Religion will eventually become obsolete (Muslims, gospels, Jesus Christ, religions)

[coffeehound]

I seriously doubt it. All cultures have taboos and dogmas that rely on faith. Even the much-maligned "atheist liberals" have a religion. Outsiders call it "progressivism" or "multiculturalism" (and hostile outsiders call it "political correctness") but it definitely has all the rather opaque characteristics of a religious faith.

If you've ever been in a party of multiculturalists and expressed some kind of mild doubt about the virtues of "diversity" then you'd know that they defend the faith with more blind passion than most Catholics defend the Pope. LOL.

Religion is evolving to adapt to new circumstances, not disappearing.

Progressivism is the nation's new dominant religion. Either embrace it or run from it!

[Magnum Mike]

Originally Posted by Haaziq

Ahh, using Pascal's Wager. The whole "It's better just to believe in case you're wrong so you can go to heaven. The problem with that argument is that it can be applied to any of the 5,000 deities worshipped on this planet. Along with the sun, which I thank regularly for heat, energy (solar power and energy for plants to grow cause I'm a vegan) and light. And I don't need a suit and tie to do it. Just open my window.

5000 deities is a bit of an overstatment, if I had a choice to worship a wooden statue others call "a deity", and the only God who I strongly believe in, and have seen him do many miracles in my life and the lives of others, I think you know what my choice would be.

[tkdmom]

Originally Posted by sophix

I hate to blow it for most of you, but religion is a man-made creation that will very soon be exposed for what it is - a counterintuitive, destructive, manipulative organization that has been feeding off of people's vulnerability and weakness for years.

It's fake, people! I suppose, myself and other non-believers ("atheist" is such a dirty word with so many negative connotations, especially in the US) really wouldn't really give a hoot about this issue if so many religious fundies stopped trying to pass legislation which benefitted their bogus bibically-backed agenda.

When will Americans realize (as most in nearly every other developed nation) that the notion of a man sitting up in the clouds watching every move and every thought you make is utterly ridiculous! It's absolutely astounding to me that someone can actually believe that a man was born of a virgin, performed a bunch of miracles, and then died, and rose again. Especially with zero evidence to support this viewpoint.

Yet, these same religious fundies will balk at repeatable, proveable, time tested scientific research. It just doesn't make any sense.

As I'm sure has been stated on these forums before, you can "choose" (such a favorite word of fundies) to believe whatever you want. It's when you use collective mass ignorance to your benefit to pass or not pass legislation which limit the right of individuals or practices you deem "immoral" that becomes the problem.

I tell ya, unless something changes, this country is headed for disaster.

Hey maybe God is imaginary and all of us bible thumpers are delusional !

Sorry for the sarcasm, sometimes I can't help myself.

I actually feel sorry for your athie way of thinking, I can't imagine not having my faith in Jesus/God, especially now when all the world seems like it's going crazy. I have felt God's spirit and seen miracles, so I will never waver in my belief, no matter what scientific proof is available, besides science just takes credit for what the almighty GOD has created.

[GCSTroop]

Originally Posted by Magnum Mike

5000 deities is a bit of an overstatment, if I had a choice to worship a wooden statue others call "a deity", and the only God who I strongly believe in, and have seen him do many miracles in my life and the lives of others, I think you know what my choice would be.

In all actuality, there have been about 5000 deities throughout the course of mankind. It seems odd.... apparently everyone who worships said deities feels they are influencing their lives in a certain way. From the Mayan Gods who demanded human sacrifice for rain, to the Native American creation stories, to the Christian God, I have yet to hear anyone think that their deity did anything less.

[Tesaje]

Originally Posted by Magnum Mike

5000 deities is a bit of an overstatment, if I had a choice to worship a wooden statue others call "a deity", and the only God who I strongly believe in, and have seen him do many miracles in my life and the lives of others, I think you know what my choice would be.

Not really. Your depictions of Christ are no different than the "wooden statue" of other religions. Those statues are symbolic depictions of a god just like your Jesus statues are. If it helps you in your life, fine, but you don't have a lock on serious religious devotion. It is very arrogant and insulting to all those other people on the face of the earth who just as sincerely believe in their deities.

With the same bunch of "evidence" that you claim to know. And over the span of the existence of homo sapians, 5000 deities is probably a conservative estimate.

As for the initial question. I don't think religion will become obsolete. It seems to be something in the psyche of most people that fills a need. Not one I myself have a need for, but one that an awful lot of people do. I would just hope that the brands that fly in the face of demonstrable facts become obsolete and ones that can incorporate known facts about how the world works become more commonplace. Brainwashing is never a good thing.

[Haaziq]

Originally Posted by Magnum Mike

5000 deities is a bit of an overstatment, if I had a choice to worship a wooden statue others call "a deity", and the only God who I strongly believe in, and have seen him do many miracles in my life and the lives of others, I think you know what my choice would be.

