Topic: The function of religion ? - page 16. (Read 18646 times)
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I'm an atheist and have the following standpoint:
- All religions are hoaxes, making people belive in non-existing gods.
Religions serve the following purposes:
1. Making people have some comfort in their lives, having something else than themselves to pray to and look up to. This is mostly culturrally dependent,
most people adhere to the religion were they grew up, and what was ingrained in them from early childhood.
2. To keep uneducated people in control.
3. To keep power and control in a central position.
If religion was all about love to your God, and it was all a mental thing, there would be no need for churches, and all accessories that goes with a religion.
It's sad that a God-fearing man goes regularily to church to get closer to his maker. He could've been just as close to his God in his couch at home.
Many religious entities collect money, and are rather greedy, there are internal battles about power and control, just think of the Vatican.
I think it's rather sad that in 2012, so many people put their belief in something that doesn't exist. You may pray, and you may feel that your prayers were heard,
and things turn for the better in your life, but most of the time, the prayers are futile, and the only one that can change anything in your life is yourself.
States need to separate themselves from religion, and any religious society needs to take care of itself. Many religious societies does serve a good purpose in their
municipality, and there's nothing wrong with that, and I do respect anyone that has their faith, but I don't think there's any God of any sorts, and people need to take
responsibility for their own lives.
Will the earth ever come to a point where people are so educated that they understand that science is the only true answer, and that everything else is fairytales ?
As much as I respect any Christian or any devoted religious person from any other religion (I may think his belief is a joke, but I would never say it to his face to force a confrontation in disrespect), I don't think any religions should have any special protection under the law.
Part of the problem is that Religion is so ingrained into the culture of most countries, that many people don't even question it.
Education will put the power in the hands of the people to learn about the world around them, and will remove the power of the leaders of their religion over them.
As an atheist, I don't think your religion defines whether you're a good person or not, that's more down to the person itself, and the values you've been taught in your upbringing, and what you've learned through your education.
Now, with the recent uproar about the 'Innocence of Muslims'-movie, people shouldn't get upset about it. If they don't like it, they should simply ignore it, and don't speak of it. Killing people, making riots etc. and claim that it's because of this movie, this is not right. People are always responsible for what they do.
If I were a Christian, and someone mocked my religion and called me a religious fool, and I got angry and burned down their house, that would be completely unacceptable by me, and I would need to take the full penalty for it.
Some people say we should not provoke 'islam' through cartoons, movies etc. And this may seem like the easy way out. But what if we continously bombarded Islam with this material, would they keep rioting every day of the week, every week, every month and every year, or would they finally sit down and say to themselves: "I'm tired of fighting, I can be a good muslim, no matter what any people say about my religion".
Islam doesn't receive more goodwill by having it's followers react like this, I would think most sivilized people just seeing this for what it is; outright crimes. Also I think a lot of the people that we see rioting in the streets, are only using this movie as an excuse for acting like they do.
Is there a single other Religion in the world were the members would've reacted like this over a movie ?
What do you all think ?
Well said, You have proven you point clearly, and I completely understand your open-mindedness. You have specifically elaborated the important functions of religions. Personally, If I am basing on my own perspective, Religion is the best guide to teaching people what they should and should not do, distinguish right from wrong. Without something to believe in We would never would've had Unity and Peace. - All religions are hoaxes, making people belive in non-existing gods.
Religions serve the following purposes:
1. Making people have some comfort in their lives, having something else than themselves to pray to and look up to. This is mostly culturrally dependent,
most people adhere to the religion were they grew up, and what was ingrained in them from early childhood.
2. To keep uneducated people in control.
3. To keep power and control in a central position.
If religion was all about love to your God, and it was all a mental thing, there would be no need for churches, and all accessories that goes with a religion.
It's sad that a God-fearing man goes regularily to church to get closer to his maker. He could've been just as close to his God in his couch at home.
Many religious entities collect money, and are rather greedy, there are internal battles about power and control, just think of the Vatican.
I think it's rather sad that in 2012, so many people put their belief in something that doesn't exist. You may pray, and you may feel that your prayers were heard,
and things turn for the better in your life, but most of the time, the prayers are futile, and the only one that can change anything in your life is yourself.
States need to separate themselves from religion, and any religious society needs to take care of itself. Many religious societies does serve a good purpose in their
municipality, and there's nothing wrong with that, and I do respect anyone that has their faith, but I don't think there's any God of any sorts, and people need to take
responsibility for their own lives.
