goat? Well, maybe you weren&#8217;t religious enough, or maybe the staff felt it wasn&#8217;t &#8220;real&#8221;, all very arbitrary. The rewards/punishments were used purposely to create conflict between the good girls and the bad girls, and to be sure that those not in on the reward had their faces really rubbed in it.</p>
<p>But mainly the problems I came away from the school with, were a lack of real solutions to real life problems. Going from this environment where you have no choices at all over any element of your life, to being able to do anything I wanted, any time I wanted was so extreme. I made a lot of bad choices. Do I believe that all of this has made me what I am today? Yes, but I would never put my kids into this sort of place.</p>
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		<title>By: elva martinez</title>
		<link>http://reedsecular.org/2009/03/19/%e2%80%9creligion-is-the-most-damaging-thing-man-has-ever-created%e2%80%9d-michele-ulriksen/#comment-679</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[elva martinez]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 May 2010 14:20:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://reedsecular.org/?p=801#comment-679</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I sent away for michelles book. and will be reading   it  soon. i  think it would  be  good to  get a collection of writings from other girls  as  well to  publish our  experances.]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I sent away for michelles book. and will be reading   it  soon. i  think it would  be  good to  get a collection of writings from other girls  as  well to  publish our  experances.</p>
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		<title>By: elva martinez</title>
		<link>http://reedsecular.org/2009/03/19/%e2%80%9creligion-is-the-most-damaging-thing-man-has-ever-created%e2%80%9d-michele-ulriksen/#comment-678</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[elva martinez]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 May 2010 12:46:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://reedsecular.org/?p=801#comment-678</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[i would  like to  find other girls  from   the school  and reconnect i  believe  it  is  time  for  healing.  i beleve  their  is  streanght  in reuniting  and telling our  story.  each  of  us  have  have  have  validitly for  what we have  gone threw.   we can relate  cause  we have been there.  i want to  find beth. does anyone know where  she is at.  or  alison  susan jones.  their  are  so  so  many  call me 7149130323  or text. i dont do computers very well]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>i would  like to  find other girls  from   the school  and reconnect i  believe  it  is  time  for  healing.  i beleve  their  is  streanght  in reuniting  and telling our  story.  each  of  us  have  have  have  validitly for  what we have  gone threw.   we can relate  cause  we have been there.  i want to  find beth. does anyone know where  she is at.  or  alison  susan jones.  their  are  so  so  many  call me 7149130323  or text. i dont do computers very well</p>
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		<title>By: elva martinez</title>
		<link>http://reedsecular.org/2009/03/19/%e2%80%9creligion-is-the-most-damaging-thing-man-has-ever-created%e2%80%9d-michele-ulriksen/#comment-677</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[elva martinez]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 May 2010 12:24:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://reedsecular.org/?p=801#comment-677</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[i do  believe that every girl who came thrw the doors of victory had diffrent experances. it is exactly as they say.   it is a condition  of the heart. eather   a stuggle or  a willness takes place.  and that is what i have found out in lifeever since..  i was talking to noelsandss who agreed that going to  victory was the best things our   parents could of done 4 us. life  has not been easy i  have had stuggles a  decade of hardships that was of my own making.   finnnaly when i had enough and relized it was all  my own choises i gave  up play god  of  my destany  and became  willing again ive turn  my life over again. and not one day since has compared in the least little bit  to  the misery i  was living  lost from my connection with God. i now regret nothing of my past  because it  is  what makes up the peson i am today  and i hope to help other  who stuggle out there.  i have gained an understandingof truth and wisdomin Gods law. i  too believe religion is mans interpataton of the bible]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>i do  believe that every girl who came thrw the doors of victory had diffrent experances. it is exactly as they say.   it is a condition  of the heart. eather   a stuggle or  a willness takes place.  and that is what i have found out in lifeever since..  i was talking to noelsandss who agreed that going to  victory was the best things our   parents could of done 4 us. life  has not been easy i  have had stuggles a  decade of hardships that was of my own making.   finnnaly when i had enough and relized it was all  my own choises i gave  up play god  of  my destany  and became  willing again ive turn  my life over again. and not one day since has compared in the least little bit  to  the misery i  was living  lost from my connection with God. i now regret nothing of my past  because it  is  what makes up the peson i am today  and i hope to help other  who stuggle out there.  i have gained an understandingof truth and wisdomin Gods law. i  too believe religion is mans interpataton of the bible</p>
