We'd be better off without religion

[Foster Zygote]

I won the huge genetic lottery...

So that's why Penn is so tall.

 

[fuelair]

[singing]
Powdered Jesus!
Powdered Jesus!
Chopped into fine lines upon my mirr'r
Keeps me higher than cocaine, oh!
Hope he wasn't cut with Dran-o
Powdered Jesus eases all my fears

Powdered Jesus!
Powdered Jesus!
Riding up a straw into my nose
Every law of his, I've kept 'em
Though he deviates my septum
When he fills me with that Holy Ghost
[/singing]

 

[Miss Anthrope]

Now that the congregation of atheists and evolutions and false skeptics have all said their Amens and Praises to their system. It still must be mentioned to them once they get out of their pews of comfort, that in the real world, ONLY love and actions of love will make the world a better place. This rather than their mere theories and HOPE and FAITH in nothingness.

Their religions are a curse, and yet some shall make it out of the dementia, if we can just get through to them. A few, not many but a few will wake up from their religious stand up, sit down, praise and worship services to their various gods.

Mongo only pawn in game of life.

So deep is your prose, DJJ.

 

[Hokulele]

I am going to make a (probably futile) try to bring this thread back to the original topic. For those that know me, it may be surprising to them that I actually disagree with the theme of the OP. I do think that there is a place for religion in society, and religiousity (real word?) as a whole should never be silenced. I absolutely agree that there is a time and place for everything, and that the separation of church and state is a good thing for society, and science should be taught as science, not a platform to express opinion.

On the other hand, I have seen a lot of good done by various faiths, and I am talking about all faiths, not just christianity. Every holiday season I do drop money in the Salvation Army buckets, as I have seen locally the aid they offer to those who need it most. If a christian with whom I am close offers me their prayers (although they know I am an atheist), I thank them sincerely. Just because any particular religion does not work for me, it does not mean it does not work for everybody. I have a couple of omamori in my purse given to me that were purchased at a Japanese Shinto shrine.

The only aspects of religion that bother me personally are the evangelical efforts to denigrate what I do and believe in. Since that bothers me, I would never offer the same treatment to anyone else.

Of course, if any person, regardless of fatih, says something stupid, I will be all over that like a 13 year-old girl on a new issue of Tiger Beat.

 

[ClintonHammond]

"I have seen a lot of good done by various faiths"
And the vast majority of it is good that would be done, whether there was 'faith' or 'religion' or not.... Unlike the 'evils' perpetrated in the name of some invisible ghost or other.

 

[Hokulele]

"I have seen a lot of good done by various faiths"
And the vast majority of it is good that would be done, whether there was 'faith' or 'religion' or not.... Unlike the 'evils' perpetrated in the name of some invisible ghost or other.

I agree that good and evil would still be done, but I am not sure I would agree that a lack of "religion" would mean a lack of "faith". I tend to think that even if "organized religion" was banished, there would still be "faith". Much of the new-agey stuff out there is not necessarily classified as "religious", but it seems to be driven by faith.

The main point being that people tend to be catalyzed by their religion, for both good and evil. I don't think people should focus solely on the evil in religion. And I would also argue that if religion as such no longer existed, people would find other excuses to do evil.

 

[dglas]

"Do what thou wilt!"

With this commandment, some may do good and some may do evil. What are we to then say about the commandment itself? Well, I suppose it is devoid of good-evil content. Or perhaps it is such that anything is permitted....

Of course, even without immediately obvious good-evil content, it may still have a normative force just by what is presumed in the speaking of hte commandment. What does such a commandment say about us? What are we that such a commandment is meaningful to us?

The above BTW is not a conclusion. Just something for possible consideration.

 

[ClintonHammond]

"there would still be "faith"
Immaterial... Faith was not the subject of this debate.... Religion was...

Having faith is like having a favourite ice-cream flavour.... No one can fault you for it, and it doesn't matter a tinkers cuss to anyone but you.