What is the purpose of religion?

[Valwin]

Despite the fact that religions (even sects within religions) are significantly different and have different beliefs.

well not everyone lives in the same place each came up with something diferent

 

[DinohScene]

Am I on GBATemp.net or r/Atheism?

 

[shortz1994]

religion was started by the rulers of each country.( the old world.)
1 to keep the people in each kingdom/country. in line an under thumb.
2 to give their subjects false hope, that if they do good for king an country, then they have a reward waiting for them after death.( nights templers, are a real good example of this.).yes there are more that followed their example but they are the only ones that i can think of at this time.
3 to start a revolution/war...( christian's are the best i can think of right now.)
i'm neither an atheist or a religious person, i don't fault others for believing in what they want to believe. but i do keep an open mind..
to me religion= war. an this is how it's been since religion hit the world stage.

 

[nryn99]

Am I on GBATemp.net or r/Atheism?

you must have forgotten the old blogs.

 

[Engert]

Thank me later
http://gbatemp.net/threads/what-is-the-purpose-of-religion.338921/

Got your PM Hyro-Sama.
I thought i was too edgy for you guys but thanks for thinking of me.
I don’t want to add anything more than what’s already written here because they are all valid points.
My only problem with religion is this. Why do you have to force it on other people?
Do you see scientists knocking on your door trying to convert you into a scientist? No.
Do you see scientists waging holy wars in the name of science? No.
That’s the biggest problem with religion which has impeded human progress for thousands of years.
Just think of the dark ages in Europe. If religion didn’t exist those would actually be boom years for science and today we’d roam freely in our galaxy and our life expectancy would be ten times longer than what it is today.
That’s my only problem with religion. I don’t have a problem with people believing whatever they want to believe even if it’s not based on facts. After all people are free to pursue their happiness and live life freely.

 

[Shoat]

Originally most religions were meant to make people feel secure about the things they don't know and all the horrible things that happened around them.

Telling someone who was having a rough time a happy story about jesus was probably similar to how we read bedtime stories to our children nowadays (as opposed to the fanatic blind belief in "that one truth depicted in that one book" it is now).

But eventually, all of them devolved in some way or the other, to the point where they were the cause of suffering (Half of all wars ever fought in the history of mankind, used as a tool to keep the tyrant rulers of old in power, terrorist attacks, people demonstrating to prevent others from gaining equal rights and using their religion as an excuse) instead of reducing it.

 

[Gahars]

That’s the biggest problem with religion which has impeded human progress for thousands of years.
Just think of the dark ages in Europe. If religion didn’t exist those would actually be boom years for science and today we’d roam freely in our galaxy and our life expectancy would be ten times longer than what it is today.

I take umbrage with the first part of your post, but I always see this argument spring up and it grinds my gears to no end.

The Dark Ages didn't come about because of religion (some scholars would argue that it really didn't come about at all, but that's something else entirely), nor did it conspire to keep the masses ignorant; crushing poverty and the Feudal system took care of that. In fact, the Church was one of the few (if not only) institutions that offered any sort of education at the time; if you could read, it's likely because the Church had taught you. And this is just the Christian world; Islamic nations preserved and expanded upon scientific literature that would have been entirely lost otherwise, for example.

Plus, only focusing on "Religion stopped science!" ignores another crucial aspect - art. Religion has been a fundamental driving force behind the development of art, and this period was no different. Music, painting, literature - all owe a significant debt to religion.

Was there repression, and ignorance, and all that? Yes, absolutely. But treating religion as the only culprit, and asserting that without it we'd be galaxy-faring supermen, is mind-numbingly asinine.

Your hypothesis seems to have more of a basis in a Family Guy sketch than in anything resembling reality.

 

[Engert]

I am aware of all of those gahars (even though these might be new concepts to you). The problem is that religion would never allow real science to progress and would burn people to the stake if they said anything heretic. That was the reality back then.
And again, yes I am aware of all the art during a period when church was reining supreme.

 

[Gahars]

I am aware of all of those gahars (even though might be new concepts to you). The problem is that religion would never allow real science to progress and would burn people to the stake if they said anything heretic. That was the reality back then.
And again, yes I am aware of all the art during a period when church was reining supreme.

Aw, you're trying to be condescending here, Engert? That's cute.

So you're aware that religion actually fostered education and preserved scientific knowledge and reasoning... while at the same time asserting that religion opposed science at every turn. That seems to be a bit of a contradiction there.

I don't know, maybe you could admit that the big bad wolf of religion wasn't the only factor at play here. Perhaps you could acknowledge that religion actually played a big role in fostering the development of science and education, and so acting as if it was the only thing "keeping us back" from a Jetsons-like utopia is a laughable display of ignorance. You might want to concede that religion isn't unique in instigating conflict and hatred; if history has shown us anything, it's that people can and will always find something to fight over. And maybe you could just accept when you're wrong and not try to play it off as if you're the real expert.

I know that's a lot of nuance to ask from the guy who said that religion "turns you into a retard," but hey, I tried.

 

[Engert]

I can see that you’re religious gahars and the type of religious guy what would go to war for his belief with no proof but let’s try this another way.
I accept all that you mentioned regarding religion. Ok? They are all true.
Now here is a simple question: Why burn someone for believing in facts?
Do you see science burning people for believing? No.
This is the base of the argument. Not details. So don't dance around and jump all over. Just focus on the fundamentals. This is where everything boils down. At death.
When you take someone’s life that’s where things get really serious.
And that's why religion has been impeding human progress. Because they took the lives of people who were observing and noticing that things were different and not what the church said.

