An Examination of Religion

[Wizdumb]

Many people examine religion. But, they examine the teachings and beliefs of religion. In this short paper, I will be giving an examination of religion itself. The primary focus will be on modern religions which stem from the bible, although the principles are the same throughout most, if not all, religions.

 

#1: Religions do everything they can to ensure you do not lose faith or change religions.

 

#2: Religions have their good God's and bad God's. The purpose of the good God is obvious, but what is the real purpose of the bad God? I've come to the conclusion the real purpose is simply to take attention away from the good God. Bad things happen in life, and if people think it's their God's fault, they lose faith. So - create the devil and blame every bad thing on him.

 

#3: Religions use the technique of talking about things which cannot be proven or disproven, or so they hope. The most brilliant of their ideas is to utilize the mystery of life after death. Since we cannot prove what happens after we die, religions can say anything they want about it and we cannot say they are wrong.

 

#4: Religions use what I call "Advanced Terrorism". The way they use this is mainly in conjunction with #2. Here is the difference between advanced terrorism and normal terrorism:

 

Normal terrorists say, "If you do not meet our demands, we will kill you/hostages/etc. If you meet the demands, no one will get hurt."

 

Advanced - "If you do not meet our demands, we will kill you/hostages/etc. If you meet the demands, no one will get hurt, and we will give you a million dollars."

 

#5: Blowing things into 'biblical' proportion. They take all their ideas and multiply them by infinity. They say if you turn your back on (our) God, you go to hell. They make their good God a being of pure good and their evil God a being of pure evil. They take life after death and say it lasts for eternity. And instead of threatening to hurt you in this life, they say you will spend all of eternity in either the most extreme pleasure or extreme pain.

 

If you think about those a little more, you'll see countless examples of them taking place in various religions. Those five are the basic principles behind (successful) religion. And what do they equate to? The most brilliant form of mind-control in the history of our civilization. A book which uses psychological techniques to control millions of people for thousands of years. It's even designed in a way which gives money to the people who spread the word and entrap more minds (priests, nuns etc.). Pure genius, all of it.

 

That being said, I think religion has been for the best. Any given thing can be used for either good or evil. And, I think, contrary to the belief of some, religion has done more good than harm. The reason I think so is because of the nature of living creatures. Look at how easily we go to war. What if we didn't have religion controlling people's minds, telling people not to kill? Our civilization may not have reached the point it has. But, I think we are approaching the age, if we're not already there, where religion will do more harm than good. The age where we no longer need religious control to stop us from self-destructing.

 

That is the end of the examination. But, on a side note; None of this means there isn't a God out there. I think it's strange how we're always taught never to repeat history, yet that's exactly what we've been doing with religions/Gods. There was a time when there were God's/religions, and they turned out to be bogus. Why then do we auto-accept (to use a computer term), the idea that any current religious God's are legit? Not all people do, but most of the ones who don't are atheists and others who make the jump, "I don't like this God, so i'll believe in no God.", instead of the jump, "I don't like this God, maybe it isn't a real God.". Remember, there's no reason to lose faith in the possibility a real God exists.

[GAHD]

I agrre with all but religion being a force for good. With how easily we go to war, giving another set of lines to seperate 'us' from 'them' just allows more chances for violence to exist.

[emessay]

Yeahh....Let's 'IMAGINE' it ........ :eek_big:

 

Imagine

 

Imagine there's no heaven,

It's easy if you try,

No hell below us,

Above us only sky,

Imagine all the people

living for today...

 

Imagine there's no countries,

It isnt hard to do,

Nothing to kill or die for,

No religion too,

Imagine all the people

living life in peace...

 

Imagine no possesions,

I wonder if you can,

No need for greed or hunger,

A brotherhood of man,

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world...

 

You may say Im a dreamer,

but Im not the only one,

I hope some day you'll join us,

And the world will live as one.

 

Written by : John Lennon

[infamous]

Just one thing I need to point out about religion that some people seem to forget. Religion is, or should be, a personal view that each and every one of us has a right to. When the clergy, or any individual for that matter, attempt to sway the opinion of the public by organizing their efforts, these individuals become Politicians. There is a vast difference between a personal faith and a political movement.

[infamous]

All 'religions' are 'political'

Very true statement dduckwessel but the point I was trying to make was this:

Personal faith and religion are two entirely different things. I don't need a formal religion to help sustain the faith that the Lord has given me. By the same token, unless another is willing, I am unable to share this faith with them. I won't even try unless they ask me to help them understand what this faith means to me and what it might mean to them. The single point here is, my faith is personal, nothing political about it. Just as some plead with me not to force Christianity down their throats, don't also expect me to surrender my faith.

