Religion - Pros & Cons Options

[darkphyre]

What Atheists think about religion

Atheist Criticisms of Religion

Not all atheists are hostile to religion, but many do think that religion is bad. Here are some of their reasons...

• Religion gets people to believe something untrue.
  
• Religion makes people base the way they run their lives on a falsehood.
  
• Religion stops people thinking in a rational and objective way.
  
• Religion forces people to rely on outside authority, rather than becoming self-reliant.
  
• Religion imposes irrational rules of good and bad behaviour.
  
• Religion divides people, and is a cause of conflict and war.
  
• The hierarchical structure of most religions is anti-democratic, and thus offends basic human rights.
  
• Religion doesn't give equal treatment to women and gay people, and thus offends basic human rights.
  
• Religion obstructs scientific research.
  
• Religion wastes time and money.

Religion has good bits to it.

Most atheists willingly concede there are some good things about religion, such as:

• Religious art and music
  
• Religious charities and good works
  
• Much religious wisdom and scripture
  
• Human fellowship and togetherness

I agree with just about everything on this list. What do you think?

[HiddenFaerie]

I haven't a problem with religion. As long as people don't try to push their ideas on me I can live with it. In my opinion there is a difference between religion and spirituality. I simply don't see why one must have a religion in order to worship your god, someone shouldn't be their to tell you what is the wrong or correct way to pray or to live your life.

And what people don't realize is that adults that go to church now, on a regular basis, because it's a habit, it's not out of faith. Most people don't go because they actually believe, they attend church simply because they did when they were young. And as they're older they still go, this time forcing it upon their own children. Who in turn will continue this cycle. Don't get me wrong, I have met people who have a strong beliefs, who seem to emit their love for God. But not many.

There of coarse is the whole, we need proof thing. All we really have is the bible. A man made book, written after the death of Jesus. A book that has changed and been cut down to fit to the needs of certain people. As in the whole woman thing, they blame women for everything. It started there, not only did we come second (although I've never heard of men giving birth...) but women are the cause of the original sin and from then on degraded more and more. Poopie...

I don't know whether a god exists. All I know and believe is that there is something, more along the lines of a difference between good and bad, and right and wrong. I suppose I'm simply not good at following directions, but I can't find myself in a religion. If one day I find that I need to pray, and find spiritual guidance, I'll do it on my own.