 

[Lucifer666]

Got your PM Hyro-Sama.
My only problem with religion is this. Why do you have to force it on other people?
Do you see scientists knocking on your door trying to convert you into a scientist? No.
Do you see scientist waging holy wars in the name of science? No.
That’s the biggest problem with religion which has impeded human progress for thousands of years.
Just think of the dark ages in Europe. If religion didn’t exist those would actually be boom years for science and today we’d roam freely in our galaxy and our life expectancy would be ten times longer than what it is today.
That’s my only problem with religion. I don’t have a problem with people believing whatever they want to believe even if it’s not based on facts. After all people are free to pursue their happiness and live life freely.

That, and indoctrination. Drilling beliefs into a child's brain with constant repetition, leaving no space for any freedom to contemplate the universe and how it came into existence independently.

I, for one, am a serious atheist; however, if I were to become a parent, my child's beliefs are his/her choice completely. I will provide textbooks and resources, and he/she can decide what to go about believing, so long as it does not hinder anyone else's freedom to believe in whatever deity/lack of one.

Edit: Also, please note that my username should not influence the seriousness of this post whatsoever. I know what it looks like.

 

[Gahars]

I can see that you’re religious gahars and the type of religious guy what would go to war for his belief with no proof but let’s try this another way.

And I have to stop you right there, because... wow. Swing and a miss, right? (If you had bothered to read the thread this should've been obvious, but reading, schmeading, am I right?)

Also, let's say for a second that I was religious. That is one of the most blatant, obvious dismissals I've ever seen anyone resort to. I know reflection and critical thinking aren't easy, but are you that desperate to avoid contemplation? I mean, for a guy who hates religion for blocking progress and free thought, you seem to revel in your own ignorance.

I accept all that you mentioned regarding religion. Ok? They are all true. Then you should already have your answers here, but hey...


Now here is a simple question: Why burn someone for believing in facts? We're talking about a scared, uneducated population here (even most lords and kings were illiterate, after all). Fear and panic, not rationality, prevails. Anything can be twisted to justify such behavior - religion is certainly no exception, but it's not the be-all, end-all either. If anything, this argument makes a scapegoat out of religion rather than accepting that this is an ugly, unfortunate part of human nature.

Do you see science burning people for believing? No. Comparing science and religion in this manner is like comparing apples and dolphins, but okay, I'll bite. How many people have died in the aims of furthering scientific knowledge? And what about all the people forcibly sterilized because "science" deemed it best for the human race?
"Now, Gahars!" I hear you cry. "This is a horrible, baseless argument against science. Holding the horrific actions of a few against the entirety of scientific achievement is tremendously unfair!"
Of course - and writing off the validity of religion and the search for spiritual enlightenment along similar lines is just as bad.

This is the base of the argument. Not details. So don't dance around and jump all over. Just focus on the fundamentals. This is where everything boils down. At death.
When you take someone’s life that’s where things get really serious. So when someone responds to an argument, rather than offer meaningful counterpoints, I should just accuse them of dancing around the issue! That way, I don't have to go through all the trouble of crafting a response! Genius, Engert, genius!

And that's why religion has been impeding human progress. Because they took the lives of people who were observing and noticing that things were different and not what the church said. All aboard to Blatant Oversimplification-Ville! Choo-choo!

 

[Engert]

I don't see an answer here Gahars. All i see is you dissecting my post because you disagree with me and you kind of lost track of the point.
Let me simplify it even further.
Do you think it's right for a belief which has no facts to take the lives of other people?
Let’s start from here and than we’ll branch off. Ok? How does that sound?


Ps: i did read the whole thread but you come across as a fundamentalist.

 

[shortz1994]

@Engert, i do see your point of view cause it's right in line with my own.
the problem i have with the whole issue that just popped up with religion an science is this.
as long as the science was in line with what the church was saying to the people, it's was all good, but as soon as it went against the church the person was burned at the stake. called a witch or the devil. we can see it in the greatest works of all, deviance, an others works at this period in time.
why do you think they are just finding some of their work now.( cause it was hidden from the church, if it had not they would have been hung)
even now when people start talking about evolution vs creation. evolutionist are called "nutts" or "crazy". whats crazy to me is thinking god, or who ever you believe in, sneezed, had a bowel movement, an we were created. (or snapped their finger.).

 

[Engert]

Like i said Shortz1994 the line is drawn at death. People are free to believe whatever they want to believe as long as they don't harm others physically. I totally respect whatever they want to believe.
I just don't want Evangelists knocking at my door trying to convert me or people waging holy wars 'cos their religion is better.

Edit: And i also want religion out of the government. I know that's kind of whishful thinking but that's what i would prefer.

 

[BlueStar]

Excellent, latest census shows 4 million less Christians in the UK than ten years ago, number of people with no religion doubles in the same period to 14m. I'd say the majority of people who describe themselves as Christian just mean culturally rather than actually having accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior, and the vast, vast majority don't go to church apart from funerals. Keep getting even more secular like this and the CoE will fade (further) into irrelevance.

 

[Smuff]

C of E only exists so Henry VIII could get divorced.

 

[SoraK05]

http://gbatemp.net/threads/the-game-of-life.336612/
Religion connotes practicing the teaching of life from God.

 

[Engert]

http://gbatemp.net/threads/the-game-of-life.336612/
Religion connotes practicing the teaching of life from God.

I quickly read your pdf about the game of life. Some of the points in that pdf are already done by regular people somewhere in the world without being religious or believing in god. Having said that, that's how religion should be. Theoretically. But practically is another matter.

 

[Sanoblue]

Despite the fact that religions (even sects within religions) are significantly different and have different beliefs.

exactly it doesnt matter what they believe as long as the general populous is united.... and when that happens you get... religious wars (or more accurate) war in the name of a bearded white man sitting on a cloud... >.>;