Is Religion A Necessary Evil?

[mibn2cweus]

Some of us here know Theland (amongst others) is wrong regarding his (their) beliefs that the alleged Christian God is creator of the world and savior of humanity. But isn't it important for us to understand where and why they believe these things as it is for us to realise the costs imposed upon humanity by those who harbour such beliefs and act accordingly? Isn't it better for us all in the long run to acknowledge and challenge what they are attempting to pass off as reality than to simply ignore them in the hopes that in turn they'll do likewise?

Perhaps there are important lessons to be learned by all from those who have succumbed to religion. Evil does not acquiesce to our reluctance to acknowledge it.

[waterboatman]

Everyone is entitled to believe whatever they want, it's their business, nobody else's.

[mibn2cweus]

I tend to agree waterboatman, up until the point they make it someone else's business.

[waterboatman]

That's why I added 'Nobody else's'

[mibn2cweus]

I've often suspected religion, somewhat like ghost stories told around a campfire, might be intended as a test of our reasoning ability and/or gullibility. I can appreciate how some might have flunked the test. Might such stories also serve to sharpen our ability to see when others are attempting to dupe us or worse, seek out our weaknesses in order to take advantage of us?

[waterboatman]

people are not so superstitious now as they once were. Better education has given them the ability to think for themselves and decide what they want to believe.

[mibn2cweus]

I would agree that fortunately some progress has been made on that front. But, especially in some quarters, there remains much more work to be done.

[waterboatman]

Indeed there is.

[roopower]

Who's to say what is and what isn't?

[Theland]

All religions are man made and therefore are varying degrees of evil, insofar as they dupe the religionists into a false hope and away from our one true hope which is Jesus Christ.

[Mamyalynne]

//Isn't it better for us all in the long run to acknowledge and challenge what they are attempting to pass off as reality than to simply ignore them in the hopes that in turn they'll do likewise? //

Gosh, you make that sound such a chore for you.

For me, I believe what I believe and don't argue the toss.

[Theland]

Mibs - If you know I am wrong that my God is not the Creator, how do you know?
Have you got some scientific explanation that I could believe?
Of course not! You just have faith!

[Old_Geezer]

You know this mibn ? For where is it written ? Did God tell you ?

Evil is a human construct. You may choose to use it or to not acknowledge it, as you wish.

[Theland]

This sounds like a project for reason and logic.

[mibn2cweus]

Theland
This sounds like a project for reason and logic.
11:58 Wed 07th Aug 2019

What other means do we have for discriminating between what is real from what we only believe to be real? < A rhetorical question.

[spathiphyllum]

"Everyone is entitled to believe whatever they want, it's their business, nobody else's."

Aye but the thing about religions is they are suppose to force their belief upon you.

Missionaries for example.

This affects society so it affects me so it is evil.

[New Judge]

"...it's their business, nobody else's."

Until conditions supposedly imposed upon them by that religion affects other people.

[10ClarionSt]

As I've said before, many times; religion should be classed/regarded as a hobby or passtime, without receiving any special concessions and should not be tought in schools. If people want to do religion, then fine. I don't have a problem with it. Religion should be treated the same as any other hobby; you do it in your own time, to your own satisfaction. There endeth the tale.

[mibn2cweus]

Old_Geezer
You know this mibn ? For where is it written ? Did God tell you ?

Evil is a human construct. You may choose to use it or to not acknowledge it, as you wish.
08:54 Wed 07th Aug 2019

Some have submitted that humanity is inherently evil, that God told them so.

[spathiphyllum]

Anyone heard the story of the missionary who met the tribes man?


Here it is..

A missionary took it upon himself to go and introduce himself, and his god to a previously 'lost tribe'.

When he arrived, the tribe welcomed him, offered him food, shelter and rest.

The missionary got straight to work, and spread the word of god.

He explain that there is one god, no other god, you must make god happy so you can go to heaven, or if you make him sad you will go to hell.

The tribes man had just one question..

"If i never knew about god, and lived in ignorance, would god still punish me for not making him happy?"

"No" replied the missionary

"Then why did you tell me about him?" replied the tribes man.

[mibn2cweus]

Theland
Mibs - If you know I am wrong that my God is not the Creator, how do you know?
Have you got some scientific explanation that I could believe?
Of course not! You just have faith!
08:40 Wed 07th Aug 2019

How does anyone know anything? This may well be the most important question to answer. If faith is your only standard for truth then what can't you believe? History has shown this to be true time and again with often tragic consequences.

We know much more than we realise, implicitly. This is how we have survived so far. But when we start thinking we knew more than we do, then all hell brakes loose. We need some means to determine what is real from what we simply believe. The means for determining what we know and how we know it is the process of reason, guided and verified by lifetimes of painstaking observation, experimentation and elimination. Our further evolution has become a process of determining what we know and how we know it.