No Religion No God

[Azunite]

So, do you think it would be better if everyone didn't believe in a god, or a religion?

[The Dark Lord]

the simple answer is: yes.

See my sig for further details

[Milo1234]

no, while some people use religion as a way of doing evil things like suicide bombers believe they will be rewarded in heaven while knowing killing is wrong, religion also gives people hope and somewhere to turn to when they don't know what to do. with or without religion there are still people good and bad, and religion is open arms to those good who need to believe that there is somewhere to turn to when they face evil in there life

[The Dark Lord]

no, while some people use religion as a way of doing evil things like suicide bombers believe they will be rewarded in heaven while knowing killing is wrong, religion also gives people hope and somewhere to turn to when they don't know what to do. with or without religion there are still people good and bad, and religion is open arms to those good who need to believe that there is somewhere to turn to when they face evil in there life

Could you define good and evil please? Does anyone really need to believe in faith? How would it affect your daily life if there wasn't any god or religion?

btw I'm presuming that you believe in a god or religion of sorts due to your defensive post and irrational thinking

[The Batman]

Some people need something to believe in or hold on to when they feel they lost everything else.

[The Dark Lord]

Some people need something to believe in or hold on to when they feel they lost everything else.

Why religion through? What about the billions of religious followers who haven't lost everything or indeed anything? Why do they hold onto a irrational and unprovable belief. In the words of Friedrich Nietzsche: "'Faith means not wanting to know what is true". How does a God/religion affect people's everyday lives? Would there be any difference in your life without religion?

[Azunite]

Agreed.
When we cannot succeed, we throw it on god.
When we cannot explain something, we throw it on god.
You will see people, when scietist proove how everything began ( what triggered big bang ) people will know there is no god

But it is also hard to explain, how did prophets entered our story? How did books entered to our story?

[The Dark Lord]

But it is also hard to explain, how did prophets entered our story? How did books entered to our story?

Simply through the passage of time. Who knows maybe in 100years we'll believe in witchcraft and Hogwarts?

[Sith Lord 13]

the simple answer is: yes.

See my sig for further details

[“Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion.”-Steven Weinberg]

But religion will also make bad people do good things, as well as give strength to good but weak willed people. Also, the people who uses religion to bad things are almost always bad themselves. Religion is an excuse bad people will sometimes use to get away with bad things, but if they didn't have religion, they would find some other excuse.

[The Dark Lord]

But religion will also make bad people do good things, as well as give strength to good but weak willed people. Also, the people who uses religion to bad things are almost always bad themselves. Religion is an excuse bad people will sometimes use to get away with bad things, but if they didn't have religion, they would find some other excuse.

But surely if a terriorist claims he is following the word of God, if we lived in a society with no God, then he wouldn't have a basis to begin his terriorist activity as he willn't have been able to misinterpret God's words

[Sith Lord 13]

But surely if a terriorist claims he is following the word of God, if we lived in a society with no God, then he wouldn't have a basis to begin his terriorist activity as he willn't have been able to misinterpret God's words

No, he simply would have found another justification. Nationalism, perhaps.

[The Dark Lord]

No, he simply would have found another justification. Nationalism, perhaps.

You can't assume that through, because he would have interpreted God's words from the bible or something similar, but countries don't have documents detailing beliefs, they have laws and consititionals which are more factual and less open for interpretation

[Sith Lord 13]

You can't assume that through, because he would have interpreted God's words from the bible or something similar, but countries don't have documents detailing beliefs, they have laws and consititionals which are more factual and less open for interpretation

Assume, no, but there is more than simple assumption. Look at Timothy McVeigh. It's not difficult for someone to find a justification other than religion. A sense of nationalism isn't based on a constitution or set of laws. It's based on certain ideologies one feels are key to belonging to [X] country.

[Continuum]

Agreed.
When we cannot succeed, we throw it on god.
When we cannot explain something, we throw it on god.
You will see people, when scietist proove how everything began ( what triggered big bang ) people will know there is no god

But today, there is nothing. We still haven't known the secrets beyond the bang, and (probably) never will. But if we ever do manage to find the theory of everything, they will have a hard time adopting to the new belief as it basically contradicts everything they worship for, and begin to preserve the thought that there is still a God. Some would even say it would be suppressed within the community of devout believers, but it would be undeniable that there would be converters, to nothing or to a more pliable (let's say, to a more believable) belief. Time will tell when and how we will.

