Religion - Pros & Cons Options

[PinkTrash]

Religion helps a lot of people through.
I mean, a lot of people wouldnt know what to do, control themselves and have a postitive influence on their choices, without thier religion. pretty much, religion affects our choicesin positive ways. It helps us get through ourselves o.O
It also good to have your own beliefs, you get to think ^_^

[DaTru KataLYST]

Sigh i totally dunno wut to say.

When I look inside the Agape Club meetings, they seem so much more happy than me. =(

Kinda makes me wish I had faith in God.

Yet religion is what kills in the middle east (and in history for that matter)

[Spirited Away]

PinkTrash: Religion gives hope to some and take away hope from others. This has been proven throughout history.

[straightedge9]

i believe that some people NEED to have a god... and for some people, this also means an organized religion to look up to. They need a god that they can turn to in a time of helplessness.. its someone that wont lie, and will be good to them no matter what happens.

personally... i am AGAINST all this organized religion, mainly because i dont believe in the bible. the ancient greeks had mythology to explain why things happened, and i believe that is all the bible really is, a myth. i have nothing against the bible, its just that all these people are convinced that its true, when all it really is, is a myth created so that people can understand what is right and what is wrong. It tells how life was "created" , and how civilization came to be. It also explains that you should be punished if you are a bad person, and you will be rewarded if you do good things.

one thing about avid christians/catholics... etc. is the whole thing about gay rights. my parents are very devout christiants, and so, they think that being gay is wrong because ITS NOT IN THE BIBLE. well, love is talked about A LOT in the bible. is being in love a sin?

[dreamerOi]

I believe it too pretty much. but still the first one beliving in something untrue. well we dont know if it is real or not until we die ourselves. so we shouldnt try to make a fact of something that is an opinion.

[gigiopolis]

personally... i am AGAINST all this organized religion, mainly because i dont believe in the bible. the ancient greeks had mythology to explain why things happened, and i believe that is all the bible really is, a myth. i have nothing against the bible, its just that all these people are convinced that its true, when all it really is, is a myth created so that people can understand what is right and what is wrong. It tells how life was "created" , and how civilization came to be. It also explains that you should be punished if you are a bad person, and you will be rewarded if you do good things.

one thing about avid christians/catholics... etc. is the whole thing about gay rights. my parents are very devout christiants, and so, they think that being gay is wrong because ITS NOT IN THE BIBLE. well, love is talked about A LOT in the bible. is being in love a sin?

That's what I think too.

I think some people take religious text too literally and try to live life according to what it says. Religion really is about what it teaches, not what's written down. If you strip each religion down to the bare points, they all pretty much teach the similar things. There shouldn't be all this hatred and misunderstanding. In fact, most atheists have the morals of a pious person.

I also totally agree with your comment on gays and religion. I mean, really, where does it say "being in love with someone from the same sex is a sin" in the Bible? (Actually, correct me if I'm wrong. I'm kind of clueless when it comes details in the Bible) Honestly, people. Christianity, and all major religions alike, spread love and peace. What's so evil about love with the same sexes? Anyway, I'm getting a bit off topic, this isn't the homosexuality thread after all.

I think I've shifted my opinion on this topic now. It isn't about whether or not you're atheist or Christian, Muslim or Jewish, as long as you're a morally correct person, who cares what God you believe in? It's also important not to follow every single bit of religious text so literally. That can leave you close-minded and, well, tired.

[sadolakced acid]

the two instuments to take over a country are this:

control it's army, or control it's church.


the church ( of all religons) has in the past 2000 years:

advocated war
funded war
persecuted people
murdered people
caused war
activly pursuited members.


if you want church, you can have it. but religion usually equates to church, and church usually equates to control.

and control is all you need to do bad things.

[Alternativemado]

Religion gets people to believe something untrue.
*Who are you to say that it is untrue?

Religion makes people base the way they run their lives on a falsehood.
*What is the falsehood? Living a good life? respecting yourself and others?
Religion stops people thinking in a rational and objective way.
*Is it not rational to not waste your life on drinking,lying, and doing wrong?
Religion forces people to rely on outside authority, rather than becoming self-reliant.
*No person is completely self-reliant, everyone has to depend on someone
Religion imposes irrational rules of good and bad behaviour.
*the word to use wouldn't be irrational
Religion divides people, and is a cause of conflict and war.
*Race divides people so is ethnic diveristy also bad?
The hierarchical structure of most religions is anti-democratic, and thus offends basic human rights.
*Who is to say what human rights are, that is up to your own judgement. Plus the basic human rights came from the Bible
Religion doesn't give equal treatment to women and gay people, and thus offends basic human rights.
*You cannot classify all religion as the same. Christianity does not make women inferior, if it did i wouldn't be a Christian. Gay people since when do they get their own catergory? they are the same as straight people

