did it start because some puffed up old men got some good ideas and began a revolution and through pomposity and evangelism word got around? was it also then encouraged for its ability to explain away the unexplainable, to give hope to the hopeless? why do we still have religion? for a moral/"eternal" safety net? because of being brainwashed as a kid? will we have religion in the future? will atheists rule the world? what are the morals of atheists and can we trust them to be in charge. will life be better or worse if everyone were atheistic. how could we predict this objectively speaking? (could we find someone who is unsure whether or not he or she is atheist or deist?) enough questions. let's have some ideas.
As far as I'm concerned religion does not exist. There is no religion, it's all made-up stuff by stupid uneducated dimwits with little or nothing to fall back on (interest-wise). I pity anyone caught up in the ridiculious nonsense and especially anyone involved with Christianity. Christians are the scum of the earth, they constantly pine about their savior while ignoring the fact they've killed eachother over just about anything... As you can tell I'm not a fool.
Because some kids get leukaemia whereas others don't, and because some people struggle mentally with the idea of staring at the underside of a coffin-lid forever. Religion brings order from prospective chaos and reassures the huddled masses that life has ultimate value and that the grass will be infinitely greener on the other side.
What do you mean by "brainwashed". Seems youre taking the nurture vs nature side without evidence. I am unsure of whether or not Im atheist or theist. Life will be worse if we were atheistic so then we'll just return to being theistic. The feeling, or the "seeing" (for some), has a life of it's own apart from our conscious will. Will is the reasoning power of the heart. The reasoning is what the mind does to lift the heart (as I surmise, not sure about this though, but is it not a customary practice in Buddhism to concentrate all energy into the heart? From which is the only part of the body, along with the mind, that is needed.) http://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/articles/MindfulnessMeditation.html
no no because god exists as the greatest "object" yes, but probably the more materialistic strain of it sometimes just like a theisticly minded person might also for some time. But ultimately the environment that human society waxes and wanes in is controlled by god the morals of atheists, at best, are dictated by time place and circumstance - thus its difficult to trust a person who has no stable moral ground worse atheistic societies, regardless whether they were as ideologically opposed as communist or fascist, commonly tend to churn out dictators bent on grossly disempowering members of society through numerous nefarious methods (once again, its difficult to trust these guys) enough questions. let's have some ideas.[/QUOTE]
Because the truth exists, and true religion is there to help people realize the truth, and escape from this world of suffering....
this is ridiculous. the fact that some kids get leukemia and some don't is not dependent on anything "supernatural". when you're buried (formost people) you don't "stare at the underside of a coffin". you're dead. i would prefer that people are incinerated (in an environmentally friendly way) and dumped in a compost pit. you'll find this extreme but it follows from it not mattering in the least (what you do or what is done to you after you have kicked the bucket). religion does bring order, but this would also necessitate general brainwashing because there will always be people who will think independently from religious doctrine. Whether or not you feel that your life has value is independent from your religion, it may have more to do with your self-esteem and life goals and accomplishments. it was also fun playing make believe as a kid, but i'd like to grow up now.
atheistic morals are based on the moment, as i believe you said. so if you are president for example, then you would take oath to think and act in terms of the general vote. we don't have to have a christian president to keep from being subject to a power-hungry monster. as far as the buddhism stuff, it leaves far too many questions, and is very abstract. it's also hard to have any sort of conscious life in a religion (buddhism) that is so general. I'll have to refrain from replying to your last statement as i know not what you mean!
Death is ultimate, and people are afraid to be what they have never been. since religion happened to (and was "destined" to) come before science, people grew comfortable with the idea that we would go to heaven when we die. instead of being comfortable with the fact that we just enter into unconsciousness when we die, we must believe in the Divine Gamble between heaven and hell, because it brings hope, direction, and the loud overbearing guy in the white robe says so.
[/QUOTE] we have not had a power that is not fascist or communist ruled by an atheist. why can't a democratic society rely on atheistic ruling? if a christian ruled in a fascist government, would the dictatorship be any different? i feel it mightve been worse . people tend to alter their beliefs to their own motives (towards materialism), as modern americans bastardize their own evangelical teachings. it would be best if these alterations came not from religious teaching but from historical experience and objective judgement (didn't hitler believe that god told him to carry out his infamous deed?) I'm disregarding your one-worded answers. if they were meant to be answered in a word, i couldve done that. they are meant for rhetoric speculation. we are discussing here, not dictating. (perhaps you feel a connection to fascist and/or communistic ideas?)
Zoroaster/Ibrahim/Abraham was born in an Atheist society, were no one believed in a God. He noticed all the sacrifices and idolatrism being done, and he got away from all that, even from his family. He went away to meditate for 10 years, after he was so full of Wisdom, he wanted to share it with everybody else. This was the start of monotheistic religion, were 1 God exists, and is called existance, he works through light and love. So Zoroaster started a religion without even knowing it, and it was the start of all monotheistic religions around 1200 - 2000 BC. Ironically, Zoroaster didnt teach religion, he tought about the Good Mentality, that is having good thoughts, speaking good words, and performing good deeds, very simple. We have a soul, that if we understand, we can understand the ways of the Universe, as a Macro-Representation of our souls, that is what I call Religion, our link with God is each of our souls. Religion is a men-invention, we should meditate as Buddhism teach, in order to attain knowledge, and convert that knowledge into wisdom with Love.
i recognize good mentality from the eightfold path (or some other fundament of Bhuddism). perhaps you can tell me some of the ideas of Bhuddism. it sounds like something i would like to adapt to my routine (I guess I'll just make my own morals based on combinations of appealing ideas). good mentality.. what exactly does that entail? what was zoroastrianism and did it come from zoroaster? what exactly do you mean each of our souls is a link with god? I'm not sure i follow ya on this, buddy.
The Christian faith is based upon real history, that makes it different from the others, and the hundreds of fulfilled prophecies, already, show that it was not dreamed up by a bunch of old guys looking for a ticket out of the pasture away from their sheep.
Why do you limit yourself only to Buddhism? Basically all other religions also teach the same things... Yeah, but there are also many other prophecies of other religions that are also fulfilled...