[DarkHorses]

I agree that life would be better without Religion. But it wouldn't be better without God. The two are very different things, and I think that we focus too much on religion when we should be focusing on God. It's not GOD that causes the evil, it's religion. God didn't create religion, people did. It's our responsibility for whatever comes out of religion, because we are the ones who take part in it and who created it. Without God nothing would exist. But I think that the world could do without religion.

[Magus]

Simply through the passage of time. Who knows maybe in 100years we'll believe in witchcraft and Hogwarts?

I got on what you mean by the passage of time. From Volcanoes to Omnipotent gods, no?

But belief in metaphysical entities and phenomenons is receding. Secularism is moving towards the more religious societies. People are just becoming non-observant in these years; eventually, people will stop depending on half-baked speculations and conjecture.

[deadpie]

Take out religion.

People could still choose and create their own higher power though. I've seen that help many people in a program i'm forced to go to; Making up their own "God".

[Captor K]

I'm pro-God, anti-religion.

Basically, I believe in God, and I am a very spiritual person. Whether one believes He exists or not, He does to me, and that is enough. I pray frequently, I read AND study the Bible, I think of God not just as my Heavenly Father, but also by "buddy" when I'm feeling down and out. God gives me comfort, hope, and love, and the strength to keep going in a hard and challenging world.

But I really no longer believe in religion. I no longer claim to be a Southern Baptist, mostly because I've found that Baptist churches are fiery little places to worship. Whenever I think of terrible events that have occurred because a religious institution was in power, I get furious. And I think about my own spiritual abuse I suffered from the hands of the church as I was growing up as a confused gay kid. I didn't like my "curse," or being "demonized." I see how some radical religious Christians do destructive things to other people — even should they have good intentions — and I think of them as wolves in sheep's clothing. I'm even more dumbfounded at the negative messages that many churches may send out, and congregation doesn't seem to question the doctrines at all. They just say, "Amen!" It's like people are afraid to question their religious beliefs.

I also don't like the mindset of organized religion. "Do what we say, our way, or rot in hell." And this is supposed to make people better?

I find it ironic that Christ died to free us from the severity of religion, to not follow every letter of the law, giving us a better replacement: Himself; and yet it seems like people have gone right back to following the law (or at least when they want to condemn and lecture other people), but when the tables turn, those Bibles vanish instantly.

Despite all this, I would still like to belong to a church, but not just any church. I'd like a church that does heap tons of fire and brimstone upon other people, whether they're gay or anything else. I would like to join a church where we can discuss the Bible openly, challenge others to think and considered verses and stories, what concepts might we take away from them, etc. I don't want to go to a church where I get a morality list of "Thou Shall Nots" and get sent home with a shitload of questions.

While I've freed myself from the vicious grip of an abusive religion, I'm not against anyone who wishes to practice their faith. I'm against anyone who tries to make me live my life according to their religious view of the world. I'm growing through a spiritual healing process that may take months or years, and I am not about to let anyone muck that up.

God has given me hope in life, while the church has given me almost none.

[Jess]

I'm pro-God, anti-religion.

Basically, I believe in God, and I am a very spiritual person. Whether one believes He exists or not, He does to me, and that is enough. I pray frequently, I read AND study the Bible, I think of God not just as my Heavenly Father, but also by "buddy" when I'm feeling down and out. God gives me comfort, hope, and love, and the strength to keep going in a hard and challenging world.

But I really no longer believe in religion. I no longer claim to be a Southern Baptist, mostly because I've found that Baptist churches are fiery little places to worship. Whenever I think of terrible events that have occurred because a religious institution was in power, I get furious. And I think about my own spiritual abuse I suffered from the hands of the church as I was growing up as a confused gay kid. I didn't like my "curse," or being "demonized." I see how some radical religious Christians do destructive things to other people — even should they have good intentions — and I think of them as wolves in sheep's clothing. I'm even more dumbfounded at the negative messages that many churches may send out, and congregation doesn't seem to question the doctrines at all. They just say, "Amen!" It's like people are afraid to question their religious beliefs.

I also don't like the mindset of organized religion. "Do what we say, our way, or rot in hell." And this is supposed to make people better?

I find it ironic that Christ died to free us from the severity of religion, to not follow every letter of the law, giving us a better replacement: Himself; and yet it seems like people have gone right back to following the law (or at least when they want to condemn and lecture other people), but when the tables turn, those Bibles vanish instantly.

