The truth about religion

[Objection]

I have a feeling that a lot of you know this already, but I also have a feeling that a lot of you don't know, so this is for you.

If you remove all the famous religious figures from religion (I'm talking about the gods and prophets), the beliefs in what happens after you die and extract the morals from all the religious stories, what you're left with is a load of at least similar lists of how you should live your life, thus rendering all religions pretty much the same.

In short, religion = being good.

[Biscuit-Boy]

*clap clap clap*

While there are slight differences between all religions, they are just delivering morals with different stories.

But there are differences.

[4Doctodragon]

Bong hits for Jesus, anyone?

[Cosmonautical]

At 3/8/08 12:07 PM, Objection wrote: In short, religion = being good.

What about the vengance and killing parts?

[Knights]

What about Satanism?

[mranarchy]

This is an age old argument...but to be honest-most religions appear to preach 'being good' but the specific rules they lay out often preach hate, intolerance and generally spread misery

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[Objection]

At 3/8/08 12:09 PM, knightsofthecircle wrote: What about Satanism?

That's when it becomes more complicated. Religion = being good, but what does "being good" mean?

[AHintofMoonlight]

Holy Crusades = for the lulz?

[Biscuit-Boy]

At 3/8/08 12:09 PM, Cosmonautical wrote:

At 3/8/08 12:07 PM, Objection wrote: In short, religion = being good.

What about the vengance and killing parts?

Thats when its NOT a religion anymore. Thats when it becomes people taking advantage of others.

Its like making up stories and injuries to sue people. Its not really under the law anymore. In that way, those actions are no longer under that religion.

[Tea]

Ullah wackbar!

A large number of religions worship the same God, albeit in mildly different practices. I have no issue with someone taking up religion, but crusade-like attitudes to any other religion is wrong. Of course, by saying this someone would label me a communist or whatever. Religion isn't about saving "infidels", but as you said, morals. It's a shame almost everyone exaggerates extremists of any religion.

[adrian2695]

i'm glad im not religious.. i dont have to think about this crap.

[Flak]

At 3/8/08 12:07 PM, Objection wrote: In short, religion = being good.

Being good is morality.

Religion just adds punishment to those who stray from "being good".

[Earfetish]

I want to know how you propose a religion would be massively successful amongst a large populace whilst not at least pretending to teach good morals.

And then I'd like to know exactly what these good morals are, that don't extend beyond 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you'.

I reckon the problem with religion is that it tells you what Good is, and doesn't let you decide for yourself.

[Objection]

At 3/8/08 12:16 PM, Flak wrote:

At 3/8/08 12:07 PM, Objection wrote: In short, religion = being good.

Being good is morality.

Religion just adds punishment to those who stray from "being good".

And of course you won't get punished for being bad if you're not religious.

</sarcasm>

[Flak]

In all honesty, I think we're overdue for another crusade.

You can't say it doesn't liven things up a bit.

[JohnnyWang]

Every religion is a code of morals for its culture. It's basicaly a list of things the wise old men of the cultures think people should and should not say, backed with "God said so, QED".

[Knights]

At 3/8/08 12:10 PM, Objection wrote:

At 3/8/08 12:09 PM, knightsofthecircle wrote: What about Satanism?

That's when it becomes more complicated. Religion = being good, but what does "being good" mean?

Ah, but that's in the eye of the beholder.

[Flak]

At 3/8/08 12:18 PM, Objection wrote: And of course you won't get punished for being bad if you're not religious.

</sarcasm>

Now did I say that?
There are always the laws from the government you have to obey, breaking those instills punishment as well.

But in the religion deal, I'm talking about the small things, "sins" that most religions say will damn you, etc. A lot of the things considered "sins" aren't illegal.

[Objection]

At 3/8/08 12:22 PM, Flak wrote: A lot of the things considered "sins" aren't illegal.

Looks like everyone's damned by their religion then, since I find it very difficult to believe that there is someone on this planet who has yet to commit a sin from any religion.

[Flak]

At 3/8/08 12:24 PM, Objection wrote: Looks like everyone's damned by their religion then, since I find it very difficult to believe that there is someone on this planet who has yet to commit a sin from any religion.