[Kizzi]

What if the Bible was dictated to human beings by a 'superior intellect'? But what if people have been reading it all wrong and so produced 'religion'!

 

 

You mean the Bible was dictated by technologically advanced aliens or by technology advanced time travellers (human or alien) or by God? Would you be able to tell the difference?

 

By reading the Bible does one think the words, sentences and ideas contained within are from a 'superior intellect' or would the average leader of a tribe of peoples be capable of writing such works?

 

Kizzi

 

ps. I read the New Testament and it didn't seem 'superior' to me!!!!!

 

:eek_big:

[Eclogite]

Point 1: The opening post seems to make the same faulty equivalence that is commonplace in discussions of religion on this and similar forums. i.e. religion is equivalent to the Judaeo-Christian-Islamic trinity. While all your points are arguably applicable to these three, I think you would find it more difficult to make these stick to the Eastern religions.

Point 2: As noted above, these points are arguably (though not necessarily) applicable to the JCI religions, they are not (arguably) the central points of these religions, but rather incidental and inconsequential aspects of them.

[Tormod]

What if the Bible was dictated to human beings by a 'superior intellect'? But what if people have been reading it all wrong and so produced 'religion'!

 

Am I reading this right: You're saying that the Christian church is simply an unwanted byproduct of Jesus?

[alexander]

You're saying that the Christian church is simply an unwanted byproduct of Jesus?

I hope that you dont beleive that Jesus taught Christianity, Tormod, that would be quite funny though if someone did :eek_big:

 

Religions have their good God's and bad God's. The purpose of the good God is obvious, but what is the real purpose of the bad God? I've come to the conclusion the real purpose is simply to take attention away from the good God. Bad things happen in life, and if people think it's their God's fault, they lose faith. So - create the devil and blame every bad thing on him.

surely you are not referring to Buddhism :eek2:

 

They say if you turn your back on (our) God, you go to hell.

Ooh, i got you, you only refer to Bible-based religions.... nm

 

I personally think that you could use an extension to those statements, but basically you are right that most religions are about control, well maybe with the exception of Buddhism which says: "there is no supernatural power, go do good things and good things will come to you when you reach Nirvana"

[alexander]

I couldnt agree more, duck, infact i spent a lot of time arguing just that in "theory of beginning of life and God"

Apparently a lot of christians beleive that they are following the teachings of Christ...

[alexander]

well, even though i argued the invalidity of the new testament, by that i also argued the fact that what christianity is is not what Jesus taught, there is evidence to back up my claims, if you want more claims, please the tangent discussion serves just for that purpose...

[alexander]

from reading what you have said, i think that you got my main point though by the response you gave :evil:

 

if you read what i've said, i dont really discuss the Old Testament, but all my focus is aimed towards the new testament and how people dont realize who wrote it, motives behind certain events in the book, and who influences people in the new testament. I have yet to come up with anything like those writeups for the old testament, partly because it has been published for much longer and history of the beginnings have been lost, but maybe for not that long...

[Southtown]

I agrre with all but religion being a force for good. With how easily we go to war, giving another set of lines to seperate 'us' from 'them' just allows more chances for violence to exist.

Preposterous. Mankind has always been and will always be at war. It is the endless attempt of most religions to impede this trend. If I only had a nickel for everytime...

 

For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

—

Romans 13:9-10 nkjv

[alexander]

go for it duck, would be quite interestingto read for sure :hihi:

 

As to religion being a force for good, i stay by Gahd's point and dont find it porpostorous, religion has been at heart of most major wars for the last 2000 years of history, and although that religion's intent is to put people at war, religion is a means of manipulating people...

[Southtown]

religion is a means of manipulating people...

True, but that is not its intended purpose.

[Buffy]

True, but that is not it's intended purpose.

That depends on who's intent you're talking about! Many, including those who honestly believe that their intent is righteous, do indeed use religion for manipulation and control of others...

 

Cheers,

Buffy

[Southtown]

That depends on who's intent you're talking about!

I would be referring to the bible writers! (haha)

 

In fact if one reads the bible, they will realize it severely criticizes people for having faith in other people.

Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for

One is your Teacher, the Christ

, and you are all brethren. And do not be called teachers; for

One is your Teacher, the Christ

. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

” —

Matthew 23:1-12 nkjv

To characterize a religion by analyzing any random interpreter of it is also preposterous.