Should Religion be Banned?

[Coop]

With most of the major conflicts in the world today caused by religion (Israel/Palastine, Northern Ireland, recent Iraqi insurgents etc) should we really consider that religion is in fact nonsense and therefore ban it.

I say this for two reasons:
1) Regardless of which religion, if any, you choose, you are going to hell. Because there are at least two religions which specify that you will go to hell for all eternity if you do not follow them.(you can't follow 2 religions simeltaneously)

2) Okay, so it wouldn't stop all the wars of the world instantaneously, but if you look at the way in which children of two different cultures interact with each other, we must believe that some of the problems (Israel/Palastine in particular) would sort themselves out

thoughts from all angles appreciated

[IllustriousPotentate]

At 5/20/04 07:16 AM, Coop83 wrote: With most of the major conflicts in the world today caused by religion (Israel/Palastine, Northern Ireland, recent Iraqi insurgents etc) should we really consider that religion is in fact nonsense and therefore ban it.

I think your argument is utter bullshit. I think it should be banned, too.
First, religion is not the sole reason for these conflicts.

I say this for two reasons:
1) Regardless of which religion, if any, you choose, you are going to hell. Because there are at least two religions which specify that you will go to hell for all eternity if you do not follow them.(you can't follow 2 religions simeltaneously)

Obviously, if you choose a religion, that one in your views is correct, while the other two are false.

2) Okay, so it wouldn't stop all the wars of the world instantaneously, but if you look at the way in which children of two different cultures interact with each other, we must believe that some of the problems (Israel/Palastine in particular) would sort themselves out

What about the massive war that would happen if you ban religion? Look at how there's been a jihad declared on us just for supporting Israel. Imagine that animosity towards us squared; that's what would occur if we tried to support the banning of religion. Remember, people are willing to die, and kill, for their religion.

[GUTHRIE]

you could NEVER ban religion.
Ever.

[Salato]

You cannot just ban religion and it would be wrong to as well. And it is a great oversimplification to say that most of the major conflicts today are caused by religion. Any attempt to ban religion would lead to far more conflict, not less. Religion is not just going to go away, and should not either.

[Reverend-Kyle]

I think it would be best to ban the use of force against anyone or anything, not religion.

[mentalis]

At 5/20/04 07:26 AM, Hell_Toupee wrote: you could NEVER ban religion.
Ever.

Many governments over the centuries have tried to ban religions or all religion but people just worshiped in secret. The more you make something illegal the more they will do it. In the USA, where it is free to do whatever you want< there seems to be less religion. Go figure.

[Coop]

At 5/20/04 09:20 AM, ohp-kyle wrote: I think it would be best to ban the use of force against anyone or anything, not religion.

Define the use of force. If you mean that we aren't even allowed to hit each other, then such awesome sports as Ice Hockey and Rugby would be banned

And that would make me very sad

[bumcheekcity]

At 5/20/04 09:43 AM, mentalis wrote: In the USA, where it is free to do whatever you want< there seems to be less religion. Go figure.

Are you serious? Americans have quite possibly the least rights of any democratically-elected people. And, Americans aare the most religious of all the first-world nations without a doubt.

[angelicbutterfly]

No i don't think it should be banned cuz then no one would have any love, it would bring a world of voilence, adualtry (not sure what that means), Sexaully transmitted deseases could get to everyone even the fetuses. death rate would be higher

all the Bible says is be happy and live

if you took away the bible thats what would happen

(I think)

[darkphantom]

Well yeah relgion and the problems it casues suck... but you know what sucks much more... Oppression of thought.

[awkward-silence]

The only problem with religion is those that distort it. I think it is nessecary honestly. Without it, there would be no way to be aware of the divine good, allowing us to fall into an alienated state such as that of 1984.

[BananaBreadMuffin]

At 5/20/04 09:43 AM, mentalis wrote: In the USA, where it is free to do whatever you want< there seems to be less religion.

In the USA a teacher was jailed for teaching evolutionism. You fail.

Religion shouldn't be banned.
You think israel was ever about religion? It was about land, and now it is about revenge. Religion was an excuse.

And religion unites people. It provides people with answers. Take away the unity and take away the answers and there will be anarchy.

[zaedus]

Yeah, seriously, that is a pretty stupid topic. Find me a culture that does not have a religion. Religion is about as intrinsic to life as breathing is. If you want to ban religion, you may as well ban art, music, and freedom of thought. Banning religion would no more quell war than banning weapons. It is a given that there have been wars fought over "religion" but those wars were no more the focus on religion than they were on petty politics. This "war" the US has so ignorantly gotten itself into is no more over religion that it is lollipops. When the school bully beats up the little kid for his lunch money, do tell me where religion is involved there. When you come home to find some other dude sleeping with your wife, do you immediatly go find a Bible and quote to him that it's wrong, or do you beat the shit out of him because he has taken what was yours? Wars are about superiority and self gratification, religion might have a role in them, but it is a small one. If it were even remotely possible that all religion could be made undone, it is without doubt that war would still exist.

[afijsohfan]

Banning religion would ensure complete chaos. I'm not much of a religious person, but from a few visits to my local church i've noticed that it seems to be an asylum for the old and mentally unsound.....Maybe thats just where i live.

Put it this way, Religion = Organised Madness, No Religion = Anarchy.

