Dont bash me for my name is: Religion

[Skylis]

Any thoughts as to why religion came to be? My idea is that most religions are manipulated to control the masses into fearing things that are primal, IE: being alone or death. Its funny really. . with todays technology I don't see how anyone in their right mind can believe still. Faith in something I cant see, touch, experience or take part in? Who said it once I think it was Clarke . . 'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.'

I'd like to add to the end of that, something along the lines of or from a 'God'.


I have no doubt way back in the day they thought the land was flat and that only one big continent existed that they were seeing visions from 'god' while suffering from dehydration, starvation and goodness knows what else. That texts they wrote are 100% true in what they saw, but it was not a God sending it to them. Most religions are nothing but borrowed ideas and stories from other religions/stories.


If there is a hell, I wonder how this mind body and soul thing will work. Because in the bible they pry on pain and how you will drink and never be satisfied or that you will be burnt over and over or blah blah blah. Those are all things felt by the body and not a 'soul' so I don't see/understand how you could feel pain if your soul is detached from your brain/body/mind or w/e you get the point. Thats just one of the flaws of some religions. . And fyi, Not only talking about Christianity, most have a 'heaven and a hell'

[Mr-Me-II]

Originally Posted by Skylis

Any thoughts as to why religion came to be?

Religion, in my opinion, started as a way of understanding people natural surroundings. Mountains, rain, storms, things unexplainable by science thousands of years ago, could be easily explained through religion.

I think everyone would be better off without religion really...think of all of the wars, all the lives lost, all the tension...all caused because one group believed something another group didn't. Religion would be great if people would just agree to disagree, but humans in general are too ignorant and proud to do that.

[volmer]

I think it religion started because the people were in dark troubled times and needed relief, that their efforts will be payed for in "heaven" and people who are mean will go to "hell." They needed something to cheer up and to aim for. It gave people a meaning of life. But then, religion quickly turned into a way to control the people instead of teach them, religion became an industry, as churches were rich as hell, religion became an excuse for war, as in crusades, religion was brought down to the real cold and cruel world.

[Mr-Me-II]

I'll second that also. Religion does give a sense of purpose, a reason to be 'good'.

But...

Originally Posted by volmer

... as churches were rich as hell....

Ahaha...sorry I had to

[CampingCow]

Without religion the world would be in chaos. It puts fear into people So they will do the right thing. If they want to get to the place that they where told about. I think its away to control people also.

[Mr-Me-II]

Originally Posted by CampingCow

Without religion the world would be in chaos. It puts fear into people So they will do the right thing. If they want to get to the place that they where told about. I think its away to control people also.

I never believed in any religion, and I think I'm a pretty nice guy/do the right thing. It is all down to personal preference, but if there was no religion that does not mean the world would be in chaos.

Not to seem mean or disrespectful here, but as far as I can tell religion has killed far more people than it has 'saved'.

And yes, it is a way to control people. That's why 9/11 happened

[Jihad]

I agree with mr meII

I think people of the past -without the scientific technology we have today-had to have a reason for all the natural occuring things. The Native Americans weren't doing dances for a high pressure front to blow in from the north. They were calling to their gods for rain.

[Serov]

so in your opinion religion is a falsehood made up to control others? thats...kinda...dark and depressing.

some quotes that illustrate what I think

"Faith does not imply a closed, but an open mind. Quite the opposite of blindness, faith appreciates the vast spiritual realities that materialists overlook by getting trapped in the purely physical."
-Sir. John Templeton

"Science has 'explained' nothing; the more we know the more fantastic the world becomes, and the profounder the surrounding darkness."
-Aldous Huxley, atheist

"To try to explain truth to him who loves it not is but to give him more plentiful material for misinterpretation."
-George MacDonald

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."
-C.S. Lewis

“Society treats men like machines because modern man has come to conclude that man is a machine.”
-Francis Schaeffer

"Truth, of course, must be stranger than fiction, for we have made fiction to suit ourselves."
-G.K. Chesterton

[RAZR]

My idea is that most religions are manipulated to control the masses

. The christianism was made for that, it was a religion that was made early but the more it was growing, the monks were getting a lot of powers, sometimes they were almost over kings...

Without religion the world would be in chaos

I must agree with camping, a lot of people may be lost without it, some people get confidence by thinking someone up there is protecting, hearing and loving them. I'm not saying that the religion shoud be obligatory, I'm just saying that you can believe in what you want.

[seroone]

Originally Posted by Mr-Me-II

I never believed in any religion, and I think I'm a pretty nice guy/do the right thing. It is all down to personal preference, but if there was no religion that does not mean the world would be in chaos.

Not to seem mean or disrespectful here, but as far as I can tell religion has killed far more people than it has 'saved'.

And yes, it is a way to control people. That's why 9/11 happened

I agree to a certain extent.
Religion is what makes a person believe.- 2nd part Below.
EVERY BEING knows right from wrong, the difference is we like to endulge on the "wrong".
Yes, Religious wars have been waged and mass extermination has been the result.
Jihad-Muslims
Crusade/Taking The Cross- Roman Catholics
Catholics Vs Protastints
Catholics Vs Christians
Catholics Vs Muslim
Catholics Vs Pagan
Catholics Vs Jews, See the trend?
The popes in the mid evil days where master politicians and could Exploit the peoples belief.