Will the earth ever come to a point where people are so educated that they understand that science is the only true answer, and that everything else is fairytales ?
As much as I respect any Christian or any devoted religious person from any other religion (I may think his belief is a joke, but I would never say it to his face to force a confrontation in disrespect), I don't think any religions should have any special protection under the law.
Part of the problem is that Religion is so ingrained into the culture of most countries, that many people don't even question it.
Education will put the power in the hands of the people to learn about the world around them, and will remove the power of the leaders of their religion over them.
As an atheist, I don't think your religion defines whether you're a good person or not, that's more down to the person itself, and the values you've been taught in your upbringing, and what you've learned through your education.
Now, with the recent uproar about the 'Innocence of Muslims'-movie, people shouldn't get upset about it. If they don't like it, they should simply ignore it, and don't speak of it. Killing people, making riots etc. and claim that it's because of this movie, this is not right. People are always responsible for what they do.
If I were a Christian, and someone mocked my religion and called me a religious fool, and I got angry and burned down their house, that would be completely unacceptable by me, and I would need to take the full penalty for it.
Some people say we should not provoke 'islam' through cartoons, movies etc. And this may seem like the easy way out. But what if we continously bombarded Islam with this material, would they keep rioting every day of the week, every week, every month and every year, or would they finally sit down and say to themselves: "I'm tired of fighting, I can be a good muslim, no matter what any people say about my religion".
Islam doesn't receive more goodwill by having it's followers react like this, I would think most sivilized people just seeing this for what it is; outright crimes. Also I think a lot of the people that we see rioting in the streets, are only using this movie as an excuse for acting like they do.
Is there a single other Religion in the world were the members would've reacted like this over a movie ?
What do you all think ?
"If god does exist; I hope he's got some good excuses."
religion represents a god in our mind, that make us believe everything we see now is because the creation of god hands, many things that we can not expain by science so we said that is made by god.
I'm an atheist and have the following standpoint:
- All religions are hoaxes, making people belive in non-existing gods.
Religions serve the following purposes:
1. Making people have some comfort in their lives, having something else than themselves to pray to and look up to. This is mostly culturrally dependent,
most people adhere to the religion were they grew up, and what was ingrained in them from early childhood.
2. To keep uneducated people in control.
3. To keep power and control in a central position.
If religion was all about love to your God, and it was all a mental thing, there would be no need for churches, and all accessories that goes with a religion.
It's sad that a God-fearing man goes regularily to church to get closer to his maker. He could've been just as close to his God in his couch at home.
Many religious entities collect money, and are rather greedy, there are internal battles about power and control, just think of the Vatican.
I think it's rather sad that in 2012, so many people put their belief in something that doesn't exist. You may pray, and you may feel that your prayers were heard,
and things turn for the better in your life, but most of the time, the prayers are futile, and the only one that can change anything in your life is yourself.
States need to separate themselves from religion, and any religious society needs to take care of itself. Many religious societies does serve a good purpose in their
municipality, and there's nothing wrong with that, and I do respect anyone that has their faith, but I don't think there's any God of any sorts, and people need to take
responsibility for their own lives.
Will the earth ever come to a point where people are so educated that they understand that science is the only true answer, and that everything else is fairytales ?
As much as I respect any Christian or any devoted religious person from any other religion (I may think his belief is a joke, but I would never say it to his face to force a confrontation in disrespect), I don't think any religions should have any special protection under the law.
Part of the problem is that Religion is so ingrained into the culture of most countries, that many people don't even question it.
Education will put the power in the hands of the people to learn about the world around them, and will remove the power of the leaders of their religion over them.
As an atheist, I don't think your religion defines whether you're a good person or not, that's more down to the person itself, and the values you've been taught in your upbringing, and what you've learned through your education.
Now, with the recent uproar about the 'Innocence of Muslims'-movie, people shouldn't get upset about it. If they don't like it, they should simply ignore it, and don't speak of it. Killing people, making riots etc. and claim that it's because of this movie, this is not right. People are always responsible for what they do.
If I were a Christian, and someone mocked my religion and called me a religious fool, and I got angry and burned down their house, that would be completely unacceptable by me, and I would need to take the full penalty for it.
Some people say we should not provoke 'islam' through cartoons, movies etc. And this may seem like the easy way out. But what if we continously bombarded Islam with this material, would they keep rioting every day of the week, every week, every month and every year, or would they finally sit down and say to themselves: "I'm tired of fighting, I can be a good muslim, no matter what any people say about my religion".
