Hmmmmmm, I was sitting in class today in Beliefs and Valeus (compulsory subject, lol dodgy catholic school) and thinking, would the world be a better place if there wasnt ever any kind of religion invented. I mean it would stop a lot of wars but then again there are things like project compassion, which is a project to help starving kids in africa etc. also a lot of people help each other out because "its what the bible says" eg love yourneighbour as yourself.

Hmmmmmmmm i dont really know where im going with this but i would like to know you people here on totse think because i know there are a lot of smart people here and its good to read your comments

It would stop a lot of wars and solve some problems, but for most people, religion comforts them.

Getting rid of religion would get rid of the problems caused by extremists, but most people aren't extremists.

Some people say that religion is never the casue of a war, but is often the excuse. Personally I don't know if I believe this or not, but its food for thought.

There is no way to know if it would or not. And it depends in what era of time you would want to try it.

yeh true religion is a source of comfort , all the people afraid of dying turn to it even though it means insetad of just dying they are going to hell because ive thought about this and there is a limited number of ways to get to heaven but an infinite number of way to get to hell. why is that i wonder if "God" is so great and forgiving and loveing?

It's a simple matter of assembling a list of pros and cons.

Pros:

Has inspired people to create great works of art.

Can provide a means of unity.

Inspires people to do charity work.



Cons:

Has been used to spread widespread intolerance.

Has been the inspiration for many terrorist groups.



Often tries to censor things.

Some wars and some acts of genocide can find their origin in religion.



List any others you can think of, see if the positive outweighs the negative and write your essay on your results.

well, considering if there was no religion, there would be no God. There'd be no earth. So no, the world would not be better off.

quote:Originally posted by slickt0mmy:

well, considering if there was no religion, there would be no God. There'd be no earth. So no, the world would not be better off.

Fucking hell, you're stupid. What makes you think there needs to be a religion in order for there to be a God?

Atheist communist killed more people than all relligious wars gathered

Lenin after the revolution killed around 2 to 5 millions and burned many churches

China 70 millions killed after

the cultural revolution

Pol Pot Kambodia 2 millions killed

Stalin many millions killed

the atheist secular dead syrian president (Hafiz al Assad) killed 80 000 and destroyed the Hama city in 1982

Sadam did his worst crimes when he was secular (now when captured he is playing the religious leader too late Sadam)

so i guess without relligion the world would be worst

[This message has been edited by princecharmant1980 (edited 04-03-2006).]

quote:Originally posted by princecharmant1980:



so i guess without relligion the world would be worst



1. You haven't proven any of those figures.

2. More importantly, you haven't that they were caused because of not having religion.

Try again.

quote:Originally posted by Adrenochrome:

Fucking hell, you're stupid. What makes you think there needs to be a religion in order for there to be a God?

agreed... what a fucking idiot. i think the world would totally be better off without a religion. religion is blatant mind control. people are scared of dying and going to hell. so they try and live a good and simple life, while other people out there are doing evil deeds in secrecy. its just what they want you to do is to be care free. which in fact you are not...

[This message has been edited by neX (edited 04-04-2006).]

princecharmant1980

your being a fuktard and leaving out a main issue

WHO those people were killing and WHY

they were all some how relgiously related. like it or not.

the church and or other religious organisations are very good at covering these things up

who killed galileo?. . . .

church

quote:Originally posted by CheValdez:

princecharmant1980

your being a fuktard and leaving out a main issue

WHO those people were killing and WHY

they were all some how relgiously related. like it or not.

the church and or other religious organisations are very good at covering these things up

who killed galileo?. . . .

church

these people killed because they didn't fear god since they don't believe in god and in afterlife hence they made these horrible crimes without remorse or fear from the hereafter this is my point !claro

of course their are evil relligious leaders but they are less worse than atheists any way

Overall no.

