Are major religions solely based on fear and selfishness?

[Dragon Tatoo]

I have come to the conclusion that major religions function because people are fearful of what will happen to them in the afterlife. It seems to me God fearing contributes to the ultimate selfishness e.g. “I am going to be a good Christian so I can get into heaven.” This attitude can be dangerous to you and me in the material world. I am interested to here other peoples thoughts on this.

 

[Michael]

I sometimes wonder how many people would continue to be Christian if the religion had dictated no afterlife. If you think about it, the underlying principal of most modern religious doctrine is really the same ole’ carrot and stick approach.

I think most Christians would agree to that. I have even known a few who actually revel in it – “you’re gonna burn buddy!” or the sympathetic – “poor lost souls .. Oooh-well past me a “doughnut” John Paul”
Sorry about that!!

Seriously, I bet if religious doctrine went along the lines of: you only get what you god gives you here and now and then you die with no afterlife – well you can be sure the number of people joining would seriously plummet.
See: Carrot (sweet afterlife) and the Stick (shit afterlife)

Islam has the highest membership growth rate in the world and woo-boy look at the goodies you get. Virgin women by the bucket loads!!
Sorry ladies .. .. .. I’m not quite sure what you get??

I suppose with something like Falun Gong a person can at least receive here-and-now meditation benefit regardless if the rest is hooey.

 

[daktaklakpak]

Originally posted by Michael
I suppose with something like Falun Gong a person can at least receive here-and-now meditation benefit regardless if the rest is hooey.

Actually Falun Gong has the same stick and carret approach. The stick is everybody without Falun Gong has a bad statue. The carrot is following the master's meditation will get rid of it.

 

[Mystech]

Originally posted by Michael
I sometimes wonder how many people would continue to be Christian if the religion had dictated no afterlife. If you think about it, the underlying principal of most modern religious doctrine is really the same ole’ carrot and stick approach.

You give the church a lifetime of loyal servitude, and your reward in the end is death. Kind of convenient isn't it? Go build me a house, you'll find your payment when you walk off that cliff

 

[siledre]

religion to me is a way to control the masses, personally I don't think any of the religions ever had it correct, plus when you have man passing the word around it only takes 3 or 4 to mess up the message, imagine the message after thousands or hundreds of thousands.

 

[skittle]

In christianity, you dont serve the church, you serve God. Church is merely a place of fellowship and worship.

Carrot and stick: Eh, could very well be. But being religeous isint bad, or useless, afterlife or not. Consider a person leading a christian life.. they stay away from things morally wrong, and mabye a lot of trouble that they would have been in IF they didnt have their faith, mabye more healty, and possibly more happy.. considering they have hopes of an afterlife. So their whole life they lead a good, honest, moral life.. just plain good people and serve/worship God. Then, when they die, and there is no afterlife... and they have been believing in nothing for their life, then what is lost? Nothing. Simply because theyre dead, and if theyre dead then how can the be mad because there is no afterlife?

 

[Dragon Tatoo]

Skittle,

what is "good", "honest," "moral life "exactly?

 

[skittle]

well, i guess its all your own personal definition. but i'll take mine from a christian standpoint, honest.. is exactly what it sounds like.. no lies, cheating, or stealing. Moral, just a moraly "good" person.. you know i guess not breaking the law, no drugs, fighting... junk like that, good ties in with everything else. I cant really describe it to apply to everyone, but you know.. 10 commandments, being a good guy.. all of that, its hard to go into detail with such a flexible and broad subject.

 

[Mystech]

Originally posted by skittle
So their whole life they lead a good, honest, moral life.. just plain good people and serve/worship God. Then, when they die, and there is no afterlife... and they have been believing in nothing for their life, then what is lost?

A life of freedom and independence is what's lost. A life of being free to find your own moral grounds rather than having them dictated to you. The problem with most religious people is that they value death over life. Athiests tend to favor life over death.

 

[Dragon Tatoo]

Skittle,

What about sex without marriage, cloning, abortion, genetic engineering, the death penalty, war, race, technology, and countless other topics that are morally debated everyday? There is no global consensus on any of these topics; even Christians don’t agree what is morally right and wrong. Upholding the 10 commandments seems very trivial compared to these issues. “Good” and “honest” are even more of a
Conundrum. “Good” is a completely relative term e.g. “what’s good for you may not be what’s good for me or the rest of the world.” Also, absolute honesty is almost impossible.

Well that was a little bit of topic but that’s how I feel.

 

[skittle]

What matters is if theyre happy, if they dont view it as losing freedom, as some do, then its a great thing. What matters is that they are happy. Like everyone should be, religeous or not.

and as far as christian opinion on abortion, war, race, pre marital sex.. whatever, it dosent matter what is said, because likely they would be ignored and labeld as fanatic, biased, facist or whatever else soemone might happen to come up with.. like it has been through history.