Why the hell do we need relgion ?.

[FearGod]

Perhaps they don't have to wonder, perhaps the Great Donkey created the universe and modern donkeys are akin to guardian angels on Earth. How many times did #7 save Grizzly Adams? I rest my case.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Why do we need religion ?, can we not live together in peace without a God standing over us and watching everything we do ?. Are we that stupid that we cannot be kind to each other without a a big Daddy, so is religion really for those who are stupid and cannot do what is right ?. And why so many religions ?, is one better than the other ?, or are they all just plain egocentric, believing they and them only hold the so called truth ?.

Yes when we look into it or religion, all we see is B.S, so why are so many addicted to this nightmare ?.

With sentience comes the need to explain things bigger than we are and what happens after we die. When you say your religion is the only truth, it brings a sense of power and security in those that have a black and white mentality, where the gray areas cause insecurity.

 

[Sand Dancer]

The kind that causes bigotry against gay people, for one?

The kind that causes people to take people who cheat on their spouse, bury them up to their necks, and throw rocks at them until they die, for another?



My very Catholic grandmother refused to attend my wedding because I married a girl who was raised in a Jewish family. She wouldn't speak to my wife, and hardly to me after I married this woman who is the love of my life. She said it was wrong for me to marry outside the religion, that our marriage was not valid.

She never budged on this position and refused to attend family events if my wife was going to be there. She behaved this way until the day she died. And this is a very common situation.

Nothing wrong with that?

How sad. I don't know why people act that way. To put religion before people seems counterproductive.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

....where the gray areas cause insecurity.

Uncertainty can be very uncomfortable. I suspect that people are often looking for comfort rather than truth.

 

[McBell]

Why do we need religion ?, can we not live together in peace without a God standing over us and watching everything we do ?. Are we that stupid that we cannot be kind to each other without a a big Daddy, so is religion really for those who are stupid and cannot do what is right ?. And why so many religions ?, is one better than the other ?, or are they all just plain egocentric, believing they and them only hold the so called truth ?.

Yes when we look into it or religion, all we see is B.S, so why are so many addicted to this nightmare ?.

Because some people would murder, kill, rape, destroy, etc. if not for fear of eternal punishment.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

Because some people would murder, kill, rape, destroy, etc. if not for fear of eternal punishment.

They're probably deterred more by earthly punishment I would think.

 

[McBell]

They're probably deterred more by earthly punishment I would think.

I have lost count of the number of members who have flat out stated as such.
And that doe snot include the ones who hinted, the ones who implied.....

 

[Town Heretic]

Could I ask you, are you a clinger ?.

You could ask me if I still beat my wife. They'd both have the same problem in flawed and assumptive premise.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

You could ask me if I still beat my wife. They'd both have the same problem in flawed and assumptive premise.

No, it was a straightforward question.

 

[Town Heretic]

No, it was a straightforward question.

Only if English isn't your first language.

Otherwise, "Do you still beat your wife?" is, after a fashion, a straightforward question, in as much as it has the appropriate punctuation at the end; but it begins with the assumption, undemonstrated, that the person being asked at one time did an objectionable thing that can then be further inquired into. His question suffered from a similar assumption. He may well believe that having faith is something akin to clinging, in the negative sense he applies to religion, but that's his bias and not an objectively true statement. Saying, "In my experience it's true" to paraphrase his general approach, is neither an argument nor a proof (see: my rebuttal on the value of the anecdotal).

Else, I've answered him on the assumption in the question. He won't or can't defend the point, so he chooses a sophomoric rhetorical device to advance the flag of his bias by another route. I'm disinterested in assisting him, though I'm always up for rational discourse and civil examination of a point of contention.

 

[Robert.Evans]

Uncertainty can be very uncomfortable. I suspect that people are often looking for comfort rather than truth.

You would do

 

[McBell]

Only if English isn't your first language.

Otherwise, "Do you still beat your wife?" is, after a fashion, a straightforward question, in as much as it has the appropriate punctuation at the end; but it begins with the assumption, undemonstrated, that the person being asked at one time did an objectionable thing that can then be further inquired into. His question suffered from a similar assumption. He may well believe that having faith is something akin to clinging, in the negative sense he applies to religion, but that's his bias and not an objectively true statement. Saying, "In my experience it's true" to paraphrase his general approach, is neither an argument nor a proof (see: my rebuttal on the value of the anecdotal).

Else, I've answered him on the assumption in the question. He won't or can't defend the point, so he chooses a sophomoric rhetorical device to advance the flag of his bias by another route. I'm disinterested in assisting him, though I'm always up for rational discourse and civil examination of a point of contention.

I assume you have the same "argument" about being asked "are you pregnant?"

 

[Demonslayer]

How sad. I don't know why people act that way. To put religion before people seems counterproductive.

Yes it is very sad, but come on, this kind of thing is extremely common. It can't be the first time you've heard of such a thing. Even today people get bent out of shape if their kids date or marry someone outside their religion.

This was in response to the comment "why criticize religion"...I can't remember if it was you who I was responding to or others. My story is just one example in a vast ocean of examples of religion tearing people apart.

A huge number of people put religion before people, that's the major problem with it. I always found this next statement extremely sad, but a huge number of modern day American Christians use the statement "God, Family, Country" to indicate the order of importance of the three things in their lives. I've pressed some wingnuts on this statement before, asking such things as "if God told you to kill your child like he did to Abraham would you do it" and sadly the answer has been yes.

Many people put religion before everything, which as you rightly note, is very sad indeed.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

... so he chooses a sophomoric rhetorical device to advance the flag of his bias by another route.

You're right, I'm bog Irish so English isn't my first language.

"Sophomoric" is a nice word, I must look that one up again. "Irony" is one my favourites though.

 

[Robert.Evans]

Anyway, what the heck is "relgion" anyway?

 

[Rick O'Shez]

Anyway, what the heck is "relgion" anyway?

Religion without the "I", which is like them weird eastern religions.

 

[savagewind]

Anyway, what the heck is "relgion" anyway?

Religion is the mother of stiff necks

 

[Quetzal]

Why do we need religion ?, can we not live together in peace without a God standing over us and watching everything we do ?. Are we that stupid that we cannot be kind to each other without a a big Daddy, so is religion really for those who are stupid and cannot do what is right ?. And why so many religions ?, is one better than the other ?, or are they all just plain egocentric, believing they and them only hold the so called truth ?.

Yes when we look into it or religion, all we see is B.S, so why are so many addicted to this nightmare ?.

It's obvious you have a chip on your shoulder and have an unshakable bias when it comes to religion. That's a shame, this could be a fruitful discussion otherwise.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

It's obvious you have a chip on your shoulder and have an unshakable bias when it comes to religion.

I disagree, it's a refreshing view.

 

[Robert.Evans]

It's obvious you have a chip on your shoulder and have an unshakable bias when it comes to religion. That's a shame, this could be a fruitful discussion otherwise.

Perhaps we could take it that way.
I think religion is just a human construct of ideas about God and how they formulate and work within the ideals and life of man. In one sense, there is no such thing as religion. I don't class myself as religious (can't stand the term) but most would. We seem as man, to need titles to pigeon hole things. But the title of religion now is too broad and negative.