Religion – your views

[Zay-el]

If religious people can write 'GOD' or 'LORD' exclusively in majuscules, I can write them exclusively in minuscules.

Also, I only respect views or opinions that deserve it. Believing in a personal god for no valid reason doesn't earn you any respect in my book.

Putting them in majuscules applies mostly to either fanatists, or people who don't know how to write. Anytime you wanna flip open a Bible, you'll see that it's Lord, and God. If not, then grammar went strangely awry in some translations.

Second, I hand out my respect according to what a person is truly like AND what he/she accomplished. If I get to see a convincing personality, or that the said person has already put down something upon the table, he/she gets my respect, no matter what. Like I said before, the experiences one may have in his/her life, can eventually evoke faith even, in some cases. Plus, if there'd been religions from the very beginning of humanity, they have to be right SOMEWHERE, no? X3

And before you counter me with proof, or the apparent stupidity of people: sure, humans are generally drawn towards dumb things. But for one thing, tell me honestly...in the even of say...malfunctioning airplane, what do you trust in better: gravity, or divine intervention?

[CoCoXo]

Yes, God exist.

[RayLums]

How do you know ?

[stan423321]

And before you counter me with proof, or the apparent stupidity of people: sure, humans are generally drawn towards dumb things. But for one thing, tell me honestly...in the even of say...malfunctioning airplane, what do you trust in better: gravity, or divine intervention?

I believe both, because our death can change something in lifes of our families and friends. So error is an effect of intervention.

[Hunchman801]

We are behind the UK?! I'm very disappointed with my "green" countrymen.

Also, ROFL@US!!!!!!!!111111

Still, I can't believe that about 15% of the French don't believe in the theory of evolution. I have never ever met anyone in France who deemed the idea that human beings were developed from earlier species of animals to be wrong. I guess they must be really old, uneducated people from the countryside. Anyway, you can't help noticing the correlation between religious fanaticism and the percentage of people who do not believe in Evolution. That's one of the numerous wrong sides of religions: they are an obstacle to knowledge and science.

Although religion hasn't brought anything good to the world (though I'll have to say all the Christians I've met are very, very nice people), it also hasn't brought anything bad.

How can you be serious with all the atrocities that were perpetrated in the name of God?

[Zay-el]

We are behind the UK?! I'm very disappointed with my "green" countrymen.

Also, ROFL@US!!!!!!!!111111

Still, I can't believe that about 15% of the French don't believe in the theory of evolution. I have never ever met anyone in France who deemed the idea that human beings were developed from earlier species of animals to be wrong. I guess they must be really old, uneducated people from the countryside. Anyway, you can't help noticing the correlation between religious fanaticism and the percentage of people who do not believe in Evolution. That's one of the numerous wrong sides of religions: they are an obstacle to knowledge and science.

Not entirely true, if you look into the subject. While the more fanatist kind, or the one that would like to stay as the most knowledgable ARE against science and stuff, many religious people aren't. Just off the top of my head, there's Mendel, who pretty much got the basics of genetics to work. Even evolution isn't unbelievable, as -though I don't remember his name right now- there was a priest, who pretty much managed to tie the Bible and evolution together perfectly, making both very much comfortable next to each other.

Although religion hasn't brought anything good to the world (though I'll have to say all the Christians I've met are very, very nice people), it also hasn't brought anything bad.

How can you be serious with all the atrocities that were perpetrated in the name of God?

Again, atrocities are comitted by humanity, not God. In earlier times, people saw the Pope and such high-ranking priests as closest to God as possible, thus listened to their every word, like puppies. However, once people become educated and grow smarter, they'll always as the question: Why?, which makes this method pretty hard to continue. Fanatism usually thrives from overwhelming fear of the deity and consequences, and not faith. Anyone who has a healthy belief would never go along with such things that happened in the past.

One way or another, the world would be MUCH more poor mentally, if it weren't for religions, despite arguing whether they're good or bad.

[MLII]

Wow...

[Tobbe]

Again, atrocities are comitted by humanity, not God. In earlier times, people saw the Pope and such high-ranking priests as closest to God as possible, thus listened to their every word, like puppies. However, once people become educated and grow smarter, they'll always as the question: Why?, which makes this method pretty hard to continue. Fanatism usually thrives from overwhelming fear of the deity and consequences, and not faith. Anyone who has a healthy belief would never go along with such things that happened in the past.

