Religion

[Teh Ebil Snorlax]

It isn't a part of human nature and could be discarded if we tried hard enough, though it would be difficult.

Also that link isn't even slightly offensive, it's just bullshit.

 

[Vyraura]

I beleive he was lamely trying to be funny, or something.

 

[opaltiger]

"7. Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained."
...and so I have trouble taking you lot seriously.

But no, look, it actually promotes a reasonable standpoint: acknowledge the existence of magic if you have seen it at work. Obviously, this resolves to no one acknowledging its existence and making the second part of that rule moot, but still!

 

[Music Dragon]

LaVeyan Satanism is a pretty sensible religion (quasi-religion?), you have to admit!

 

[Teh Ebil Snorlax]

I'm pretty sure the "magic" in LeVayan Satanism is the same as the idea that if you will something to happen, it is more likely to happen than if you didn't will it.

 

[Music Dragon]

Nah. It involves some ritualistic baloney.

 

[Teh Ebil Snorlax]

From what I've read about the rituals, they're like meditation with special objects and incense and candles and shit.

 

[Music Dragon]

Relatively, I guess. (and yeah, it's a religion.)

Wasn't sure; I don't know the exact definition of "religion", so yeah.

 

[Teh Ebil Snorlax]

This is still based on "I want to think I just experienced magic and I could shape it that way!" and still hard to take seriously; it's hardly even different, other than that it dresses it up in a harder-to-disprove package.

No, what I meant was LeVeyan Satanists use magic as a term for their own willpower.

 

[Dark Shocktail]

Religion has served a purpose though. It gives hope to people who feel they need to turn to someone in times of trouble and, let's face it, the idea of a benevolent creator who has a paradise waiting for us in death is pretty comforting. Before the days of science it offered answers to questions that couldn't be explained any other way at the time and it taught some basic morals (I say basic because it still taught people some idiotic things) and also gave people a purpose - you're here because this deity created you. Lead a good life to make them happy and they'll give you cookies.

Religion still does offer hope and guidance to some people and it's been central to humanity from it's roots in tribes. Even if you tried to erase it, the history is still there.

 

[Valor]

Paradise after death is not comforting when you think about it.

Living forever and ever? Eternity is perhaps the most frightening concept ever. Things that could last forever lose all meaning.

To put it in Layman's terms, have a favorite ice cream flavor? You get to eat it today. And tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day. Starting to lose that zing that makes it your favorite?

Also, the idea that a deity demands love is very selfish. Love is earned by doing direct good deeds, not saying "I CREATED YOUR ANCESTORS, LOVE ME".

But there are the more philosophical religions. They're not too bad.

 

[Dark Shocktail]

I prefer to try and figure things out as I can, but I'll respect other peoples beliefs as long as they don't try to hurt others in the name of them. That's quite stupid.

But yeah...so far I reckon that if there is an all powerful being, then it's morally-blind. It doesn't get mushy over any event that happens in our lives or what occurs in nature. That's way the world is as it is if someone developed it - nature can be brutal but nearly all of the measures used are effective at achieving the goal.

And I have to admit, I don't see the appeal in having tons of people worshipping me if I made a planet or something. I understand wanting a "thank you" for making everything but full-blown lifestyles dedicated because of a week long job? No way.

 

[Tarvos]

Religion has served a purpose though. It gives hope to people who feel they need to turn to someone in times of trouble and, let's face it, the idea of a benevolent creator who has a paradise waiting for us in death is pretty comforting. Before the days of science it offered answers to questions that couldn't be explained any other way at the time and it taught some basic morals (I say basic because it still taught people some idiotic things) and also gave people a purpose - you're here because this deity created you. Lead a good life to make them happy and they'll give you cookies.

the cake is a lie

believing in a God does not grant you some sort of religious immunity to solving your problems with reality. I can believe in the damn Tooth Fairy to give me hope my teeth will be better; doesn't mean I shouldn't brush my teeth, does it now?

Religion still does offer hope and guidance to some people and it's been central to humanity from it's roots in tribes. Even if you tried to erase it, the history is still there.

we can create definite social structures without any need for something as silly as a deity

 

[Dark Shocktail]

The fact is though that people have. So even if everyone becomes atheist at the snap of your fingers, religion will still exist in the history we study.

Besides, I'm not saying that it grants immunity - I said hope. Sometimes people need more then what's just set before their eyes to cope with the evils of the world and the cruelty that occurs around us. Having a god to pray to, the belief that someone higher is looking out for you and has an ultimate plan helps some people get through the day. And I'd rather see happy, god-worshipping people then depressed people who don't believe in anything.

 

[see ya]

"7. Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained."
...and so I have trouble taking you lot seriously.

Umm...never said I was a follower. Just acknowledging the reference...>_>

 

[EvilCrazyMonkey]

The fact is though that people have. So even if everyone becomes atheist at the snap of your fingers, religion will still exist in the history we study.

Yes, and because it was intertwined with politics we will need to learn it. Not simply because it existed. Rubik's cubes exist today and are widespread; are our descendants required to learn about them?