Now I dont mean to bash Catholocism but to wage war over religion is plain out ludacris. The Bible And Koran Says Thou shal NOT KILL, But over the years it has been lost umongst all the daily tradgities so it has been changed to Thou shal Not Kill [As long as they are infedel, As long as you are at war, as long as it means keeping the peace, as long if your defending yourself]

Were cruel and evil do i think there is no god because of this? No
I believe a person has choice, when the face god they can't say I was orderd, I was hungry This will not suffice.

Do i think there will be an armagedon? Probably.
In my life time? Sure hope not.

I know this when you look at a person face to face when there alive it is by FAR different from when they are dead and seemingly what id state as "An empty Shell".


Sorry bout ranting but Religion is somthing that is important in my life and I will defend it as long as I breath.


Cant remember where this came from but i think it was the bible

"Lucifers Greatest trick was convicing man that he does not exsist."

[Serov]

Originally Posted by seroone

Cant remember where this came from but i think it was the bible

"Lucifers Greatest trick was convicing man that he does not exsist."

that is most certainly not from the bible. did a search in multiple translations with no results. its most likely a quote not a bible verse/passage/pericope

[Smitty]

Yes this is another long and boring post from Smitty, but deal with it! Hehehe...

1.> The guy that said religion hasn't caused any problems - that's got to be the most ignorant thing I've heard in the longest time! Me being an atheist, and when I say atheist, I mean if there was a 'GOD' - HE HIMSELF couldn't prove to me his own existence. Look at the darker side of religion as a whole. If there were to be a 'GOD' or 'ALLAH' or 'SHIVA'... etc. Then which religion is right? NONE OF THEM! Religion doesn't cause war or harm? Are you CRAZY?! Muslims fighting and killing protestants? Catholics / Protestants burning people, drowning people, beheading people aftter accusing them of witchcraft? Let me guess... you're going to be the guy who says "Oh no, religion didn't do that..." Or did it? For hundreds of years there has always been a form of 'Holy War' going on between the factions. Killing each other over "My God has a bigger weener than your God..." is rediculous. Religion is a TOOL... and those who follow the TOOL are SHEEP-le! Those who choose to follow such a blind guide, in something that hasn't been proven and never will be proven is foolish. There were many 'God(desses) before Jesus Christ ever came into the world! What type of hoo-hah is that? But this Jesus fellar that many think so fondly of, claims to be the end-all / be-all? Who the hell is he to tell us who we should worship? He was a human just like you or I. He died for claiming something as outrageous as he claimed! Go ROME!

2.> Faith is just that - Faith. Believing the impossible may in fact be possible. If you have faith, which everyone has faith in some way or another, it's a good thing. But look at it this way - Religion is blind faith. PERIOD! I could have all the faith I wanted to walk on water barefooted, but will I really walk on water? Well gravity says HELL NO! I'll sink before I'll stand on top of the Pacific Ocean. You can put faith in whatever you choose people, but keep it realistic.

3.> Science hasn't proven anything. You're right there BUT the THEORY of Evolution is more sane than "GOD made it all in 7 DAYS!" I mean I see it like this, science has a set of tools and trials before saying that something is absolutely TRUE. First it starts off as a Hypothesis, then it's tested and eventually becomes a theory, then its tested some more, if all the tests prove successful it becomes something else...and then finally once it is tested to exhaustion it becomes a LAW. Like the LAW of GRAVITY, and the LAW of Physics... etc. etc. Read the definition of evolution - a gradual change in characteristics as well as technological advances over long periods of time. I guess that case is closed too now huh? The only problem, if we didn't evolve from monkeys then where the hell did we come from? If god made us in his own image, then he must have looked pretty retarded with a head that big and a brain that small... hmmmmm, makes you wonder doesn't it?

Final comments - I hate religion. I don't care if you're buddhist, hindu, muslim, christian, catholic, or non denom. If you worship a higher being, you need to be locked away in a crazy house! It's childish to believe in an omipotent and omnipresent being such as this 'GOD' you speak of! If you believe in 'GOD' you also have to believe in the tooth fairy, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and a flying spaghetti monster from the planet Pluto! Religion is a way to easily explain the begining of man and the end of life itself. It's a way to make people at ease with the fact that one day everyones going to die. It helps them cope by brainwashing themselves to think that there is a life after death. Don't get me wrong religion helps some people get through life, but seriously, it's not something that's going to take 30 years off your life if you are a hard core worshipper. This 'GOD' isn't going to come down from his throne holding ur deceased loved ones hand and tell you "You can keep him / her for another 10-20 years". And yes I do agree that religion as a whole was a way of explaining why things happened the way they did, but for most of the knowledge hungry seekers out there, that explanation isn't good enough.

"The difference between those who are locked away in a psychiatric wards and religious people, is the 'crazies' have been deemed by society to be insane"

[weaver]

I suppose I take note of a difference between Spirituality and Religion. Religion is like politics - a force of control.

Spirituality I believe is inherently built into the human mind. Either by mother nature as an escape / pressure lever or perhaps by a God if he has guided the hand of creation.