Anyone agree with this ?

[David90]

Religion is a fantasy, or fiction, which evolved in various ways over many centuries, with God as the central character. This does not mean that religion is necessarily a bad thing, although often it is. The various holy books of Christianity, Islam, Judaism etc are works of historical fiction. The faith of believers means they have been persuaded that their particular religious fantasy is the one and only Truth.
Atheists know the difference between fantasy and reality.
God exists, but only in human imagination.

[Ratty2E]

What is 'reality'? Is it not a matter of personal perspective? the same goes for fantasy.
Many things have been dismissed as fantasy through the centuries only to become reality as human kind gains more knowledge. This topic has been argued by far greater minds than you or I and i doubt the answer will suddenly become aparent on an Answerbank thread, but you never know.

[Lonnie]

The Holy Book of the Jews, the Torah, is a history book, with many of the happenings told in it being verified, Now, if your actually talking about 'God said this or that', thats up to the individual to believe or not,

I don't think anyone can say without proof, that it is a work of fiction, and assuming your an Atheist, thats surely a belief in itself.

[cupid04]

I think it's the atheists that are the fantasists!

[China Doll]

To an extent... I agree it's a fiction but I believe that some parts of the story are fact as I understand from the limited amount I have read. The God bit I do not believe it, I think some of the characters may have truth in them.

[chakka35]

Judging the value of, for one, the Holy Bible is impossible because, with one exception, we have no idea who wrote the various essays in it.

The Old Testament is completely anonymous, so the chapters have the same status as unsigned documents you might find in the street. You wouldn't know whether they were written by truth-tellers or liars, historians, fantasists or propagandists.

The only NT author who can be identified is Paul (Saul of Tarsus) who wrote some of the epistles attributed to him. The rest of the NT is, again, anonymous.
You can believe these things from pure faith, of course, just as you can believe, if you want to, the stories of the Greek and Roman gods or of Snow Whute.

cupid 04, would you like to elaborate? Mere assertions like that get us nowhere.

[McMouse]

If there was no God or religion then I'm sure someone would have a 'revelation' and create one. Seems to me that this is what has happened historically.

[wildwood]

The character of just about all religions is another way of trying to have control over a group of people.
To me Buddhism seem to be the only religion that sticks to their philosophy without being a nuisance to others.

[The-Toff-]

wildwood. i agree 100%.

[steg]

no i don't agree, religion has been around as long as man has, long before any book was written.

"God exists, but only in human imagination." so atheists lack imagination - i would agree with that

[wildwood]

Did God create Men or did Men create God?

[venator]

The more or less common feature of religions is that their gods employ earthly representatives, who solicit offerings from their believers. Many of their organisations are extremely wealthy.

[Lonnie]

'Did God create Men or did Men create God'?

Thats a good question, one that in truth, no-one can actually answer.

[beso]

"Man created God in his image". Jethro Tull - Aqualung album.

[beso]

Not a single piece evidence exists outside the Bible to corroborate anything in it at all. I would be surprised if the Torah was any different.

[beso]

Atheists do not lack imagination at all. Scientists have imagined vast variety of possibilities and innovative methods of testing these concepts so as to select the best. The current scientific model of reality is far more exquisite than anything religion could have ever imagined.

Theists lack imagination because their doctrine renders them utterly incapable of moving beyond the founding idea despite the obvious self-inconsistencies and profound conflict with observed reality. Only the founders had the opportunity of imagination, leaving the followers to trite reenactments of venerated inspiration devoid of the slightest innovation.

[jmunro8]

the bible is good stories but thats it just stories.

[jomifl]

Atheists don't believe there is no god, they don't believe there is a god.

[jomifl]

It take imagination to realise that you are being conned.