Is Mankind really intelligent?

[R1Geezer]

I mean we are supposedly, yet so many people seem to indulge in the most harmfull activity known, ie "religion". Surely if your IQ is above your shoe size then it must be patently obvious that all religion is complete and utter h0rsesh1t. So are we being unfair to the rest of the animal kingdom who seem at first sight short on cerebral cortex but have the remarkable advantage of not being servile to this bunkum?

[jake-the-peg]

It took me years to work this out Geezer.

People said to me they felt sorry for me because I wasn't religious and that they drived great comfort from it.

To me (and I'd guess to you) the notion of beliving something because of what you get out of it, as opposed to because you think it is true, is completely alien.

But it's not to a large number of people - Telling them that religion is bunkum is like telling you that motorbikes are noisy cold and dangerous - deep down you/they know it's true but the gains outweigh that.

It's only when religion renages on the deal and they don't feel good from it that they lose faith. Typically the death of a close familly member or coming face to face with a massive tragedy with the loss of innocent lives.

[Gromit]

We are a very successful species, but there are other species far more successful.

There are

6,000,000,000 people
100,000,000,000,000,000 ants.

I have never heard of a suicide bomber ant.

[R1Geezer]

Good analogy jake, with the bike thing, just one slight amendment, I never deny they are cold and noisy, just that I'm prepared to suffer that for the benefits. As I'm a bit of an old fart these days I do also have a slow moving steel box when I need "comfort".

Gromit, Is sucess measured in numbers alone? then I guess bacteria win!

[jake-the-peg]

Then you fail natural history Gromit

http://fatknowledge.b...cide-bombing-ant.html

[R1Geezer]

yeah get "On message" gromit, surely you've heard suicide bombing ants!

[mollykins]

no, especially if you consider whats being said on this thread. http://www.theanswerb...s/Question828294.html
killing other members of your own species is just stupid, especially if its only because of religion, because religion doesn't make sense in a modern society.

[Gromit]

jake-the-peg/R1Geezer

It's a fair cop.

[rov1200]

If churches or mosques had not been built most of us would be worshipping the sun. Trying to create this inclusive society just takes away our free will.

[webbo3]

Going to war over religion is like killing each other to see who has the better imaginary friend !


Dave.

[naomi24]

True Dave - but Christians, Jews and Muslims all worship the same imaginary friend which makes it all the more ridiculous - and consequently not very intelligent at all. :o)

[Booldawg]

Thats the whole idea; God doesnt want to simply 'believe in him'

[VHG]

On the whole "man" is a little scared of his place in the universe. Each person is just a speck of sand in the whole scheme of things, and he wonders why he is born and then dies.

Man is a bit frightened of this so to make it all seem worthwhile he "invents" this super being who is looking after us and this makes us feel a little bit better. Nobody has seen him, or met him, or knows what he looks like, or how he wants us to behave.

So some say this "being" says we should not eat meat on Friday, or work on a Saturday, or we must wear a scarf round our head, and so on, and of course these people all fight for the right to be able to do that.

And of course organizations are set up to "look after" peoples religious beliefs, but all they do is con money out of you (look how rich the catholic church is, or these American so called religious leaders, and look how rich the old monastories were).

This religion thing is one big con and it preys on our weakness.

[rov1200]

"""This religion thing is one big con and it preys on our weakness"""

I quite agree! As the Earth formed from an offshoot of the Sun, and provides an eternal Mother to our wellbeing it makes more sense to worship and believe in something that actually exists.

Maybe a petition should be got up to teach our children in schools this attractive alternative to an invisible God or random evolution.

[meglet]

As a regular reader and seldom ever a contributor to AB I am SO pleased to read this thread where not one person has tried to defend religion! Atheism is far more common the higher an individual's IQ. I'm two-thirds of the way through Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion" and can't wait to see my old friend who is curently studying to become a methodist minister and have a good debate.

[Panic Button]

You are right Geez, every tribe in the world has created a 'God' story, because we are too stubborn or stupid to accept that when we die that is it.

So much nicer to believe a fairy story about living on after death.

However when I am old and due to die I will probably find God, repent and ask forgiveness - just in case.