Religion- Root of all Evil?

[Emperor_Google]

Yeah I bet this has been posted before BUT the 2 world wars all root down to a religious thing The franz ferdinand, the cause of world war I was killed for a race/Religion thing, at the end of this war a treaty was signed which eventually caused WWII and how many Jews did Hitler have killed? and finally I bet we will cause World War III :D or all the terrorism ect, and the War on Terrorism is a religion thing also.

[Alice Shade]

Organised religion is a tool of crowd-control. No more, no less.

Yes, it`s been used in most wars, but it`s never been the explicit cause. Even cruzades were, ultimately, quest to influx Europe with spoils of war, rather then just for holy relics.

[Emperor_Google]

is that why were scattered and all over the place, not worshipping just doing as we fell and honouring google for being the closest thing to a real god...well that solves it, I'm now a philosopher

[Fallen Hero]

Religion is not the root of all evil. Religion is only evil, when it enters politics (organized religion pretty much).

[Jillamanda]

I dunno, I tend to think things might have been alot more peaceful without religion. Although I suppose if we hadn't had it, we would have come up with something else to make people feel guilty, insecure and inadequate like rampant nationalism or something. :roll:

[Alice Shade]

Or, brr, hedonism.

Imagine - society stratas based on physical attractiveness?

Scary.

[Jillamanda]

Or, brr, hedonism.

Imagine - society stratas based on physical attractiveness?

Scary.

That's the way the west is heading. Although history tells us there could well be a backlash and Michael Jackson could be it's leader. :wink:

[Alice Shade]

Puns. Heh.

Well, probably, but...

Aren`t the danger of abnegism looming closer and closer?

(There was a story about humanity starting to pick most average people as their leaders, and with such policy, they averaged into zero intelligence, and dogs had taken over as intellectual species.)

[sn0wb0arder381]

Nope your wrong. Fraz Ferginand was killed because he represented the Austo-Hungarian Empire and visited a country the day Austria conqured(which obviously pissed them off) along with a few other reasons like they were slavic and were ruled by a non slavic power.(so i guess you were right about race) and he was also not in any way the only cause. And the "treaty" blamed everything on Germany. Which pissed them off and helped put Hitler in power. Hitler started WW2 cause he wanted more power. The Catholic church did however do nothing or say anything when the Nazis were taking Jewish people away right outside of their gates.

[jon_hill987]

I heard that it [WWI] started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich 'cause he was hungry - Baldrick, Blackadder Goes Forth

...Sorry


I think religion is now the main cause of conflict in the world, it wasn't always that way though, people used to fight for love, land and food[1].

What I don't understand is how people can believe that their loving, caring gods want them to go and kill a bunch of people who worship different ones, if they are that caring they wouldn't be bothered about people believing in them.


[1]Not necessarily in that order

[Alice Shade]

Basically, logic is such...

"Hey, I`ve got so loving and caring gods. I luvs them!
I should do something for them!
Hey, I know. Those bastards neatby worship some crap idols! They make my gods cry! Yea, I`m so going to kick their asses for my gods!"

[SirRuben]

... And steal their land, money and women in the procedure..

[Alice Shade]

Well, isn`t it a sure sign, that their gods look up after them, if they reward with lands, wealth and women for slaying heathens?

[chalksoul]

Or, brr, hedonism.

Imagine - society stratas based on physical attractiveness?

Scary.

um... thats not even close to the core ideas in hedonism....

[Alice Shade]

Puff, of course.

Hedonism, very crudely, is a philosophy of indulging oneself with all pleasures available and attractive.

However, a society which takes hedonism as a modus operandi paradigm, is certainly not stable, and will sooner or later degrade into stratificated casts based on personal endurance, attractiveness and sexuality.

While in this, it`s no different from any other form of society, I`d rather have someone smart guiding me, then someone pretty.

[mrknowitallahole]

Would the author not say that fear is the cause of religion? Therefore, fear is the root of all evil.

[Alice Shade]

Well... Not exactly.

Fear is a bit to ephemeral of a concept to be applied that widely.

Generally, to misquite one game... "Gods are the natural extension of human`s desire to be observed and judged."

I have to say, that I agree with that, at least in general. Traditional gods are there to provide the "final" judgement on someone`s actions...
Though, that requires more discussion to be rid of shoddiness.

[Emperor_Google]

For some people religion is just hope. My R.E. Teacher at school only started being a christian when he was about 40. Because his sister was killed and he didn't want to accept he would never see her again.

Religions were formed waaay back in the past because there was no science and people wanted to know how things work. The Greek story of how Winter Autumn (Fall) Summer and Spring came to be is a perfect example of this using a God as an explanation. Because Humans are fourceful in the past people tried to enforce religion on people and thats how a few wars came to be. Them wars were foundations for wars later on. So basicly religions were just quests for knowledge and now people know they're wrong they can't accept it.

