| | alleby | Dec 11, 2007 8:34pm | where there are poeple there are religions,in time as well as place.Why is this the case.if you look at it from an evolutionary point of view it must serve a funtion, maybe getting people to work for a commern goal, giving them a creation myth that explains where we came from, and are going.
The point is has religion had its day after Darwin,Einstein and all. science now puts all the old myths to shame. look how old the earth is look how big the universe,religions are punny compared to this. the reason we are having this debat at all is because religion is near death. goodbye and thanks for the art. |
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| | | schneiderman | Dec 11, 2007 10:07pm | I always boiled it down to two simple arguments
1) religion is easy
2) religion always has an answer
1) suppose you wanted to learn about the beginning of the universe. You could go in depth into big bang theory, complex astronomical observations and so on. All of which require a fair degree of intelligence to fully comprehend. Where as "God created the heavens and the earth" can be understood by anyone with basic reading comprehension. So it requires much less work to figure out the religious explanation vs the scientific explnation.
2) Suppose you wanted to know what happens after we die. Science really does not have a satisfactory explanation for this question. Where as religion "When you die, you go to heaven and live in paradise for all eternity" is very appealing and helps console people about their ultimate fate. |
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Sponsor |  Kibiyama | Dec 12, 2007 12:48am | 11: Are you so sure religion is near its death? Certainly in some countries, but a particularly scary thing has happened here, with scientology springing up from nothing. And in some other countries, it's as if the enlightenment never happened.
I think that some people are just wired to need religion, in some form. I suppose there's a god-shaped hole in them. I think there's an episode of South Park that conveys it pretty well. Everyone's turned atheist, and they think they're so intelligent for doing so, but the only thing they accomplished was deifying science. |
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| | | alleby | Dec 12, 2007 6:04am | Thank you very much Kibiyama for your thoughtful response.I think that if humanity makes it out of the 21st century Religion will look very differant, religion must evolve like every thing else, it is not fixed and has never been, humanity is changing this world very quickly right now and the main religions will try and change ,as they have in the past, to fit in. But i think in the long run the power of science with its greater ability of adaption will win the day. I think D .Dennett is right when he says that most poeple do not believe in the creation myths ,they just say they do because they are afraid of change, its a case of the emperors new cloths. I think we all have a explanation-size hole in us, its just that some of as fill it with better theories that we can up date in the light of new evidence. Science is just fitter and smarter, my money is on science and tech.
the southpark story is very good, but the whole point of science is to doubt and question thats why its better then the religion, i think most scientists would welcome the question with open arms. |
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Sponsor | | AnswerMan | Dec 12, 2007 10:11am | 1.
Why religion exists was a question I have asked myself before. Just like another question What is the need for religion?. I Think, the answer to second question would be reasons for the first... & They are (I heard this from a theist himself, not too long ago);
Number #1) Security.
What he told me,
For example, people own dogs, people protect their dogs. Others can't harm the dog because its under the protection of its owner. But anyone can hurt a stray.
Moral I'm supposed to understand-
God protects you, you will be safer, therefore you should believe in god.
What i understood-
He uses religion to cover his yellow ass. He takes advantage of a community.
Number #2 ) Confidence.
He said-
When I'm preparing exams, I KNOW that god is doing his part, so I only have to worry about mine
What I'm supposed to understand-
God will help you in your worries.
What I understood-
Poor bastard doesn't know god can't do the second half of Quantum mechanics. he will contradict himself. I can give 100% concentration to my studies while he does only 50%.
Numbah #3)
I kinda forgot that one. blah.
Anyhow the point,
Religion exists because,
*god can be used to get lots of idiots to follow you and form yourself a west side church gangsta club.
*god is an easy way to separate people from their wallets.
*god is an easy way to get you admissions and special considerations in exams and colleges under religious reservation quota. (roman catholics wont get anything tho)
*under religion,you can sin and get away with it. (confession, duh =)
*god/manuscripts/religious rituals can be used to explain what ever hell they cant understand.
*easy to learn than evolutionary biology.
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Religion is a great comfort in this world, thats torn apart by other..... RELIGIONS. |
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| | | alleby | Dec 12, 2007 4:01pm | | Answerman you have hit the nail right on the head thanks. |
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|  utlan | Dec 13, 2007 3:05am | | i'd imagine drugs might have had something to do with it |
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|  |  1047169 | Dec 13, 2007 2:15pm | | Plus a complete lack of sex. Know why all those prophets hated women and said virgins are cool? Because they damn well were virgins, and women wouldn't have sex with them. Probably had something to do with the refusal to sully one's self with worldly things like soap & water. |
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| | | OrunXP | Dec 13, 2007 4:54pm | | The shortest possible answer for this is probably: fear of the unknown. |
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Sponsor | | AnswerMan | Dec 14, 2007 1:18pm | how about "stupidity"?
18) red,.. er, don't be forgetting The Grail now. oh wait, maybe they were all magikkally impregnated. |
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Atheist/Agnostic → Discussion