The belief in God's will can be very detrimental (though not always)

[noname223]

I don't want to portray religion as evil or damaging per se. I watched a video about the churches during the Nazi regime. The beliefers had an amibvalent relation to the Nazis. It is a very complicated topic with many nuances. Religion can give people meaning and strength.

Though one statement struck me.
When Hitler survived assisination attempts some people argumented he surivived because it was God's plan (one had to support him). Maybe one could say religion gets misused in this context. But this is my problem with religious people. Many people are way too dogmatic. There are central tenets one shall believe in. I know doubts are often a huge part of the faith. However I think many people equate some tenets as the sole possible truth. There are many religions that claim sole representation of truth. In my point of view this is shortsighted. Due to the fact so many religions exist and most people don't choose their religion. Either they keep the religion of their parents or they become atheists. I don't think religion per se is the problem rather the domgatic interpretation of many religious people.

The idea the world was just is so stupid in my point of view. And when people say everything happens for a reason this makes me pretty angry. Is it God's plan that minors get raped? Moreover it is illogical. What is God's plan exactly? Everything that happens? So in this case God is pro-choice concerning abortion due to the fact many women get them. Or is everyhing natural God's plan so when humans don't intervene. I have some bad news for you. In this case God is in favor of hurricanes that kill thousands of innocent lives. He had to be against medical services because it is an interference with his plan.

So what is it?

 

[hamvil]

Well according at least to the Christian religion you should be against pro-choice because your life is not really yours, you are not in charge of it because it is a gift and only god can decide on it. I guess that if you are really into a religion that sort of makes sense, at least for the major monotheistic religions. You need to ack that god is the responsible for your life and that you cannot disposte it.

I have only been puzzled by this however. I may be to down to earth but I am really confused by the fact that the entity that is responsible for the universe, all the complex life forms the hum intelligence and so far, I am confused that such an entity would be worried about silly things like what I eat, how I use my genitalia, and so forth. Maybe I do not get all the story however.

 

[noname223]

Well according at least to the Christian religion you should be against pro-choice because your life is not really yours, you are not in charge of it because it is a gift and only god can decide on it. I guess that if you are really into a religion that sort of makes sense, at least for the major monotheistic religions. You need to ack that god is the responsible for your life and that you cannot disposte it.

I have only been puzzled by this however. I may be to down to earth but I am really confused by the fact that the entity that is responsible for the universe, all the complex life forms the hum intelligence and so far, I am confused that such an entity would be worried about silly things like what I eat, how I use my genitalia, and so forth. Maybe I do not get all the story however.

Though when life is not really yours, you are not in charge of it you should not be allowed to make any decision by your own rationality. Because many decisions could potentially end your life. One would not be allowed to choose any decision which might destroy his gift. One had to plan the whole life for it and dedicate one's whole energy.

This could lead to to taking the bible literally in its interpretation and this is probably the most dogmatic thing one could do. However sometimes the bible is contradictory. So even following the texts in a literal way won't help you with all your decisions. Furthermore the bible has not for every modern issue an answer.

 

[hamvil]

Though when life is not really yours, you are not in charge of it you should not be allowed to make any decision by your own rationality. Because many decisions could potentially end your life. One would not be allowed to choose any decision which might destroy his gift. One had to plan the whole life for it and dedicate one's whole energy.

Philosophers got to that really quickly. The free will construct was introduced for that reason. Without freewill you cannot have sin and without sin you cannot really have a church, so the officially story is that you are free to do wrong. Not sure why god is allowed to do wrong as well. Jesuities would tell you that god does not play with your life sending you cancer or earthquake etc, they would tell you that you are in charge for this world and you need to be willing to face the challenges you get. The real Christian is the one that stand up when he/she falls. I never really bought all this tbh. I guess the same applies to jews and Muslims. After all they start from the same basics.

This could lead to to taking the bible literally in its interpretation and this is probably the most dogmatic thing one could do. However sometimes the bible is contradictory. So even following the texts in a literal way won't help you with all your decisions.

I do not even mind the contradiction. The bibble was really written in different ages and by different people. Old and new testaments are really two different religions. Priests can get quite embarrassed commenting on the old testament. I went to a catholic school and really did not work much on me. I just remember bean beated by nun, well at least I was not raped by priests.

 

[hungry_ghost]

Christianity destroyed my mental health even more so than nihilism/pessimism did, particularly its protestant variations.

It's contradictory on every level.

Christians: "God doesn't want automatons, He gave you free will-"
Also Christians: "God's will, not yours"

And how can devotion to God not be inherently selfish and self-preserving when the main catalysts are avoidance of eternal punishment and a reaping of eternal reward?

 

[hamvil]

And how can devotion to God not be inherently selfish and self-preserving when the main catalysts are avoidance of eternal punishment and a reaping of eternal reward?

They are just humanity biggest placebo an boogy man. forget them if you want or hold to them if they give you comfort.

 

[hungry_ghost]

They are just humanity biggest placebo an boogy man. forget them if you want or hold to them if they give you comfort.

I agree, but a problem arises when people use these religious beliefs to shape policy/society.

There's been a couple people I've seen predicting that the American Right is going to become very reactionary and basically turn the US into a Handmaid's Tale type of place.

Whether that comes to fruition or not remains to be seen, but that's a big fat no-go for me.

 

[hamvil]

I agree, but a problem arises when people use these religious beliefs to shape policy/society.

There is nothing you can do against that. I really gave up on that front altogether. I watch the current political parties in my country pretending to be Catholics and the defesors of everything that is white and Christians. Secular state... well maybe some Scandinavian countries, maybe france and to a lesser extend germany but all the planet has religion and gov interwined. I am in a good demographic tbh, I am agnostic but honestly nobody gives a fuck here.

There's been a couple people I've seen predicting that the American Right is going to become very reactionary and basically turn the US into a Handmaid's Tale type of place.

Right wing politics in the US are really strange. Well politics in general. US are supposed to be a secular country, they have the sentence in god we trust on the bills and presidents swear on the bubble. as European I really do not get it.

Whether that comes to fruition or not remains to be seen, but that's a big fat no-go for me.

Same for me, not that it matter anyway.

 

[WhatPowerIs]

I wonder how many users on this forum held onto religion. Must be a very small number.