Why do people still follow religion?

[TheKnight]

How is religion caused problems? How about the crusaders killing all non-believers. How about the Holocaust. How about the fact that it has been used to justify almost every genocide in history. More people have died in wars fought over religion, than any other war.

Saying that religion is involved is not saying that religion is a cause. Roughly, to say that religion is the cause is to say that were religion not present the effect would not have happened. Perhaps in the case of the Crusades, if religion were not a factor they would not have happened. But the holocaust?

More importantly, people kill due to their belief in or desire for a great many things. That says nothing of the quality of those things themselves.

Isaac Newton was motivated in large part by his religious ideals, does that mean that religion caused Newton's discoveries?

 

[savagewind]

Evolution, is enough evidence, but also logic. Does it really seem thesible that a man's hand came from the sky, and put the world here. You really want to continue to live in that fantasy. Fair enough.

A man's hand? Is that what you heard?

 

[TheKnight]

Evolution, is enough evidence, but also logic. Does it really seem thesible that a man's hand came from the sky, and put the world here. You really want to continue to live in that fantasy. Fair enough.

It never ceases to amaze me how the most virulently anti-religious people seem to be so ignorant of what religions actually teach.

 

[Sumit]

Science has pretty much disputed every part of religion, and all religion has down has caused problems and taught hate. Why do you still believe it?

Science do not provide me what my religion gives me. Your statement "all religion taught hate" applies to my religion, it teaches to hate the false, evil. And I not only believe my religion but I practice it.

 

[Bigbman]

Saying that religion is involved is not saying that religion is a cause. Roughly, to say that religion is the cause is to say that were religion not present the effect would not have happened. Perhaps in the case of the Crusades, if religion were not a factor they would not have happened. But the holocaust?

More importantly, people kill due to their belief in or desire for a great many things. That says nothing of the quality of those things themselves.

Isaac Newton was motivated in large part by his religious ideals, does that mean that religion caused Newton's discoveries?

Without religion none of this attrocities would have happened. Don't even mention religion helping science. Look up Galleio. It's incredible, how every progressive belief, religion is against

 

[Bigbman]

It never ceases to amaze me how the most virulently anti-religious people seem to be so ignorant of what religions actually teach.

No, I know exactly what religion teaches: Hate

 

[Quagmire]

No, I know exactly what religion teaches: Hate

You obviously haven't studied religion or science, but please feel free to expound on both anyway.

That's what the internet is for.

 

[Bigbman]

You obviously haven't studied religion or science, but please feel free to expound on both anyway.

That's what the internet is for.

Ok, I'll "expound" on science. Since obviously I know nothing on science why don't you listen to an expert

Look up Richard Dawkins, Why there almost certainly is no God

 

[Quagmire]

Ok, I'll "expound" on science. Since obviously I know nothing on science why don't you listen to an expert

Look up Richard Dawkins, Why there almost certainly is no God

So which is it: do you want me to listen to an expert or look up Dawkins?

 

[TheKnight]

Without religion none of this attrocities would have happened.

If giving up my religion means I'll become as smart as you then I think I'll stay religion. :yes:

Don't even mention religion helping science. Look up Galleio. It's incredible, how every progressive belief, religion is against

I didn't say religion helped science. But if we can say religion is bad because it motivates people to do bad things then we can also say that religion is good because it motivates people to do good things. I'd bet that if we take all the good religious people have done compared to all the bad that religious people have done, then the good is far greater.

Of course you'll probably say that just because they did good doesn't mean their religion was the cause of it. I'd agree, and then I'd tell you that logic means you must also say that their doing of bad does not mean their religion was the cause of it.

No, I know exactly what religion teaches: Hate

 

[roger1440]

Science has pretty much disputed every part of religion, and all religion has down has caused problems and taught hate. Why do you still believe it?

Please quote your sources. I would like to take a look at them.

 

[TheKnight]

Ok, I'll "expound" on science. Since obviously I know nothing on science why don't you listen to an expert

Look up Richard Dawkins, Why there almost certainly is no God

Fantastic biologist though he may be, the short-sightedness of his work relies on the same fundamental mistake of believing in a causal (or strongly correlational) tie between religion and bad behavior without any recognition of a similar tie with good behavior.

Biological expert != expert on philosophy or logic.

Given that God cannot be studied in the biological realm, the only statement one can make is that God is not present in a biological space to our knowledge.

 

[dust1n]

Science has pretty much disputed every part of religion, and all religion has down has caused problems and taught hate. Why do you still believe it?

For the same reason people always have believed in religion or have sought better methods of understanding the world:

The obvious, but untalked about truth, about the nonsensical nature of existence, and that we will die... relatively soon in the grand scheme of things, becoming completely unknown and forgotten, and decayed within the next century... and how ultimately meaningless everything seems in light of this..