Besides, I'm not saying that it grants immunity - I said hope. Sometimes people need more then what's just set before their eyes to cope with the evils of the world and the cruelty that occurs around us. Having a god to pray to, the belief that someone higher is looking out for you and has an ultimate plan helps some people get through the day. And I'd rather see happy, god-worshipping people then depressed people who don't believe in anything.

It grants hope through the false sense of immunity. People believe that a god has a plan and that everything happens for a reason. Their thought process is to ignore the problem and it will eventually go away, because the god will take it away.
People can be fucking hopeful without a god. Don't characterize us as depressed, antisocial, hopeless lunatics; don't characterize religious people as happy and blissful; those generalizations are false. Although you could find a happy religious person and a depressed atheist, they in no way, shape, or form represent the whole.

 

[Tarvos]

The fact is though that people have. So even if everyone becomes atheist at the snap of your fingers, religion will still exist in the history we study.

We study history to learn from our mistakes. Religion, on the whole, was a mistake.

Besides, I'm not saying that it grants immunity - I said hope. Sometimes people need more then what's just set before their eyes to cope with the evils of the world and the cruelty that occurs around us. Having a god to pray to, the belief that someone higher is looking out for you and has an ultimate plan helps some people get through the day. And I'd rather see happy, god-worshipping people then depressed people who don't believe in anything.

Say your prayers at night and everything is right?

This is complete idiocy. Using religion as a psychological blanket "because it makes you happy" is an idiotic argument. What if murder makes me happy? Is that allowed then? It makes me happy and gets me through the day.

No matter how much it makes you happy, fibbing a delusion to create happiness is a plan bound to fail. The whole wide world is all about you; you can fence yourself in, but you cannot for ever fence it out.

 

[Sir Lucario]

We study history to learn from our mistakes. Religion, on the whole, was a mistake.

And why is that? Don't start with the whole Crusades thing, because if God wanted them to "regain the Holy Land", they would have.

The vehemently anti-religious have no place in this world. We all have a right to believe what we want to believe.

Here's probably where you'll want to start whining about how we try and "force our religion upon you". That is merely a stereotype, and those who are forceful are wrong. God chooses His own people, not us. Forcing Christianity on others is against what God wants us to do. The Word is to be preached, but not forced.

 

[Tarvos]

And why is that? Don't start with the whole Crusades thing, because if God wanted them to "regain the Holy Land", they would have.

uh lol that is the worst cop-out ever. religion has, on the whole, held back progress that we could have made a lot earlier. Galileo helped us discover the solar system, so did Kepler; what did the church do? lock Galileo up because he was blaspheming because of the heliocentric model. christian sects in the united states such as mormons are tax exempt and they are doing terrible things. priests having intercourse with young boys.

and yeah, the Crusades are a silly thing too, and yes, it doesn't work in your favour

The vehemently anti-religious have no place in this world. We all have a right to believe what we want to believe.

inherent contradiction

Here's probably where you'll want to start whining about how we try and "force our religion upon you". That is merely a stereotype, and those who are forceful are wrong. God chooses His own people, not us. Forcing Christianity on others is against what God wants us to do. The Word is to be preached, but not forced.

so it's like HEY I BELIEVE IN GOD YOU SHOULD TOO I AM ACTUALLY NOT TELLING YOU TO BELIEVE IN GOD BUT YOU SHOULD ALSO WHEN I GET INTO GOVERNMENTS I WILL MAKE LAWS BASED UPON MY RELIGION FORCING YOU TO ABIDE BY MY LAWS BUT WE ARE NOT PREACHING OH WE GO DOOR TO DOOR TO PREACH BUT WE AREN'T FORCING OUR RELIGION ON YOU

stop making such bullshit excuses jesus christ

 

[GameFreakerZero]

And why is that? Don't start with the whole Crusades thing, because if God wanted them to "regain the Holy Land", they would have.

The usual argument about the Crusades is more of a thing about, "How could God let this happen in His name if He wanted to appear as a nice fellow?", rather than "If God was on the side of the Christians during the Crusades, why did they lose?"

The 'religion is bad' argument nowadays is based on the outcry against sound, scientific theories like evolution due to the fact it doesn't agree with every word of their holy books, and the outcry against freedoms such as abortion and gay marriage due to morals founded on, especially in the case of the latter, one or two somewhat relevant lines in their holy books.

Oh and some other stuff but I'm sure other people will mention those.

The vehemently anti-religious have no place in this world. We all have a right to believe what we want to believe.

And the vehemently anti-religious believe that religion is bad, double standards at all?

Here's probably where you'll want to start whining about how we try and "force our religion upon you". That is merely a stereotype, and those who are forceful are wrong. God chooses His own people, not us. Forcing Christianity on others is against what God wants us to do. The Word is to be preached, but not forced.

If religion isn't being forced on people; why is it that in this country two men, or women, who love each other can't get married; they have to get civil unionised due to the religious outcry against gay marriage?