The vicious circle of religion.

[aaqucnaona]

Then you're way of base.
Don't use your experience of theism to tar everything.
The questions you should be asking is, were you atheist all along.
It is more about you, your personal and social life/up-bringing which is the
problem, not theism.


jan.

But I already know:
Myself and my journey of self discovery.
My personal life and upbringing.
Advantages of religion.

So this is the only part [negative impacts of religion] I am uncertain on. Do think bcoz of this that I am baised against religion. I know the other sides, but due to reverance I never looked at bad things in religion, which is what I am doing now.

 

[aaqucnaona]

May I suggest this this to everyone here:
http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=111479

 

[kx000]

The book of what ever christianity claims to is written in the blood of saints, and apostles, and prophets, and the one Messiah Jesus Christ. Religion has no meaning to a faithful.

 

[Jan Ardena]

I never looked at bad things in religion, which is what I am doing now.

You're just ranting.
There is nothing about ''religion'' in your opening post, much like your
other thread.


jan.

 

[wynn]

Making things up? You've never read any ancient history?

/and other posts on this/

Where does it say

If u don’t sacrifice a goat the sun wont rise.

??


The scriptures speak of solar eclipses, and they speak of animal sacrifice.

But the ones you quoted don't say anywhere that the belief was that if they don't sacrifice animals, the sun won't rise.

Again, produce a scripture that actually states

If u don’t sacrifice a goat the sun wont rise.

 

[wynn]

@aracua and Jan, do u not realise that I have only just been a atheist for like a couple of weeks. I dont want to bash religion, I am just trying to understand, form ideas and get ur opinions on things I have never questioned before. If any1 is offended, I apologise.

This -

A few people a long time ago made some separate but nonsensical claims, the effect of logical fallacies, inappropriate critical thinking, perceptive errors, etc. These are then told to their children at that vulnerable age at which they believe all that they are told, like:

Digging a canal from a river to our fields is essential.
If u don’t sacrifice a goat the sun wont rise.
U should not steal from others and u should respect all elders.
U should aim the arrow higher when hunting to compensate for gravity.

The child has no idea that statement no 2 is crap. And If there's a eclipse when he was in a heretic mood, the belief will be so strong nothing can shake it. He will then, with even more conviction, relate the same thing to his child, the eclipse episode no added to the myth. We have an early beginning of a religion.

What makes the situation worse is that religion, once formed is remarkable able to handle all aspects of opposition. One is reminded of Dawkin's idea of Memetic evolution of culture. In religion, faith or blind acceptance of god is considered a virtue. Even if some evidence is presented, its horribly biased and twisted. The spread of faith or evangelism is considered a great thing to do. Plus, belonging to the faith has claimed advantages like loss of fear of death, beautiful eternal fun, a personal superman helper, etc. On the other hand, loss of faith is forbidden and claimed punishable by lovely things like eternal suffering, burning, pain and a charming companion called the devil [or some version thereof].

Add to this the fact that religions have these amazing social events like mass, congregations, ceremonies, etc which provide social bonding, fun and a sense of security and a smug pride in being the 'ones' and one can see how easily religion can maintain its grip even in the face of reason and rationality and the wonders of modern science.

And so the vicious cycle continues, parents tell their children what their parents told them and the children do the same with their own offspring. Money hungry institutions and power thirsty people also help continue the circle of indoctrination. Poor babies, threatened with eternal fire and asked to give up [or twist or make exceptions in] the reasoning capablities they havent even delevoped yet.

is not an attempt to understand.

 

[kx000]

Religion will eventually kill a bunch of people again then another "true religion" will arise and then were more in the end of the world.

 

[aaqucnaona]

This -



is not an attempt to understand.

Yes, it is. Despite the fact that I am harsh to religion, I am trying to understand,
how superstitions build up into systems.
how children incorporate them as fact.
how religion has safeguards agaisnt leaving them.
how difficult it is to let go and how lucrative it is to convert.

 

[aaqucnaona]

You're just ranting.
There is nothing about ''religion'' in your opening post, much like your
other thread.


jan.

Its all about religion. Superstitions build up, become institutional. Thats how religions develop.

 

[aaqucnaona]

produce a scripture that actually states

Idk if it actually states that, its an example of how religion demands sacrifice in exchange of a reward.

 

[GeoffP]

The evangelical movement is a massive, seething threat to sanity, science and rationality. I have rarely seen a more abysmally dim collection of rejects from a fallout zone. They epitomize the sensation of the absence of thought.

 

[arauca]

But I already know:
Myself and my journey of self discovery.
My personal life and upbringing.
Advantages of religion.

So this is the only part [negative impacts of religion] I am uncertain on. Do think bcoz of this that I am baised against religion. I know the other sides, but due to reverance I never looked at bad things in religion, which is what I am doing now.

Are you now abetter person, filled more with kindness , helpful to other people , or just indifferent to man kind ?

 

[wellwisher]

Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing of an animal as part of a religion. It is practiced by adherents of many religions as a means of appeasing a god or gods or changing the course of nature.

Doesn't medical research still perform this animal sacrifice practice. It tries to appease the gods of disease and fear, by attempting to alter the course of nature in synthetic way. It is all how you look at it. Could medicine appease fear without animal sacrifices?

 

[GeoffP]

Medicine doesn't appease fear with animal sacrifices, chief.

 

[arauca]

The evangelical movement is a massive, seething threat to sanity, science and rationality. I have rarely seen a more abysmally dim collection of rejects from a fallout zone. They epitomize the sensation of the absence of thought.

Are you saying that you are sane and I am insane .

I am glad for evangelism and that it con-ways the fear of God . I would realy be concerned if all those people would be fearless of God

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWkq7PLmGtQ&feature=related

 

[wynn]

Idk if it actually states that, its an example of how religion demands sacrifice in exchange of a reward.

Not good enough.

Cite an exact reference that states

If u don’t sacrifice a goat the sun wont rise.

 

[wynn]

Are you saying that you are sane and I am insane .

I am glad for evangelism and that it con-ways the fear of God . I would realy be concerned if all those people would be fearless of God

con-ways


What a word!
English isn't your first language, is it?

Do you know what a "con" is?

Have you any idea what you just said above?!

 

[wynn]

Its all about religion. Superstitions build up, become institutional. Thats how religions develop.

You are very young.

 

[chimpkin]

I am glad for evangelism and that it con-ways the fear of God . I would realy be concerned if all those people would be fearless of God

When I was a child I was towed to a movie shown by evangelicals in my neighborhood community center by my grandma, who really just wanted an excuse to get out of the house.
The movie they showed little kids (I was 9, others were smaller) was of a teenage girl left behind when everyone she knew was raptured away...
I was crying in fear by the end of the movie, none of the kids looked happy.
Putting aside the appropriateness of terrorizing small children with the potential disappearance of their entire family...

This ended up really souring me feeling any connection to Christianity later, when I became mature enough to think about such things, and it's so enmeshed in the culture around me that not being able to even muster a wishy-washy acceptance...well, it does not help matters.
If instead, I had been told "God is love," and gotten the affection I didn't get at home...THAT would have worked, or at least not left me feeling frightened, angry, and resentful. But they chose to try to "frighten the Hell out of me."
The intolerance and illogic of these people really grates on me.
They believe that demons can assault them or possess people and locations, and think this happens all the time...It's like choosing to be schizophrenic or something!!!

 

[arauca]

con-ways


What a word!
English isn't your first language, is it?

Do you know what a "con" is?

Have you any idea what you just said above?!

I wanted to tell if such mass of people would not have fear of God it would be terrible . I am sure you understood what I meant before , so I used a wrong word .