Islam doesn't receive more goodwill by having it's followers react like this, I would think most sivilized people just seeing this for what it is; outright crimes. Also I think a lot of the people that we see rioting in the streets, are only using this movie as an excuse for acting like they do.
Is there a single other Religion in the world were the members would've reacted like this over a movie ?
What do you all think ?
- All religions are hoaxes, making people belive in non-existing gods.
Religions serve the following purposes:
1. Making people have some comfort in their lives, having something else than themselves to pray to and look up to. This is mostly culturrally dependent,
most people adhere to the religion were they grew up, and what was ingrained in them from early childhood.
2. To keep uneducated people in control.
3. To keep power and control in a central position.
If religion was all about love to your God, and it was all a mental thing, there would be no need for churches, and all accessories that goes with a religion.
It's sad that a God-fearing man goes regularily to church to get closer to his maker. He could've been just as close to his God in his couch at home.
Many religious entities collect money, and are rather greedy, there are internal battles about power and control, just think of the Vatican.
I think it's rather sad that in 2012, so many people put their belief in something that doesn't exist. You may pray, and you may feel that your prayers were heard,
and things turn for the better in your life, but most of the time, the prayers are futile, and the only one that can change anything in your life is yourself.
States need to separate themselves from religion, and any religious society needs to take care of itself. Many religious societies does serve a good purpose in their
municipality, and there's nothing wrong with that, and I do respect anyone that has their faith, but I don't think there's any God of any sorts, and people need to take
responsibility for their own lives.
Will the earth ever come to a point where people are so educated that they understand that science is the only true answer, and that everything else is fairytales ?
As much as I respect any Christian or any devoted religious person from any other religion (I may think his belief is a joke, but I would never say it to his face to force a confrontation in disrespect), I don't think any religions should have any special protection under the law.
Part of the problem is that Religion is so ingrained into the culture of most countries, that many people don't even question it.
Education will put the power in the hands of the people to learn about the world around them, and will remove the power of the leaders of their religion over them.
As an atheist, I don't think your religion defines whether you're a good person or not, that's more down to the person itself, and the values you've been taught in your upbringing, and what you've learned through your education.
Now, with the recent uproar about the 'Innocence of Muslims'-movie, people shouldn't get upset about it. If they don't like it, they should simply ignore it, and don't speak of it. Killing people, making riots etc. and claim that it's because of this movie, this is not right. People are always responsible for what they do.
If I were a Christian, and someone mocked my religion and called me a religious fool, and I got angry and burned down their house, that would be completely unacceptable by me, and I would need to take the full penalty for it.
Some people say we should not provoke 'islam' through cartoons, movies etc. And this may seem like the easy way out. But what if we continously bombarded Islam with this material, would they keep rioting every day of the week, every week, every month and every year, or would they finally sit down and say to themselves: "I'm tired of fighting, I can be a good muslim, no matter what any people say about my religion".
Islam doesn't receive more goodwill by having it's followers react like this, I would think most sivilized people just seeing this for what it is; outright crimes. Also I think a lot of the people that we see rioting in the streets, are only using this movie as an excuse for acting like they do.
Is there a single other Religion in the world were the members would've reacted like this over a movie ?
What do you all think ?
I think the main goal of religion is to give us a moral standard to give us something to pooi t our moral compass to. ALso as a conduit of our worship to a higher being the feeling of togetherness and one ness and that is somethig spirtual that we all crave
We are all entitle to our own opinion or thinking. But the truth is truth and nothing can change it. A day will come when we will all come to the full realisation of the truth. My prayer for you all is that it will not be too late then. It is only the truth that set free. Jesus made that bold statement that He is the way, the truth and the life..but you are free to make your research and I pray the only Spirit will expose the mystery of this truth to you.
He's got the higher knowledge myrkul, he is the enlightened one. He just 'knows'.
I disagree.
So quantum physics is confused?
No, you are confused.Reality is fantasy.
So quantum physics is confused?
Reality is fantasy.
Yes, that is exactly the kind of confusion i was talking about.Not confusing. Confused.
Nothing is confusing about that.
Reality is fantasy.
Yes, that is exactly the kind of confusion i was talking about.
Reality is fantasy.
Except, we do create our reality in our mind.
No, what you experience of reality is produced by your brain. But fantasy is also produced by your brain.
Take enough drugs and you'll start confusing that.
Except, we do create our reality in our mind.
Quote
Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.
