Religion

[longbow]

Is religion bad for society?

Nope, in fact itis one of the things necessary for the formation of society, IMHO.

 

exactly!!!!!!! religon is one of the things that keeps the world from colapsing on itself and i also think that religon is an important part os society (like the quote says

how does religion stop the world from going pear shaped? ? ? personnaly ,i dont think we need religion to govern ourselves.just my opinion.L hi sha_shane_wisdom L

[Moonlapse]

I think of it this way...

 

Human intelligence developed hand in hand with language. Language is critical to articulate complex concepts. Animals have body language and rudimentary audible language, but no way to define concepts like 'deception' or 'greed'.

 

So... what happens when human become curious about themselves and the world around them? How do they try to comprehend the seasons, the sun, the moon, the stars, constellations, weather, animals, plants, fire, sex, birth, growth and especially death?

 

It's obvious that humans naturally develop cohesive world views to make sense of everything around them. Humans will also naturally resist anything that may cause a major paradigm shift of their world views, and also ignore minor inconsistencies that could potentially cause such a shift.

 

Anyways, early humans did not have the insight to worldy phenomena that science provides us today. What did they do? They explained them the best way they could, using their knowledge and logic to formulate answers the same way we still do today. Early religion wasn't 'religion' in the modern sense of the word, it was a complete, cohesive world view necessary for the growth of civilization and culture. These views became tradition, handed down for generations. Native American culture is a good example of this.

 

IMO, religion can give people a sense of community, an identity, exclusivity, or whatever but those are purely social. All the other explanations that religion provided were made obsolete by the discoveries that revealed the true nature of the world around us.

 

(BTW, I was raised as a sheltered Christian child, went to Christian schools and studied the Bible for years. I had a truly honest blind faith when I was young, and it all made perfect sense to me until I became entralled with things based on logic and hard science. Then, the inconsistencies and contradictions became incredibly obvious. That is not meant to offend anyone )

[longbow]

i was raised a Catholic,went to Catholic schools (junior and secondary) we went to church every friday morning (church was attached to the school) i was even a alter boy! i can honestly say i didnt believe in religion even then.I have nothing against people with faith a lot of my friends are practising catholics who regulary attend church i just dont believe a word of it. Now that we have science to explain the worldly phenomona to us,why is religion still so important?just my views,please dont take offence.L

[Guest spartacus]

That explains everything!

[Iulius]

thank y'll for your thoughts. i am surpirsed by all th atheists

[Primus Pilus]

thank y'll for your thoughts. i am surpirsed by all th atheists

I just think the general topic of ancient history draws alot of atheists. When I really first started discussing history openingly, and how religion applies, I was surprised by how many people seemed to be atheists. However, there certainly are alot of Christian scholars so it must just be the company that I keep. For some reason though, the internet makes atheism seem a majority, when it most assuredly isn't.

[longbow]

That explains everything!

[Moonlapse]

Just because someone doesn't believe in religion doesn't mean they are atheist.

[Iulius]

then what would u say atheism is?

[Primus Pilus]

Just because someone doesn't believe in religion doesn't mean they are atheist.

Only if you allow yourself to be defined by it

 

For me atheist means:

One who doesn't believe in a higher power, fate, or clearly defined life after death. Simply, I don't know what may be 'out there' and don't claim to.

[Moonlapse]

Atheist - One who denies the existence of God.

Agnostic - One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God.

Theist - One who denies that God doesn't exist.

 

Theres an important difference between God and religion.

[Fatboy]

QUOTE" The internet makes atheism seem the majority when it most assuredly isn't"

Oh yeah, I sometimes forget that religious faith is still going strong in most parts of the world because it has so utterly disintegrated here.

In Ireland, up until 10 or 15 years ago we were one of the most devout Catholic countries on Earth.

And it was only 10 years before that since the church still had serious, medieval style, control over peoples everyday lives.

Since then, partly due to the many clerical paedophile scandals, the power of the church has collapsed.

It would be no exaggeration to say that fully 90% of people under the age of 30 in Dublin have absolutely no faith in the Catholic Church, and as a result no religion. Some still go through the motions but serious belief is nearly non existent. During the next generation it will almost dissappear completely.

