Religion the downfall of mankind...

[Peacewise]

Seems to me that brainwashing is too first wash the brain of what it already holds to be true and then make it believe something else, typically in an adult.

Whereas indoctrination is to take an already clean brain and make it believe only one system of belief, typically in a child.

 

[ChristineES]

but people STILL blindly follow and worship GOD.

we shall create man in our image.

This sentence doesn't make sense if you believe in a 1 God theory like the church claims.

The story of Adam and Eve MUST involve INCEST, right?

They teach our children about Noah's Ark in Sunday School but WE ALL know this is IMPOSSIBLE.

How's come they don't teach our kids who attend Sunday School about the "Inquisition?" Hmm?

"Thou shall not steal"...so if i steal a .2 cent piece of gum and don't ask for forgiveness I will burn in hell for all of eternity?

So if GOD is ALL KNOWING and he is incarnate in Jesus Christ wouldn't he have already known the Romans were going to crucify him? So whats the point?

If there is ONE omnipotent GOD why all the different religions?

How's come if I tell someone I saw ANGELS there is no problem with that and they would believe but if I told the same person I saw an ALIEN they would laugh hysterically and call me delusional when there is 1000% times more proof of the latter?

When they talk of the "Heavens" aren't they not referring to "Outer Space?"

They cant expect us to believe that angels and GOD live in the clouds, right?

I have many many more questions in the future.

I know most answers to my question will be, "You just have to have Faith!" I want more than that I want hard scientific PROOF that the things they preach in the Bible and ARE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN are true. Thats all.

I want my children to be taught the TRUTH and by brainwashing them with outlandish stories in the Bible I feel this a HUGE discredit to our educational system if we expect to advance and become a highly intelligent race of human beings.

Don't make your children go to church...if they want to go once they get old enough to think for themselves then o.k. but PLEASE don't brainwash innocent children. Let them decide on their own. :run:

I have an idea! Why don't we get rid of all institutions? Not just religions that brainwash our little children (please, give me a break once), but all of them. Let's do away with the Cub Scouts, McDonald's, schools, places of business, etc. Let us all make people into mindless drones, like the Borg on Star Trek. Then that way no one will have any reason to dislike each other. :sarcastic

I am a Christian. I am NOT brainwashed. I believe in an invisible God that we can't prove, but I am not some mindless follower. Religion is NOT the downfall of human kind. I am so tired of everyone being so prejudiced against theists. No one is forcing anyone to believe in God, or forcing anyone to teach YOUR children that there is a God. We have a right to believe in anything we want. If I wanted to believe in unicorns, I would have that right. If I wanted to believe that TV is real and that dogs could talk, then I would have that right.

 

[Walkntune]

This is what causes all of the brainwashing and suppression in our society.
We have a culture with a television in every house, and commercials flash in front of our consciousness images of what ideal and "perfect" should look like - and then implants suggestions and desires (connected to sex) - so that we will crave these material things, and then judge ourselves poorly if we lack them.
The whole idea of looking outside of ourselves for our worth,self esteem and truth in general is the actual brainwashing and manipulation that needs to be dealt with.
They start by attacking when we are kids with all kinds of commercials of materialism giving the want and got to have to be equal with the other kids mentality.
Religion is actually a great method for people to start looking inside themselves for where the truth really lies and who they are in their true being underneath of the ego.
When people discover their true selves then they discover that wants and desires are actually the enemy of actually having and being.
The materialistic world hates religion because through religion people find a truth that those who are materialistic can't manipulate.

 

[Noaidi]

MaDDMIke

Your thread title referred to religion, but you seem to be dealing exclusively with christianity. Do you see ALL religions as contributing to the downfall of mankind?

As ChristineES said above, people are free to believe whatever they wish, and those beliefs, however illogical they seem to others, can bring benefits to the individuals holding those beliefs - and this is me speaking as an atheist.

However I agree with you about the converting part - belief should be private and, if it is to be discussed, done in such a way so as to let others learn about what you believe rather than try and make them believe the same as you (a purpose of this forum, I suppose).

 

[lunamoth]

I have an idea! Why don't we get rid of all institutions? Not just religions that brainwash our little children (please, give me a break once), but all of them. Let's do away with the Cub Scouts, McDonald's, schools, places of business, etc. Let us all make people into mindless drones, like the Borg on Star Trek. Then that way no one will have any reason to dislike each other. :sarcastic

Don't forget schools!

I knew no math when I was born, so obviously being ignorant of math is our natural and correct way of being!

Good manners? Forget it! Why should I have been indoctrinated into courtesy when obviously this was just my parents brainwashing me, making a choice for me?

 

[McBell]

Only your first sentence and you've managed to make two sloppy assertions. This does not bode well ... :no:

What?
Are you seriously going to assert that there is no one who blindly follows or worships god?

Talk about sloppy assertions.

 

[McBell]

John Polkinghorne - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An example of a freak I suppose?

are you serious?
How does presenting one non-atheist scientist refute the claim:

the vast majority of western scientists are very strong atheists​

 

[Storm]

Im with you Twig



Several Iranian refugees me and my friends met in western nations for example have told us that they were indcotrinated to hate and kill us, if this is not brainwashing, then what is really?

And how is that representative of religion, as opposed to totalitarian government?