Religion obstructs scientific research.
*Scientific research how? You cannot use the theory of evolution because it si exactly what it states a theory
Religion wastes time and money.
*If that is the case all time and money is wasted, because if i wasn't spendning time with God I would be wasting my time having sex and wasting my money smoking weed

the untrue hasn't been proven yet therefore its not true and until its proven its false. Religion does give felse hopes to many many people. but the thing is can those millions and millions and people be wrong? YEAH THEY CAN! Millions of people were wrong about the earn being flat and that you would fall off if you kept going. and i am pretty sure those people who believe in any kind of religion might be wrong and so could I but there really is no way to prove this. and people say that the bible is evidence for any kind of religon. well the bible is only a book written a long time ago with a bunch od stories in there, can that really be evidence? isn't that stipulated evidence? yeah it is.

[aznxdreamer]

religon gives people faith and hope.

[Spirited Away]

religon gives people faith and hope.

I've said it before on the same page, but I'll say it again. Hey it helps to increase my post count.

Religion gives faith and hope to some and takes away from others. It is a double edged sword.

[strice]

the lord giveth and the lord taketh indeed.

[Spirited Away]

Give, take, and PUNISH!

[expoised]

um, everything on that list is based on what atheists believe... not exactly what is true.

how do athiests know there really is not God and that people with religion are living a life of falsehood and being led into deceit? They don't. nobody does. That's why religion requires faith.

there are many more good points in religion that aren't on the list:
+ something to live for
+ something to look forward to
+ love from God (i could go on with this, but athiests would probably disagree, as they don't know God...)

and this is referring not just to Christianity, but for other religions as well.

[Oreo_bro]

Religion gives hope and a purpose for some, its a good way to help people down on their luck. Many drug attitcs/cutterz/abused people/wel, people in general have found comfort in relgion knowing some one loves them.

And when u say it takes away hope from others, it depends on the relgion, the jews were hurt and descriminated for being relgious, but their hope wasnt taken away, it was challenged, not taken away.

[strice]

i don't think religion saves drug addicts, but serves as a substitute. perhaps through religion they achieve a new type of high, one that people view as "good". thats how the red hot chili peppers came clean, anyway.

[dreamerOi]

Many drug attitcs/cutterz/abused people/wel, people in general have found comfort in relgion knowing some one loves them.

the cutters& abused people not really because they feel like if he was theyr why are they enduring such pain.

[Spirited Away]

Xpoised, Oreo, my list have been proven throughout history. Lets have a brief lesson shall we? It shan't be long.

how do athiests know there really is not God and that people with religion are living a life of falsehood and being led into deceit? They don't. nobody does. That's why religion requires faith.

Atheist know as much about their belief as any person of any other religion. You know God, they know no God, but both sides have possibilities of truth to them. Religion requires faith, Atheism requires faith as well and this shouldn't require much explanation as to why, but I will entertain you.

Almost everything in life requires faith, not just religion and it is silly to assume otherwise. What Atheists believe in requires faith that it has some truth or complete truth just as Christians do.

there are many more good points in religion that aren't on the list:
+ something to live for
+ something to look forward to
+ love from God (i could go on with this, but athiests would probably disagree, as they don't know God...)

Let me further explain why those good points are considered void by non-believers.

In the Crusades, Christians believe that to live for and to fight for "right" means whatever the Church says. The Church says that heathens occupy the holy land therefore they must be vanquished/kicked out. They look forward success because this could mean love from God because God doesn't want people to believe in any other diety and Crusaders were doing something for God. Thus they murdered, raped, pillaged people of another faith.

This proves, Christianity gives hope and faith to Christians but take away from those "heathens".

If you need another example, just holler at me.

Oreo,

Religion gives hope and a purpose for some, its a good way to help people down on their luck. Many drug attitcs/cutterz/abused people/wel, people in general have found comfort in relgion knowing some one loves them.

Yes. This explains the first part of my claim that religion gives hope to some.

And when u say it takes away hope from others, it depends on the relgion, the jews were hurt and descriminated for being relgious, but their hope wasnt taken away, it was challenged, not taken away.

Every religion takes away from others and all this take is a simple deduction.

If Christianity was true it takes away hope from those of another religion. If another religion was true, then it takes away hope from Christians.

Those who follow a religion always have a possibility of being wrong even though they like to fiercely deny it.

Also, cutters and those who are so depressed about life are not limitted to people without faith. There are many people who are Christians/Buddhists/etc that can and HAVE fallen into depression.