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 Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 3:09 pm
So I'll start this conversation off as: In your own personal point of view what do you think the purpose of a god and a religion is?
I guess it's also to compare and contrast both good and bad aspects of a either or.
I am only starting it off like this because I wish to have a more indepth conversation on this specific subject.
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Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 7:15 pm
Currently I hold the Religous status of Atheist
Now some of the stuff I say may be ignorant or sacreligous
Okay, here I go, Religion is kinda overrated, sometimes it is forced upon by your family. . . I.E. If you are born into a powerfully christian family, chances are that you won't be a jew. . . or Vice Versa, it's kinda a predetermined thing, unless you have really strong willpower, or your family doesn't have a strong view on any religion, I'm lucky to be blesses with both, I find there is no god because it seem like kind of an outrageous presumption to assume "I don't know how we got here, so I will guess that some higher deity placed us here" It just seems a little too vague to follow, so I won't, if I wanted to know where we came from, I probably would have a different outlook on this situation, but really I don't care where we came from, all I know is that we are here, and it will be that way until we all die off, or the sun dies, or one of the several armageddon theories come true, but that's highly unlikley, but that's another rant, for another day.
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Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 7:45 pm
It's quite simple.
Religion gives easy answers to difficult questions for people who don't want to think for themselves. It gives people who have a hard time a path in life so they don't have to find one themselves.
"What is the purpose of your life?"
"To spread the message of God."
And God? God is the answer to everything.
Did you know that in AA they teach people to stop drinking by finding God?
Religion and God is not necissarily a bad thing; it's just the easy way out. It also depends on what you were born into, of course, but those who convert, that's really what it is.
"What happens after you die?"
"Why, you go to Heaven, or Hell."
It gives you reasons to be good, and moral, other than just, "for the good of everyone."
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Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 8:21 pm
I see religion as people's escape from knowing the actual truth.
I've been in a Catholic family my whole life, half of my family is hoping that I continue on with the sacraments as in getting confirmed and all, but honestly I have no faith in God nor do I think I'm planning on building a relationship with him.
The point of a God it to have something to blame for when something happens, or when they need something to turn to. It's never really a clear reason, well atleast from what I've seen.
People tend to use it for an excuse for bad things happening, like many of my friends. They blame it on their faith why they are hated. I love my Jewish friend very much, but they can't keep using "They hate me cause I'm Jewish" It doesn't work like that.
I say religion is just a way to segregate people all over again and gives way for more racism and all that jazz. I mean, how many wars were started because of religion. The Crusades...it's a bit sad how I can reference my learning into my post. sweatdrop Too much studying.
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Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 8:54 pm
0mG,
nice.
I accept all religions, and myself am of none.
~
There IS someone or something out there, though.
Whether it is God or Budda, it is all one religion,
each with its own tweaks and turns.
But, before you can believe in
something or someone else,
you have to believe in yourself.
That is the beginning of it all.
:]
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Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 9:00 pm
The human purposes for religion are far too numerous to list here, and G*d's purpose for religion depends on which G*d you believe in (if any).
Maybe I am missing the point of the question. Could you maybe clearify it by narrowing it down a bit?
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Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 6:02 am
their is no purpose, nobody "created" religion for a purpose, then it wouldnt be a religion it would be a CULT
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Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 12:54 pm
Sure there are purpouses for religion...
But far of all this "against religion" things people have written, i think religion is a good social controler, 'coz they implant moral and things that law or a person by his own can't, and give to humanity a way of life where they feel happy, realized and off course, against to sin.
So.. i think the world NEED religions, coz we are a society that cannot be stand by our own. In poor countries, for example, if they didn't have a religion, there would millions of criminals more than already are.
I'm not religious at all... i'm kind of spiritual. However, having something to believe in is a very confort way of live.
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Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 3:19 pm
Currently I consider myself to be Episcopalian Christian.
Religion and God serve the purpose of giving people faith. Something good, and something compassionate that is always there when we need it there. When I lost my grandfather, prayer seemd to help ease the pain. Knowing, or believing that God was there and cared about my family after such a horrible loss was comforting. God was a ray of light among the shadows that had been cast over me and my family.
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Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 4:14 pm
Some people need a higher entity to believe in so they can feel safe. My boyfriend thinks that people who believe in God are weak for this reason, and other people I have come across believe they are strong for the same reason.
I think that if believing in a higher entity keeps one sane, more power to them. On the other hand, if they believe in God or Another to condemn certain things they disagree with, they are cowards.
Recently someone expressed their philosophy that any one group of people view "God" as if someone held up their fist so that the back faced them. This one group knows that side of the fist more than anyone else, but they can't comprehend any other side. Another group can see the other side of the fist, but not the back. He explained that "God" is three-dimensional, while we can only see in two dimensions. Therefore, we couldn't even begin to justify one view of the world being better than the other.
