Religion, Why is it still there?

[thom88]

I am still surprised, how many people are religious and believe in any sort of a God that created earth and life. I do not want to judge them but I personally can just simply not fathom, how weird such a believe is.

I think by now, 21st century, we should have been over this and yet, entire nations worship a God that is according to them pulling the strings and telling them how to live. More people die each year due to religious punishment or extremism than from various other things we create laws against!

Now I am a huge Fan of Carl Sagan, probably the "best" public person to ever live in my view. He of course, is not an atheist (public people barely are. its bad for business) but he claims that if god are the alws of physics and the universe, he believes in god. Ok, I sign that too.

Assuming God exists as by the major religions: A god that makes you

- pray 5 times a day (muslim)?
- Worship him (all)?
- Stone woman that commit adultery to death (all)?
- forbids you to eat certain things based on no scientific reason (all)?
- Says the world is flat (Christianity)?
- Gives you foreskin just to then remove it again (muslim, jews)
- Tells you not to drink alcohol but heroin is ok (muslim)
- Threatens you to burn in Hell (Christianity)

(sorry if I wrote something wrong but its been a while since bible lessons!)

Is not a nice God.

How can one still functioning in this modern world while he still believes that this all is true and this GOD is in charge?

This thread is not to create any hatered or so against religious people. Live and let live.

I just wonder how you watch a space documentary and then go to church? How does ones brain handle this contradiction?

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[af_newbie]

I am still surprised, how many people are religious and believe in any sort of a God that created earth and life. I do not want to judge them but I personally can just simply not fathom, how weird such a believe is.

I think by now, 21st century, we should have been over this and yet, entire nations worship a God that is according to them pulling the strings and telling them how to live. More people die each year due to religious punishment or extremism than from various other things we create laws against!

Now I am a huge Fan of Carl Sagan, probably the "best" public person to ever live in my view. He of course, is not an atheist (public people barely are. its bad for business) but he claims that if god are the alws of physics and the universe, he believes in god. Ok, I sign that too.

Assuming God exists as by the major religions: A god that makes you

- pray 5 times a day (muslim)?
- Worship him (all)?
- Stone woman that commit adultery to death (all)?
- forbids you to eat certain things based on no scientific reason (all)?
- Says the world is flat (Christianity)?
- Gives you foreskin just to then remove it again (muslim, jews)
- Tells you not to drink alcohol but heroin is ok (muslim)
- Threatens you to burn in Hell (Christianity)

(sorry if I wrote something wrong but its been a while since bible lessons!)

Is not a nice God.

How can one still functioning in this modern world while he still believes that this all is true and this GOD is in charge?

This thread is not to create any hatered or so against religious people. Live and let live.

I just wonder how you watch a space documentary and then go to church? How does ones brain handle this contradiction?

It is a psychological trick that helped us survive to this day.  It was always better to think that that sound in the tall grass next to you was a tiger, not the wind.  Even if it was the wind, it was better to assume it was a tiger and be afraid.

Religious dogma is demonstrably an utter nonsense.

I was at my son's Catholic high-school graduation ceremony yesterday, and I observed all the people during the opening and closing 'prayers'.
Most pretended they were contemplating by bowing their heads, although some I presume were actually meditating, or at least they thought they were doing it.  Some were not even paying attention, fixing their wardrobe, checking their phones, smiling, looking around until our eyes locked,  I naturally said hi to them.  They smirked back.  It was a funny experience.  Amateurish theatrical performance at best.  Forced, peer pressured, comical act in reality. After all that was done, we all went back to our lives in the 21st century.

My guess is that our brains have this amazing capability to isolate realities.  Maybe that is why it is possible for some people to develop multiple personalities disorders.

When you talk to God, you are 'religious'.
When God talks back to you, you are insane.

[nutildah]

I think you're gonna catch some flak for your characterization of religions (for example, Buddhists don't want you to stone anyone to death).

However, what you're missing is that God is a prankster with an inferiority complex. He loves confusing the shit out of people, but then also gets pissed if you decide to have an affair with science or atheism.

No but really, I don't believe in a classical sense-type God, but I do wonder how everything was created. To me it makes more sense that there be nothing at all.

