Why will our lives be better if there was no Religion.

[Shlomoh]

Without religion there where would you Turn to Rant against?

Quite to the point. Religion has been around ever since the first monkey pointed at the sun and said to the second monkey, "He just said to tell you that he wants you to hand over all your bananas to me." So, after millions of years, religion is in our DNA, so to speak. Would our lives be better without religion? Well, yes and no.
I can do without the jerks in the street rushing up to me to tell me that only if I accept THEIR lord and savior, will I be saved. Saved from what? Well saved from going to Hell. Hell? Well since Jews don't believe in WhatsHisName, we are all destined to Hell. But so what? At least I'll be there with other Jews. And what's more exciting than being in the company of all those great Hollywood people? I can also do without the God of MY own Holy Book telling us to kill this one and that one and whole towns just because they **** Him off. I can also do without all the burn the infidel **** just because he/she won't join our club. Look, to quote a famous Jew, "I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member." I can also do without some Republican dumbhead saying that a woman can't do what she wants when she gets pregnant despite the fact that our beloved Ronald Reagan once said, "Well, if she gets pregnant having fun, she should have fun having that baby." That means I can do without someone else governing my sex life, such as it is right now.
But tell me the truth. You want to see Christmas and Chanukah disappear? What would December be like without all the lights and presents and good will? And Easter and Passover?
Holy cow! That's when all the good food comes out and family and friends get together. And all that glorious ritual that goes on in Church and Shul during the Holidays? ive me a break. Take that stuff away and our identities become pale, or disappear completely. I really like it that I am a Jew and you are something else that you like being. I really like seeing all the crucifixes and MAGEN DAVIDs and yarmulkes, and yes, I am getting used to the hijabs as well. Some gals look hot in them. It gives me hope that one of my 72 virgins wil look that hot. Oh, excuse me. I forgot, you people get to heaven. We don't. Makes the gal in the burka down here look that more exciting.
And you know that some people complain that there are too many religions. Nothing wrong with that. Gives me a choice to change up if I ever get tired my own.
And I don't know about YOUR book but the Holy Bible has some great stories, especially the sexual ones. I think they used to be banned in Boston, if I am not mistaken.
Oh those crazy Irish Catholics. What do they know anyway, practicing rhythm and all that? Still it's not as bad as Orthodox Jews doing it through a sheet.
Hey, it can't be all that bad. So given a choice, I say, hell yeah! Let's keep religion because, after all, as David T said, "Without religion, what would all you FARBISENER
atheists have to complain about? Religion makes your day!
Someone, Give me an AMEN!

 

[icehorse]

Does one mean that all non-religious people are honest?
Regards

Of course not. But if we're honest, "most" religions are built on the idea that you have to have "faith" in things you can't prove. A common thing that many religions ask people to have "faith" in is that their religion is better than other religions. So we end up with some people thinking their unprovable idea is better than other people's unprovable idea. Not a good scenario.

Of course atheists can find other ways to be dishonest, but at least one way has been removed.

 

[MonkeyFire]

Religion needs to be modernized including buddhism.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

It's not a cop out as Marx's writings have not been practiced, and there has been much tweaking and adjusting to the point today we have Neo-Marxism. These "changes and updates" are things that many churches are unwilling to do. Female priests and pastors are still rarity because of a few pages in the Bible that speak poorly of women. There are legal campaigns, today, from Christians, to make discrimination against LBGT legally classified as a religious right. Some Christians don't, but they are using the same book that commands the death of men who lie with men, claiming that their blood is on their hands.

Yes, it is a cop out and you are being a hypocrite. You're completely ignoring my point and I can see this is not going to go anywhere since you're seemingly in denial of what Marxism is responsible for, abiding by some liberal, revisionist fantasy of it. You're operating by a double standard and I can't take your criticisms of religion seriously due to it. If you want a pass for Marxism's crimes against humanity, the bloodiest ideology of the 20th century, then the religious can take a pass, too.