Sure, most wars throughout history have been caused by religion, but religion has been the backbone for civilised society for thousands of years. the god fearing society of Europe 0 - 1900 AD. provided the basis for the Renaissance, the scientific revolution, the industrial revoltuion etc. Without the church providing a discipline for society in these times we would still be living in wicker and shit houses, dieing at 40 from water born diseases. Although north america would still belong to the Amerindians. ah well, "the Lord giveth and he taketh away"

quote:Originally posted by Rust:

1. You haven't proven any of those figures.

2. More importantly, you haven't that they were caused because of not having religion.

Try again.

i'm sure if those figures were about holocaust you won't say you have to prove them

"China 70 millions killed after

the cultural revolution"

stfu

[This message has been edited by Cpt.Winters (edited 04-06-2006).]

quote:Originally posted by princecharmant1980:

i'm sure if those figures were about holocaust you won't say you have to prove them

What the fuck are you talking about? Please spare me your Jewish conspiracy bullshit.

It's hard to say.

Some people are morally very weak minded. If religion is the reason you get up in the morning and do good things, I have very very little respect for you, but fine, it makes the world better.

I know for me that religion deeply inspired me to do good originally, and I planned to dedicate and sacrifice my life for the good of manking.

I no longer am religious, however, I still have the same plan, and now I don't feel guilty about not agreeing with the church- it is still morally bigoted.

Religion helps some, it supports others, but I believe ultimately we need to grow up and think for ourselves. Little kids need to believe in Santa Claus, it gives them motive to be good. Apparently, some adults still need to believe in God for their life to have meaning.

It just occured to me that religion is just like Santa Claus.

Santa=God

Presents=Heaven

If you're good, you get presents/go to heaven

Coal=Hell

If you're bad, you get coal/go to hell

If you need presents to be good, shame on you, but fine, believe your myths. Just keep them the hell out of schools, and the hell out of the government.

I see no problem with religion as a base concept. If you leave it as innocent storytelling, innocent tradition, or ritual for the sake of ritual it's fine by me.

God knows I have my own strange rituals. And some of them involve inventing words and speaking in all kinds of tounges. Shaving with a straight razor comes to mind.

The problem comes along when people start using religion as justification, which is born of several combined flaws of humanity. The first is the natural survival instinct for person A to try to get one over on person B, generally by any means possible. The second is the common man's propensity to look up the ladder, so to speak, and relentlessly try to find a pack or an order to follow.

Modern organized religions provide that order and exploit it to propogate themselves - The word of whichever god says, "Culture X are infidels. You will annihilate them, or you will make them like us." And the people do it. Thou shalt do this but thou shalt not do that. Thou shalt hate the gays, thou shalt not abort babies (but thy lord shalt look the other way when thou killeth those who are a different color than us).

What evidently not apparent is that these commandments are politics in a very thin disguise. And billions of people have fallen for it and will continue to fall for it, because it is indoctrinated in their society. And so is, incidentally, the reflex to get indignant about it when someone points it out.

Think about it. God will forgive you for any sin except one. Do you know what that sin is? The unforgivable one? Doubt in god.

By reading this post, you have commited an unforgivable sin. If you believe in the word of god as written in the holy bible (preferably the KJV, but let's not get into that) your soul is damned forever to burn in hell for all eternity and there is nothing you can do about it because you doubted in god.

Tell me that clause in the bible is not a specific instrument of thought control. I dare you.

Another layer of complexity is added when people - otherwise seemingly reasonable, straight thinking people, and they are everywhere today - happily abandon all reason and personal accountability to instead point at the sky and proclaim, "god told me to do this!"

This, friends, is wrong. Allowing a mythical force, an unseen ruler, an unproven diety, and thousands of years of documented political and sociological manipulation forming the basis for which you find the way to think of the above to dictate your morality is wrong. It's tantamount to mind control. It's a detriment to free thought, an attack on individuality, and an assault on diversity and personal responsibility.

And it is precisely why modern monotheistic religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are best eradicated for the overall betterment of mankind.

My personal belief (which is no better or worse than your belief of your god or whatever it is you believe in) is that mankind has ostensibly evolved beyond the need for such a thing, and the tenacity of these totalitarian monotheistic religions is preventing the forward progress of mankind and its society as a whole.

[This message has been edited by Fate (edited 04-08-2006).]