The thing is, I'm no Catholic, ( I'm a not-very-serious Pagan ), and never tire of pointing out the ignorance and dangers inherent in all the major religions , but I have to say this hasn't been entirely a good thing.

The weakening of Church power was definitely needed but the complete and utter collapse of Catholicism has left people looking a bit.....well.....lost. An entire generation who believe in nothing is not a pretty sight.

I think there is definitely a hole in the human phsyche that religion fills and people without it can sometimes struggle to fill it, leaving them often feeling kind of empty.

Those of us with the inclination can fill it to some extent by exploring the worlds of science and history in search of the true explanations physical and mental phenomena religion simply guesses at. Problem is, most people are pretty simple minded, they are incapable of, and uninterested in, searching for the real truth, and end up just being confused - or worshipping celebrities or something instead.

Even for those of us who are interested in the truths found in science/philosophy/history, this still leaves us without a clear meaning to existence ( well, philosophy will try but poses more questions than it answers ).

I have often thought how much easier life would be for someone who thought the entire meaning of life really was contained in a single set of religious teachings, was comfortable in the knowledge that the whole world worked according to one divine plan, and convinced that the rights and wrongs of human morality were set in stone ( pardon the pun ).

I mean, imagine how much you'd get done if you never had to worry about any of these complicated issues! - that some dude(s) had kindly worked it all out and put it in a book for you.

This is not to mention the prospect of eternal bliss waiting for you at death - yes please!

So I think that religion has an important role to play in providing meaning to peoples lives and there is probably a good argument to be made for at least using religion as a tool to keep us from going off our nuts. But personally, do I think it is worth living in ignorance to have this crutch? No, not in the slightest, give me a sliver of the truth anyday over a complete belief system based on what is, essentially, nonsense.

Can I ask any religious people here, when you say you're religious, do you use your religion as a guide to living a good life or does this mean you seriously think that your particular religion, out of hundreds available, is the one and only true form of worship and the rest of us are damned for eternity etc?

I'm not trying to wind you up, I really would like to know

[Moonlapse]

When I was a young Christian, my thinking was that my faith was the only true faith. Believers of other religions were decieved or had not heard the truth, thus the perogative of spreading the truth to those who had not heard it and helping the decieved to see the truth.

 

Anyone who had not accepted the truth would be tormented in Hell after death and then be cast into the Lake of Fire after God's final judgement. Those who did accept with an honest heart would be with God in paradise.

[Iulius]

QUOTE" Can I ask any religious people here, when you say you're religious, do you use your religion as a guide to living a good life or does this mean you seriously think that your particular religion, out of hundreds available, is the one and only true form of worship and the rest of us are damned for eternity etc?

I'm not trying to wind you up, I really would like to know

"

well i am methodist and i believe in jesus god etc... but i have trouble believeing that God would put some one in eternal torment. If he "loves" us so much i doubt he would do it. But do non belieer go to hell? i do not know. nor do i care. others people's beliefs are non of my buisness. I believe what i want and other what they want. Those overly zealous peoples who call atheists and such bad names give the rest of us crhistians a bad image. It really is a shame.

Even though i am not catholic 9and have been told i will burn my several of htem) i have enormous respect for the Roman catholic church. The church (or popes at least) are becoming less and less corrupt as the decades roll by. Our current pope is less corrupt than the one before him.

I find it sad that religion is taking such hard hits. i believe religion gave rise to our belief tht life matter and we should cherish it, don;t kill, etc. Plus i find it a comfort to know that there is some one out there and something better than what we have now.

[Demson]

Personally, I don't pursue a religion. I have a believe and faith in humanity, but not in a religion.

 

Like it was said before - religion was devised by humankind. Not God. That's all I can say of it.

 

 

Religion here in the Netherlands is weird. Most people who go to church don't really pursue a religion. I think it has become more of a social event. People are religious or not depending on what's most convinient in their enviroment, to get it over and done with. It's not important to their daily life. I've met few who actually seem to put thought into the issue of excistance.

 

Funnily enough, the people who are pursueing a religion are muslims most of the time. The newer generation of muslim seem to be clinging onto their faith even more fanatically then their parents do.