A World Without A Religion?

[truefusion 3]

You can believe what you want, I deal in logic.

[1:1]I am one person out of billions and yet no other person has had exactly the same experiences as me. That makes me unique, as it does everyone else. I have come to my own truths based on my personal experience and knowledge. [1:2]Last I looked, I was only one person with these experiences, knowledge and beliefs not a group of people (unless you are accusing me of Dissociative Identity Disorder). All my friends and those around me do not share those experiences, knowledge and beliefs - they are all individuals as well. Of course we share common morals and beliefs but that does not make those around me or those I know part of 'my' religion. [1:3]Religion is shared and indoctrinated beliefs not commonality. If it only came down to having common beliefs there would be virtually only one religion in the world. Most people can agree on things like not killing, being kind to other people, prioritising love etc but that doesn't make them all of the some religion.

[2]Atheism is not a religion. It is a state - the state in which a person believes in nothing. Although given the term 'atheist' is somewhat of a philosophical term, it is naturally open to debate.

As you said, it requires a group. And a group that agree on common beliefs etc. Once those things are agreed upon, it becomes indoctrinated and thus a religion.

[. . .]

[3]My point is and always has been, you do not *need* religion to be a good person. I am case in point of that fact.

 

[1:1]You're right: one out of billions. But to claim that there is no one out there that believes the same things as you do, is to say that you have met everyone that is currently alive.

[1:2]Of course, we are limited to time, and our location. Time, as in: past, present, and future; this includes the amount that we are still alive in.

[1:3]If you meet the requirements--no matter how many beliefs one may have--you are [it]. Let's take plain atheism, for example. What is the only requirement? To believe that there is no God, or gods. It doesn't matter whether or not they believe in other things. It won't change the fact that they're atheists. Same goes for what is mentioned. Commonality.

[2]I wouldn't say, nothing. But, in the end, it's still a belief. Sure, there are those who say that they know, but let's not get into that.

[3]I think this would deal with consequences. If there are no consequences for doing what we declare as bad, then a person will do what we declare as bad. If a person, who feels like killing, can get away with murder, they'll do it. As far as they're concerned, they don't have to answer to their Creator--the one who knows what you do in secret and in public.

[randomdood 0]

religion don't start wars, at the moment the polls are 50/50 but i say that war won't stop until civilization gets wiped out (like when god comes down and kills satan) religion is what guides us, it seperates right from wrong, otherwise the world would just be chaos

[Kuroshiro 0]

A world religion, is like a world without a meaning. Having a relegion, such as me, and as a christian, I have someone to look upon to, and also have the feeling of being guided in life. If you don't know what I mean, i mean't that, if you do not have a relegion, then there would be other things bad that would happen. Actually, the war of relegion started since the beginning of time, and is still going on today. Some of you probably haven't noticed it yet, but there are still people dying outside of the U.S. because of their relegion. That would also explain why they want to immigrate to this U.S. to escape these stuff.Alright, so I went off subject with the first paragraph a little bit. Wether or not you believe in God, he is there. If you just believe in him, then miracles would happen to you. You might just not notice it, but it actually happens.A world without relegion would probably be like those "futuristic movies" such as the twilight zone, the island or Aeon Flux where everything is self contained. But that would be just freaky.Anyways, I choose no.

[Thorned Rose 0]

Gees, this topic is going no where and I'm tired of hearing the same crap over and over. You cannot argue with religious people because they have an 'answer' for everything despite overwhelming evidence and knowledge to the contrary.I have enough trouble with bible/koran/torah/tablet/etc bashing from people around me, people on tv and people coming to my door.I'm not gonna bother with this thread any more because it is pointless. You will never win against self-righteousness and the ability to use god as an 'answer' and excuse for everything.Get some integrity and stop relying on an external force to make you behave. Humans are perfectly capable of being good without co-dependence on an absent 'omnipresent' being who is happy to sit on it's a** and let the world suffer, all the while making out that people cause their own suffering (yes if I don't completely cover my body, I deserve to be raped - it's not god sitting back and letting me be raped, it's just that I'm a dirty sinful person or the toddler that was tortured and dropped into boiling water repeatedly deserved what it got cause god sure as hell didn't do anything to save it) Whatever! This whole thing is ridiculous.Stop making excuses and relying on other things to live you life. Get some integrity and self-belief! Love and life! - Live love and love life.(oh and I wouldn't bother making any specific addresses to me because I won't be reading them and I know I sound harsh but I am sick of going round and round in circles with people who switch their brains off when it comes to beliefs and morals)

