squiffy said:
My opinion on religions is this
1) They are created by people in power to control people, and to elevate themselves higher into power, to cause fear and persecute those that do not obey, or to froth up their followers to hate other nationalities/countries that are different. I know of several Christians and they are NOT tolerant of other religious people or atheists. They always judge other people, and see themelves superior to other people who are not Christians (ie Atheists, other religions)
I do not think all religions, even most, were created in order to control people. More that they were created as an attempt to understand the world, but abused as a control tool. As for tolerance, that comes down to personal experience. Just as there are kind old people and rude people is not to say
they are all one or the other. I have seen/heard many intolerant religious people that look down on non-believers very pretentiously. However, on the same note some religious people are tolerant - to say otherwise is generalising.
2) It causes people to be all alike, and to go through life with a blinkered view with no self opinion or to question those in power, and to to trust those in power (paedo priests for example where the mother silences her abused sons/daughters in fears of what of priests hellfire spouting) If people really believe the Earth is 6000 years old it proves they have been brainwashed. I have no problem believing a healer named Jesus was born 2000 years and was a "nice guy" and crucified.
It's unjust to tar all religions with this brush. Although it can be applied to monotheistic religions to a degree, although we're talking extreme pious nutcases here, how you could say that a polytheistic religion causes its followers to be alike?
3) Are used to instill ignorance, and to also to persecute those who are thinking, or leaving the path, or dislike those rules.
Another case of how the ideas have been manipulated to control people.
4) Religion has caused more death than political wars, and is the cause of hatred between each religious groups moreso than territorial/nationality differences.
This argument is moot. Religious wars wouldn't occur in most cases if there wasn't some political grounding.
5) Any religion that doesn't have 100% followers that do not question it's Holy book isn't working. You only have to see a small minority of any extremist (Christian or Muslim) In a group of Muslims burning a US/UK/Danish/Martian flag do you see any stop and think "hmmm this is going a bit to far?"
There is nothing wrong with follow moral and legal laws, it is pretty obvious if I went around killing people it would be wrong. However according to various religions sexual gratification of certain types is wrong. I'm sorry but any person in power who preaches this rubbish needs to be thrown into the street. Those that take literal translations of religious texts are morons with no free will. I have no problem believing in Jesus/Mohammed, but if I were religious I would pick and choose the MORAL things from each text to what I believe is right. If I fanced a bit of brown that is my own right, if I were gay I would ignore the Bible's views on such matters. Would you want that person to go through life miserable and to deny his sexuality? Just so when you go to heaven God knows you lid a sin free (albeit miserable and sexually lonely life)
Why do you think that is? Is it perhaps Gays, Lesbians, anal, oral, and sex without conctraception stops pregnancies? Religious groups want more followers to increase their numbers, and not for those with sexual preferences without any chance of offspring...so they would rather you have a miserable life over "sin"
You went off on a bit of a tangent here, and it looks like you're more or less just talking about catholicism. To that degree, the banning of contraceptives by the church, if removed would no doubt reduce the amount of AIDS in less developed countries.
Although religion is not quintessentially bad or 'evil', it is in my opinion a bit of an outdated facet of society, that really isn't needed now. It does seem to be fading out, slowly. Although many people claim to be religious, this only goes to the point of trying to keep the heaven gates open for them
I think this is for the best. Religion has served it's purpose in time, but we do not need it now. A society in which we are constantly trying to learn about the universe will not benefit from an ancient text that states "God did it".
I don't really think we need religion - long ago it helped people to uphold moral values, but do you not think we are civilised enough now as a culture to know when something is appropriate or not? I can't speak for everyone, but I do not need a set of commandments to tell me not to steal or cheat.
Likewise, parts of the religion do not really fit a modern lifestyle, in which we live a longer life, are likely to have relationships where both man and wife work full-time. Monogamy is nice for people who are lucky to find one they love, but for many frictions occur and relationships are not as long lasting as we'd hope. And people have more freedoms. We aren't expected to settle down in our 20s, have children and work for the next few decades. We live in a time where to a large degree, we have the ability to do almost anything we want - we should not hold ourselves back with archaic beliefs.
In the end, it boils down to an argument of belief, which is why religious debates often seem to go in a roundabout. Nobody is likely to change their heavily ingrained views on life, so people just state their own values. I think this world is only what we make of it; not a mission to appease some omnipotent force, but a chance to live a happy life we can share with others.
Sorry to offend any with fragile beliefs; but just as you are entitled to express yours I am mine.
but at least it's not got into the normal "us, them" "right / wrong" religious thread.
later on regreted doing it ( was a christian at the time ) and we split up a number of weeks later.
