religion,, is it really needed? Options

[Domonic]

Yeah, it isn't surprising that we humans are sometimes afraid to say "I dont know." Especailly on the subject of why we're even alive and breathing.

I just think it's ignorant that we (many of us) cannot admit we will never know exactly where we came from...

It's like that one kid in everyone's math class who has absolutley no idea what the hell he's talking about when the teacher calls on him, yet he'll b.s his way as far as he possibly can and try to make sense out of something he dosen't even understand... Don't you have more respect for the quiet kid out of focus who isn't afraid to say "I'm sorry, I don't understand."

???

[XoJennaoX]

I agree with you Domonic, for some reason it is in our human nature to want to know everything. We don't like saying we simply don't know or suffer the fact we will never understand.

The thing is WE created religion. If it wasn't here, someone somewhere would most-likely create it. A very common misconception is that God, Jesus, etc. created religion. No. Whoever wrote the bible was a philosopher, seeking the "truth", WE are the ones that decided to worship and preach and yada yada yada. This is how religion began, because of us and OUR beliefs.

We will always ask how did we get here?, where did we come from? it is in our nature and has been historically proven. But i firmly agree we just will never know...but i think it makes things a lot more interesting...lol

[Domonic]

Exactly. Created by people.

The thing is, I dont have a problem with the core of any religion. I've read into alot of things...and I can see why people would find peace believing what they do. I just choose to believe (or disbelieve?) what feels comfortable to me. It's what people have done to it and how they put others, who don't do EXACTLY what they do, on a lower level..

One of my pet peeves is when Christians think that you must hold moral christian values to hold values at all...

I am not a Christian; but I know what feels right to me.

They want you to feel as great as they do, yet every single person on this earth has a seperate set of desires. No one is going to agree. I don't have problems with what anyone believes or feels. I don't like debating because it makes me feel great to prove others wrong. That's not the point. The point is to notice new things, and advance your knowledge on where you stand.

I'm friends with many Christians, and some of them understand where I'm coming from. I openly talk about issues like this on a regular basis with them, but I never try to force my beliefs upon them.

...But I can't say that my Christian friends haven't tried to force their beliefs upon me.

And that's the problems that I focus on the most.

Am I absolutely 100% possitive that I'm right? Of course not.

But neither are they...And why would you force others to believe something that you don't fully understand and can't prove?

[tmauze]

I am not a Christian; but I know what feels right to me. 

Coming from a Christian perspective, I have to admire what you are saying. Not many people are able to be in such tune with themselves that they know what is right for them. In my life, this is where God comes into play; when I don't know what is right for me, I have God to lean on. However, the fact that you have your own beliefs and are still able to respect different persepectives is awesome and a rarity at that. Having been said, I'm brought to this:

But neither are they...And why would you force others to believe something that you don't fully understand and can't prove?

Obviously being a Christian I am demanded to spread the word of God. But often times I wonder that if I can doubt myself and my faith, then how in the world should I be able to contradict what others said? What makes me right? I could give scientific proof and the whole Bible, but that doesn't always make me believe. It's different.

Don't get me wrong, I fully believe in God. But I simply cannot stand those Christians who think they are better than anyone else in the world because they do believe in Jesus. Talk about hypocritical.

[darklync]

i mean if u can live ur life and do something positive with it, such as volunteering and ect....then i dont think its that important. however, some people need structure in their lives, they have to have answers and therefore need religion.

i personally think religions r nothing but people fighting over whose right (i think ur all wrong), but thats just my opinion.

[Domonic]

i mean if u can live ur life and do something positive with it, such as volunteering and ect....then i dont think its that important. however, some people need structure in their lives, they have to have answers and therefore need religion.

Volnteering/community sevice/ect is a much better way of showing your appreciation for being alive in my opinion.

You're definately helping more people. How is listening to stories about miracles and singing songs you have no interest in helping the world, and bringing humans closer to "God"? It's helping you "think" you have nothing to worry about. That's all. It makes everything okay in your mind...which dosen't understand.

