Religion

[KasparHauser]

I don't know. Maybe it's just me. I don't see how we could have happened by accident.

my brother happend by accident ask my parents

[Blue Phoenix]

I don't think your mom would have your brother for how many months and call him an accident. Probably it wasn't planned, but he was wanted.

[Myckaal]

One of the of the huge problems with religion in general, is that it gets condescending really quickly. If I say I don't believe in God, I tend to find a dozen people "feeling sorry for me" because I don't share their delusion. If I claim I DO believe in God, they want to have me join in their collective by "praying" for some shitbag who has no intention or desire to help themselves. Claiming disbelief always brings some sanctimonious, selfrighteous bible pounder to try to save my poor soul. So, condescending in that religion thinks itself superior to anyone not already in their folds.

Religion relies on, actually demands, that you put faith in something that you can't see, taste, touch, smell, or hear. The concept that some incorporeal, all-powerful being created everything in the universe simply by force of will. A force that existed before anything else. It demands that you believe in something that there is no evidence of It's existence at all. And don't feed me that "you can see God's work everywhere" bullshit. I look around, I don't see "God" ... I see mathematical probability. I see pure science. Someone mentioned theories earlier. There's another problem with religion. It cannot, by nature, allow it's followers to question too far. Science postulates a theory, based on observation and empirical evidence. Religion suppresses knowledge to keep the truth controlled. Religion doesn't allow for "theories." Theories can turn out to be false, which would mean that something needs to change about the religion. This is almost always fatal for the religion. Science, however, uses the incorrect theories to learn as much as it does from many of it's successes.

Most people tend to use God to fill a void they never learned how to fill on their own. He serves as a crutch in many others who lack the means to dictate their own fate. The Bible is full of good ideas. But it's also one of the most violent, misogynistic,and bloody books ever to be written. By itself, it has been responsible for more death and hatred in the world than any other book in history. And by "Bible," I mean the Torah, the Koran, and The Bible. **** you, they are all the same damned book, get over yourselves. If you're not Jewish, the old Testament does not apply to you, any way. All the new Testament is is a sequel. A sequel about one guy, written from a half dozen points of view.

I say, if you must put faith and belief in anything, put it in yourself. WAKE UP!! The fact is that you don't need God. You need you. Religion doesn't want you to believe in you, because then you won't need them any more. Faith in yourself and you need no higher power than yourself.

[ShockRide]

I say, if you must put faith and belief in anything, put it in yourself. WAKE UP!! The fact is that you don't need God. You need you. Religion doesn't want you to believe in you, because then you won't need them any more. Faith in yourself and you need no higher power than yourself.

But what if God was one of us... Just a slob like one of us....

God could even be.... Myckaal... Scary thought, isn't it.

[Axalon57[OSX]]

Just so there is no confusion later, I am a radical athiest (you can't be just athiest, because than everyone thinks you're just agnostic).

That being said, I think that these debates too often focus on the steriotypical "bible thumper", "close-minded fanatic", and general condesending nature of many religious people. Much less often to you see examples of those stable, balanced individuals who have had religion of one type or another genuinly improve their lives. Granted, examples of such are unsettelingly difficult to come up with at times, but I believe such people are far more prevelant than one might think. These people actually apply religion in the manner it was intended for: to give comfort to those individuals frightened by a frightening world. Even the most "devout" athiest must admit that taking on the world alone can be terrifying. The greater our understanding of the world around us becomes, the greater our understanding of just how small we are within it's folds, and how insignificant our actions and our very lives can be. The problem with humanity is that, dispite family and friends, dispite being a part of a working society of thousands, even when crammed in a room overflowing with other people, we can still feel alone. The curse of conciousness, as it were. No matter the quantity or quality of our personal relationships with others, our mind can always become an empty void with only ourselves to fill it; ourselves and the world. Those that follow religion, who have faith, have with them a presence greater than themselves, at all times, to fill this void and put their minds at ease. Someone else has addressed the big questions and has ensured that your actions are not for naught, leaving you to simply live and be propersous. Call it a sham, call it false hope, but these people are never alone.

I don't think I need to get into what happens when this view is taken too far; that discussion has been done to death. I just think it worthy of mention that it is not a system without it's redeeming qualities. Religion is, has been, and always will be a necessary evil, and as much as we may fear a world with it, the conflict and turmoil and bloodshed it causes, even more do I fear a world devoid of it.