Religion ...

[A~G]

Ok, Uncle_J's post inspired me.... lets hear what most of you have to say about God/Religion etc... I know its a touchy topic, so lets keep our replies clean and respectful.

The heaven/hell concept. In most religions, it's said that you go to hell if you don't follow the "teachings and laws" of the creator. (God)

Ok, but taken from a broad perspective, should I believe then that God created humanity to live by his rules/laws. To pray to him 5 times/day... to go to church and worship him? If this is all true, it sounds to me like God is a little egostistical.

Imagine I had the power to create life... and I made it mandatory to pray to me, love me, worship me and live by my rules... and if you don't... i'll send you to eternal damnation.


Whats was Gods point in creating humans? to pray and worship him? in some beliefs 5 times/ day?! c'mon... i'm not an atheist, i was brought up Roman Catholic... but religions its all too ambiguous.



The way I see it, live a good and honest life and you'll go to heaven. I see Religions all leading to the same place... they're just all different ways of getting there. Religions are just doorways... all leading to the same room. Its up to you to decide what door to take to enter that room.
__________________

[A~G]

ANOTHER THING...

Confession... why do I have to see a priest to be forgiven for my sins. Why can I not speak directly to God at the end of each day before I go to sleep? Why must I go through a 3rd party?


I remember learning in sociology, back in medeival times confession was used as a way of seeing whats wrong with society and what crimes were being committed and after consultation with the priest, the King would take the necessary steps to make changes in society to keep the people happy.

Its all so prehistoric. People used to create Gods, there were 1000's of religions at points in time, ppl would make a gold statue and worship that! but with time only the strongest beliefs (Religions) survived... Roman Catholic, Muslim etc...


pffft. I know SOOOOOOOOOOO many ppl will disagree with my posts, and I respect that... give me your input...

[WhadUpp]

Also discuss how in the name of religion (all types) has been responsible for so much bloodshed and how these acts were justified as God's will. This relates to most religions not any particular one. Just thought this would add to other questions about religion and its impact on humanity and history through out time.

[A~G]

Originally Posted by WhadUpp

Also discuss how in the name of religion (all types) has been responsible for so much bloodshed and how these acts were justified as God's will. This relates to most religions not any particular one. Just thought this would add to other questions about religion and its impact on humanity and history through out time.

VERY TRUE... look at protestants/catholics... etc... its unbelievable... killing in the 'name of God'.. are you kidding me?

[M3ti Compact]

Originally Posted by M3ti Compact

What I learned in high school world religions...

All religions have a common goal: to explain life after death. But because no one has ever gone there and were able to come back and tell what really happens, all religion is a speculation.

With SO many religions out there, but only one right answer, the majority of religions out there would be fundamentally wrong.

So- which story do I believe the most? Christianity- but I don't go to church or pray every day etc. just because I cannot be 100% sure it's the right one, and therefore cannot justify spending 100% effort in being christian.

yeah

[Soldo]

This may offend some, and i appologize before hand, but these are just my opionions!


Now although it may seem like an uneducated remark, I think Religion is a SCAM! I have many friends, of different religious backgrounds, and i have taken the time to study many different religions.

The reason i say this is because religion has gotten out of hand! You have religions fighting over land. And Fighting for religion, is like screwing for virginity! The thing is so many people see how bad its getting in the middle eastern countries all in the name of religion and are sterortyping against them, but its funny how nobody ever mentions how many poeple Christians have killed in the name of GOD.

You look at greek mythology, and most poeple see how silly it is NOW because you can scientifically explain how everything works. At the time, for the greek people, they used those beliefs as a religion to help explain to them what was unknown. The same goes with all religions.

Now i have nothing against anyones belief system, and truth be told, i think its good for people to have something to believe in and have faith in cause some people REALLY need it!

However.... religion is not meant to be taken literally, its just composed of a buncha stories, which should be used as a life lesson. Too many people take their religion far too seriously, and thats why things get messy!

Science should be the only relgion that people should believe in and take seriously, cause that is 100% FACT.

Now for all those that wanna bash me, go right ahead, my comments might be a bit random, and if i confused anyone let me know. I'm looking forward to a big debate on this topic.

P.S. I was born and raised roman catholic!

[FastM3]

Originally Posted by A~G

The heaven/hell concept. In most religions, it's said that you go to hell if you don't follow the "teachings and laws" of the creator. (God)

Ok, but taken from a broad perspective, should I believe then that God created humanity to live by his rules/laws. To pray to him 5 times/day... to go to church and worship him? If this is all true, it sounds to me like God is a little egostistical.