[dogtana]

Religion exists for reasons on individual and community level.

Reasons on individual level:
-a need to simplify complexity of life
-a need to find purpose of one's existance
-a need to rationalise bad things happening to a person

Reasons on communiy level:
-a way to control believers: socially, morally, economically, politically
-that's it really

I have observed this in believers and their leaders over and over again.

[IMadeYouReadThis]

God as per I see is just some belif which runs most of the people's life and makes them afriad to do worng doings overall. Its just some imaginary entity which we think runs the system in an orgainzed way nothing else.

I personally don't believe in something like a single superpower who created us but rather I would be willing to put my faith in the scientific theory of formation of universe and theory of evolution of mankind. This is the most realted we can go to the document reality about the formation of life.

One can debate on the topic for a hell lot of time and end up with no conclusion about if there is a God or Not, but for me assuming its NOT is more convensing and logical.

[h4na]

Religion exists for reasons on individual and community level.

Reasons on individual level:
-a need to simplify complexity of life
-a need to find purpose of one's existance
-a need to rationalise bad things happening to a person

Reasons on communiy level:
-a way to control believers: socially, morally, economically, politically
-that's it really

I have observed this in believers and their leaders over and over again.

Exactly! I feel like believing that "something or someone" created the universe etc. is much easier than thinking it came out of "nothing". That's the most obvious reason to me at least.
I don't wanna make fun of Religion, it has its purpose, but I think that Religion is just completely obsolete in the 21st century, or slowly becomes at least.

There are so many bad things happening that are driven by Religion.
 

[BADecker]

Religion is here because ALL people are religious beings. They are religious because they don't know the future, and are using their personal religion to attempt to find it. Without religion, people wouldn't have hope or reason to go on. There would be a lot more suicides.

Consider the definition of "religion" at https://www.dictionary.com/browse/religion. Notice number 1 and number 6 of the definition:

1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

6. something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice.

Number 1 doesn't require a supreme being. Number 6 applies to everyone.

Basically, this is what makes atheism a religion right alongside the formal religions. The stronger the atheist, the stronger the atheism religion is in him.

[TheCoinGrabber]

It's hard to know what's going on in each individual's minds but it seems that we are hard-wired to believe in something anyway. Without religion we'd just be basing our lives on something else. Religion is mostly drawing flak because of violence and abuse committed on its name, or when the clerics use their influence to lobby. Otherwise it seems many people are fine with it.

[BADecker]

It's hard to know what's going on in each individual's minds but it seems that we are hard-wired to believe in something anyway. Without religion we'd just be basing our lives on something else. Religion is mostly drawing flak because of violence and abuse committed on its name, or when the clerics use their influence to lobby. Otherwise it seems many people are fine with it.

Exactly! Even logical people that don't believe in religion, simply have a religion of non-religion.

[Gimpeline]

It's hard to know what's going on in each individual's minds but it seems that we are hard-wired to believe in something anyway. Without religion we'd just be basing our lives on something else. Religion is mostly drawing flak because of violence and abuse committed on its name, or when the clerics use their influence to lobby. Otherwise it seems many people are fine with it.

Exactly! Even logical people that don't believe in religion, simply have a religion of non-religion.

I dont beleave in Santa, that makes me a santa beleaver?
There is no need for a god or a supernatrual being to explain the universe.
Is a non stamp collector a collector?

[BADecker]

It's hard to know what's going on in each individual's minds but it seems that we are hard-wired to believe in something anyway. Without religion we'd just be basing our lives on something else. Religion is mostly drawing flak because of violence and abuse committed on its name, or when the clerics use their influence to lobby. Otherwise it seems many people are fine with it.

Exactly! Even logical people that don't believe in religion, simply have a religion of non-religion.

I dont beleave in Santa, that makes me a santa beleaver?
There is no need for a god or a supernatrual being to explain the universe.
Is a non stamp collector a collector?

What does it mean to believe in Santa? You don't/can't believe in something you know. There are Santas all over the place... in the department stores every Christmas. You KNOW Santa exists. Believing is not even a question.