Wow, this post is long. I'll wrap it up.
We owe respect to every point of view in this situation, but we shouldn't try to force someone else to see our side of the fist unless we can first see theirs.
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Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 4:20 pm
Ooooh what a controversial issue.
I do not care to disclose my religious perspective because it seems that no matter what religion a person says that they are, they are most always ridiculed.
I do believe in "a god or many gods" (not telling which) not only because I find that it helps give my life meaning and purpose but simply because I feel like there has to be some sort of spirit(s) or god(s) out there. Now don't get me wrong, I am not some religious nut who believes they hear a voice of a higher being, but I feel like the Earth has some connection with spirituality. I feel like humans are spiritual beings. When a person chooses to believe in their connection with earth wind and fire and pray to a goddess, or to believe that Satan is their master, or that they will go to heaven if they accept Jesus into their life, they become "more" of a person. Religion or spirituality shapes individual values, views, and sometimes the general appearance of human beings.
I must say the reasons why Atheist's have the views they do are completely understandable. There is no "proven" god, and no way to prove a god exists.
I hear so many people bash people of religion because those people of faith try to "evangalize" those who do not believe. SO basically they are getting pissed off at the religous "nuts" for talking about religion and then they themselves are going to go around talking about hating religion.
Now who is being the hypocrit here?
I am different from a lot of people who believe in a god or multiple gods..I CANNOT STAND to hear someone preaching to others about how they should become one religion or another. Choosing a faith should be solely up to the individual.
I believe that whatever faith a person chooses to be should not matter to the public because it's none of thier business. Who cares if some person that you don't have to know decides to believe in god??? That is their personal choice, not yours.
Who are you to judge?
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Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 4:37 pm
I know many people who are anti-religion. I myself am not.
It seems to me that religion, while being an excuse to not find actual answers to things, does give people hope and moral guidance. Let's face it, some people are just too stupid to make up their own morals, or too lazy, or don't see how morals can be if not handed down by some divine being. Again, please do not take offense, as I am not generalizing religious people, but pointing out attributes of those in their number.
I believe that if religion never existed, then that would mean it is unnecessary to society. But religion does exist, and I can see nothing but time that can oust it.
Sure, I get riled up about religious fanatics bashing homosexuals (and do not misunderstand me by thinking that I mean all or only religious fanatics do this) but I believe if one can hold up to ones own beliefs, then they should left alone to their own thoughts and not try to impede on anyone else nor have anyone else impede upon them.
Sometimes I think blind faith in statistics and science is just as bad as blind faith in God. I think people should learn to think for themselves. But as I said above, there are those who are just too stupid to attempt such a thing and they have intellectuals from all sides pulling them in every direction. It kinda remind me of an intellectual stock market in which those who can think for themselves try to convert less fortunate ones in order to increase the value of their stance.
But anyway, I believe that as long as it makes sense to you, it exists. Some people find comfort in theism, and others (like myself) find comfort in atheism. We don't need to fight about it, just be rational. I get upset about people taking religious differences so personally.
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Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 4:40 pm
Purpose? Explination, for one. Which is obsolete in the face of more inquisitive methods, but worked out great for earlier civilizations. Another one is faith- this works from an atheistic standpoint also, as is readily evident in placebo medicinal trials. The human mind can trick itself into all sorts of things if it believes. Which sounds like complete bullshit, but not really.
There is, however, a more sinister element, that tends to surface when a religion becomes organized. This is the Established Church, the force that then mandates finite rules for the infinite beliefs, the force that is ultimately the source of most outward attacks, so on and so forth. It is this organizational tactic that is largely to blame for the lack of free will of those in its thrall- as a general rule, religion isn't expressly bad. Organized religion has the potentiality to be far, far worse.
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Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 4:48 pm
God and religion's main purposes:
1) to make suffering people feel that they have something to live for (heaven)
2) to justify corrupted actions by government and religious officials to control others
3) to comfort people because they are afraid of living in a world where everything can't be explained by god.
4) to justify war, murder, and enslavement
As far as I'm concerned, the "good" parts are not good enough to justify the "bad" parts.
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Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 5:00 pm
[Sha] God and religion's main purposes: 1) to make suffering people feel that they have something to live for (heaven) 2) to justify corrupted actions by government and religious officials to control others 3) to comfort people because they are afraid of living in a world where everything can't be explained by god. 4) to justify war, murder, and enslavement As far as I'm concerned, the "good" parts are not good enough to justify the "bad" parts. Numbers two and four are largely due to the Established Church. Personal beliefs are fairly harmless. However, when throngs of people flock to the beck and call of an establishment that shares their beliefs, then we have a problem.
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