That's not why there's no female priests in Catholicism and Orthodoxy, by the way. It's because there traditionally haven't been and because of the understanding of persona Christi. There are female Doctors of the Church, though, so women have certainly made a huge impact in the Church's theology. You don't know what you're talking about there. The Church has also modernized in huge ways, such as with Vatican II, which was a monumental change to the Church's understanding of its relationship with non-Christians.

 

[william7]

If all the religious organizations of the world were banned from public life but people were still permitted to meet in small groups and house churches to study and to worship, you would likely see a revival of true religious worship and practice with an increase and strengthening of morals and morale.

 

[Bob the Unbeliever]

There are several mutually exclusive conceptions of a world without religion.

It could be a world where the anthropological tendency towards creating religion-like doctrines was somehow absent or lessened. Or one where it was overruled by the nurture of a rational attitude or something else. Or one where religions are somehow suppressed.

IMO religion proper does not deserve to be avoided, but the usual portrayal of belief-over-reason as being "religion" ought to be fiercely challenged.

I would agree-- suppression is never a viable option. Look how "successful" suppression of alcoholic drinks was in the USA. All it did was push the sales underground, into black market territory. And people died from poisonous product.

No, the key to eliminating religion, is education. Example after example shows that the better educated a population is, especially the younger generations, the less religious it becomes.

With wide-spread universal education? Religion will die a natural death, as have all the previous versions-- who worships Zeus these days? The few who do, do not create policy based on their quaint beliefs; they are too small to make a dent.

So, too is christianity and islam dying out anyplace where education is of good quality, and access to uncensored information is easy and all-but-free.

Religion never can withstand an **educated** mind giving it a critical once-over.

The road to secularism is riddled with discarded bibles and quorans, after all...

 

[bobhikes]

For one thing, genocidal maniacs like former president George W. Bush would no longer have a justification for attacking an innocent country and in the process murdering over 100,000 civilians. (The 2003 attack on Iraq: "An angel woke me up in the middle of the night with a message from God. The message was, attack Iraq and kill Saddam Hussein!
For a second thing, the millions of men who abuse their wives, daughters and sons with a bible in one hand and a whip in the other, could no longer threaten their victims with eternal damnation if they don't continue obeying him.
For a third thing, the thousands and thousands of pedophile homosexuals abusing children all around the world while hiding behind the black robe of a Catholic priest, would be out of a job and out of luck.
Fourth, that clown Donald Trump would never have been elected without the support of the millions of anti-abortionist women who believed in his instant born again Christian gig just before the election, and were convinced he would end all abortions.
It would be easy to continue this list but I'll save that for another day.

The question is about the future not the past. We can not change the past we can make changes in the future.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I would agree-- suppression is never a viable option. Look how "successful" suppression of alcoholic drinks was in the USA. All it did was push the sales underground, into black market territory. And people died from poisonous product.

No, the key to eliminating religion, is education. Example after example shows that the better educated a population is, especially the younger generations, the less religious it becomes.

With wide-spread universal education? Religion will die a natural death, as have all the previous versions-- who worships Zeus these days? The few who do, do not create policy based on their quaint beliefs; they are too small to make a dent.

So, too is christianity and islam dying out anyplace where education is of good quality, and access to uncensored information is easy and all-but-free.

Religion never can withstand an **educated** mind giving it a critical once-over.

The road to secularism is riddled with discarded bibles and quorans, after all...

You're insinuating that religious people are stupid. Um, no. Plenty of people still worship Zeus. As for my generation, we're distracted, addicted to technology and stressed out. This post is a mess, man.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

With wide-spread universal education? Religion will die a natural death, as have all the previous versions-- who worships Zeus these days?

More people than you'd think.

 

[miodrag]

A scholar by the name of Imam Hamid al-Ghazali became quite influential with his religious ideas. What are examples of such ideas? That mathematics is the work of the devil.

This is unfair. Here is another perspective on Al Ghazali: How the decline of Muslim scientific thought still haunts | The National

 

[miodrag]

What I need to know is why is a world without religion going to be better.