[Reverend-Kyle]

At 5/20/04 09:49 AM, Coop83 wrote:

At 5/20/04 09:20 AM, ohp-kyle wrote: I think it would be best to ban the use of force against anyone or anything, not religion.

Define the use of force. If you mean that we aren't even allowed to hit each other, then such awesome sports as Ice Hockey and Rugby would be banned

And that would make me very sad

What I mean is, I shouldn't be allowed to harm you to take something of yours. If what you're holding is the rugby ball and we're playing rugby, then that's a bit different.

At 5/20/04 11:44 AM, angelicbutterfly wrote: No i don't think it should be banned cuz then no one would have any love, it would bring a world of voilence, adualtry (not sure what that means), Sexaully transmitted deseases could get to everyone even the fetuses. death rate would be higher

Wow, religion must have already been banned. Also, it's adultary, and that occurs when I have sex with your spouse. The death rate would be higher?

Where are you getting this information?

[Coop]

At 5/20/04 12:34 PM, zaedus wrote: Yeah, seriously, that is a pretty stupid topic. Find me a culture that does not have a religion.

The culture I call my own has no religion. I go to work, get paid at the end of the week and spend it. No religion, just perpetual motion

[Distant2ndFerrari]

At 5/20/04 07:16 AM, Coop83 wrote: With most of the major conflicts in the world today caused by religion (Israel/Palastine, Northern Ireland, recent Iraqi insurgents etc) should we really consider that religion is in fact nonsense and therefore ban it.

Uh, that's your opinion. It's not "in fact" nonsense to alot of people. I bet you there are more people out there with a religion than people without. Try and convince them that their religion is bullshit and that it's going to get banned. That would start another world war.

I say this for two reasons:
1) Regardless of which religion, if any, you choose, you are going to hell. Because there are at least two religions which specify that you will go to hell for all eternity if you do not follow them.(you can't follow 2 religions simeltaneously)

Blah blah blah. This statement is pointless.

2) Okay, so it wouldn't stop all the wars of the world instantaneously, but if you look at the way in which children of two different cultures interact with each other, we must believe that some of the problems (Israel/Palastine in particular) would sort themselves out

thoughts from all angles appreciated

No, it definentely wouldn't stop all the wars of the world. People are devoted to their faith. They'd fight for it. Everyone would be fighting, not just Israel and Palastine. Religion will never go away. Ever.

-However, I think that sometime in the future, there will be some national debate on this particular topic.

[Coop]

by the same token, it is "in fact" nonsense to a lot of people. You ask people what religion they are. Ask them the last time they prayed / went to church / if they actually live life according to their religious beliefs.

People who don't worship, but just live a normal life don't count. I count them as abstaining voters. You've actually gotta go to the poolling station to get your vote registered, havn't you?

[bombkangaroo]

the problem with banning religion is that it becomes slightly hippocrytical.

any war fought because of religion will have the aim of converting or killing those with opposing beliefs. it is about changing the way people think/behave against their will.
banning religion would have essentially the same effect and would most likely start a war, defeating the purpose of the excercise.

[Coop]

Catch 22, my friend

[IllustriousPotentate]

At 5/20/04 03:22 PM, Coop83 wrote: Catch 22, my friend

A Catch 22 that destroys your argument.

Why would you start a war to eliminate wars caused by religion? That defeats the purpose!

[Coop]

Maybe they were right back in the cold war. Maybe we should just nuke the whole planet and hand it over to the cockroaches.

[IllustriousPotentate]

At 5/20/04 03:36 PM, Coop83 wrote: Maybe they were right back in the cold war. Maybe we should just nuke the whole planet and hand it over to the cockroaches.

What are you trying to say?

Do you think that that it would be better to have a nuclear holocaust than have a few skirmishes caused only in part by religion?

Or are you insinuating that cockroaches would be better than a religious person?

Or are you just randomly pulling statements out of your nostril to fling at people to hide the fact that you really don't have the slightest clue as to what you are talking about?

[OzoneGhost]

In your first point you said that regligion causes war. This is true but we need wars to keep the world from becoming overcrowded. Of course dropping nukes would end in the same result and with Bush in charge who nows?

[OzoneGhost]

Cockroaches are better than regligious people they bother get into your kitchen, but you can always hit the roaches with a hammer or other heavy objects.

[IllustriousPotentate]

At 5/20/04 04:01 PM, chefcoop wrote: Cockroaches are better than regligious people they bother get into your kitchen, but you can always hit the roaches with a hammer or other heavy objects.

Cockroaches are also better than n00bs, too.

[bombkangaroo]

you can hit religious folks with hammers too, you'll just get in worse trouble for it.

plus i like the idea of surviving, i really dont feel like dying so that cockroaches can become the dominant species.

[Nirvana13666]

Since the first flicker of consciousness graced the mind of humankind, people have feared death. Pretty much every early civilization invented some way to deal with this fear.

There would be a world war if religion was abolished. It makes the weak feel strong and the strong feel connected. We all feel like we have a purpose and we don’t mind if we never find out what it is because that was god’s choice for us.

I don’t agree but that is the truth.

[mrpopenfresh]

If religion gets banned, then what in gods name will old people do all day? Bingo is only on a couple of times a week and soap operas are just on during the day.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE OLD PEOPLE?

[Zellie]

as said before, it would be impossibe. Religion has means too much for people all over the world.. however if u want to stop religion based wars u should try to change the religions so that they are no hostile to one another