-Religious Discussion is Dead-
It never reached the bottom right? only like 2 places down from the bottom.
I'll just make one post, I've got some things to say.
Edit: sorry, I just spent 20-30 minutes writing this posts, when I was done flippy and moose had posted. I'm not removing all this now.
What i saw when i live in liberal countries where many of its people hate religion (like Ted) is, they are utterly bitter. Sometimes too pessimistic, lifeless, and they easily look down on things. Heck... many of them claims that they are like that, because of science and technologies, yet none can mention anything in detail. They just know it, and with that shallow understanding they dared to even think like that.
That is correct. I'm a very pessimistic person, a lifeless person that easily look down on things. I'm not like this due to science and technolgoies, I'm like this due to us humans. When I say that I'm pessimistic and "lifeless", it only goes with my veiw on the world and all life. On a personal level, in my private life, I'm quite the opposite, I'm full of life, happy and very optimistic. It's just when looking at the big picture I get pessimstic.
I have no faith in mankind, I lost it 2 years ago while I was philosophying on the subway.
We are but humans, we are not special. Take global warming for example (i'm nto saying it's the scourge that will wipe out the human race), it can never be solved if not a huge catastrophy completely eliminates every last human being.
No matter how hard we try, not matter how much we want to (climate conferences, people encouraged to buy low-energy lightbulbs etc.) there will always be people who will succumb to their desires. By nature, humans are greedy and selfish. Despite that we (here in sweden at least) leave in abundance, we always want more and more. I believe that everyone (me included) always prioritizes themselves in any way, when you do something nice for someone; deep down you only did it to satisfy yourself.
In the example about encouraging people to buy low-energy lightbulbs, I hate that phenomenon. Buying low-energy lightbulbs will make people think "I'm doing my part, now I can drive that SUV all day long!". Also, if we are to buy "low-energy lightbulbs", then EVERYBODY needs to do it if it is to make a difference, but everyone will never do that, people will always choose the cheaper alternative. Therefore there need to be governmental decisions about it, removing all high-energy lightbulbs, so you don't have any options.
This is my view on mankind, and it reflects into religion.
We are only human, we will always do everything the most simple way possible. Religion is an "easy way out", which people may choose rather than dealing with "problems".
Moose said something good:
I believe religion was created to dominate other people. Religion was formed to explain the unknown to people.
Couldn't agree more actually.
Today religion isn't used to "dominate" people in the same sense at least.
But it was originally made only to have an easy way to control people.
A great example of how corruptive and controlling religion is/has been, is in like the 15th century when cardinals and the pope had (don't know the english word) but "Avlats-brev" in swedish. Where people could pay a fine to the cardinals/pope as a way to get rid of their sins.
It's not religion that is problematic, but the religious mindset of believing things for which there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever, or, worse yet, not believing things for which there is evidence solely because it contradicts your (made up) beliefs. Of course, there are many atheists who have this mindset and many religious people who do not. In fact, Tedacious pretty clearly demonstrates he has a religious mindset in the last sentences of his post.
There are answers within the bible I found that have better explanation than science, which are constantly changing thier "scientific facts" and I see lack of proof in many theories scientists have had, especially evolution, where there is sufficient lack of evidence. The only evidence they show are the statistics.. like oh..our DNA is 90% similiar to the chimpanzee or whatever it is. But how do we know there wern't just made up, there is no evidence showing they wern't. I mean, scientists have lied and made stuff up before....*Cough* global warming *Cough*... what was the motive...money, the route of evil . Now, I too believe everyone has the right to their opinion...so that's why I rarely bring up religion in conversation, because I don't like do ram it down people throats or try to convince anyone it's true...and I don't even really like to preach the bible, if someone doesn't believe that's fine, but I do... there is mention in the bible that explains modern time events, including what someone mentioned about the holocaust and the Jews...
As far as using religion to corrupt the government...I feel that's nonsense. There are warnings of the government in the bible and plus... that is why the Unites States has a seperation of State and religion.
uhh.....
Science is not absolute. Science has never said that what we know right now is absolute, we can not just learn everything about the world in decade, the mroe science finds out, the closer to "the truth" we get (generally, though I believe we will never reach that "truth", we aren't capable of comprehending it. Man I'm sounding religious, well I'm not devoted to a religion, but rather to materialism. I'm a consistent materialist). When we say we belive the evolution theory, we only believe it right know because it is the most sensible explanation at the moment, with research we may learn that it is false, and then we chagne our minds again.
Unlike religion, science is always changing.