How is "acknowledging the power of magic" not religious? If Satanism is composed of atheists, surely this rule is unnecessarily, as no atheist would believe in magic. What supernatural force is this referring to? Aliens?
Magic is not inherently religious, needs no deity to work (or not work), and you can even call certain scientifically sound events (like observation mucking with subatomic particles) "magical".
What's magical about the fact that bombarding small particles with energy (photons) to see them changes their trajectory?
I was referring more to the double-slit experiment and the fact that light behaves as a wave, even at a single photon at a time, and produces an interference pattern on a screen behind the two slits unless there are photon detectors by the slits. It's just weird. The other quantum effects, like entanglement, and gods know how many other things I can't think of right now are even more "spooky." The idea that there might be a particle which directly reacts to human will is not too far-fetched, when compared to the rest of the proven things subatomic particles do. And that most definitely would be "magic".
And let's not forget Clarke's third law.
Of course, I digress. The point is that "magic" and "deity" are separate concepts, and that atheists are not always rational.
No, it's still pretty far fetched.
Anything we humans experience is at an aggregate level of roughly 10^38 atoms (and that's just in your body).
There is no way you can somehow steer the 'magic' of one atom amongst 100000000000000000000000000000000000000 other atoms.
Remember also that the scale of atoms is somewhere round 10^-17 or so.
We realy have nothing to do with quantum stuff at our scale.
You also may just be stuck in a local maximum (of probability of being right), but have not explored the entire space of possibilities. Other people with different starting points and different paths may be stuck in their own local maxima, the only way to judge which is "right" is if all brains agree (converge) on the same answer, which may take infinite time (so is impossible for mortals). Consciousness trying to understand the universe is just like a huge markov chain monte carlo experiment.
That's the basis of spirituality, finding your own path to find the same truth. In no way is it impossible for our species to become like-minded, time is an illusory boundary. And consciousness grasps itself fine, it's the ego that's in need of lessons.Good point, individuals are mortal, while species are not. To keep my mcmc analogy going, each species is it's own chain, each individual/brain/consciousness/ego is a unique genetic (in the computer science and biological sense) algorithm that samples from the space of possibilities. This is how I look at it:
The challenge here was to fit a curve with 3 parameters to some data, you can see that the chains all converged quickly onto one point, but failed to explore the entire set of possibilities (avoided areas of low probability, although the best answer may have been found surrounded by unlikely answers). The more challenging task of understanding the universe, existence, etc has many more dimensions, and there are many more chains exploring this space some branching off others at certain points, and they are not all independent of each other.
Your brain probably agrees with the machine:
I don't agree on you injecting things like 'understanding the universe' into this.
I don't see any sign of evolution striving for that goal.
It is more like a random walk in a space with attractors. Some things just happen to work better than others in this universe and so can be selected for. But possibility space is full of niches and so a genepool can inhabit such a niche and be successfull. The problem is that the genome then becomes more specific and cannot easily escape its current direction of development. That makes it seem as if that strain of genes it directed towards a goal. But that is just an illusion.
What i try to say is that there is no overall direction evolution takes. It just tests the environment and adapts to it. There is no overarching goal of understanding the universe. That is purely a human preoccupation.
I just saw this and agree completely. However perhaps overall the different starting points of organisms throughout our galaxy roughly approximate this strategy. The likelihood of success or decision rule is gene/information propagation. Human-like consciousness is just one possible route. Perhaps bacteria have it right.
Quote
Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.
How is "acknowledging the power of magic" not religious? If Satanism is composed of atheists, surely this rule is unnecessarily, as no atheist would believe in magic. What supernatural force is this referring to? Aliens?
Magic is not inherently religious, needs no deity to work (or not work), and you can even call certain scientifically sound events (like observation mucking with subatomic particles) "magical".
What's magical about the fact that bombarding small particles with energy (photons) to see them changes their trajectory?
I was referring more to the double-slit experiment and the fact that light behaves as a wave, even at a single photon at a time, and produces an interference pattern on a screen behind the two slits unless there are photon detectors by the slits. It's just weird. The other quantum effects, like entanglement, and gods know how many other things I can't think of right now are even more "spooky." The idea that there might be a particle which directly reacts to human will is not too far-fetched, when compared to the rest of the proven things subatomic particles do. And that most definitely would be "magic".
And let's not forget Clarke's third law.
Of course, I digress. The point is that "magic" and "deity" are separate concepts, and that atheists are not always rational.
Stuff like this makes me not take perception of reality at face value. Reality is no longer rigid.
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