I hope... that the amount of hate mail that I get for this is kept to either zero or a nice minimum. So here it is, if you're sensitive about the topic of religion or you think that your God or faith will be offended, do not read on. I honestly don't even think that it is that bad but hey, why chance it right?
So anyway, I hope that now I have agnostics, atheists, and religious liberals here with me now. Has anyone seen the trailer for "Religuous"? It truly looks like and awesome movie. But the reason that I have brought that up is because it made me think. It made me ask, 'In today's society, is religion really needed?'. By all means, form your opinion and stick to it because I will be trying to be as objective as possible even though I believe that "no" is the proper answer.
Let me explain to you briefly why I believe it to be "no": First, most people believe in the reward system in holiness, i.e., heaven (or an equivalent) for the good, and hell (or an equivalent) for the wicked. Now I don't believe religion plays a key role from the sheer fact that not many people go "Oh snap, I shouldn't do this because it might not be taken too keenly by God (or the Gods) and then they might punish me and I might end up in Hell (or an equivalent)." I mean think about it. Most people don't. I know that if it came between stealing a loaf of bread to feed my family and going to Hell for it and not doing it and going to Heaven, dude.. I'm stealing that loaf of bread. I say this because any entity that wold make me choose between them and my family is a sucky (yes, I said "sucky") one and I definitely wouldn't want to spend all eternity with them knowing that my family had to starve for me to get there.
This is just a shallow personal argument though, the fact is that religion was a means to explain the phenomenon that occurred that they weren't able to explain at the time. How are cavemen supposed to know that the Earth spins on its axis and that is what brings about day and night? Or that the change of seasons is brought about by the circulation of the Earth around the Sun? Or even that the Sun is just a star and not a God itself!? Religion had always substituted science and reason. It also was a means to govern people. Therefore, religion is Man made. To me, if it hasn't been personally interpreted in order for it to suit YOUR life, then you are just being an incognizant zombie. Religion is also a means to eliminate individual thought. That's why I stress that it must be personalized and not go by a person trying to go straight from the text of their religion. As I just said, religion is Man-made. Most people know that history is written and altered by those in power. This is true with religion. If the people in power thought something to be unacceptable, it is much easier to say that their God does not condone this behavior than trying to get their new citizens to try and stop a ritual or whatever that they've been doing for thousands of years.
I'm just trying to provoke some thought people. Because it seems to me that religion only has people choose to NOT think and have their faith do all the talking and thinking. I think that as long as your actions aren't self-destructive and aren't destructive to other people, then you shouldn't be limited in your actions. If you think that you are mature enough to have sex at 15 or 16, then (as long as you have been properly educated about to subject) go ahead and have fun. I don't think that there should be a sense of shame for doing something natural such as sex. I don't think that the institution of marriage should have any affect on if you want to get busy or not. : ). I guess I understand where religion is coming from by making it easier on people because with the said case above, when are they mature enough to take this act on? What if they aren't educated enough? Well then that falls upon the adults of that generation to properly teach their youth. Teaching safe-sex, is always better than thinking if you touch your "no nos", or somebody else's, that your or their hand will grow massive hair on it and they won't ever be able to use their "no no" to shout "YES! YES!" [abstinence only] lol. 1. This isn't conducive because why would you want to make someone paranoid about the act the sustains humans existing and 2., people are going to do it anyway, so you might as well give them to tools and knowledge needed to protect themselves and make smart choices.
My main point is that in a world that is filled with science and knowledge, if religion were a computer, it would be the first one that had a 3 x 3 in. screen, prints only in numerical text, and took up a whole room. Seriously... the best thing that religion has done, is influence a set of laws that has, to some degree, kept civility and order throughout the world. But those same set of rules aren't autonomous, and therefore they lack the ability to serve changes in society. Back to my main point though, religion in a sense is obsolete and oppressive. People hold on to certain ethics and morals that are deemed for them instead of people using the brain that (if you will) THEIR God GAVE them! So people don't contract a disease because God is upset with them, they either were unlucky, or touched someone or something with the disease and then gave the disease a mode of entrance into their bodies. There isn't drought because the people have forsaken God(s), but rain clouds just haven't been in the area at the moment. Logic, reason, and science has replaced religion so in the end, where religion's original purpose was to indoctrinate and explain the unexplainable, can we honestly still say that it is needed!? Well you guys already have my opinion, let me know yours..
