I find little that isn't problematic about a system that demands uncritical belief based on authority over all. I understand that people are taught to revere it as a source of hope and comfort, but it promotes false hope that frequently interferes with real solutions. Faith is not a virtue, it's part of the problem.
i think if you need to be threatened with hell or bribed with heaven to be a good person you should take a good look in the mirror and accept you're an awful person.
If it's about the comfort of knowing bad people will go to hell and good will be rewarded in regards to loved ones then there's much more flexible ways to believe in that without having to specifically believe in a diety who either doesn't exist or allows awful things to happen indiscriminately or just doesn't give a flying fuck about his creation anymore.
I'm an apatheist - I think the provable existence or non-existence of any deity or higher powers wouldn't affect how i live my life or treat people at all. That said I like religious holidays that centre around food.
I agree with Qukatt. I stopped going to church when I was 13.
I also feel anyone who would create a place as horrible as hell and send people
there just cause they don't kiss his sanctimonious ass is a psychopathic monster.
I do, however, think the whole 'you shouldn't need religion to be a good person' facet of criticism to be rather naive. Same with the 'why does God let bad things happen' line of thought.
I'm with you in disliking religion, but I do think it's more sophisticated than you describe.
Of course it's more sophisticated and you'd have to take an extensive dive into each's particular beliefs and as such there's not enough time and space in my life to do it justice. So above is a highly reductionist view on my main niggles that encompass most religions.
herd mentality, no matter the focus, is ALWAYS less than the sum of it's parts. To take it further, herd mentality is always less than the average of it's parts.
It's almost like simple math. If person A is 99% good, person B is 99% good, person C is 99% good, and person D is 99% good. If you get them all together, 0.99^4=0.961 and together they are 96% good. Now extend that to hundreds of people, thousands of people.
I think that people can believe whatever they want, but when you get a large enough assembly together to develop mob mentality, things degenerate.
If someone wants to pray to some deity in the privacy of their own home, or together in a single meeting place, then there's really no reason to even think about it. If someone wants to take time off work or school to celebrate a happening in their religion, then it's completely fine. If someone wants to discuss it with other like-minded people, or with someone that's asked about it, then it's causing no harm.
However, there is a point that it does start to be a problem. Using a religion to justify slaughtering innocent people isn't fine. Using it to constrict the rights of non-followers isn't right. Using it as a key factor in a decision, such as an election, isn't good.
As long as it's used in a matter that doesn't harm anyone, I really don't care; there's no reason why it should really bother me. However, if it causes problems, then something should be done about the people that abuse it.
All the churches filled with losers, psycho or confused
Always crack up at this line because of how accurately it describes my experience with church.
Also, saw them live a few years back. Great show — favorite part was the popping of the balloon penis, which subsequently flew around overhead in a frenzy of deflation.
I'm a Deist that was raised Christian, so I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it's a dangerous institution that controls people and inhibits the growth of humanity. On the other hand, it can comfort and inspire people to do right by others.
Join the Discussion
A problem that needs to be solved with secularism, education and economic security.
Why is it problomatic?
I find little that isn't problematic about a system that demands uncritical belief based on authority over all. I understand that people are taught to revere it as a source of hope and comfort, but it promotes false hope that frequently interferes with real solutions. Faith is not a virtue, it's part of the problem.
i think if you need to be threatened with hell or bribed with heaven to be a good person you should take a good look in the mirror and accept you're an awful person.
If it's about the comfort of knowing bad people will go to hell and good will be rewarded in regards to loved ones then there's much more flexible ways to believe in that without having to specifically believe in a diety who either doesn't exist or allows awful things to happen indiscriminately or just doesn't give a flying fuck about his creation anymore.
I'm an apatheist - I think the provable existence or non-existence of any deity or higher powers wouldn't affect how i live my life or treat people at all. That said I like religious holidays that centre around food.
I agree with Qukatt. I stopped going to church when I was 13. I also feel anyone who would create a place as horrible as hell and send people there just cause they don't kiss his sanctimonious ass is a psychopathic monster.
Common sentiments, and I completely understand.
I do, however, think the whole 'you shouldn't need religion to be a good person' facet of criticism to be rather naive. Same with the 'why does God let bad things happen' line of thought.
I'm with you in disliking religion, but I do think it's more sophisticated than you describe.
Of course it's more sophisticated and you'd have to take an extensive dive into each's particular beliefs and as such there's not enough time and space in my life to do it justice. So above is a highly reductionist view on my main niggles that encompass most religions.
herd mentality, no matter the focus, is ALWAYS less than the sum of it's parts. To take it further, herd mentality is always less than the average of it's parts.
It's almost like simple math. If person A is 99% good, person B is 99% good, person C is 99% good, and person D is 99% good. If you get them all together, 0.99^4=0.961 and together they are 96% good. Now extend that to hundreds of people, thousands of people.
I think that people can believe whatever they want, but when you get a large enough assembly together to develop mob mentality, things degenerate.
Understandable.
So how do we break heard mentality?
don't worry about what other people think and think for yourselves.
I don't know if it is possible to break herd mentality in others though. While it is degenerative, it is also powerful.
It's the opium of the people.
If someone wants to pray to some deity in the privacy of their own home, or together in a single meeting place, then there's really no reason to even think about it. If someone wants to take time off work or school to celebrate a happening in their religion, then it's completely fine. If someone wants to discuss it with other like-minded people, or with someone that's asked about it, then it's causing no harm.
However, there is a point that it does start to be a problem. Using a religion to justify slaughtering innocent people isn't fine. Using it to constrict the rights of non-followers isn't right. Using it as a key factor in a decision, such as an election, isn't good.
As long as it's used in a matter that doesn't harm anyone, I really don't care; there's no reason why it should really bother me. However, if it causes problems, then something should be done about the people that abuse it.
Gronlandic Edit.
Always crack up at this line because of how accurately it describes my experience with church.
Also, saw them live a few years back. Great show — favorite part was the popping of the balloon penis, which subsequently flew around overhead in a frenzy of deflation.
Dafaq.
Is.
That.
Truth.
But of Montreal is genius. That whole album (Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?) is a pop masterpiece.
a song about god and religion that sums up my feelings about god and religion in regards to the question you presented in this thread. no good?
It went over my head, mate.
Spirituality is fine but I have no use for religion. Humanity should be the main focus and not dogma.
I'm a Deist that was raised Christian, so I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it's a dangerous institution that controls people and inhibits the growth of humanity. On the other hand, it can comfort and inspire people to do right by others.