Despite all this, I would still like to belong to a church, but not just any church. I'd like a church that does heap tons of fire and brimstone upon other people, whether they're gay or anything else. I would like to join a church where we can discuss the Bible openly, challenge others to think and considered verses and stories, what concepts might we take away from them, etc. I don't want to go to a church where I get a morality list of "Thou Shall Nots" and get sent home with a shitload of questions.

While I've freed myself from the vicious grip of an abusive religion, I'm not against anyone who wishes to practice their faith. I'm against anyone who tries to make me live my life according to their religious view of the world. I'm growing through a spiritual healing process that may take months or years, and I am not about to let anyone muck that up.

God has given me hope in life, while the church has given me almost none.


I agree with this (even though I don't believe in God)

[JimSauce]

I believe that the world would be better off if religion didn't exist in the first place. Although it provides hope and instills morality, the downsides (violence, intolerance, needless submission, etc.) outweigh the pros.

And I agree with the majority of this thread that believing in a God is far better than following X doctrine of Y denomination of Z religion.

[The Dark Lord]

I believe that the world would be better off if religion didn't exist in the first place. Although it provides hope and instills morality, the downsides (violence, intolerance, needless submission, etc.) outweigh the pros.

And I agree with the majority of this thread that believing in a God is far better than following X doctrine of Y denomination of Z religion.

What morality does it instill?

[huginnmuninn]

people do good thhings for religious reasons and bad things for religious reasons i beleive that it is more good than bad so i dont really care either way.

[JimSauce]

What morality does it instill?

Don't steal, don't murder, don't cheat, give to charity, respect your parents, love your family. I've observed that my Muslim and Hindu friends have a bigger conscience than myself and others.

Of course humans don't need religion to follow this, but it does help when "You're going to hell!" is the retribution for sinning.

[The Dark Lord]

Don't steal, don't murder, don't cheat, give to charity, respect your parents, love your family. I've observed that my Muslim and Hindu friends have a bigger conscience than myself and others.

Of course humans don't need religion to follow this, but it does help when "You're going to hell!" is the retribution for sinning.

I presume one of the values instilled in catholics is don't touch kids but they still do it. If you don't believe in God then "You're going to hell" has as much meaning as "You're going to the supermarket"

[Milo1234]

Could you define good and evil please? Does anyone really need to believe in faith? How would it affect your daily life if there wasn't any god or religion?

btw I'm presuming that you believe in a god or religion of sorts due to your defensive post and irrational thinking

im not religious at all actually. im an athiest. i just think its important to some people as some people need something to believe in, thats all.

[Continuum]

Despite all this, I would still like to belong to a church, but not just any church. I'd like a church that does heap tons of fire and brimstone upon other people, whether they're gay or anything else. I would like to join a church where we can discuss the Bible openly, challenge others to think and considered verses and stories, what concepts might we take away from them, etc. I don't want to go to a church where I get a morality list of "Thou Shall Nots" and get sent home with a shitload of questions.




We (as in, people with a religion) people become more and more inclined to what our belief says rather than other high ranking officials telling you he is the messenger of God do this or burn bla bla bla, it's very different from medieval times when organized belief is more powerful than the government itself. They have the powers to bring unjust (or should I say, harsh) commands against those who don't believe in them.

For example, the time when Martin Luther began his campaign. The Catholic Church opposed him, he was excommunicated and eventually branded as an outlaw by the Emperor and as a heretic. They keep the people from freely speaking; it shows how absolute their power was before and kings even submit to them. But things have changed since the period of enlightenment.

Today we could do whatever we want, oppose a religion or support one, who cares? We have free speech. Until the time we are free from the grasp of dogmae from different religions, we can't. That's why the city of Rapture was made :D


I presume one of the values instilled in catholics is don't touch kids but they still do it. If you don't believe in God then "You're going to hell" has as much meaning as "You're going to the supermarket"

Probably, but it instills fear of the unknown among believers. It's an effective measure for most people I presume.


But belief in metaphysical entities and phenomenons is receding. Secularism is moving towards the more religious societies. People are just becoming non-observant in these years; eventually, people will stop depending on half-baked speculations and conjecture.

It would take time, as people would ascend into a higher state of mind, alongside letting go of what is obsolete.

[Azunite]

Religion gives something people live for. If you have nothing, you think " I will do good things for afterlife "
But yes it has pros and cons, just like everything else.
Wish people believed in only one God, and nothing else, it mixes up everything.