This debate may be on topic: The world needs religion even if it doesn’t need God : Intelligence Squared

 

[David T]

Quite to the point. Religion has been around ever since the first monkey pointed at the sun and said to the second monkey, "He just said to tell you that he wants you to hand over all your bananas to me." So, after millions of years, religion is in our DNA, so to speak. Would our lives be better without religion? Well, yes and no.
I can do without the jerks in the street rushing up to me to tell me that only if I accept THEIR lord and savior, will I be saved. Saved from what? Well saved from going to Hell. Hell? Well since Jews don't believe in WhatsHisName, we are all destined to Hell. But so what? At least I'll be there with other Jews. And what's more exciting than being in the company of all those great Hollywood people? I can also do without the God of MY own Holy Book telling us to kill this one and that one and whole towns just because they **** Him off. I can also do without all the burn the infidel **** just because he/she won't join our club. Look, to quote a famous Jew, "I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member." I can also do without some Republican dumbhead saying that a woman can't do what she wants when she gets pregnant despite the fact that our beloved Ronald Reagan once said, "Well, if she gets pregnant having fun, she should have fun having that baby." That means I can do without someone else governing my sex life, such as it is right now.
But tell me the truth. You want to see Christmas and Chanukah disappear? What would December be like without all the lights and presents and good will? And Easter and Passover?
Holy cow! That's when all the good food comes out and family and friends get together. And all that glorious ritual that goes on in Church and Shul during the Holidays? ive me a break. Take that stuff away and our identities become pale, or disappear completely. I really like it that I am a Jew and you are something else that you like being. I really like seeing all the crucifixes and MAGEN DAVIDs and yarmulkes, and yes, I am getting used to the hijabs as well. Some gals look hot in them. It gives me hope that one of my 72 virgins wil look that hot. Oh, excuse me. I forgot, you people get to heaven. We don't. Makes the gal in the burka down here look that more exciting.
And you know that some people complain that there are too many religions. Nothing wrong with that. Gives me a choice to change up if I ever get tired my own.
And I don't know about YOUR book but the Holy Bible has some great stories, especially the sexual ones. I think they used to be banned in Boston, if I am not mistaken.
Oh those crazy Irish Catholics. What do they know anyway, practicing rhythm and all that? Still it's not as bad as Orthodox Jews doing it through a sheet.
Hey, it can't be all that bad. So given a choice, I say, hell yeah! Let's keep religion because, after all, as David T said, "Without religion, what would all you FARBISENER
atheists have to complain about? Religion makes your day!
Someone, Give me an AMEN!

AMEN!!!! FINALLY SOMEONE gets it!!!HUMOR!! Funny piece!!!

 

[Bob the Unbeliever]

More people than you'd think.

I actually am antiquated (if you include online friends) with several Old Religion disciples.

I have found them to be, without exception, very tolerant of different viewpoints and worldviews.

Not ironically, we got along just lovely-- I am a huge advocate of freedom of religion.

I draw the line, when laws that protect specific religions (to the detriment of any/all others)-- such laws cannot be allowed to persist.

One of my favorite friends, was a polythiest. He had some very compelling ideas, and my usual argument against theism, did not fare so well against his worldview.

One of the more interesting, was he believed there were not only many gods, but that each had a sphere of operation (sometimes these overlapped), and none were all-anything.

An interesting perspective.

 

[LuisDantas]

A pet peeve of mine: let's please remember that there are many, healthy alternatives to the false dichotomy of (unenlightened) Christianity or Islam and "absence of religion".

The Abrahamic Faiths, in all honesty, are aberrant far as religion is concerned.

 

[Cobol]

This is unfair. Here is another perspective on Al Ghazali: How the decline of Muslim scientific thought still haunts | The National

Al-Ghazali believed that nothing could be known apart from God and Islam, and believed it was futile and wrong to believe otherwise. Philosophers were unable to refute him.

Incessant warfare may also have played a role in the popular swerve toward conservatism.

 

[Thumper]

I would agree-- suppression is never a viable option. Look how "successful" suppression of alcoholic drinks was in the USA. All it did was push the sales underground, into black market territory. And people died from poisonous product.

No, the key to eliminating religion, is education. Example after example shows that the better educated a population is, especially the younger generations, the less religious it becomes.

