Religion Vs Belief Nice little rant about religion

[Picardim 0]

I was attending my political science class when I brought up religion. The following statement was said: Religion has always been a form of government and has done the same amount of bad things the untied states government has. I believe there is a difference between a set religion like catholicism and the belief in Jesus Christ and deity compared to the religion it is linked to. If God is really all knowing, why would a person have to dedicate their life to prayer and attending church, when they can be out helping others and doing the basic set lines of how to be a good person and get into heaven. When discussing this, I was surprised to not be killed on the spot, knowing how controversial the religious issues are. In fact, I was praised for deep thought and had many people agreeing that set religion was good, but is now just abused and a way to brainwash people, when they should be out finding themselves and their own beliefs and knowing that as long as one is a good person they do not need to throw away their time when it can be used productively.

[truefusion 3]

Religion has always been a form of government and has done the same amount of bad things the untied states government has.

Were these the same people that said the following?:

and had many people agreeing that set religion was good, but is now just abused and a way to brainwash people

So it is a fact that it is not the religion but the followers. And if a religion were to preach foolishness, you could accuse the religion, but if the follower were to exclude themselves from their judgment, then they aren't taking responsibility for their own actions. However, accusing the religion mostly comes from ignorance: an assumption that is taken up when people only observe but not interact.

 

I believe there is a difference between a set religion like catholicism and the belief in Jesus Christ and deity compared to the religion it is linked to. If God is really all knowing, why would a person have to dedicate their life to prayer and attending church, when they can be out helping others and doing the basic set lines of how to be a good person and get into heaven.

Being dedicated to prayer and attending church can involve helping others. In fact, by going to church you can very well help others. One of my personal favorite churches i visit hold a feast almost every weekend (when they can afford to), and they allow others to come in and eat. Many nearby homeless people have been known to come in and be served. By being dedicated to prayer you help prolong this want to help. Also, many who go to church seek spiritual healing; hope goes a long way. So, prayer and attending church can be and is productive.

 

And since you mention Christianity you cannot say that by doing good one will enter Heaven—this is the opposite of Christianity's teachings. Christianity teaches that the moment one does an evil act they no longer are considered a good person, since good is the abscence or complete lack of bad or evil. By believing that you can enter heaven through good works though you've done bad works in the past is to believe that you are a good person. The average person performs evil several times for each one good deed. Many go on in their daily lives not knowing that they've committed an evil act in that day.

 

Although you say "basic set lines" of doing good, how many people do you know follow these "basic" set lines? Everyone needs a reason to do something—whether they're a believer or not, whether it is beneficial or not, and whether they can tell you their reason for doing something or not. However, what are these "basic" set lines, and how many "lines" are there? If humans could make up their own set lines for entering heaven, then heaven is just make belief (to them), and you are bound, if not certain, to see a lack of dedication to do good.

 

However, it is also fully possible to do good and still be a bad person. For example, one may do good public deeds but fail in their private time.

 

I was praised for deep thought

Now-a-days, that should be expected. Many people take up the belief that followers of certain religions lack sense or some form of intellect. Because of this, many believe, because of how convicted the believer is to their religion, that the believer is blindly following their religion. But this is not an absolute. In fact, it requires deep thought in order to understand many, if not most or all, religions.

 

but is now just abused and a way to brainwash people, when they should be out finding themselves and their own beliefs and knowing that as long as one is a good person they do not need to throw away their time when it can be used productively.

However, everyone will state anything—whether just or not—to not follow something; but something just or, in this case, "i don't want to" is acceptable. I am unsure of what church or facility you've or others have been to that have brainwashed people for their own benefit which in turn makes them unproductive, but you are capable of suggesting things according to their ability; however, you may find that they already do such productive things.