[Alice Shade]

Not exactly.

Religions are designed as "blanket" explanations, rather then precise explanations for every move. Truly, everything, that could not be currently explained, was attributed to god.

Same change of seasons was described by some of the ancient greeks as sun moving closer and further away from surface of earth, which is pretty close to how it is really.

So religion is not an attempt to think - it`s an attempt to stop thinking.

[Emperor_Google]

Now you put it that way... Yeah I suppose you're right but basicly I am saying that since people have started thinking; they can't accept they're wrong.

[Kokoba]

Well it's just nice to think that death isn't the end, even so. Or that there's a reason bad things happen to bad people, and vice versa.

[Alice Shade]

Even though it`s a lie?

Well, to each it`s own, I guess.

Personally, I`d rather know truth, then delude myself.

[Kokoba]

World's a tough place. Not everyone wants to deal with it head-on.

[Alice Shade]

If you choose to ignore something, it does not means, that it will ignore you in return.

I`d much rather be aware of actual way of things, then delude myself with fairy tales - less chance to step on proverbial rake. Repeatedly.

[punkinside]

Its hard to always trust what you know though. My father has been very ill this past couple of months. Its been very hard for all of us, specially my mom who as completely put on hold her life to care for him and she seems to get all her strength from (of all things) religion. She's gone weeks without sleep staying with him in the hospital. I honestly would not like to take that away from her. Ever. And now, of all times, I would not say that religion is the source of all evil. Humankind is the source of all evil. Religion is just one of the many ways we fool ourselves into thinking that the atrocities commited were for good. Fundies are the ones to worry about. I honestly have no problem with people like my mom who like to keep their religion for themselves and has never, ever even looked at me funny for not believing, or anybody else for that matter, she's even married to an agnostic(my father)!. Because the only thing that matters in the end is being a "good" person.

This experience has really opened my eyes in respect of what people believe. We come here and rant about how its stupid to think theres an invisible man in the sky, but I'm going to start separating sheer ignorance and stupidity from a believe system. Some people get it right, some don't. As long as there are dumb, ignorant people, some people will take advantage of their beliefs to get them to do horrible things. My mother worked in a bio-chemistry lab for 25 years, studying "micro-evolution" in bacteria, and how the environment in which some bacteria are exposed to an anti-biotic is an important factor in the development of resistance to it. She knows that the how (evolution, big bang, etc...) is very very different from the why and I can only wish that every religious person in the world were like her.

Don't worry, I'm not turning or anything. But I am mending my way of thinking about theists. But with the kind of loons on the loose in the streets nowadays, I don't think it'll make much of a difference!

[Alice Shade]

It is not the same, and you know it.

Religion and personal belief are as different as day and night.

There is nothing particularly wrong, if you tell yourself some pretty tale to ease the burden of thoughts. It`s a common practice, and it does not really matters, what do you tell yourself, as long as it eases your emotional distress.

Solely from my point of view - I would not. If I ever had to stoop to that, it would destroy my understanding of honor, for I would view self-deceiving as a "sin". However, I realise, that a lot of people will benefit from such delusion, or simply need it to go on, and I am not going to begrudge them that.... Unless they are being destructive in their beliefs.


Religion is something different, though. Religion - it is an organised effort, guided by power-hungry people, who seek to control crowds with delusion, and manipulate them into providing power and wealth for those in the head of cult.

And while personal belief is not inherently dangerous, religion always is. For religion is a form of politics - manipulation of crowd for wealth, power and pleasures. And personal belief becomes religion, when one decides, that this is the way to go, and that it`s OK to pressurise others to do the same.

[punkinside]

It is not the same, and you know it.

Religion and personal belief are as different as day and night.

There is nothing particularly wrong, if you tell yourself some pretty tale to ease the burden of thoughts. It`s a common practice, and it does not really matters, what do you tell yourself, as long as it eases your emotional distress.

Solely from my point of view - I would not. If I ever had to stoop to that, it would destroy my understanding of honor, for I would view self-deceiving as a "sin". However, I realise, that a lot of people will benefit from such delusion, or simply need it to go on, and I am not going to begrudge them that.... Unless they are being destructive in their beliefs.


Religion is something different, though. Religion - it is an organised effort, guided by power-hungry people, who seek to control crowds with delusion, and manipulate them into providing power and wealth for those in the head of cult.

And while personal belief is not inherently dangerous, religion always is. For religion is a form of politics - manipulation of crowd for wealth, power and pleasures. And personal belief becomes religion, when one decides, that this is the way to go, and that it`s OK to pressurise others to do the same.

I completely agree. The thing is that I I've recently changed my views regarding the religiosity of my mom, now that I've seen all the strengh it has given her. Whatever rocks your boat is my motto from now on.

Now, if you try to rock my boat, thats a different story!

[Alice Shade]

Yes, that is pretty much about it.