PS - sorry for not being very objective lol
Not all religions discourage questions. Some, in fact, actively encourage study of the world and of the religious texts. They expect that followers always ask why. And some actively change for the times. I really hate that people sit and stereotype religions that way, simply because what they are most exposed to is people who don't question. It's just annoying to me as it is to you, and you're clearly not religious, while I am.
And I like your first title better...
~C
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For me to know about every single religion in the world that has existed and exists currently is borderline impossible. But that isn't what I wanted to be taken away from this. When I say that they aren't "autonomous", I mean that in the nature of how certain ethical values change in times. I don't think abortion was ever an issue back in the early times.
I was merely stating the origin of religion and relating that to today. So the main question that was being reiterated throughout the entirety of the blog basically was 'if religion was made to explain things we couldn't explain, do we still need it now that we can explain them?'.
In a sense, I am religious. I have no specific faith though. I am agnostic. I am agnostic because i do not identify with any of he religions that I know about which are Hinduism, Rastafarianism, Buddhism, and Religions of Abraham. I find it better for people to formulate their own beliefs than conform to another as well. I think that this is better because though it unifies one group of people, it also segregates them from others.
All this is pretty much irrelevant in the original case though. This is what I had said in the beginning - If you take this personal instead of being stoic and logical about it, it will end up offending people. But I'm glad you read it though. And I'm torn between the two titles. I like them both but this one is slightly more controversial
I don't expect you to know about every single religion in the world, but the one I'm talking about is considered a pretty major religion, despite the fact that less than a percent of the world's population (or maybe slightly more than that) follow it. Know which it is yet? Judaism.
I personally think that there are some things that have yet to be explained. Others may disagree with me, or take a more... rational view of things. I've had too many coincidences in my life to pass them off as coincidences, so I believe that everything happens for a reason. Call it Fate, Destiny, or God, or simply coincidence, but that's what I believe.
~C
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Is a Religion of Abraham. I'm actually studying it right now. It's a requirement in my theology class which is intro to the bible. But i respect your view. thanks
Exactly why I expected you to know about that particular one, since you claimed you knew about the religions of Abraham.
~C
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As far as my studies go, Judaism is no different from the main argument that I made in my blog. It has been redacted and re-redacted many times over. Translated and if you think about how people operated without a printing press for thousands of years, think about all the typos that had been made. Main argument still asks if religion is necessary seeing how Man's new creational frame of thought [science] has displaced its traditional one [religion] because we know have he means to understand and explain with reason and not blind faith
And my original argument was that not all religions discourage questions. Judaism is a perfect example of a religion that encourages questions. Yes, there were probably a multitude of typos made over the years in the Bible. But there are also plenty of oral traditions and commentaries galore that even go as far as to pick apart the use of one word over another. Studying these is a foundation of Judaism.
My second argument addressed your main argument, which was that there are still things that are left to be explained, that science hasn't gotten around to yet. Science may have proposed some way it's possible, but hasn't explained the whole thing. The reason for the Big Bang, for instance, or how some people can spontaneously be cured of diseases such as cancer. How are we better than other animals? What makes us different? As long as mysteries still exist in our universe, there will be a place for religion.
~C
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As far as my studies have gone, questions in religion are like questioning God. I must admit that I have seen something of the sort in the story or Jonah where Jonah somewhat questions God. But after that, it pretty much discourages it. I don't like the idea of having to conform to someone else's pre-registered thoughts and beliefs. That's me though.
As far as science goes, I'd rather have a blank than an answered filled in all willy-nilly.
"how some people can spontaneously be cured of diseases such as cancer. How are we better than other animals? What makes us different?"