I never said they were easy to follow. I don't.
Usually I just do either what I think is "right," or whatever benefits me the most.

It depends.

[JohnnyWang]

But you got the thing a bit backwards. Religions aren't about how to be good, but rather defining what is good, in the view of the writers.

on the side, explaining away all those things about the world that people couldn't explain with their knowledge. For example, a primitive man couldn't really comprehend why they got sick for eating pork that had been kept in the same conditions as some lamb meat (which is, off course, because pork goes bad more easily), so they decide that it's gods will that we don't eat pork.

[Earfetish]

See that's it - 'being good' - we might all agree on the Golden Rule but beyond that, you have to admit there's a lot of scope for arguing. Like, I was round at a mate's house smoking weed and he stole loads of my other mate's lighters (like just for a joke or whatever) and when the guy discovered he'd lost many lighters he was like "you guys are cunts, give me my lighters back," and then I said 'don't get me involved in this,' obv grassing up my mate for doing it, and then I was like, "shit man, you didn't act overwhelmingly brilliantly in that situation." Showing that maybe not grassing up your mates when they're pulling pranks is more important than not lying, or not being economical with the truth, at least in some situations. And we all know this; we all know this is a pretty basic moral precept.

Now, tell me where, in religion, the same 'don't grass people up tho, it's alright to lie then' moral precept is underlined. Furthermore, If I was being 'religiously good' I would have grassed him up instantly, and felt proud of myself for doing so, showing religion gets in the way of coming to a rational view of morality.

[x-Exodus-X]

Religious wars=Good?
Religious 'cleansings'=Good?
No, religion=/=Good. It causes Fanaticism which often leads to violence and death, so in short religion basically defeats its own purpose, indirectly. (if you have a peaceful religion, this excludes Satanists and shit)

[Objection]

At 3/8/08 12:34 PM, x-Exodus-X wrote: religion=/=Good.

I said religion = being good, and that is when you take away the gods, prophets, stories and afterlife/reincarnation/other equivalent, when you strip religion to its bare bones.

[SirLebowski]

Observational of you to notice that, sir.

[Earfetish]

At 3/8/08 12:40 PM, Objection wrote: I said religion = being good, and that is when you take away the gods, prophets, stories and afterlife/reincarnation/other equivalent, when you strip religion to its bare bones.

How would a religion be a religion after that?

You're saying 'all religions have some sense of 'be good' when you strip them down' - so do loads of ideologies, and they all debate exactly what 'good' entails or who you should be 'good' to - does that get them off the hook if they, say, start lying about condoms in Africa for the sake of 'being good'?

[Jin]

The pride in them is enough to flip them on their backs.

[JohnnyWang]

At 3/8/08 12:34 PM, x-Exodus-X wrote: Religious wars=Good?
Religious 'cleansings'=Good?
No, religion=/=Good. It causes Fanaticism which often leads to violence and death, so in short religion basically defeats its own purpose, indirectly. (if you have a peaceful religion, this excludes Satanists and shit)

Ah, but in the religious logic, disbelievers are evil, thus killing them is a good thing, you're doing them a favour.

Off course, in our age of Humanism, that doesn't really seem like a great idea. Since our morals are no longer tied to which deity we worship, religious wars are considered a crazy, evil thing (and bfore you say Islam, the vast majority of muslims are against the Islamics).

[The-Hydra-of-Spore]

At 3/8/08 12:40 PM, Objection wrote:

At 3/8/08 12:34 PM, x-Exodus-X wrote: religion=/=Good.

I said religion = being good, and that is when you take away the gods, prophets, stories and afterlife/reincarnation/other equivalent, when you strip religion to its bare bones.

Excuse me but Religion is about BELIEVING in those things. A set of beliefs that you believe in such as prophets and ideal such as reincarnation. Being good is morality not religion. Morality is often INCLUDED in Religion but not Religion itself, as religion itself is believing and having faith in certain things such as God or Reincarnation. The bare bones of Religion is faith in that certain ideal.