"Guns don't kill people, people do.", eh? That's true, but you have to remember that guns (religion) give people the opportunity to kill each other. "god told me to do it" is an excellent excuse to, say, invade a country, or crash some airplanes into tall buildings. The existance of religion will inevitable spawn fanatics who will do whatever to "defend" their beliefs, so if we take away religion, we take away an excellent excuse for people to kill each other. I would like to repeat a quote I posted on an earlier page in this thread:

You do not need the bible to justify love, but no better tool has been invented to justify hate.

One way or another, the world would be MUCH more poor mentally, if it weren't for religions, despite arguing whether they're good or bad.

But for one thing, tell me honestly...in the even of say...malfunctioning airplane, what do you trust in better: gravity, or divine intervention?

That's a stupid question, btw.

[stan423321]

I didn't know you're an emu.

In case of second one - Zay-el's opinion is as worth as yours. No more and no less.

I can imagine world without religion, but it would be a bit... cold, if you know what I mean... just read New Brave World.

[Joshua822]

One way or another, the world would be MUCH more poor mentally, if it weren't for religions, despite arguing whether they're good or bad.

That's true and flase in a way, actually.Religion is about believing how the world has been created and who leads the world. But, there are learnings like Boedhisme that are far more valueble when it comes to moral.

[stan423321]

No sir, religion is also about being moral. Just take a look at taoism (have I spelled it right?). It's obviously religion, and doesn't tell a lot about history. It even supports macro-evolution in some way.

And believe me, there are lots of moral people in catholic Church. So your argument is a bit... weak, right? Or maybe I understood it wrong way?

[Tobbe]

In case of second one - Zay-el's opinion is as worth as yours. No more and no less.

?

I can imagine world without religion, but it would be a bit... cold, if you know what I mean...

No, I don't. I don't think any of the Earth's net thermal energy would be any lower just because religion disappeared.

And that's not an emu, it's an ostrich.

[stan423321]

Cold in moral sense. I see you don't understand me here...

[Tobbe]

Moral comes from the natural process of evolution, not from religion, so yes, I don't agree with you here.

[stan423321]

No, no, no, I don't mean you agree with me, because I know you're total diverse of myself. I simply mean almost everybody in Poland would understand word "cold" there, and you obviously don't, so it can be an idiom or something.

[Tobbe]

No, I understand perfectly well what you mean. I was just hoping you'd understand from my answer that I completely disagreed with you. Obviously I overestimated your English skills and/or intelligence.

[stan423321]

so yes, I don't agree with you here.

If it doesn't sound like an answer, I'm a Chinese monk.

[Tobbe]

wtf?

btw, found this hilasrous pic on failbl0g!!!:

[Xenon]

"Guns don't kill people, people do.", eh? That's true, but you have to remember that guns (religion) give people the opportunity to kill each other. "god told me to do it" is an excellent excuse to, say, invade a country, or crash some airplanes into tall buildings. The existance of religion will inevitable spawn fanatics who will do whatever to "defend" their beliefs, so if we take away religion, we take away an excellent excuse for people to kill each other.

I don't think that's relevant to the case, as some people will censure anything as the responsible. Your example of the excuse "God told me to do it" isn't a standard religious response (it's a common misconception that atheists hold) - and anyone who does choose to declare that as a justification is clearly mentally unstable. There's not much more for me to say as Zay-el's previous comment wraps up my argument neatly.

@ Hunchman: All the atrocities connected with religion are completely human-grounded. Religion was a weapon, but, similarly to a kitchen knife, it was not designed to be a projectile of death. It is human intervention that causes the atrocities you described.

[Tobbe]

About human intervention: The only useful course of action to stop humans from killing each other is to exterminate the human race. Since this is obviously not an option, we should go for the next best thing, and take away one of the main reasons and excuses for people to kill each other; religion. Comparing religion to a kitchen knife has one fundamental flaw imo: Unlike the kitchen knife, religion doesn't serve any useful purpose (anymore). As long as it's only causing bad things, we would obviously be better off without it. I would like to repeat the infamous R.A. Weatherwax quote for a third time, this time with a slight alteration:

"You do not need religion to justify love, but no better tool has been invented to justify hate."