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Religion is slavery

jeager106

jeager106

Learning more about Jehovah.
Premium Member
Religion DOES need to grow up!

Guns. I have lot's of guns, ammo also.
My guns are for ventilating tin cans and bagging an occasional rabbit.
I don't shoot much live game that I don't eat.
I was raised hunting and such.
I did over 2 decades as a police officer, could have used my gun
at least 3 times to shoot someone but could not.
It worked out the way it was supposed to.
I lived, one other lived, two committed suicide.
 
Neo Deist

Neo Deist

Th.D. & D.Div. h.c.
MattMVS7 said:
If you are going to have a religion, then at least have it like a democracy which supports the freedom and rights of the individual and does not punish or condemn them for living the way of life they want and value. However, harming and torturing others wouldn't be allowed. But you would be free to live your own way of life as long as you are not cruel and harming/torturing others.
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Welcome to deism.
 
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Esaurus

Esaurus

Member
MattMVS7 said:
Religion, in my opinion, imposes upon the rights and freedom of the individual since the individual who believes in his/her religion is expected to obey, serve, and dedicate his/her life to his/her god or religious figure. Religion threatens hell or some other distressing afterlife for those who do not do so.

If you are going to have a religion, then at least have it like a democracy which supports the freedom and rights of the individual and does not punish or condemn them for living the way of life they want and value. However, harming and torturing others wouldn't be allowed. But you would be free to live your own way of life as long as you are not cruel and harming/torturing others.
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Jesus was also against the slavery of graceless dead religion and showed us the way of truth that sets free. Was it not the religious leaders of his day that arose His greatest anger?
 
psychoslice

psychoslice

Veteran Member
Esaurus said:
Jesus was also against the slavery of graceless dead religion and showed us the way of truth that sets free. Was it not the religious leaders of his day that arose His greatest anger?
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Yes and I think the religious leader of today would make him feel the same way........that is if he existed.
 
W

whirlingmerc

Well-Known Member
Slavery comes in various forms. In the case of the prodigal son(s), one was a wild child and one was a stay at home goody two shoes... neither entered into the joy of the Father (at first) and both lives as slaves ... one a slave to his wanderlust and one a slave lost in plain sight at home... one unreligious and one religious...
 
Augustus

Augustus

…
MattMVS7 said:
Religion, in my opinion, imposes upon the rights and freedom of the individual since the individual who believes in his/her religion is expected to obey, serve, and dedicate his/her life to his/her god or religious figure.
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Who says that humans intrinsically desire unrestricted individual freedom?

Many people like guidelines, rules and a cause to be involved with.
 
Windwalker

Windwalker

Veteran Member
Premium Member
MattMVS7 said:
Religion, in my opinion, imposes upon the rights and freedom of the individual since the individual who believes in his/her religion is expected to obey, serve, and dedicate his/her life to his/her god or religious figure. Religion threatens hell or some other distressing afterlife for those who do not do so.

If you are going to have a religion, then at least have it like a democracy which supports the freedom and rights of the individual and does not punish or condemn them for living the way of life they want and value. However, harming and torturing others wouldn't be allowed. But you would be free to live your own way of life as long as you are not cruel and harming/torturing others.
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What would be fun would be for you to replace the word religion with the word culture and see how it does the same things. Culture expects you to conform and dedicate your life to being a part of it. Culture threatens you with censure or exile if you threaten its structure, which in effect is what the threat of hell is - in ancient cultures exile from the group would mean potential starvation and death. Religion is in fact shaped by society and culture and is governed as it were by those in power, very much like what happens with cultural leaders. In other words, you're not as free as you imagine you are. ;)
 
S

suncowiam

Well-Known Member
Normally, I would argue that comparing anything to slavery is an exaggeration. After thinking about it, yeah, I would agree that some extreme forms of religion can be compared to slavery. Not all but a few.
 
Akivah

Akivah

Well-Known Member
suncowiam said:
Normally, I would argue that comparing anything to slavery is an exaggeration. After thinking about it, yeah, I would agree that some extreme forms of religion can be compared to slavery. Not all but a few.
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As @Windwalker and @PopeADope mentioned, a person can be "enslaved" by anything, not just religion. When I read the OP, I could see 'citizenship' fitting in there quite nicely as well.
 
S

suncowiam

Well-Known Member
Akivah said:
As @Windwalker and @PopeADope mentioned, a person can be "enslaved" by anything, not just religion. When I read the OP, I could see 'citizenship' fitting in there quite nicely as well.
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Ok, so there are other forms of slavery. Does this make it OK for some forms of religion to enslave people? Should we not focus on why and how some religions can do this?
 
Maponos

Maponos

Welcome to the Opera
suncowiam said:
Is it really a choice for those deeply rooted in its beliefs?

How can one simply leave it or risk the gates of hell?
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Yes, it is.

Well, most religions in the world don't have a 'hell' in the sense of the Christian hell. Also, most religions also don't treat people who leave the faith as evil or sinners.
 
S

Smart_Guy

...
Premium Member
I disagree.

One can follow a religion on their own freedom. Religion "can" be slavery, just like anything else, but I can't see it is slavery by definition.
 
Akivah

Akivah

Well-Known Member
suncowiam said:
Ok, so there are other forms of slavery. Does this make it OK for some forms of religion to enslave people? Should we not focus on why and how some religions can do this?
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It depends on how the word 'slavery' is defined. The OP defined slavery as imposing upon the rights and freedom of the individual to obey their beliefs. Whereas most dictionaries define slavery as 'The condition in which one person is owned as property by another and is under the owner's control.'

I would use the latter definition as being correct. If a religion (or culture, group, or citizen, etc.) owns people as property, I agree that this is not OK and should be fought against.
 
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