Imagine I had the power to create life... and I made it mandatory to pray to me, love me, worship me and live by my rules... and if you don't... i'll send you to eternal damnation.

Whats was Gods point in creating humans? to pray and worship him? in some beliefs 5 times/ day?! c'mon... i'm not an atheist, i was brought up Roman Catholic... but religions its all too ambiguous.

Correct.

Originally Posted by A~G

The way I see it, live a good and honest life and you'll go to heaven. I see Religions all leading to the same place... they're just all different ways of getting there. Religions are just doorways... all leading to the same room. Its up to you to decide what door to take to enter that room.

There's no "room" after.

Originally Posted by A~G

Confession... why do I have to see a priest to be forgiven for my sins. Why can I not speak directly to God at the end of each day before I go to sleep? Why must I go through a 3rd party?

Because it's a scam.

[SickFinga]

I agree with Soldo, its all about Big Bang.

Bible, Quaran etc are just first constitutions, first books of law.
Thats how I view them.

[myndgone]

ahhh, religion...the root of all evil....

I converted...I'm an alien BMWist!!!

[BMW_7]

Religions is part of human's symbolic thought. It is believed that this thought was developed during evolution, along with co-operation and abstract thought. These early creatures began to question why storms happen, why sometimes there is heavy rain or drought that does not produce crops.

For example, say you live in a forest 100 million years ago, you hunt animals with a band and then brind home the food to your family. One day you find your wife and child dead outside your home and you see a deer standing by them, your friends restrain you but you want to kill that deer, you run to your dead family but the deer runs away.

Later on that same deer is captured, and then coincidentally, you find your child wakes up. You believe that this is some sort of miracle and you can't seem to understand it but you believe that the deer's life somehow got traded with your child's life. While in reality, your child just came outside, and lied down to sleep beside your wife and then later woke up.

It's nothing, just simple COINCIDENCE that sprawned religion. Science advanced greatly and we can explain every phenomenon that was regarded as an act of God as long as we can look back in history. It just existed, in one form or the other, in the beginning as a group of people who believed they had certain healing powers or some other trait that "apparently" allowed them to communicate with the outside world. People will disagree with me but I believe that this is how "Jesus" and "Mohhamed" existed, or any other religious figure for that matter. Just a very elaborate and sophisticated story that was passed on for generations, that gives boundaries and certain meaning to our life.

It's funny, I read this thread, Adam. And you ask the same questions, that were asked 100 million years ago. We are still trying to take a crack at it, discuss religion, and try to justify our opinions..

[A~G]

Originally Posted by Soldo

This may offend some, and i appologize before hand, but these are just my opionions!


Now although it may seem like an uneducated remark, I think Religion is a SCAM! I have many friends, of different religious backgrounds, and i have taken the time to study many different religions.

The reason i say this is because religion has gotten out of hand! You have religions fighting over land. And Fighting for religion, is like screwing for virginity! The thing is so many people see how bad its getting in the middle eastern countries all in the name of religion and are sterortyping against them, but its funny how nobody ever mentions how many poeple Christians have killed in the name of GOD.

You look at greek mythology, and most poeple see how silly it is NOW because you can scientifically explain how everything works. At the time, for the greek people, they used those beliefs as a religion to help explain to them what was unknown. The same goes with all religions.

Now i have nothing against anyones belief system, and truth be told, i think its good for people to have something to believe in and have faith in cause some people REALLY need it!

However.... religion is not meant to be taken literally, its just composed of a buncha stories, which should be used as a life lesson. Too many people take their religion far too seriously, and thats why things get messy!

Science should be the only relgion that people should believe in and take seriously, cause that is 100% FACT.

Now for all those that wanna bash me, go right ahead, my comments might be a bit random, and if i confused anyone let me know. I'm looking forward to a big debate on this topic.

P.S. I was born and raised roman catholic!

I definately see your point of view. I do believe in a higher power, a God... however religion should not be taken literally... it does help keep structure in society... but lately its been tearing it apart.

[Justin e36]

I've done quite a bit of exploration in various religions, and spent quite a bit of time myself in Buddhist Temples, Hindu Temples, Christian churches of various denominations, and even nondenominational churches (most recently). I'm not going to go off on a tangent to justify religion as a whole, or to dismiss it.