Satan doesn't need God to explain the universe to Him. But God is so powerful, that even when Satan turns to the relief inside himself, God is there. Nobody can get away from God.

A non-collector collector is a collector.

[omonuyak]

I am a Christian and I do believe that God exists! I have read a lot of write up on this and my conclusion is that " the moral systems is what still keep this world up till this time and if we live our life based on scientific proven many evils could have destroyed us by now". The universe contained a lot of prove that God exits and he is still ruling in the affairs of men.

[Masha Sha]

so that one worlders can be killed happily and in fun !

[BADecker]

so that one worlders can be killed happily and in fun !

Proverbs 13:22

A good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous.

100 Bible Verses about Wealth Stored Up For The Righteous - https://www.openbible.info/topics/wealth_stored_up_for_the_righteous.

I suppose now you will tell me that you lost your wealth to the righteous, eh?

[Naida_BR]

Religions have been created in order to keep people away from unitization.
They want us not to be united. This way shady organizations created many different religions and categorized us in order to have differences and fight who is better.

[BADecker]

Religions have been created in order to keep people away from unitization.
They want us not to be united. This way shady organizations created many different religions and categorized us in order to have differences and fight who is better.

Religion is something that everyone has. Check out the definition https://www.dictionary.com/browse/religion.

If you are talking about formal, organized religion, you are partially right. But most people who belong to a formal religion, do so by simple acceptance... because they think they know about it... not because they know what it is about or really believe in it.

The whole religion topic isn't something that is easily understood.

[rodel caling]

Simple to explain why religions is still exist, because people believe is the way to bring religion into salvation in the day  of god judgement. And religion can help is to community to bring people love god and become me good person that's why religion still stay strong.

[coolcoinz]

I thought about it once and the two main reasons for the existence of religion was fear and lack of knowledge (understanding). There's also a third one and that is tradition.
Fear is that thing that makes people pray because what if there is a god and when they die there will be no turning back, they will have to face him.
Lack of knowledge comes from low IQ and laziness. Believe me, there are people out there who think they are smart but barely managed to go through primary school. They are religious because smarter and more educated people are telling them to be.

[TimeBits]

I have faith, but I have no religion.

In short

God is a deity, and you cannot define the undefinable
Call it CREATOR, for that is a characterization (even tho this is not much better at least you don`t have a deity)

Now everyone has CREATORS their Father and Mother. (those are your "gods" if you want to say that word)

People cannot think for themselves, It is a monkey see monkey do world for the NPC`s they are not real players yet, not able to think for themselves, these are the same people who think fiat money is not a $cam when clearly it is, to trade their limited time, work, goods and services for a unlimited $cam, government and private banking family money. The average human finds self awareness around the age of 4-5 at a study at the Max Planck institute called the "shopping cart experiment", Some people don`t.

Most people feel the need to ask for forgiveness, It is easier to ask Jesus to forgive you, then forgive yourself and make things right yourself. They say things like "the devil made me do it" as a excuse for their actions, just like them not having their own thoughts or opinions, they don`t have a sense of self awareness or self responsibility.  

If they only knew the truth about life being a real life blockchain and everything is recorded forever time stamped in time. All will be accountable for what they have done.

There will be judgement, You will judge yourself. If you ever asked "why did that guy do this to me" you will live that mans life, If you destroyed anything or anyone you will become what you destroyed and see that destruction only leads to oblivion (nothingness), and how to win the game of life is to create more than you destroy, for creators beget creations ∞.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCagd2-s1_vVtSpYXDTNc6Gw

Anyways, people hang onto religion because their parents and teachers don`t teach their kids how to think, but what to think.

[BADecker]

^^^ But there's the little point that people who don't think about religion at all, still hang onto that religion of not so thinking.

[BADecker]

^^^ But there's the little point that people who don't think about religion at all, still hang onto that religion of not so thinking.

Maybe they like the funeral of that religion so they were sticking with it.

But of course. And their death is the death of all religion for them. But the resurrection will show them the only true religion... when it is way too late to accept it for any good purpose. Then comes the judgment of the kind of religion they had in life, and the punishment or reward.

[af_newbie]

^^^ But there's the little point that people who don't think about religion at all, still hang onto that religion of not so thinking.

