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prieraceae · 21st January 2007, 03:04 AM

I've recently been studying the philosophy of religion, before I got into it i was somewhat irreligious, but now I'm starting to understand it's purpose.

What are peoples thoughts on religion, is it something we as society need? Or is it holding us back from achieving greater things?

Jellybean · 23rd January 2007, 01:21 AM

religion is man-kind's excuse for not knowing all the answers. they realise they can't possibly find out all of life's mysteries, therefore resulting in unproven theories of what is to come and what has already passed.
i don't believe it is something society needs, and often holds people back, controls people.

prieraceae · 23rd January 2007, 02:42 AM

Where would we base our morals without religion?

Jellybean · 29th January 2007, 09:59 PM

common sense, reason, influence of others. it doesn't have to solely depend on religion.

me4froggy2 · 2nd February 2007, 03:09 AM

Well. Life is what society uses to base the mortal past on. Myself, I am Christian, that is the way I was brought up and wish to stay. I myself, am a very curious person. I think coincidentally and don't mention it. Latley, I have tended to "Think outside the box" oppose to the bun (Taco Bell slogan). I have thought about philosophy, and religion. I just haven't quite put it together. This is my theory above all Christianities and religions. God created the world and history didn't happen, God created us to rely on what he has said history to be, but is not. Does that make sense? I think it does. I just want to know if anyone thinks it makes sense and if they agree. Take your time. It's not like I don't have a life and I have to wait on you to answer, lol.

Jellybean · 2nd February 2007, 09:52 AM

right.. well no, actually, that didn't make any sense. "god created everything"? what created god? ...and to think history never happened is just absurd. so basically evolution is just one big lie, and it never really happened......? what happened before we existed then? or before "god created us"?. sorry i just don't believe in that kind of stuff.

AngelsCry · 2nd February 2007, 10:19 AM

Society doesn't need it and shouldn't rely on it in my opinion. I think in a lot of ways it can hold us back but it really depends on what that situation might be. Personally I'm not a very religious person but I do have the christianity beliefs. I don't believe it all 100% though but I do agree that God created earth and us, just not in the way the bible makes it seem. I personally just think, the human system, mind and the way the earth functions is just TOO perfect to have just happened, and of all the magical things in life like love and happiness, even sadness. I just don't see how it could have just... happened.

When you say history doesn't exist though that's wrong... I mean we are creating history even now... Without history how would we even be here =S

prieraceae · 7th February 2007, 04:34 AM

what is god? how do you christians define the word 'god'?
what does it mean to believe in christianity but not 100%?
If history is some kind of illusion, why do you believe in christianity, would that not be an illusion too?

RNarcisism · 15th April 2007, 12:05 AM

Religion is a synthesized system and collection of morals and traditions. Nothing more. Humans need dogmatic practice, but religion is an invention of man and should be something to deny.

Although I don't try to make a habit of quoting, I believe religion can best be summed up with this:

"Religion is the most important thing in a person’s life. If electric trains are the most pervasive thing in one’s life, that is his religion. Anything can be a religion if it means a lot. If your present religion isn’t the most important thing in your life, then skip it. Find whatever impels you most and make that your religion.

Religions are easy to invent. Most traditional religions have little or nothing to do with reality, are dependent on obfuscation, interpretation, guilt, and unreasoning faith—some more than others. Since Satanism is essentially a religion of the self, it holds that the individual and his personal needs comes first. If that means playing with trains or spike-heeled shoes or singing in the bathtub, those are its sacraments and devotions. Taking inventory of old comic books is counting beads on a rosary, each book being a station of the cross."
-Anton LaVey

Yes. Current organized religion is holding us back. That's not to say that religion is universally negative. Rather it is only made negative when coupled with faith, ignorance, theistic belief, and herd mentality.

Hanna · 15th April 2007, 09:21 AM

Interesting quote, I like the first part. Anyway, this is my thought, and it feels kinda dumb now, I guess I am not that good at saying what I mean, or meaning what I say...or all three! (I got A's in maths, really...)

But I used to see religion as a rediculous and blind waste of time. I am not a religious person. I belive in evolution, but, I don't really know what else I believe in anymore. The lines are all smudgey. If I try to think of the answers or understand the big questions (how did it all start? ...That kind of thing...) my brain just hurts... (or at least I like to think that thinking to hard makes my head hurt, really it just makes me confused...)

So religion seems to cause more negative than posative. People of one religion wont accept another, refuse to believe or understand. Wars happen because of it. People get seperated into what religion they are and treated accordingly.
It doesn't seem like a good thing to those looking in. Plus all the stuff people do, the traditions, the teachings and sometimes worshipping, to other people it can seem kinda creepy. If you aren't part of it, of course you wont understand...