[Joshua 0]

I was attending my political science class when I brought up religion. The following statement was said: Religion has always been a form of government and has done the same amount of bad things the untied states government has. I believe there is a difference between a set religion like catholicism and the belief in Jesus Christ and deity compared to the religion it is linked to. If God is really all knowing, why would a person have to dedicate their life to prayer and attending church, when they can be out helping others and doing the basic set lines of how to be a good person and get into heaven. When discussing this, I was surprised to not be killed on the spot, knowing how controversial the religious issues are. In fact, I was praised for deep thought and had many people agreeing that set religion was good, but is now just abused and a way to brainwash people, when they should be out finding themselves and their own beliefs and knowing that as long as one is a good person they do not need to throw away their time when it can be used productively.

Actually, I have heard it said that it is exactly that which keeps Christianity from not being a religion: that it is not about being a good person to get into Heaven. According to the Bible, all of us are guilty wretches who can never be good enough to get into Heaven. This is a good thing since it keeps us from being able to condemn or punish one another, since we can't bop others with rocks unless we are un-bop-worthy ourselves.

Since Christianity involves becoming a new person, a saint, simply by asking Jesus to save us and trusting His sacrifice on the cross to save us from our evil deeds (meaning we first must admit we're evil), it completely eliminates the element of pride that comes with religion. We can't brag because we owe everything to Jesus, and stand every moment only by God's mercy towards us. Furthermore, since we're all a bunch of jerks, or at best, redeemed jerks, it means we should be merciful to others, or else God won't be merciful to us.

And, since we're saved by grace, not by our works, it also means we should do good towards others not out of fear God will punish us, but out of love and our hearts being right inside. However, it does not condone laziness or evil deeds because if we're saved at all our lives should begin producing good fruits naturally, not because of our efforts but because of our very natures having been changed.

As for churches, they really don't matter. We should try to be around other Christians to be kept accountable, to fellowship with them, to praise God, and just because we like being around God's people, but that doesn't mean going into a literal building. It could be a bunch of Christians sitting in a tree and be about as effective (or maybe more), imo. If anything, church buildings can prove a distraction since they can get the focus on legalism, structure, and externalism rather than God.

Also, brainwashing is a bad thing, but I never understood the term. Wouldn't people want their brains nice and clean instead of all dirty and icky? I mean, it's good to give a dog a bath once a while, wouldn't it be the same with a brain? It couldn't really work like a carwash, maybe more like sticking a hose in one ear, and...

[jjaenagle 0]

i would have to agree with truefusion and joshua. Religion is not about a set of rules you follow or you do it be cause you have to or they are bad if they dont. If you lived your entire life like that, than you would just be living a legalistic life of your beliefs and not what god really intends, which is a relationship.I do believe that people do come to know christ and god better through this legalistic way sometimes... my wife went to church because she felt alone and that she should go to church to lift her up spiritually! She didn't really understand this type of relationship until she went to college and her church setting changed!Without accepting jesus christ as your savior and confessing that you are a sinner, it is impossible for anyone to get into heaven.... in fact, you dont even believe in heaven! The moment you reject the works of jesus, you are throwing god out of your life and fill it with your own image of what god is!I have done that so many times and i still do sometimes! There are christians who just twist things around in the bible or in prayer or even help from others to make it seem whatever they want it to! To be a true christian, sometimes you have to face the facts about what god really is whether you like it or not! If you dont believe in jesus, then you dont believe in heaven or hell!---------------------------------------------------------------------

[Janissary 0]

Hello,Since topic says "religion vs belief". I think i should write something about a non-Christian religion.Most of the orders of Quran are about person. How he/she can live a better life, be a better person. And a muslim doesnt need an imam or any kind of authrity to reach god.So, yes. You are right. I also think religion isnt a heavy set of rules you need to obey in order to get into the club.But its human nature, we like being told what to do rather than finding the answer ourself. So through history some men emerges to take advantege of it, stating he's the know-it-all guy.Hmm, I think my mind is scattered. I cant find right words.

[tricky77puzzle 0]

No religion is bad. A religion is basically a set of beliefs that makes up the entirety of, or a significant part of, a person's lifestyle, and usually involves some spiritual connection. However, in the broadest sense of the term, no spiritual connection is really required.A religion is based on belief, not by rules. The rules are just something that accompany the belief, and are not to be strictly implemented, except for those that are essential to the faith. For example, in Christianity, you have the rules about being kind to each other, but God doesn't hold you to every little thing that he wouldn't hold you to anyway if you weren't a Christian, and he (huh... I still don't use He) forgives you.

