Hmmm...

I don't belive in religion. Well, any religion that bases its values on a spiritual figure.

I think that religion was created long ago to ease the minds of the commonfolk. Back when people commonly died at the age of 30-40, you needed something to look up. I don't think waking up every morning and almost dying trying to find food was much motivation to live. Some people, namely Jesus, Abraham, Muhammad and others, figured this out. They realized that if you told a person or a group of people of something to look foward to as good as Heaven, they would. I mean, back in those times, who wouldn't? I would certainly want to go to a wonderful place when I die. All I have to do is be nice, pray occasionally, and give what little money i have away? Deal.

See what I mean? Those "prophets" could have been nothing more than guys who were slightly smarter than the rest of the world, guys who could manipulate and press people to believe what they wanted them to believe. Think of them as a supercharged lawyer, only speaking to thousands at a time.

The holy books have no effect either. If you were a devout christian, and Jesus approached you and asked you to write a book that portrays him and "god" to be great guys, and tells you to be creative when you do it, or god will strike you down, i think you would most likely do it.

And all of the burning in hell and going to heaven crap just seems like something used to keep you following jesus. I dunno. The fact that I understood this might mean that I am going to become the next Jesus. But by telling all of you, I have ruined it, and created a religious paradox that crushes all faiths in the near future.

oops.

You haven't understood shit. You just think you have.

Lol, is that so?

Prove it.

You see thats the thing. You can't prove ANYTHING in religion, because it is just that, religion. This is my opinion, and if you didn't want it, then why did you read it?

Be more open minded, dumbass.

That whole thread on the myth of Satan being a fallen angel makes me question whether or not many parts of many holy books could have simply been an attempt at understnding the world around them. A failed attempt, but an attempt nontheless.

As well, the thread on Jesus' use of pot can bring up a whole lot of questions. I mean, the guy was covering people with a weed oil so they could have holy visions and what not. If Jesus did exist theres no denying that he was a great man, whether or not his stories of God where fabricated. He still helped people, who then went on to help people, etc..... As well, he did give these people who lived quite sucky lives something to look forward to, whether it was true or not Im sure it brought people happiness. Though of course down the lines it got fucked up into this twisted institution of forcing beliefes on people, murder, etc.....

So, the whole bible could just be misunderstandings about the world and the universe [the parts of it that were visible to the naked eye of course] mixed with 'holy visions' brought on by high doses of THC [and thats assuming weed was the only psychotropic substance Jesus used to heal, which I highly doubt as there are so many different plants with healing and psychotropic properties].

quote:Originally posted by oudiophile:

This is my opinion, and if you didn't want it, then why did you read it?



To find out what it was in the first place, duh.

If you knew anything about the teachings of these prophets then maybe you would be more open minded.

Evereyone understands more than they could possibly know. Evereything everyone says makes incredible sense to your current situation, you just need to think about it. You know...make associations. At the very least it improves your abstract cognitions due to the fact that you are actually making associations.

quote:Originally posted by ---Beany---:

To find out what it was in the first place, duh.

If you knew anything about the teachings of these prophets then maybe you would be more open minded.



Shh Shh.. Quit arguing with me.



quote:Originally posted by ilbastardoh:

Evereyone understands more than they could possibly know. Evereything everyone says makes incredible sense to your current situation, you just need to think about it. You know...make associations. At the very least it improves your abstract cognitions due to the fact that you are actually making associations.

Well put, even though I understood only about 3/4 of that. lol.



[This message has been edited by oudiophile (edited 02-05-2004).]

Patience dun, just take what you need for now.

heres how i feel about this whole issue

if you consider humans from the animal perspective, the goal is to have a community where children are raised to benifit the community as a whole, or be "good." To be "bad" is to be self centered and selfish. Humans are by nature social creatures which rely upon joint effort to survive, and if there are selfish members of the group they are counteracting the groups progress. So morally, being good is contributing to the group and being bad is selfishness.

in order to keep the people in line and give them something to look up to, a story was created. If you are "good" when you die you will go to heaven, meeet god, and have your every wish catered to and it will be an extremely joyous occasion, but if you are bad or "sin", the devil will torture you and condemn you in a fiery hole.

this was also ploy to change the ways of people who were once destructive to the community, for they would come back repenting their "sin" and begging for god's forgiveness.

also take note that evil + d = devil

and

good - o = god

so in essence, god is everything good, or everything that contributes positive to society. jesus was the son of god because he traveled everywhere helping people and died for everything everyone did wrong.

Or not.

That is why I love to discuss religion. There is no right answer, or even an A or a B to choose from. Everyone was raised or has decided to believe in whatever they want to, and I respect that. Just don't kill me because I call my big invisible guy something different than what you call him. http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif)

quote:I think that religion was created long ago to ease the minds of the commonfolk.

replace "judaism/christianity/islam" with "religion" and you're right. and you aren't the first person to figure this out.



but just because judaism/christianity/islam is wrong, doesn't mean religion is wrong, and it also doesn't mean that there isn't a supreme force or "god" in the universe. it just means god isn't what christians think it is.

Religion and government are tools created by people that think all humans to be as vile, petty, vindictive, judgmental, and therefore a threat to their power. Nessecity is the mother of invention, and a certain group's nessecity to create misplaced fears caused the current system of civilization we live in today.