A World Without A Religion?

[BooZker 0]

It's not that i dont want there to be heaven or hell it's that i don't believe in heaven or hell. I wish there was a place like heaven. Who wouldn't? A place that is perfect? When i was about 13 i was scared of dying all the time. I would think about it all the time. What if i died. That's it nothing. I'm just dead. And it was weird to me. I WANTED to believe that i went somewhere, but i seriously couldn't get my mind to think that when i were to die i would go up to heaven.

[electriic ink 1]

Religion has altered the world a lot in many good ways. In fact, without religion Americans wouldn't be living in the world they are today. In the 1930s America went into economic depression and despite President Roosevelt's best efforts there was no feasible way to make it back to how it was before. What happened in 1939? World War 2! America produced weapons for its allies and became richer again. Hitler, who caused the war, had a main aim which was to wipe out the Jews and make them uncomfortable. In a very indirect and tortuous pattern, religion saved the US!

 

Don't forget that in times of past the idea that "God is on our side" has kept many people's morales up in difficult situations; religious ideas were the starting point for many countries' laws.

 

You all see the negative sides of things too often. You have absolutely no idea how big or small an impact religion has had, even on your lives. I could take you on loads of history trips where religion has affected modern live. Things are not too bad now so stop wishing for that world because you don't know what it will be like.

[truefusion 3]

. . .but i seriously couldn't get my mind to think that when i were to die i would go up to heaven.

Repentance should increase your chances of believing that you would be going to heaven a bit later after death. It always does.

[BooZker 0]

What do you mean truefusion? So if i were to die and there was a god, he would let me in if i forgave or something? This sounds interesting. Is this the same for every person?Come on we need 8 more votes until 100. That would be cool. It would show a good amount of people and there views. It looks like it would NOT has overtaken it would.

Edited December 10, 2006 by BooZker (see edit history)

[Nani Cheri 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.

well with religion they already do..so I think it doesnt matter, there will always be something to fight over as human beings.

[BooZker 0]

Nani Cheri thats true. Think about all the dumb things we argue about now. I can tell you right now that i have fought and argued about some of the stupidest things ever. I do not believe religion does anything about that other then make one more thing to argue about.

[mail4kaja 0]

The world would be much worst without a religion...At-least, now.. some part of the world is in peace... because of the culture and followers of religion... What ever may be the religion... but it controls humans... World NEEDS a religion...

[khuram 0]

The world would be much worst without a religion...At-least, now.. some part of the world is in peace... because of the culture and followers of religion... What ever may be the religion... but it controls humans... World NEEDS a religion...

i agree with u
World Needs religion

[ink 0]

I can't really decide. Religion has created some hate and wars in the past. But on the other hand I think religion is something good aswell, as long as it forbids wars, terrorism, suicide attacks and stuff like that. Religion is sometimes what the people need, it gives them strength and it withholds them from doing stupid things. Lying or being greedy is one example: even though it's not forbidden by law, not everybody does it, since they might have actual inner norms and values, often inspired by the 'lessons' given through religion, and the knowledge that god or angels are watching. (In combination with the risk of being sent to hell, even though nobody discovers or punishes you for lying or greediness during your life.)

[biscuitrat 0]

First of all, let's stop trying to create a utopia because we really can't.

 

Second, religion is a good cultural base for anyone. I personally don't base any of my beliefs on my religion because it doesn't govern me. It shouldn't govern anyone. We were given freedom of thought for a reason. So we invented religion to give us some sort of grounding. But the history, story, mythos, and rituals of religion are fascinating to everyone, and that's what makes it valuable to us. So many people wonder if they'll have morals if they don't have a religion, and yes, of course you do. God didn't tell you to wake up this morning and do whatever you had to do. God didn't give you manners. God doesn't influence the way you write or draw or anything. We have to separate ourselves from that concept first.

 

Third, religion may be empowering, but it should not control our lives. I'm against Intelligent Design and Creationism because there's really not much of a background to it. Science is observation. The previous two are little more than retelling of myths and integration of a cultural force into a technological field. It's cool to think about, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't make sense because it wasn't meant to.

 

Neanderthals never had any mechanism to envision grand religions the way we do. Animism, belief in the spirits and forces of nature, was abundant because it made sense to them. The rain god is angry, so it rains. The sun god is happy, so it is a pretty sunny day. It's quite quaint to think about. But now, you have our worldwhere we're (not me specifically) preoccupied with sin, saving, and sacrifice and it's like...why? How is any of that plausible?

 

It's true that many wars are religiously fueled, but that's because religion was allowed to overshadow a person's true character. If you think of a Christian, you think of one thing. If you think of a Zoroastrian, it's something different. We don't give the person a chance to be themselves if we insist on putting religion first. Imagine World War I - there was nothing religious impacting the struggle. However, World War II was one man's vision of complete eradication because of a brief incident in his past. The war we're fighting now definitely has religious overtones. We did it before - it was called the Crusades then. When will we learn to just back down and think things through? We definitely have the capacity. We just aren't using it.

 

Therefore, a world without religion would be culturally devastating, but it wouldn't benefit anyone. Without religion, people would just find other ways to discriminate against others. We're very fickle, when you get right down to it.

[element1988 0]

umm didnt einstein say somthing about that?

Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.

not the quote i was looking for but pretty close lol

[doomforge 0]

most of these are very good arguments, but instead of getting rid of every religion, which would be beyond impossible, why not just convert everybody to the same religion... that could completely eliminate the need for war depending on the religion and could just as well make people start agreeing with each other and possiblt eliminate racism. after all for some people that is the point of religion, and others could take it spiritualy.. any ways it's not like religion is a binding contract, it's a spiritual decision

[BooZker 0]

I have been reading "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins, a Nobel Prize Winner. He is a extremely intelligent man. To answer you question about this:

most of these are very good arguments, but instead of getting rid of every religion, which would be beyond impossible, why not just convert everybody to the same religion... that could completely eliminate the need for war depending on the religion and could just as well make people start agreeing with each other and possiblt eliminate racism. after all for some people that is the point of religion, and others could take it spiritualy.. any ways it's not like religion is a binding contract, it's a spiritual decision

How would we pick what religion? Let's say we didnt and just picked the best thing from each one, what is the right ones.? Everyone has a different belief. Next i want to say i absolutely, 100%, HATE when people try to convert me. I will only be able to convert myself. This goes for most people here.

Next i would like to say Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking are both Atheist. You need to know the difference between religious as in God religion and religion as in a set of beliefs. I have my religion that i'm Atheist. that IS a religion. Did you also know that Thomas Jefferson was an Atheist and they think Abraham Lincoln was an Atheist also because he never said anything good about religion, but was quick to say bad things about it.

If you look at religion as a place to go because your sad, why do we need religion? Why can't you listen to music, go and read, come here and post, or even go visit a relative? Why do you need to talk to someone up in the sky you can not see or even prove?

Here is a review of a section of the God Delusion about how prayers dont work:

The Great Prayer Experiment
Dawkins recalls a scientifically controlled experiment in which thousands of churchgoers prayed for the health of sick hospital patients. Needless to say, their prayers went unanswered. Religious commentators invented plenty of ridiculous and even sometimes sickening excuses for why God failed to intervene. This gives Dawkins an easy opportunity to attack the stupidity and insensitivity of prominent theologians.

This was an experiment put on by a theologian! Then he said that it doesn't really mean anything. Do you think if everyone was healed that was prayed for they would say it doesnt really mean anything! No! They would be in your face saying how they told you so and how there is proof, but when it fails they make up excuses like one by the number one theologian in Britain that was something like,"The holocaust was a good thing for the Jew because it gave them something to be courageous about" Now i dont have the exact quote, but i can get it and his name, and when it aired on TV. I just didnt want to dig through the book at the moment. I would be more then happy though.

My main point of this whole thing is that we do not need religion. Religion is surviving from people who do not want to understand the way things work. They want to know why not HOW they work. I want evidence and the only evidence people give me is faith. But if i were to tell you that there was a flying tea-cup in outerspace between mars and the Earth, but you cant see it because its to small for any telescope to see, could you tell me thats not true? Could you disprove it? No, but you wont believe it. So why do you believe in something like God who also can not be proven, explained, or even give one good basis on why you believe that is true? Give me two, and only two, pieces of PROOF or to make it easy not even proof but something that is weird on how close it is, that creationism is a real thing? Now i can give you some on Evolution not to mention the honorable mention of the Catholic Pope saying how he has accepted it from all the proof shown to him!

If you are Atheist would you tell someone who asked you what religion you believe in? No, but i know thay Catholics, Jew, and more would say right off the bat. I can tell you that i feel discriminated against because i'm Atheist. Why you ask? Maybe the fact a former president, George Bush Senior, said that Atheists are neither citizens or patriots because it is one nation under god. Wow talk about a country supposed to not be based on religious beliefs. What a joke.
Edited December 31, 2006 by BooZker (see edit history)

[truefusion 3]

Why can't you listen to music, go and read, come here and post, or even go visit a relative? Why do you need to talk to someone up in the sky you can not see or even prove?

Because the former is temporary relief. I say that through experience. Although we can't prove that God exists (i think Romans explains why; i know it's some letter), we also can't prove that God doesn't exist. I tell you, the latter helped me personally, that no visible, tangible material could have ever helped me get through certain times.

 

Give me two, and only two, pieces of PROOF or to make it easy not even proof but something that is weird on how close it is, that creationism is a real thing?

Like mentioned before, although i can't prove Him, i can give some information that makes the existence of God seem more possible.

 

Religion is surviving from people who do not want to understand the way things work. They want to know why not HOW they work. I want evidence and the only evidence people give me is faith.

It's not that we don't wanna understand how things work. It's that we already know. And you're right, in the end it's still faith. For example, the following verses i'm about to show you, although prove that Science and the Bible are more friends than enemies, it'll still require faith to even allow any of these verses to take affect. You can always deny the truth, i just wish many didn't.

 

Isaiah 40:22 tells us that the earth is round. How? By simply mentioning "the circle of the earth".

 

Job 26:7 tells us that the earth is suspended in space, "over nothing".

 

Isaiah 55:10, and Job 36:27-28, behold, the water cycle.

 

Genesis 1:2-9, Psalm 104:6-9, Proverbs 3:19, Proverbs 8:27-29, Job 38:4-8, and 2 Peter 3:5, the earth was first a water world.

 

These are just some of the now-known-as scientific facts that are found in the Bible. There are plenty more. There are those that say, "Well, i believe in science more than religion." What then, now?

[communitykat 0]

Religion is embedded in us, and there is no way to remove it. If all religions dissapeared today, a million would be started tomorrow. Mortal life and the prospect of immortal life are too interesting of questions to go unasked and un organized into institutional thought.