[Jon Jon 0]

I totally disagree. No matter what religioon you're in, you still learn basic moraility from a religion. And when you learn morality, sure you'll be more disciplined. Only some misunderstand some contexts and such and then falls away from the teachings of the religion.

[FaLgoR 0]

Religion could be good if we knew how to use it. I'm part of a christian family (I don't have a religion though). The words of Jesus are good, he was a good man, but we (humans) are just too stupid. Look how many bad things people did using the name of God.. Five million woman were burned because they were 'Witches', tons of documents, technologies, cultures were destroied by it. I mean, the egyptian people did surgeries exactly like we do today years and years ago, but some lunatics said it was a devil thing and burned everything. Lost forever. And we only got it back around the 18 century.But as a non-religious person I have to admit: I don't belive in anything, I belive life has no sense and I belive it is just a natural coincidence. I belive we are nothing and make no difference in the universe. If there was no religon, many people would be like me, and the world would be even worse than it is today. YOu gotta belive in something or you will realize your existance is useless, senseless. Suicide rates would grow a lot, as well as homicide rates.

[jhsmurray 0]

thats not the religions fault. its our's. im just saying it doesnt say in the bible to kill people who dont believe in the bible, cant blame it for peoples violence.

I agree with you entirely. Although religion may play a significant role in helping polarize already conflicting groups, armed conflict in the name of religion would be in the name of something else if religion didnt exist. Although violence may be condoned (under certain conditions) in such works as the Hindu Bhagavad Gita, or in Christiany with the Just War, neither of these ideas condone the passion of violence, or violence for violence's sake. The two world wars were not based on religion at all (although nazi purification to the Jewish "Question" is related to WWII, it wasnt the cause of it, nor was Hitler executing his plan on religous premises).

In-and-of-itself, religion is not the cause - therefore removing it is not the solution.

Therefore, I say that removing religion will not make the world a better place.

Thats my two cents.

[BooZker 0]

Gees, this topic is going no where and I'm tired of hearing the same crap over and over. You cannot argue with religious people because they have an 'answer' for everything despite overwhelming evidence and knowledge to the contrary.I have enough trouble with bible/koran/torah/tablet/etc bashing from people around me, people on tv and people coming to my door.
I'm not gonna bother with this thread any more because it is pointless. You will never win against self-righteousness and the ability to use god as an 'answer' and excuse for everything.
Get some integrity and stop relying on an external force to make you behave. Humans are perfectly capable of being good without co-dependence on an absent 'omnipresent' being who is happy to sit on it's a** and let the world suffer, all the while making out that people cause their own suffering (yes if I don't completely cover my body, I deserve to be raped - it's not god sitting back and letting me be raped, it's just that I'm a dirty sinful person or the toddler that was tortured and dropped into boiling water repeatedly deserved what it got cause god sure as hell didn't do anything to save it) Whatever! This whole thing is ridiculous.
Stop making excuses and relying on other things to live you life. Get some integrity and self-belief! Love and life! - Live love and love life.
(oh and I wouldn't bother making any specific addresses to me because I won't be reading them and I know I sound harsh but I am sick of going round and round in circles with people who switch their brains off when it comes to beliefs and morals)

This topic is going no where because people get WAY off topic. I have too, but i do it to try to get back ON topic. I mean i don't know how hard it is to stay on topic. The topic is simply this: " What would a world be like without a religion and no one ever believed in religion EVER" So can you guys answer that?