D'uh.

 

[fallingblood]

Science has pretty much disputed every part of religion, and all religion has down has caused problems and taught hate. Why do you still believe it?

Science and religion deal with two separate ideas. Sure, at points they do overlap, but not for the most part.

Science has never disputed the idea that there is a God. Science has never disputed the idea that miracles may happen (I'm not saying that they do; however, science can not actually dispute many). Science also does not dispute the community that one feels because of religion.

As for teaching hate, that is just bogus. The vast majority of the religious are peaceful. The basic teaching of Jesus was to love one's neighbor. Many Jewish teachers have stated the same thing, that the sum of the Law is to love one's neighbor. It is also in the name of religion that much of education began (after all, the modern education system, at least in the west, owes much to religious institutions), that many hospitals have been built, that many much tolerance have been spread, as well as humanitarian work. If religion teaches hate, one would see so many religious people, in fact the majority of religious people, spreading love.

Why do I still believe it? Because it is not a matter of science vs religion. Both can coexist just fine.

 

[Quintessence]

It never ceases to amaze me how the most virulently anti-religious people seem to be so ignorant of what religions actually teach.

I've seen it too often to be amazed by it. However, the fact that I continue to see it over and over again makes me all the more upset that a course in world religions is not required as part of basic education. I mean, seriously. The level of ignorance is just intolerable. It feeds misunderstanding at best, bigotry and hatred at worst.

Kind of like what we're seeing here from the OP, actually. So sad and amusingly ironic! And to the OP, all I have to say to you, sir, is to get schooled. Ya know what fuels hatred, kid? Ignorance. Ignorant, wrong-headed, overgeneralized statements like the one's you're making. I won't sit here and pretend any aspect of humanity - be it religion, technology, or our governments - are all sparkles and sunshine, but such a one-sidedly negative view of such a vast aspect of the human experience is more than a minor distortion of the reality of things. A distortion that, in of itself, leads to hatred. Congrats for being a hypocrite like the rest of us!

 

[Pegg]

Science has pretty much disputed every part of religion, and all religion has down has caused problems and taught hate. Why do you still believe it?

whats the alternative to belief in a creator?

 

[ChristineES]

Science has pretty much disputed every part of religion, and all religion has down has caused problems and taught hate. Why do you still believe it?

Well, I certainly hope you are not one of those who think we use religion to explain science.
No, science has not disputed anything of religion and religion does not cause problems nor does it teach hate. Hate is something that humans learned very well without any religious influence. And why don't you believe it (hahaha, just kidding).

 

[outhouse]

religion does not cause problems

That's a we bit of a stretch. But I do understand you that this is a human problem.

Officials: Hospitalized bombing suspect says he and brother acted alone, motivated by religion - U.S. News


The hospitalized Boston Marathon bombing suspect charged Monday with using a weapon of mass destruction has told investigators that he and his brother were motivated by religion

 

[ChristineES]

That's a we bit of a stretch. But I do understand you that this is a human problem.

Officials: Hospitalized bombing suspect says he and brother acted alone, motivated by religion - U.S. News


The hospitalized Boston Marathon bombing suspect charged Monday with using a weapon of mass destruction has told investigators that he and his brother were motivated by religion

You're stretching. Yes, some people are motivated by religion to do violence- but, for the most part, it is a human problem that we would have even if there were no religion. It isn't the religion, per se, as much as the humans involved.

 

[Sha'irullah]

Science has pretty much disputed every part of religion,

Science has not disproved religion in entirety, it has not even cracked 30% of the shell. Islam birthed the Renaissance which pretty much makes your argument invalid. Do I even need to mention the Dharmic religions and the contributions to medicine, biology, astrology, and common logic?

and all religion has down has caused problems and taught hate.

Most wars and violence are caused by secular ideals. Religious wars are not that common and all you can pull out is The Crusades, Mayan sacrifices and Islamic terrorism. I can pull out every war known to man kind and none have anything to do with religion. So if atheism is the lack of a deity then atheistic ideals (free from god) have pillaged this planet 5 times over. More excuses to kill the god since you have a hundreds forms of wealth, minerals, power, territory, politics, defense, oil, spreading of propaganda and terror.

Why do you still believe it?

I believe in a god, not religion. So not much you can throw at me which will stick. You believe in the unproven theory of the Big Bang. I believe in the theory of god. So we are pretty much even. I have theorized that there is a strong possibility that there is a god and have chosen to live my life as if there is one since I am fully convinced there is one. Until science proves otherwise I will continue as usual.