There are a few things that I've learned. One, is that, I prefer associating with people who have some type of belief, it doesn't need to be a deep belief. I find (generally speaking), it makes them a more positive person. There is a line which is drawn where people get defensive (or worse, offensive) of their beliefs and can become violent; this has been shown historically. But for the vast majority, they are nicer people to be around, associate with, and do business with. I find the same when it comes to girls, and dating.

While for many cultures, it can be a strong backbone to the population... it can also be exploited, when people attempt to force views onto others. It's a Catch 22, and I believe it is something that is best utilized in moderation, especially in a multicultural country such as Canada.

I've also found that personally, being a Catholic did not click fundamentally with who I am, but another religion does---which I would actually consider more of a philosophy, and that, is Buddhism. While I maintain the Catholic label, a lot of my beliefs have Buddhist influence. It's simple, makes sense, and it's basic rules on how to live a happy, content, positive life. So my personal beliefs are a mix of both.

[A~G]

Originally Posted by BMW_7

Religions is part of human's symbolic thought. It is believed that this thought was developed during evolution, along with co-operation and abstract thought. These early creatures began to question why storms happen, why sometimes there is heavy rain or drought that does not produce crops.

For example, say you live in a forest 100 million years ago, you hunt animals with a band and then brind home the food to your family. One day you find your wife and child dead outside your home and you see a deer standing by them, your friends restrain you but you want to kill that deer, you run to your dead family but the deer runs away.

Later on that same deer is captured, and then coincidentally, you find your child wakes up. You believe that this is some sort of miracle and you can't seem to understand it but you believe that the deer's life somehow got traded with your child's life. While in reality, your child just came outside, and lied down to sleep beside your wife and then later woke up.

It's nothing, just simple COINCIDENCE that sprawned religion. Science advanced greatly and we can explain every phenomenon that was regarded as an act of God as long as we can look back in history. It just existed, in one form or the other, in the beginning as a group of people who believed they had certain healing powers or some other trait that "apparently" allowed them to communicate with the outside world. People will disagree with me but I believe that this is how "Jesus" and "Mohhamed" existed, or any other religious figure for that matter. Just a very elaborate and sophisticated story that was passed on for generations, that gives boundaries and certain meaning to our life.

It's funny, I read this thread, Adam. And you ask the same questions, that were asked 100 million years ago. We are still trying to take a crack at it, discuss religion, and try to justify our opinions..

Thats is a great explanation. And yes I am asking the same questions that were asked millions of years ago. The older I get the more I'm starting to question it all. Its hard to believe that religions, that have never been proven, that have no hard evidence for backup have such a strong impact on society.

Everyone has turned to 'God' at some points in their lives, especially in times of need. Whether your child is dying or you have an exam coming up, you look to a higher power for guidance. Yet this 'higher power' has never been confirmed. Is it possible that 'God' is just a figment of humanity's imagination to explain the unexplainable... to cover our vulnurability as to how much we really dont' know?

Gah... my brain hurts. lol...

[A~G]

For the record I do believe there is a higher power of some sort...

People need something to believe in, to prevent complete chaos. Whether it be a God in the sky... or something like the Gaia theory of the living earth

[A~G]

Originally Posted by Justin e36

I've done quite a bit of exploration in various religions, and spent quite a bit of time myself in Buddhist Temples, Hindu Temples, Christian churches of various denominations, and even nondenominational churches (most recently). I'm not going to go off on a tangent to justify religion as a whole, or to dismiss it.

There are a few things that I've learned. One, is that, I prefer associating with people who have some type of belief, it doesn't need to be a deep belief. I find (generally speaking), it makes them a more positive person. There is a line which is drawn where people get defensive (or worse, offensive) of their beliefs and can become violent; this has been shown historically. But for the vast majority, they are nicer people to be around, associate with, and do business with. I find the same when it comes to girls, and dating.

While for many cultures, it can be a strong backbone to the population... it can also be exploited, when people attempt to force views onto others. It's a Catch 22, and I believe it is something that is best utilized in moderation, especially in a multicultural country such as Canada.

I've also found that personally, being a Catholic did not click fundamentally with who I am, but another religion does---which I would actually consider more of a philosophy, and that, is Buddhism. While I maintain the Catholic label, a lot of my beliefs have Buddhist influence. It's simple, makes sense, and it's basic rules on how to live a happy, content, positive life. So my personal beliefs are a mix of both.

Buddism is an amazing philosophy... We covered that in sociology first year. I too consider myself a Buddhist-Catholic