 

[MaDDMIke740]

First I'd like to say I think I came across as confrontational which I didn't intend and I apologize. Let me also say that a lot of the things religion teaches you morally is good. How to live an honest life, how to treat others, stuff like that.

I went to Catholic church (basically forced) until I was like 16, I was also an altar boy but even standing next to the priest on Saturday and Sundays listening to stories about angels and parting of the red sea, miracles and curing diseases with a snap of a finger, something just didn't sound right. I would say to myself, "They expect me to believe THAT?"

All I'm saying is that by mankind still worshiping some mystical invisible man that doesn't exist is so like ancient thinking and non-evolved. We need to expand our minds and break away from what we have been mistakingly force fed for umpteen generations. It's time to wake up and OPEN OUR EYES. We have been lied to.

I am not attacking anyone personally I just want to get the word out to stop thinking like ancient man and start thinking like modern man. Back then people didn't have the vocabulary to explain the things they saw like we do today. They weren't dumb or anything they just weren't advanced ( i use the word "advanced" loosely) like us.

I'm no theologian and I'm really not that smart but what I do have is common sense and the stuff we hear from the Vatican, Mecca, The Temple Mount or wherever is scare tactics. If you dont do what "MY" GOD says then you'll go to Hell, "the void" or some other scary place. I thought GOD loved his children why send them to be burned for eternity?

I believe when we say the word GOD we should be referring to ALL LIFE, The Earth(which is alive), The Solar System, The Galaxy, THE UNIVERSE. We are all connected, we are all intertwined like a spiders web.

We need to think outside the box.:run:

 

[sandandfoam]

are you serious?
How does presenting one non-atheist scientist refute the claim:

the vast majority of western scientists are very strong atheists
​

I'm not trying to refute the claim. I'm trying to make the point that it doesn't matter whether you're an atheist or not.

 

[Breathe]

All I'm saying is that by mankind still worshiping some mystical invisible man

Speak for yourself.

If you dont do what "MY" GOD says then you'll go to Hell, "the void" or some other scary place. I thought GOD loved his children why send them to be burned for eternity?

Yet you've completely ignored the theologies of Sikhs and Hindus, for a start. What you say may be true of the big two, but it's not the rule.

I believe when we say the word GOD we should be referring to ALL LIFE, The Earth(which is alive), The Solar System, The Galaxy, THE UNIVERSE. We are all connected, we are all intertwined like a spiders web.

Pantheism. Awesome.

We need to think outside the box.:run:

Everyone should. However, I'm not attempting to attack you, but you need to, yourself. You've come on here and made the assumption that everyone believes in hell and believes that God is an invisible human who smites people. Your view on God and religion in general is extremely narrow minded. You need to pick up some (non-Abrahamic, i.e., non Christian or Muslim) scriptures and books and get alternative theologies. Muslims and Christians aren't the only religions out there.


If you are actually here to learn, and I hope you are, then I would suggest you spend some time looking at the following to broaden your views regarding religion, pick up religious books on the following:

Taoism
Buddhism
Hinduism
Sikhism
Pantheism & Panentheism
Neo-Pagan Movements


You will learn much more.

Or, you can check out the relevant DIRs's "(Religion) Overview" and get a quick overview of the theology. It will do you good.

Hope this helps.

 

[Caladan]

And how is that representative of religion, as opposed to totalitarian government?

It was a religious indoctrination, we were the 'infidels' and had to be killed in the name of their god.

 

[Storm]

It was a religious indoctrination, we were the 'infidels' and had to be killed in the name of their god.

And you think it's therefore typical?

 

[Caladan]

And you think it's therefore typical?

People in the society you live in have systematically discriminated homosexuals, non whites, etc. for a long time, Christians owned slaves and lynched Afro-Americans, I'd say its there.

 

[Storm]

People in the society you live in have systematically discriminated homosexuals, non whites, etc. for a long time, Christians owned slaves and lynched Afro-Americans, I'd say its there.

I'd say we have our social problems, just like anybody else.

 

[Caladan]

I'd say we have our social problems, just like anybody else.

and many societies around the world suffer from social problems as a result of excessive hold on superstitions.

 

[Storm]

and many societies around the world suffer from social problems as a result of excessive hold on superstitions.

Correlation does not equal causation. Can you show that our struggle with racism is rooted in Christianity (to use one of your own examples)? Because I don't think they have much to do with each other at all.

 

[Caladan]

Correlation does not equal causation. Can you show that our struggle with racism is rooted in Christianity (to use one of your own examples)? Because I don't think they have much to do with each other at all.

The historical fact is that Christianity has been perhaps the most destructive force in human history, it has enslaved and exterminated people from meso america, to the Middle East, and even in the European continent, in short, the world over.

 

[Storm]

The historical facts is that Christianity has been perhaps the most destructive force in human history, it has enslaves and exterminated people from South America, to the Middle East, and even in the European continent.

No, it hasn't. Christianity is a belief system. It doesn't DO anything. People do, and people are more complicated than their labels.

 

[Caladan]

No, it hasn't. Christianity is a belief system. It doesn't DO anything. People do, and people are more complicated than their labels.

These people where Christians. they were killing and enslaving in the name of their church, and often in the name of the Christian savior, carrying the banner of the dead savior with them.