Is religion necessary?
Discussion
Planet Earth. Our little blue polluted liferaft, spinning alone and isolated in the black emptiness of the universe.
Humans. Fighting each other and pulling the liferaft to bits. Not cooperating as suvivors in the same little liferaft should.
Religion. Guaranteed to provoke human conflict.
Religion does not seem to be beneficial on a humanity-wide scale.
If it is not beneficial to the mass of humanity, why does it exist? Because it presumably fills some 'need' that human beings have. Therefore we must at some level be 'addicted' to religion.
If we are addicted, can we beat the habit?
Can we abolish it? Or in a thousand years will we still be squabbling over religious differences?
Humans. Fighting each other and pulling the liferaft to bits. Not cooperating as suvivors in the same little liferaft should.
Religion. Guaranteed to provoke human conflict.
Religion does not seem to be beneficial on a humanity-wide scale.
If it is not beneficial to the mass of humanity, why does it exist? Because it presumably fills some 'need' that human beings have. Therefore we must at some level be 'addicted' to religion.
If we are addicted, can we beat the habit?
Can we abolish it? Or in a thousand years will we still be squabbling over religious differences?
Religion has been about since the beginning and it's not f
king off anytime soon. When people do try to move away from religion and not believe anything, they become atheist.....which is also a religion. Religion means having a belief system and not believing in anything is a belief system......wowwwww headrush.
king off anytime soon. When people do try to move away from religion and not believe anything, they become atheist.....which is also a religion. Religion means having a belief system and not believing in anything is a belief system......wowwwww headrush.
M3CHA-MONK3Y said:
Religion has been about since the beginning and it's not fking off anytime soon. When people do try to move away from religion and not believe anything, they become atheist.....which is also a religion. Religion means having a belief system and not believing in anything is a belief system......wowwwww headrush.
Technically, yes, but not believing in a superior being, etc, does not mean atheists walk around thinking, praise be to the nothingness... They just get on with it, without having anything over their head. They only become atheists when discussing it amongst other people. Until that point, it is not a part of their lives. It doesn't interject, it doesn't make them go places to worship, it doesn't do any of that stuff... king off anytime soon. When people do try to move away from religion and not believe anything, they become atheist.....which is also a religion. Religion means having a belief system and not believing in anything is a belief system......wowwwww headrush.Andy Mac said:
M3CHA-MONK3Y said:
Religion has been about since the beginning and it's not fking off anytime soon. When people do try to move away from religion and not believe anything, they become atheist.....which is also a religion. Religion means having a belief system and not believing in anything is a belief system......wowwwww headrush.
Technically, yes, but not believing in a superior being, etc, does not mean atheists walk around thinking, praise be to the nothingness... They just get on with it, without having anything over their head. They only become atheists when discussing it amongst other people. Until that point, it is not a part of their lives. It doesn't interject, it doesn't make them go places to worship, it doesn't do any of that stuff... king off anytime soon. When people do try to move away from religion and not believe anything, they become atheist.....which is also a religion. Religion means having a belief system and not believing in anything is a belief system......wowwwww headrush.I don't believe in any god at all, does that mean I have a belief in something?
I don't play football, does that mean I am a footballer that just doesn't play?
M3CHA-MONK3Y said:
Religion has been about since the beginning and it's not fking off anytime soon. When people do try to move away from religion and not believe anything, they become atheist.....which is also a religion. Religion means having a belief system and not believing in anything is a belief system......wowwwww headrush.
Er noooooo.king off anytime soon. When people do try to move away from religion and not believe anything, they become atheist.....which is also a religion. Religion means having a belief system and not believing in anything is a belief system......wowwwww headrush.Religion - there is a greater being in the sky who must be obeyed who we see when we die.
Atheism - this life is all there is, get on with it.
Bit different really.
But will it be around in a thousand years?
By then -
it should be clear that the hippy fella with the sandals and the beard aint coming back - bye bye Chritianity.
there will have been no Messiah either - bye bye Judaism
there will have been no day of the dead coming back to life - bye bye Islam
there will have been no free spaghetti from on high - bye bye Spaghetti Monster
there is an outside chance of laser lightsabers, so Jedi just might survive.