Also Thorned Rose... you said just about everything i could have ever say. Thanks haha

After almost 220 posts religion has finally taken the lead in the polls. Interesting. First time ever.
Edited November 11, 2006 by BooZker (see edit history)

[mojoman 0]

i voted yes.....ending religion wont end wars, definetely not....but it would certainly end a lot of them, and would DEFINETELY make the world a better place...a guy up there said religion teaches morality....yes, it does....but why not just teach morality and leave out the religion? it'd save a lot of lives, and a lot of hours on sunday nowadays people rarely go to war and violence over religion...but unfortunately, they used to, and those ancient feuds have passed down from the centuries and infest the world today, feuling muslim anger at the west, feuling catholic anger at protestant, and vice versa... (ireland)....therefore, if no1 had ever believed in religion from the start (like this topic says, see, i AM on topic )there would simply be less wars! of course there would still be wars over wealth, land, but no more wars over religious differences and persecution! the world would undoubtedly be a better place, and there would still be clever people (the ancient greeks for instance) who would teach morals, for without them how would the world survive?if any of you guys have watched kingdom of heavan there's this 1 line i really like, it kinda sums this topic up....Balian: "I will destroy the city, your holy places, and ours, everything within Jerusalem which drives men mad"Saladin: "I wonder, if it would not be better if you did"

[hyper_monkey20 0]

Unfortunately the possibility for a world without religion is very slim, as people naturally flock to something (Whether it be a star trek convention or Judaism.) Instead of being entirely individualistic we rely on the choice of which collective, which is essentically selective individualism. Although I have a dislike for a large amount of the fundamentalists, or extremist ideals and values, the actual knowledge maintained in the bible,qu'ran,etc could be quite valuable from a historical standpoint pertaining to ancient values and ideals and the state of the world at that time specifically. Unfortunately, far too many people take these ideas in literal interpretation. Instead of seeing Adam and Eve figuratively, they see them as possibly existing in the real world.The problem with religion is the afterline, there are obvious inclinations as to why we would believe this exists, however the inert problem with this is that they all end up believing that this life is for benevolence, that somehow their life will be better if they act according in this one. Which in reality theres no evidence to believe either!If this "god" existed, he or she, or even "IT!" would maybe be a very forgiving, honest, and concise individual, maybe our sins were created as a way for us to learn from our OWN mistakes, why should we agree upon values created centuries ago?My biggest problem with religion is that is does in fact create wars, and even in modern society we still don't see a seperation between the church and the state or any level of government.edit:WOW, a 50/50 stance, thats just incredible from the poll!

Edited November 26, 2006 by hyper_monkey20 (see edit history)

[BooZker 0]

I think the chance of it is VERY slim, yes, but this topic is not about the chance. What if this is how it was. I have come to my own conclusions. My biggest conclusion is that even if the world had no religion people would have something else. People need something to go to, a second family if you will. Me, i only have the belief that you should believe in whats logical, and if it's not logical, but to you makes sense follow it. However, don't conform with every little aspect of it. You should at least ask a question or two once in awhile.

[rsf 0]

There would be a lot more crime and selfishness without religion. Even most people who claim to be atheist are affected by religion and the chance of God being real. Why else is my church attendance nearly doubled Christmas and Easter of every year? So even if you are atheist, there has to be some voice in the back of you head saying, "What if I was accountable for my sins?"Without religion this planet would kill itself in a matter of years. People are too messed up to live without religion.

[BArS 0]

Any way you will believe in something: in shopping, that your boss will give you more money for your hard word, in president etc. it will be a new kind of religion.

[BooZker 0]

There would be a lot more crime and selfishness without religion. Even most people who claim to be atheist are affected by religion and the chance of God being real. Why else is my church attendance nearly doubled Christmas and Easter of every year? So even if you are atheist, there has to be some voice in the back of you head saying, "What if I was accountable for my sins?"
Without religion this planet would kill itself in a matter of years. People are too messed up to live without religion.

Not really no. I mean I think about it once in a blue moon, what if there was a god and i was living a life as a Atheist, but that doesnt come up much. I mean you probably think about what if there was no God once in awhile. I don't really understand why people need God to not commit a crime and to not be selfish. If i could understand why people think this then a world without religion would would come to me easier.

[willy0555 0]

I think being an athiest would be the best thing for everyone. I mean, when you die you dont want to go to heaven or hell or whatever. You would rather just die and thats it.