Maybe they like the funeral of that religion so they were sticking with it.

But of course. And their death is the death of all religion for them. But the resurrection will show them the only true religion... when it is way too late to accept it for any good purpose. Then comes the judgment of the kind of religion they had in life, and the punishment or reward.

Or the atoms in your body are recycled to form something else, and nothing happens.

[BADecker]

^^^ But there's the little point that people who don't think about religion at all, still hang onto that religion of not so thinking.

Maybe they like the funeral of that religion so they were sticking with it.

But of course. And their death is the death of all religion for them. But the resurrection will show them the only true religion... when it is way too late to accept it for any good purpose. Then comes the judgment of the kind of religion they had in life, and the punishment or reward.

Or the atoms in your body are recycled to form something else, and nothing happens.

Now you are talking about something happens while we are alive... in the restroom.

[Astargath]

religion is necessary for humanity. like air, water, but everyone chooses what to believe. and what is truth

Its only needed if you are weak minded and feel the need of a senseless purpose like going to heaven. Im fairly sure most religious people dont really give much thought to the idea of heaven which makes 0 sense and has really no purpose aside from living forever i guess

[styca]

I'm not massively anti-religion, but I do think that religion often serves as a way to abdicate personal responsibility. In some ways it's the same as being a child - children are supposed to live carefree lives, because as children they have little responsibility for their own circumstances, the responsibility is all with their parents. As an adult though, you are supposed to be a fully autonomous being, and everything you do, every action you take, is your own doing and your own responsibility. This can be scary, and I'm sure it can be easier in some circumstances and for some people to defer that responsibility by passing it on to some other higher agency - God being the perfect substitute. Similarly if you are faced with some appalling event that it can be difficult to process - it may be easier to bear if you consider it as being all part of some higher plan.

[Nwokocha]

Religion has helped maintain civilization where laws have failed us. Legislators gather everyday to enact laws that are considered inferior by most citizens and hence, they go about breaking those laws where as religion has been made a part of us such that even though we go astray from our teachings we have a consciousness  that tells us how wrong we are and should seek retribution. This is a self conscious thought without an enforcing body telling us what to do and i believe this makes us quite human and not animals.

[BADecker]

Religion is here because people are religion-based beings. There are 3 basic categories that people fall into regarding religion:
1. The people who know it and adhere to it;
2. The people who don't think about it, and have a religion of non-focus on religion;
3. The people who deny religion, thereby having the religion of non-religion.

Which category do you fall into?

[nofreecoins]

Well, you got religion, you got government, and then you got societies that work togheter for ends perhaps not many like.
All need another to survive and all need another to keep power, however I'm certain that we wouldn't do much better if we so malleable or "scareable".

[BADecker]

Well, you got religion, you got government, and then you got societies that work togheter for ends perhaps not many like.
All need another to survive and all need another to keep power, however I'm certain that we wouldn't do much better if we so malleable or "scareable".

Except that societies and governments collapse when people leave them. But the people always take their religion with them, even if they don't know it.

[Sutters Mill]

I think it comes down to fear and ignorance mostly. Most people don't want to look into the reality of existence because the truth behind it scares the hell out of them. For a lot of people they'd just rather shut off their brain and not have to think about something that no human can fully explain and they put everything on a creator because that's the easiest and most comfortable explanation for them rather than the cold, harsh truth. I think most believers are petrified of death or even worse punishment by god for not believing in them so they just fall back on their belief because that's what helps them sleep better at night and get through life. If you told or could convince these people that when you die you're just dead and there's truly not really much point to existence at the end of it all then a lot of them would lose their grip on reality or go all nihilistic and crazy. I've literally heard religious people - mostly Christians - say something along the lines of well what's stopping you from just going out and raping and murdering people. Well if the only thing that is stopping them from raping and murdering is their belief in god or an afterlife then firstly these aren't very good people and secondly imagine what would happen if you took that belief away from them. Would all these devoutly religious people lose all sense of morality and go crazy and start braking the law because nothing matters if there's no god? That's a scary thing to think about and that's why religion is such a strong phenomenon because it does give peace and comfort to a lot of people.