By then -
it should be clear that the hippy fella with the sandals and the beard aint coming back - bye bye Chritianity.
there will have been no Messiah either - bye bye Judaism
there will have been no day of the dead coming back to life - bye bye Islam
there will have been no free spaghetti from on high - bye bye Spaghetti Monster
there is an outside chance of laser lightsabers, so Jedi just might survive.
Necessary is the wrong word, the only things necessary are food water and air.
Religion does have some redeeming qualities. That whole don't steal, kill, cheat on your wife, or lie section is pretty useful.
I am not religious but I would be dead set against telling others they couldn't worship anymore. The only exception is if you chose to believe in a sect that promotes violence against others. At that point I am for pushing you into the deepest hole we can find.
Religion does have some redeeming qualities. That whole don't steal, kill, cheat on your wife, or lie section is pretty useful.
I am not religious but I would be dead set against telling others they couldn't worship anymore. The only exception is if you chose to believe in a sect that promotes violence against others. At that point I am for pushing you into the deepest hole we can find.
I am not a religous person, I dont need the crutch of fear to keep me decent and to keep my morals good.
Religion is necessary to keep a lot of weak minded people from doing some serious wrong to others, The fear of future retribution from an all powerful unseen deity who will judge you when you die and send you to hell/heaven or where ever your chosen branch of religious belief takes you once you expire seems to control people and stops them committing "sins" or acts that seriously harm or deprive others of something.
Put it this way, If you were walking down a dark alley and suddenly just ahead a door opened and 3 youths stepped out and walked toward you would you feel a little threatened ? would you expect some trouble ?
Now picture the same scene but the youths have just stepped out of a church from a service. Threatened now ?
Religion is like lots of things in life, It is fine in moderation and in the right context can help stop people being lonely, it can give a sense of belonging in people who otherwise might no socialise, its a club of sorts and only becomes a bad thing when the extreme members take it too far.
Religion is necessary to keep a lot of weak minded people from doing some serious wrong to others, The fear of future retribution from an all powerful unseen deity who will judge you when you die and send you to hell/heaven or where ever your chosen branch of religious belief takes you once you expire seems to control people and stops them committing "sins" or acts that seriously harm or deprive others of something.
Put it this way, If you were walking down a dark alley and suddenly just ahead a door opened and 3 youths stepped out and walked toward you would you feel a little threatened ? would you expect some trouble ?
Now picture the same scene but the youths have just stepped out of a church from a service. Threatened now ?
Religion is like lots of things in life, It is fine in moderation and in the right context can help stop people being lonely, it can give a sense of belonging in people who otherwise might no socialise, its a club of sorts and only becomes a bad thing when the extreme members take it too far.
Andy Mac said:
GreenDog said:
Religion or not people would still find something to fight over - not all wars are religion-based.
I'm sure that is correct... I'm wondering exactly what the benefit of religion is, apart from comforting old folk as they near death...
Joecooool said:
Necessary is the wrong word, the only things necessary are food water and air.
Religion does have some redeeming qualities. That whole don't steal, kill, cheat on your wife, or lie section is pretty useful.
Doesn't stop religious folk from doing, nor does it mean non-religious folks will steal
I am not religious but I would be dead set against telling others they couldn't worship anymore. The only exception is if you chose to believe in a sect that promotes violence against others. At that point I am for pushing you into the deepest hole we can find.
Both Christianity and Islam talk promote violence in their scriptures... Luckily most normal people choose to ignore those bits
Either way, different religions promote differences, which we can add to the plethura of differences that people fight over, be it land, resources, and whatever else you can come up with. I don't however, say we should ban it... Religion does have some redeeming qualities. That whole don't steal, kill, cheat on your wife, or lie section is pretty useful.
Doesn't stop religious folk from doing, nor does it mean non-religious folks will steal
I am not religious but I would be dead set against telling others they couldn't worship anymore. The only exception is if you chose to believe in a sect that promotes violence against others. At that point I am for pushing you into the deepest hole we can find.
Both Christianity and Islam talk promote violence in their scriptures... Luckily most normal people choose to ignore those bits
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