For the record, The Buddha was an actual person. He was the one who actually wrote the scriptures Buddhists follow. And he has never been considered to be a God. He was an atheist. Just thought you'd like to know that in case that was the "wooden statue" you were referring to. And that is not an overstatement. Do some research yourself. And any wooden statue is just as valid as the Judeo-Christian God. They both are accepted on faith and the chances of your prayers being answered are 50/50 for both. I'm not even going to touch on miracles as you probably already know what I'm going to say.

[Haaziq]

Originally Posted by coffeehound

I seriously doubt it. All cultures have taboos and dogmas that rely on faith. Even the much-maligned "atheist liberals" have a religion. Outsiders call it "progressivism" or "multiculturalism" (and hostile outsiders call it "political correctness") but it definitely has all the rather opaque characteristics of a religious faith.

If you've ever been in a party of multiculturalists and expressed some kind of mild doubt about the virtues of "diversity" then you'd know that they defend the faith with more blind passion than most Catholics defend the Pope. LOL.

Religion is evolving to adapt to new circumstances, not disappearing.

Progressivism is the nation's new dominant religion. Either embrace it or run from it!

Uhh..no. All cultures don't have faith. Atheism is lack of faith in any deity. Notice the word lack. And multiculturalism isn't a religion. I wouldn't defend it though because I'm not one myself.

[coffeehound]

Originally Posted by Haaziq

Uhh..no. All cultures don't have faith. Atheism is lack of faith in any deity. Notice the word lack. And multiculturalism isn't a religion. I wouldn't defend it though because I'm not one myself.

Atheism isn't any more a religion than theism is, I agree. It lacks any sort of specific belief system on its own aside from a disbelief in a personal diety. Atheists often do get involved in strange crypto-religious cults, but that's not to be confused with their atheism per se, IMO, not anymore than theists in general can be categorized by their various odd religious affiliations.

And what culture doesn't have a system of dogmas? I'm sure it serves a purpose, or else we wouldn't bother.

I do think multiculturalism is a religion, though; it is based in the completely unproven faith-based assumption that all human beings, ethnic groups, and cultures are created completely equal in every way, and that ethnic in-group favoritism is a sin.

In fact, most real hardline multiculturalists even have a doctrine of Original Sin for their members, who are virtually exclusively white (and atheist, or deist at least.) They call it "white privilege." You either accept the existence of your sin or face eternal perdition.

Anyway, I'm sure this religion, too, serves a beneficial purpose for its members. I'm hostile to it, but I have to recognize my bias here.

Mostly, I think, it serves as a powerful status marker for elite (or aspiring elite) whites over their country-bumpkin cousins... they aren't interested in asserting their moral superiority over "people of color" because the poor noble savages pose absolutely no threat to their social and political dominance.

Actually, the country-bumpkins don't, either, but you gotta have an eternal enemy to unite against, eh?

[Haaziq]

Originally Posted by coffeehound

Atheism isn't any more a religion than theism is, I agree. It lacks any sort of specific belief system on its own aside from a disbelief in a personal diety. Atheists often do get involved in strange crypto-religious cults, but that's not to be confused with their atheism per se, IMO, not anymore than theists in general can be categorized by their various odd religious affiliations.

And what culture doesn't have a system of dogmas? I'm sure it serves a purpose, or else we wouldn't bother.

I do think multiculturalism is a religion, though; it is based in the completely unproven faith-based assumption that all human beings, ethnic groups, and cultures are created completely equal in every way, and that ethnic in-group favoritism is a sin.

In fact, most real hardline multiculturalists even have a doctrine of Original Sin for their members, who are virtually exclusively white (and atheist, or deist at least.) They call it "white privilege." You either accept the existence of your sin or face eternal perdition.

Anyway, I'm sure this religion, too, serves a beneficial purpose for its members. I'm hostile to it, but I have to recognize my bias here.

Mostly, I think, it serves as a powerful status marker for elite (or aspiring elite) whites over their country-bumpkin cousins... they aren't interested in asserting their moral superiority over "people of color" because the poor noble savages pose absolutely no threat to their social and political dominance.

Actually, the country-bumpkins don't, either, but you gotta have an eternal enemy to unite against, eh?

Yeah, neither atheism nor theism are religions. The belief systems that are built around them are (Buddhism for atheists and any religion that worships a deity for theists) are what make religions. I don't really care much for multicuturalism though. When it gets extreme it actually does the reverse effect of racism (affirmative action, etc). I'm black and I don't agree with it even if it does benefit my race. I want something because I earned it. Not because I'm black.

[Nikk]

I pray to God that religions will become obsolete.

I think that religion is wrong. We should all only have a loving relationship with our creator: God the Father, Jesus his Son and the Holy Spirit.