[armynavy123 0]

Were these the same people that said the following?: So it is a fact that it is not the religion but the followers. And if a religion were to preach foolishness, you could accuse the religion, but if the follower were to exclude themselves from their judgment, then they aren't taking responsibility for their own actions. However, accusing the religion mostly comes from ignorance: an assumption that is taken up when people only observe but not interact.

 

 

Being dedicated to prayer and attending church can involve helping others. In fact, by going to church you can very well help others. One of my personal favorite churches i visit hold a feast almost every weekend (when they can afford to), and they allow others to come in and eat. Many nearby homeless people have been known to come in and be served. By being dedicated to prayer you help prolong this want to help. Also, many who go to church seek spiritual healing; hope goes a long way. So, prayer and attending church can be and is productive.

 

And since you mention Christianity you cannot say that by doing good one will enter Heaven—this is the opposite of Christianity's teachings. Christianity teaches that the moment one does an evil act they no longer are considered a good person, since good is the abscence or complete lack of bad or evil. By believing that you can enter heaven through good works though you've done bad works in the past is to believe that you are a good person. The average person performs evil several times for each one good deed. Many go on in their daily lives not knowing that they've committed an evil act in that day.

 

Although you say "basic set lines" of doing good, how many people do you know follow these "basic" set lines? Everyone needs a reason to do something—whether they're a believer or not, whether it is beneficial or not, and whether they can tell you their reason for doing something or not. However, what are these "basic" set lines, and how many "lines" are there? If humans could make up their own set lines for entering heaven, then heaven is just make belief (to them), and you are bound, if not certain, to see a lack of dedication to do good.

 

However, it is also fully possible to do good and still be a bad person. For example, one may do good public deeds but fail in their private time.

 

 

Now-a-days, that should be expected. Many people take up the belief that followers of certain religions lack sense or some form of intellect. Because of this, many believe, because of how convicted the believer is to their religion, that the believer is blindly following their religion. But this is not an absolute. In fact, it requires deep thought in order to understand many, if not most or all, religions.

 

 

However, everyone will state anything—whether just or not—to not follow something; but something just or, in this case, "i don't want to" is acceptable. I am unsure of what church or facility you've or others have been to that have brainwashed people for their own benefit which in turn makes them unproductive, but you are capable of suggesting things according to their ability; however, you may find that they already do such productive things.

As my Rabbi said " God is a game of hiding and seeking, we are trying to find God with our prayers but we just get discouraged when our prayers do not come true. Our prayers are the source of our hope. Now since our prayers are the source of hope if we supposedly find God one day, all your prayers are answered, or in Christian belief God (which they think is Jesus) will come to Earth and reveal his/her self than when one of our prayers aren't answered or if God goes away....will we lost hope? Where will our hope go? Back with God in heaven? If we lost hope than what will happen to us? What will we have to live for? Who will we share our joy or sorrows with if there is nobody around? So is it better to find and know then possibly risk losing hope or is it better to never lose hope....yet, always believe?

[nolan 0]

Religion has always just been a convenient idea to "pin" wrongdoings on. Very few religions are intrinsically evil, but a lot of people in a position of power have used their influence in order to commit various offences. In the end, though, it is the individual who determines what is possible for his or herself, not the religion. When you live long enough and interact with people with an open mind, you see that good people come in all different shapes, sizes, and categories of spirituality or belief. It's for this reason that I can just as easily befriend an atheist, a Christian, a pagan, a pantheist, or just about anything else. When you're young, however, or your beliefs are still forming, it's easier for you to attack ideas that differ from your own as a natural mechanism for validating the ideas that you have come to adopt. This is why many religious debates tend to end in a swelling of finger-pointing and heated remarks that have little to do with the discussion at hand.