Cancer is known to be a wild disease. It can appear and then it can disappear. It can grow, or it can shrink. It's hard to obtain knowledge on such an unpredictable disease. There are so many variables in it's actions. Not being able to completely explain how it works would be like holding a grudge against the weather man for predicting a sunny day thinking that rain cloud will bypass the area but a windstream changes and we get rain. Nature is just because it IS. And as far as the difference between Man and animal. That isn't science as much as it is theory and philosophy. That falls under the whole "cogito ergo sum [I think therefore I am]" thing and a whole bunch of theories explaining why we are "superior" to animals.
I am not religious I guess more spiritual maybe? I believe there is a god, but I often have my questions still. How did god get here? I could go on and on about it, but prefer not to. I don't like religion and I agree it is man made, but if there is someone else who is very religious (or does not believe at all) and I get along with them well then I can easily be their friend with out issues. As long as they don't force me to go to church and conform then I am fine. So people are entitled to believe what ever they want and I don't judge them for that because since religion is pretty much man made who has the right to judge someone just because of their religion? No one really is right when it comes down to it and no one is really wrong.
I actually watched a show tonight about missing parts that I guess were supposed to be in the bible, but were not favorable. Like Acts of Peter I believe it was called and The gospial of Judas. It was stating in the gospial of Judas that Judas really didn't betray Jesus like it is stated in the bible. Also it was stating in Acts of Peter that he preached about not having sex at all, but said different people have different needs and values (something along those lines) and that it is a good idea not to have sex, but it is not bad if you choose to. One last point is it they did not know if Jesus taught what Peter did or not either so...yeah. Even if this is correct or not it only backed up my claim that I believe parts of the bible may have been fabricated and left out purposely. That is another issue though.
I think religion is fine for other people as long as it doesn't consume their entire lives. I know that sounds awful, but I have seen it take over some people where it limits every ascept of life. Yes cussing may be bad, but those are man made words as well so what is so wrong with it? In other words I believe a person if they chose to should follow god, but not limit what they do in life to the extreme level.
I can understand why people believe in religion and god and I can also understand if someone does not.
http://www.progressiveu.org/043043-mom-i-can-finally-write-you-letter
Sorry to disappoint you, but I am voting for Lewis Black.
DrifterDani~
I understand it. I really do. I think people got caught up in the fact that I was questioning religion in its morals instead of the actual reason for it existing. The thing that I want people to take from this, if anything else, is why religion existed in the first place and if it is still necessary. Now being that I haven't been fully exposed to many religions besides those of Buddhism, Rastafarianism, and the Religions of Abraham (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam), I guess I was being bias in my approach but then I have the grounds to talk about that in which I know. In any case, I was hoping people to question its necessity in today's society
Although I don't think it is a necessity I almost also believe it is. One question I was asked in my sociology class was " How would the world function if there was no difference in life experiences, income, and status?" This would also relate to religion believe it or not. Everyone would be the same and this world would be boring. The cycle would contuine and eventually people would go back to establishing religion.
I understand what you are saying as well, but religion is almost a neccessity to keep things in tact, now the fighting over which religion is correct is not needed, but has also being going on since 200 AD and before. So society wise we really do need religion. Although today's society has changed in many ways it is stil quite the same as it used to be. Certain things that don't seem to be needed anymore actually still need to exist. It would ruin the way society works.
http://www.progressiveu.org/043043-mom-i-can-finally-write-you-letter
Sorry to disappoint you, but I am voting for Lewis Black.
DrifterDani~
I really like your feedback! It really makes me think. I still think that even if religion was gone and that people retained a sense of spirituality, that it would replace religion in the end and promote individuality. Ultimately there would be no mass conflicts becuase there would be no strong beliefs about it and there would be no exact matches in beliefs because of the individuality. Therefore there would be no great masses of people to rally up and perfom massarces over religion. It would be one less reason for war and mass death. The only thing left would be to some how regulate the atrocities that happen right now that don't pertain to religion.
Another point to look at is that people function without religion as it is. Some do anyway. So I'll say that religion is, in fact, NOT necessary in today's society just as much as it IS. I think that people that can't accept whatever they believe is "the grim end" should adopt religion to give them hope for something better then a cold grave.