Why does man put up with religion? (meaning, believe, priests)
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For thousands of years we have watched and stood by as religion killed hundreds of millions in the name of their gods. I wonder what it will take for humanity to open their eyes and look at the history our religions have given us. Not a picture of love and peace, more like blood, greed, power, politics, and death. What will it take to jolt the sheep back into reality and end the madness? If there was even a glimmer of a chance it was something other than myths, and fairy tales I might understand it, but with just the limited knowledge we have today it clearly shows the religions of the past to be nothing but lies, and political power plays. I think humanity needs to get a back bone and throw the whole lot out on the street. End the killings, end the lies, expose the power hungrey for what they are, and close them down before they kill us all.
Religion is a very big business.. to end it would make a lot of people angry
Is the death or rape of their children not enough to close the doors to that business? The number keeps rolling over in my head. 200,000,000 killed in the last 2000 years for a lie. Today billions are still following this lie, and trying to convince other to follow it. While another scam is going on in competition with this one, and the heads just keep rolling past in the dust. It is a giant scam, and the price we pay is with the lives of humanity. It is not worth it.
I believe the main purpose of religion is to help humans bridge the gap between the world we know and can understand and the wider universe at large. It seeks to answer the "big" questions. I believe the bottom line, not meant in a condescending way, is that people are scared to give up their deities. To think of a world without an all-knowing, powerful creator is depressing, immobilizing, and terrifying to many people.
I understand the point that you are making, but I don't think people are going to walk away from their security. I don't so much have a problem with religion; it's (mostly) man's interpretation and execution (no pun intended) of religion. Whether I believe that purple dinosaur rules all the universe or the Judeo-Christian God is of no consequence to anyone, but throughout the ages and even today, people make it an issue. It's very frustrating.
I've been hearing and reading a lot about Thomas Jefferson lately. He's my new hero.
"But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." -Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782
"Priests...dread the advance of science as witches do the approach of daylight and scowl on the fatal harbinger announcing the subversions of the duperies on which they live." -Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Correa de Serra, April 11, 1820
Is the death or rape of their children not enough to close the doors to that business?
The problem is your point of view, you and I have developed our personal ethical standards, the majority can simply turn their moral compass off as needed with nonsense like "gods will" or "god dunit" or "it's in the bible".
Well, I suppose we just keep hoping that it will become harmless. Most belief structures do not impact my life in any real meaningful way. Christianity has this annoying habit of trying to make their beliefs the law of the land.
peppermint: You're being much too diplomatic and polite. No, people won't walk away from their "security", but there aren't any real answers to the 'big questions' in pseudo-historical mythological tomes. As Thomas Jefferson realized 200 years ago, the only possibility for answering them lies with science. Here we are in the 21st century, and the ancient bologna lives on. Sigh.
Some of the great philosophers were also quite diplomatic. There's where I got the idea, actually. I just can't see the point in being antagonistic to religious people. They aren't going to change what they believe in the light of hostility, aggression or anger. It only cements their beliefs.
I know that religion doesn't offer concrete, logical, provable answers. I also know that many of the founding fathers left religion out of public view, which is what I wish all people would do.
"Let not the truth or common sense betray your intent!"
Quote:
Originally Posted by peppermint
I believe the main purpose of religion is to help humans bridge the gap between the world we know and can understand and the wider universe at large. It seeks to answer the "big" questions. I believe the bottom line, not meant in a condescending way, is that people are scared to give up their deities. To think of a world without an all-knowing, powerful creator is depressing, immobilizing, and terrifying to many people.
I understand the point that you are making, but I don't think people are going to walk away from their security. I don't so much have a problem with religion; it's (mostly) man's interpretation and execution (no pun intended) of religion. Whether I believe that purple dinosaur rules all the universe or the Judeo-Christian God is of no consequence to anyone, but throughout the ages and even today, people make it an issue. It's very frustrating.
I've been hearing and reading a lot about Thomas Jefferson lately. He's my new hero.
"But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." -Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782
"Priests...dread the advance of science as witches do the approach of daylight and scowl on the fatal harbinger announcing the subversions of the duperies on which they live." -Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Correa de Serra, April 11, 1820
Jefferson is a bane and scourge to the Christian mindset, since they would dearly love to...
1) claim we were founded to be a nation strictly governed by Christian laws, which we are also supposed to bow down to (mandated morning prayers in schools for instance) and
2) place a social and cultural stranglehold on American society. By force of legal measure.
For his obviously keen mind, enduring oversight, understanding of human & religious foibles, his obvious eloquence and elegant writing, I also love his work.
I'd direct people's attention to the current (August 9th, 2010) issue of Time Magazine, particularly the devastating cover picture and related story of Afghani women and what they have and will endure at the hands of religion run amok.
Which, BTW, it ALWAYS does, since by design it grants unlimited power to the select few who appoint themselves as arbiters of the truth. While Islam or Christianity may appeal on paper, it's the same as that tired old saw about Communism being good "in theory". Nope. That always dismisses the human behavior and greed/arrogance factors, which are not dismissible. Ever.
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