Religion - a technique to repress the masses

[HailMeNow]

(08-01-2013 08:16 PM)Hamata k Wrote:  Enough life has been lost to the foolishness of religious fanaticism. We do not need to lose more in a torrent of crazed violence. I agree religion needs to be fazed out, but it needs to be done carefully. It is akin to defusing a bomb. It must gently.

Less would die than are currently dying through an instant end to it, more would die in a slow steady process of decline

[Hamata k]

(08-01-2013 08:18 PM)HailMeNow Wrote:  

(08-01-2013 08:16 PM)Hamata k Wrote:  Enough life has been lost to the foolishness of religious fanaticism. We do not need to lose more in a torrent of crazed violence. I agree religion needs to be fazed out, but it needs to be done carefully. It is akin to defusing a bomb. It must gently.

Less would die than are currently dying through an instant end to it, more would die in a slow steady process of decline

Humans are creatures of habit. Introduce a massive change like this and all hell will break loose. Yes people are dying now but nowhere near the number that would die from an event like that.

[EvolutionKills]

(08-01-2013 08:23 PM)Hamata k Wrote:  

(08-01-2013 08:18 PM)HailMeNow Wrote:  Less would die than are currently dying through an instant end to it, more would die in a slow steady process of decline

Humans are creatures of habit. Introduce a massive change like this and all hell will break loose. Yes people are dying now but nowhere near the number that would die from an event like that.

When has a society ever suffered from being too rational? Too demanding of evidence for their beliefs?

Even the hypothetical damage you're concerned of, who would cause it? By those who see religion for the sham that it is? Or those who still believe? My money would be on the believers. And what faster was to end the violence, then to get everyone to agree as soon as possible? I would think the faster it occurs, the less damage will be incurred in the long run.

[Hamata k]

(09-01-2013 12:51 AM)EvolutionKills Wrote:  

(08-01-2013 08:23 PM)Hamata k Wrote:  Humans are creatures of habit. Introduce a massive change like this and all hell will break loose. Yes people are dying now but nowhere near the number that would die from an event like that.

When has a society ever suffered from being too rational? Too demanding of evidence for their beliefs?

Even the hypothetical damage you're concerned of, who would cause it? By those who see religion for the sham that it is? Or those who still believe? My money would be on the believers. And what faster was to end the violence, then to get everyone to agree as soon as possible? I would think the faster it occurs, the less damage will be incurred in the long run.

I understand where you're coming from. How to put it? Look at it this way. If a person builds who their very being on a foundation of religion, what happens if that foundation was suddenly torn out from under them? The logical answer is that they lose themselves. They become confused, enraged, they fill up with despair. Now I'm not saying leave them be. Oh no. I'm saying we need to take it easy and not be to aggressive. If we are we'll only get an aggressive response back and the last thing we need is a bunch of aggressive religious people who just lost their religion.

When someone de-converts they're not exactly logical and calm as soon as they do. Usually they're pissed.

[cheapthrillseaker]

Religion gone in an instant would probably have the same reaction as an imminent Apollo asteroid hitting the Earth.

[bemore]

I agree with Hamata.

So tommorow you wish to ban all religions..... how would you feel if tommorow they banned atheism?

It wouldnt change your personal belief system overnight would it, if they banned atheism you would still be an atheist.

[Impulse]

(08-01-2013 05:33 PM)HailMeNow Wrote:  What are your thoughts on religion?

I personally believe people put them in place for nothing more than their own selfish greed, look at how rich the pope has gotten from it? People live on their impossible boat down a stream to heaven, it keeps them like controlled robots and the church makes shit loads of money!

It is clear those with the power do not play by their own rules, look at the crimes the Catholic church has made and you'll see that yourself. I personally believe it stops people from taking responsibility and control of their own lives, limits their very short and precious life on this planet and causes nothing but segregation and warfare.

It is clear my opinions on the case are negative, just interested to know what others think?

I disagree. I think that's a lot like saying doctors become doctors just to prescribe themselves medicines they are addicted to. Maybe for some, but certainly not for most.

Money is certainly a factor in religion. Probably at least most religions do collect a lot of it and I think it can make it more difficult for those in power to let go if they ever start to have any doubts about their faith. But there are countless believers in religion who give the money and receive none of it (the piles that go to religion, in particular, that is). Those believers have children and raise more believers. Some of those believers go on to become religious leaders in their respective faiths. Some may do so to gain access to money, but surely some do so just from their faith alone.

The same goes with other greedy motivations. Molesting children, for example, although it's far more prevalent in the Catholic Church than anyone would have thought 100 years ago, still the guilty are likely few in comparison to the total clergy members. Some may join the church to take advantage of children, but most probably never are guilty of such a thing.

No, I think religions exist for the same reasons that their members follow them - because people need answers to questions like why we exist, need comfort for things like death, need something that they can turn to in order to remain strong in the face of adversity when they can't seem to find anything else, and because Mommy and Daddy told them when they were very young that "God" provides all those things.