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		<title>By: elva martinez</title>
		<link>http://reedsecular.org/2009/03/19/%e2%80%9creligion-is-the-most-damaging-thing-man-has-ever-created%e2%80%9d-michele-ulriksen/#comment-676</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[elva martinez]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 May 2010 11:36:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://reedsecular.org/?p=801#comment-676</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I had quite a difrnt experance at  vicory. though i do  understand and do  not  discredit those who had difficulties. each girls expeance i believe was  diffrent.  the other day i was talking to noelsands and we bothagreed that going to victory was the best thing our parents could of ever done for us.  i would not be the women i am now if it wasnt for  my experances.if i hadnt gone to the girls school i probably would not be alive today.  unbeknownst to my parents i had almost died of a drug over dose 2 days earlyier.  in the chaple at victory 3 days later i heard  for the first time what christ had done for me on the cross. i got on my knees and invited him into my heart and my life has never been the same since.victory was my santuary as it was 4 alot of girls.i remember bro p saying on the pulpit girls if i ever say anthing that doesnt sit right  by all means go to God in prayer cause i am just a man and could be wrong.  i did just that and have been on a journey ever since religion is mans interpation of]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I had quite a difrnt experance at  vicory. though i do  understand and do  not  discredit those who had difficulties. each girls expeance i believe was  diffrent.  the other day i was talking to noelsands and we bothagreed that going to victory was the best thing our parents could of ever done for us.  i would not be the women i am now if it wasnt for  my experances.if i hadnt gone to the girls school i probably would not be alive today.  unbeknownst to my parents i had almost died of a drug over dose 2 days earlyier.  in the chaple at victory 3 days later i heard  for the first time what christ had done for me on the cross. i got on my knees and invited him into my heart and my life has never been the same since.victory was my santuary as it was 4 alot of girls.i remember bro p saying on the pulpit girls if i ever say anthing that doesnt sit right  by all means go to God in prayer cause i am just a man and could be wrong.  i did just that and have been on a journey ever since religion is mans interpation of</p>
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		<title>By: elva martinez</title>
		<link>http://reedsecular.org/2009/03/19/%e2%80%9creligion-is-the-most-damaging-thing-man-has-ever-created%e2%80%9d-michele-ulriksen/#comment-675</link>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[elva martinez]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 May 2010 10:22:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://reedsecular.org/?p=801#comment-675</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I believe that  everygirl  had  a  difrent experance at victory. i relieze some were not good  memories and have  had stuggles.  i do not discredit them. my experance was much diffrent and  my memories of  victory  are  fond.i would not  be the women i  am  today and  i  would change  nothing. my  life  has  not been with out problems but  when i look  back  they  were of  my own  making  and  my poor choise. i spoke to noel sands  and we  both agree that  being  sent  to victory  was the best thing our parents could of  done for us. for me it  was a sancuary.  were  i could  grow as  a person.  i  remember  brother palmer  saying  on  the pulpit. if  theres  anything i  say  up hear that u  dont agree with by all means  go to God and pray ask 4 truth and he will give it  to u . i found myself doing just that many years later. and i have been on a journery of undrerstanding.  i have had my own hardships many of my own making. but  i can see that now.religion is mans interpation if it werent 4 vca i would not]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I believe that  everygirl  had  a  difrent experance at victory. i relieze some were not good  memories and have  had stuggles.  i do not discredit them. my experance was much diffrent and  my memories of  victory  are  fond.i would not  be the women i  am  today and  i  would change  nothing. my  life  has  not been with out problems but  when i look  back  they  were of  my own  making  and  my poor choise. i spoke to noel sands  and we  both agree that  being  sent  to victory  was the best thing our parents could of  done for us. for me it  was a sancuary.  were  i could  grow as  a person.  i  remember  brother palmer  saying  on  the pulpit. if  theres  anything i  say  up hear that u  dont agree with by all means  go to God and pray ask 4 truth and he will give it  to u . i found myself doing just that many years later. and i have been on a journery of undrerstanding.  i have had my own hardships many of my own making. but  i can see that now.religion is mans interpation if it werent 4 vca i would not</p>
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