With wide-spread universal education? Religion will die a natural death, as have all the previous versions-- who worships Zeus these days? The few who do, do not create policy based on their quaint beliefs; they are too small to make a dent.

So, too is christianity and islam dying out anyplace where education is of good quality, and access to uncensored information is easy and all-but-free.

Religion never can withstand an **educated** mind giving it a critical once-over.

The road to secularism is riddled with discarded bibles and quorans, after all...

“As more people become more intelligent they care less for preachers and more for teachers.” ― Robert G. Ingersoll

 

[Thumper]

If all the religious organizations of the world were banned from public life but people were still permitted to meet in small groups and house churches to study and to worship, you would likely see a revival of true religious worship and practice with an increase and strengthening of morals and morale.

Can you name one ( 1 ) moral precept that can be shown to originate from religion, any religion? Just 1.

 

[philbo]

Will our lives be better if there were no religion? Unlikely: even without religion, people will continue to prefer to believe what they want irrespective of whether the evidence contradicts.. religious thinking, whether there's an organized religion behind it.

Who knows, at some point maybe humanity might tip over into critical thought patterns which might end up making things better overall, but so far there's precious little evidence for the sort of progress being made.

 

[Thumper]

Quite to the point. Religion has been around ever since the first monkey pointed at the sun and said to the second monkey, "He just said to tell you that he wants you to hand over all your bananas to me." So, after millions of years, religion is in our DNA, so to speak. Would our lives be better without religion? Well, yes and no.
I can do without the jerks in the street rushing up to me to tell me that only if I accept THEIR lord and savior, will I be saved. Saved from what? Well saved from going to Hell. Hell? Well since Jews don't believe in WhatsHisName, we are all destined to Hell. But so what? At least I'll be there with other Jews. And what's more exciting than being in the company of all those great Hollywood people? I can also do without the God of MY own Holy Book telling us to kill this one and that one and whole towns just because they **** Him off. I can also do without all the burn the infidel **** just because he/she won't join our club. Look, to quote a famous Jew, "I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member." I can also do without some Republican dumbhead saying that a woman can't do what she wants when she gets pregnant despite the fact that our beloved Ronald Reagan once said, "Well, if she gets pregnant having fun, she should have fun having that baby." That means I can do without someone else governing my sex life, such as it is right now.
But tell me the truth. You want to see Christmas and Chanukah disappear? What would December be like without all the lights and presents and good will? And Easter and Passover?
Holy cow! That's when all the good food comes out and family and friends get together. And all that glorious ritual that goes on in Church and Shul during the Holidays? ive me a break. Take that stuff away and our identities become pale, or disappear completely. I really like it that I am a Jew and you are something else that you like being. I really like seeing all the crucifixes and MAGEN DAVIDs and yarmulkes, and yes, I am getting used to the hijabs as well. Some gals look hot in them. It gives me hope that one of my 72 virgins wil look that hot. Oh, excuse me. I forgot, you people get to heaven. We don't. Makes the gal in the burka down here look that more exciting.
And you know that some people complain that there are too many religions. Nothing wrong with that. Gives me a choice to change up if I ever get tired my own.
And I don't know about YOUR book but the Holy Bible has some great stories, especially the sexual ones. I think they used to be banned in Boston, if I am not mistaken.
Oh those crazy Irish Catholics. What do they know anyway, practicing rhythm and all that? Still it's not as bad as Orthodox Jews doing it through a sheet.
Hey, it can't be all that bad. So given a choice, I say, hell yeah! Let's keep religion because, after all, as David T said, "Without religion, what would all you FARBISENER
atheists have to complain about? Religion makes your day!
Someone, Give me an AMEN!

RAMEN!

“Christianity: The doctrine that there is an absolutely powerful, infinitely knowledgeable, universe spanning entity that is deeply and personally concerned about my sex life.”

"It is now quite lawful for a Catholic woman to avoid pregnancy by a resort to mathematics, though she is still forbidden to resort to physics or chemistry." ~ H. L. Mencken

 

[Thumper]

If religion was a human intellectual self deception why should we assume humans would replace it with something better.

Some people see Big Brother in our future, others see the United Federation of Planets.