Discussion Religion

[PolishPanda46]

What's your opinion on religion?

 

[Praestat_Mori]

Religions are inventions of man kind. They were invented to control the masses of people by fear. Religions are indoctrinated beliefs with no proof.

 

[Kish]

Religion = Virus

 

[sserafim]

Religion is the opiate of the masses

 

[Malaria]

I believe religion was created by people who didn't have science to explain natural phenomenon. I remember also hearing somewhere that humans often have a tendency to assign agency to things when they don't have an explanation because it was a survival mechanism.

For example, let's say you're walking alone in the woods at night and you hear a tree branch snap. Most humans are more likely to think a predator was what caused said tree branch to snap rather than the idea that it snapped on its own. We evolved this trait to become hypervigilant like this as a survival mechanism. If you're right that a predator was what caused the tree branch to snap, it makes you more likely to protect yourself and get to safety. I've seen people theorize that this trait we've evolved may have contributed greatly to religion forming, we basically assigned agency to natural occurring causes. Why is it flooding? Because a god is angry at us. Again, that's a theory.

I also can acknowledge that for many people, religion gives them a sense of purpose, meaning, and community.

I can accept and get behind that, however, my personal feelings around organized religion is very biased and filled with personal anger and trauma. I have a lot of personal horror stories with the church that I don't feel comfortable sharing publicly. All I'll say is that I've learned the hard way that the church can be very abusive.

I also just don't agree or relate to the values said by Abrahamic religions specifically. I don't agree with them on a lot of things. Their values and what they deem as immoral are so different from how I personally view the world. Plus, I have a bit of a "rebellious" streak in me. I don't like being ordered around and told what to do, especially if what I'm being told to do goes against my values.

So basically, I don't have a problem with religion in and of itself and can accept if someone wants to follow it in their personal life, but for me, I don't want it forced on me or shoved down my throat. I don't want to be proselytized. Too much of what I know about history and science makes me feel like I don't need religion in my life. My values don't always necessarily align with what scripture says. And I am disgusted by all the atrocities that have been committed by religious officials, and atrocities that have been done in the name of religion.

 

[QueerMelancholy]

I was Catholic for probably 20 years of my life and participating in a religion for that long has made me view it differently over time.

I don't see religion as any kind of grandstanding moral answer to man's questions or God as the only thing keeping people good and stopping people from doing immoral things. God in my opinion isn't interested in what humans are doing. What the church does in God's name is out of greed at the far right side of the spectrum and barely helping humanity at the far left side of the spectrum. In between you have regular people, average believers and on both ends of the spectrum right or left you have the extremists. In my experience, most quiet Catholics aren't interested in taking away anyone's rights or condemning anyone for being LGBTQIA, or wishing damnation on sinners because many honest Catholics are too busy trying to find themselves and questioning their own faith and battling their demons. The loudmouths are the ones that take the bible literally and believe only by either converting or condemning others that they buy their way into heaven. A lot of new evangelical Christians are like this. They're radicalized and intent on remaking the world in their God's image even if that God has been dead for a long time since he died in the Old Testament. People don't want to follow a cruel hateful God because said God is capable of being cruel and hateful towards everyone even them and they know that. They want to follow the New Testament God who has and shows mercy. Mercy for them and condemnation for others. It's kinda silly to think about.

Makes me laugh LOL. I'm agnostic mostly myself now and I do believe God is everywhere. Under every stone, in the shadow of every mountain and in the depths of every valley. God whichever God you believe in is all around you. You don't need to go to church to find them or to believe in some silly nonsense written down in a book by men who at the time most likely didn't even know how to read or write.

Religion does have its place in society as a way for people to come together and feel human together. A place where they can express themselves, their fears, and their weaknesses, and exchange stories, kindness, and compassion. Real religion is humble and open to people of all backgrounds and ideologies. It's not interested in proving or disproving the rightness or wrongness of people and how they live their lives.

It's the greedy fundamentalist religious zealots you have to look out for. They have power they overuse and abuse to spread nonsensical hate and pain against people. Interestingly enough even Catholic priests a lot of the good ones are stepping away from the shaming and the guilt because Christianity as a whole in the USA is on the decline. In their weakness, their condemnation of others has weakened and you even find Nondenominational churches welcoming LGBTQIA people and being led by LGBTQIA people.

Haha I went on rambling for a bit. LMAO

 

[ijustwishtodie]

I believe that religion is awful and is a reason why most people are stupid. All religions should be eradicated

 

[pluscat]

What's your opinion on religion?

It gives meaning to things we don't understand. For example, humans didn't understand why we spoke different languages so they used the Tower of Babel to explain it. But I think the main reason why we follow religion is because of death no living person will know what happens when we die, that's why all religions have a theory on it examples: reincarnation, heaven, hell, purgatory and Jannah and religions like Islam and Christianity have us following rules to reach an eternal reward when we die, so I think it mostly came about by humans being scared of the unknown and by extension death.

 

[Pluto]

You should join my religion.

 

[marchshift]

I regret abandoning my faith. I could use the comfort during this painful time. Can't lie to myself and just believe.

 

[dragonofenvy]

Eh, if people find comfort it in why not? As long as they practice in a way that doesn't harm others they can do what they want. It gives many of them meaning and helps them feel better. I'll leave them alone, and they can leave me alone. I actually am a bit envious that they have a belief in something while I don't.

 

[DarkRange55]

I heard @sserafim is a devout mormon

 

[sserafim]

I heard @sserafim is a devout mormon

Lol @DarkRange55 you're so funny

 

[moshimoshi]

I think religion is really interesting, especially because there are so many of them. All with a wide range of beliefs, cultures and gods. I don't think anyone should be criticized or put down for being religious. Unless of course they're using their faith to justify horrible actions/prejudice. I really like learning about religions. Ive personally been agnostic my whole life, even as a little girl in a Christian family I was agnostic. I think that anything is possible, to me there is infinite variables and I find it very hard to either believe or not believe in god. The world and universe is so complex, any religion could be true. I doubt I'll ever not be agnostic, although I often wonder what it would be like to put my faith into a religion

 

[xinino]

It's great

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

It could be helpful for some people and certainly a lot of good has been done in the name of religion but for others it does nothing or even worse than nothing to the point where the negatives outcomes probably outweigh any positives.

I'm agnostic though so what do I know? Nothing, that's the point.

 

[crystal_meth97]

Organized religion, especially Abrahamic religions, is cancer in my opinion, it's become nothing but a huge instrument for mass manipulation and brainwashing. It may have had a role and gave people a sense of purpose and meaning in ancient times, but now it's just used to manipulate the masses. Spirituality is something else, I'm just talking about organized religion.

 

[eatantz]

Majority of religions are made to control people. Religions are cults and many of them are rooted in greed. Any religion that follows the bible is demonic in my opinion.

 

[EvisceratedJester]

My feelings on religion are complicated. On one hand, they have played an important part in our advancement as a species, take the Islamic Golden Age for example, but they've also stifled our progress and have been used to justify all sorts of horrible things. Religion has worked to further divide us and unit us.

Religion is generally created for three reasons:

1. To explain the world around us and give us a sense of belonging

2. To fill the voids inside of us and to act as a coping mechanism

3. To control the masses

 

[Ferdinand Bardamu]

Outdated system of Social Control (you can replace it with better things, without all the harms Religion has caused). The Bible and Quran are masterpieces as Literature, thougheverbeitdoe