Wouldnt you rather help a child whose parents passed away? Or help a man who has a disability? I would. I know if my parents died, I would want comfort from my friends. I wouldnt want them praying for me in a church while I sit at home being miserable..

"One single act out of love is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer."
-Gandhi

[*StanleyThePanda*]

Religion is needed.
the end

[Spirited Away]

Religion is needed.
the end

It doesn't really work like that in debate...

Come one, grace us with an explanation. I implore you.

[*StanleyThePanda*]

Religion is needed
Because it is a part of diversity needed
And because if we didnt have it then we'd be walking around doing nothing
With nothing to believe in
and no hope for anything.

[Spirited Away]

Religion is needed
Because it is a part of diversity needed
And because if we didnt have it then we'd be walking around doing nothing
With nothing to believe in
and no hope for anything.

I don't have a religion, yet I do things, and I do have hope. I'm not sure what you mean.

[sammi rules you]

err yea. i'm not really religious whatsoever. i don't need religion to guide me; i could really care less..i live my life and it's pretty darned good at the moment without the presence (that looks like it's spelled wrong..?) of God. i don't need to follow someone and be happy. i'm not hoping to be saved or anything. i'm perfectly fine without religion, and i bet if you looked around and saw how many others are fine without it as well, you'd realize it's not needed. sure, it gives people hope, a reason to live, yadda yadda, but OBVIOUSLY you can find other things to give you hope and a reason to live. i don't live to serve some guy up in the sky, i live just to live. i live to make me and others around me happy, not to make something that i can't logically believe in happy.

and look at me. i'm just fine.

[Domonic]

Yeah. What alot of people tend to not realize is that even without the belief in God, you still experience emotion. Everyone feels, whether they believe in God or not.

"...with nothing to believe in, and no hope for anything..."

Nothing to live for? What about love? I would definately say that's something to look forward to (if you've already experienced it, why should it end there?). Loving someone, and being loved, I would imagine, is the greatest feeling imaginable.

Believe in yourself, and your fellow humans. There's something to believe in. But thanks to religion, that's hard to do, seeing as how most people must disagree and force what they believe is right on others, not thinking about their perception of living.

(Again, not everyone.)

[XoJennaoX]

Religion is needed
Because it is a part of diversity needed
And because if we didnt have it then we'd be walking around doing nothing
With nothing to believe in
and no hope for anything.

don't take this as offensive...i don't mean it to be

Religion to me is selfish.
Instead of investing in prayers for ourselves, we should be offering our kindest and warmest affections to those around us. We should not build churches, but build homes for the homeless -- we should not ask God for forgiveness for our actions, but those we have harmed -- we should not pray for things to happen, but make them happen. We should not rely on an entity that does not help our humanity, or something that has only guided so many to bigotry, or rely on the unseen to do what we must do for ourselves, or praise anything that became nothing more than an “idol” that brings misguided violence.

If a person reserves their love for God, they simultaneously deprive love from those around them. By giving our kindness and affection, our sincerest hopes and dreams, desires and aspirations - to this "being without evidence"- we are losing focus of the ONE THING that we do know: our lives. And by losing focus on our lives, and those around us, we are ignoring the one thing that we know for sure: that we, as material beings, do exist, and that we are capable of feeling joy and suffering and we have the capability inside us do what is right, regardless of what we are told to believe is right. Whether a person desires to be a Christian or an Atheist, a Buddhist or a Hindu, it is their own decision. But it is our actions, and not our beliefs in a religion, that ought to be monitored. For a religion to ignore this is the greatest of ignorances, and is better left out of the world.

[Domonic]

*tear*

Beautiful.

[loljuliana]

i think people follow a religion so that they have someone to turn to when they are feeling bad about things. it probably helps them feel better, and help keep their hopes up.

[jue]

i guess many would say yes you do need religion; but in my point of view i think yu could maybee not live without religion because your religion is somethign you believe in and thats what keeps yu motivated(=