(gosh...what was my first point?..uh...yes!) I got lost along the way and I can no longer tell if my points are relevant. I wish my brain worked in an intelligent and thoughtful manner, but it seems to puke up things in a stupid yet still comprehendable fashion. *sigh*

The main point I wanted to make was religion seems to be holding us back. It probably is. But one day a little while ago I understood it. This was probably obvious to everybody else, I guess I'm a late bloomer, but I never understood why anyone would follow a religion, why it was created, why one would belive the blatant "lies"...
I never understood, that was, until I thought about the end. Death. I don't like thinking about it. I don't want to know. Frankly it scares me and I will take that pie when i come to it. But who wants to think about their end actually being an end? Who wants life just to stop, and be followed by -nothing-? How can someone accept something that once thought and considered and judged could eventually just stop and cease to exist? (maybe you can, I am having trouble) So being a good person in your life to get a reward of a happier place in the end is nice. It makes you feel more comfortable, to make yourself believe that yes, you get to go somewhere even better after this...
Sure it's an excuse not to answer the questions, and make up happy stories....
It gives meaning to things...who cares if that meaning is wrong?
I fogot what I was saying...
I like the church of the flying spaghetti monster...http://www.venganza.org/

RNarcisism · 15th April 2007, 06:12 PM

When one experiences nihlism, one develops a sense of frustration to the cause of this nihlism. One resents it and hates it; and at the same time fears it. Death can lead to nihlism. Often, the concept of death, and what lies beyond it, is a paramount passage to nihlism. Therefore, people seek to escape it. If they cannot escape death, they atleast wish to find a way to soften the blow, and make death seem less intolerable and final then it is.

Attempting to find a solution to the first option is futile. Therefore, we are forced to resort to the second option. With that in mind, we create a concept that death is, in fact, not the end. Induced with a good deal of self deception, one is able to believe this idea. These people cannot help but experience extreme pessimism in their lives. They simply cannot accept that our simple, tangible, existence is all there is.

This is where religion comes into play. We are told that if we spend this life, this particular, tangible life; believing that there is something after death, we will be rewarded. If we do not focus on the here and now, it is alright as we have an infinite expanse of glory and happiness to await us. It is ironic. A religious person seeks to escape the pessimism and resentment he feels towards this life by embracing the next. In an effort to escape nihlism, he embraces the biggest nihlist belief of them all: that essense precedes existence.

Religion stops us from achieving great things. Not because it is deliberate, but because it is merely a diversion to escape the horrible reality of the real world. As we are not focused on the earth as it is, we disregard it. In Islam, one is told to deny all material goods in the place of the worship of Allah. In Christianity, one is told that the meek shall inherit the earth. In Hinduism, we are told that we should be as good and "moral" a person as we should, just so we may achieve greatness after we die. In Buddhism, we are told that positivistic thoughts, without hardship, can lead to happiness and bliss. All these things are nihlistic. They divert us from having to think about everything right now.

Hanna · 16th April 2007, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RNarcisism

Religion stops us from achieving great things. Not because it is deliberate, but because it is merely a diversion to escape the horrible reality of the real world. As we are not focused on the earth as it is, we disregard it. In Islam, one is told to deny all material goods in the place of the worship of Allah. In Christianity, one is told that the meek shall inherit the earth. In Hinduism, we are told that we should be as good and "moral" a person as we should, just so we may achieve greatness after we die. In Buddhism, we are told that positivistic thoughts, without hardship, can lead to happiness and bliss. All these things are nihlistic. They divert us from having to think about everything right now.

That's a really good point. Perhaps that's another thing that annoys me about religion. All the people getting ready for what's next, what's to come, rather than what we have, right -now-.
It annoys me when people don't see the problems that are there, sure you have to plan for the future, but you need to live a little for today (as lame and clichéd as that sounds).
It reminds me of politicians, making themselves seem so great before an election just so people will vote for them, with little thought do what ACTUALLY needs to be done RIGHT NOW to make things better....But I guess I am digressing...

RNarcisism · 17th April 2007, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanna

That's a really good point. Perhaps that's another thing that annoys me about religion. All the people getting ready for what's next, what's to come, rather than what we have, right -now-.
It annoys me when people don't see the problems that are there, sure you have to plan for the future, but you need to live a little for today (as lame and clichéd as that sounds).
It reminds me of politicians, making themselves seem so great before an election just so people will vote for them, with little thought do what ACTUALLY needs to be done RIGHT NOW to make things better....But I guess I am digressing...

Exactly. It is scary to think about, both, what is happening right now and what will happen. It is impossible to influence what will happen now while putting all your focus on the future. As well, it's easier to look to the future, to hope that something will happen, when the present looks bleak and uninviting. Therefore, we look to the future (religionists and politicians alike) to escape the horrid reality of right now.

It's all quite depressing.

Hanna · 17th April 2007, 11:20 AM

It really is!

We need to do things now to shape the future, you know, to make sure things go ok in the future (GAH! WHY AM I BOTH SO CORNY AND INCAPABLE OF USING INTELLIGENT LANGUAGE!? [that's another thing that annoys me, but it's another story!])
What's happening right now is important, and needs to be acceptable and bearable. What we do NOW changes the future, but it doesn't mean that you can make things unbearable now so they will be better later...or vice versa....as I see it, things are going down hill.....*smooshes face* I am unhappy by this thought!

RNarcisism · 17th April 2007, 10:18 PM

While the reality is that not looking to the present does in fact cause things to go downhill, looking to the future merely plays out the same scenario with the idea that the hill doesn't even exist. As such, ignoring the present isn't an alternative of reflecting on the state of perfecting the future. It's a complete denial of it all together.

This is why I believe that religion causes nihlism, rather then decadence. Religion doesn't cause a corruption by denying the future. It transcends causing harm and aid. It completely does away with the dualism and installs the very quintessense of denial of aid in the form of masquerading as being nothing but aid. If that makes sense.

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