Well in countries like USA it is an indoctrination from the parents to the children, they are usually not given a choice, the parents believe it so they pass it on. I'm sure all those teen in the above pictures just didn't pick up a bible and go "WOW this explain everything about life!". In the US we still have elected officials quoting bible in reference to pieces of legislation and controversy.
Global warming is not real because God said he would never flood the world again. Elected GOP congressman. SO hell yes religion is a tool at its core, it may have no been designed to be that way, but it did evolve into that. I would call it more of a device to control the ignorant.

Is religion a tool?

Absolutely.As indeed are many of its followers.

(December 6, 2010 at 4:35 pm)Welsh cake Wrote: I'd argue religion is more like a machine, a machine that makes tools out of theists.

I think the dude with the curly hair is pretending to give a blow job.

(December 8, 2010 at 2:42 pm)Chuck Wrote:

(December 8, 2010 at 2:22 pm)Rwandrall Wrote: The vast majority of people of faith that i know are not "endotrinated" and "using it as a crutch". They just never think about it. May i remind you that in countries like France or the UK, 90% of christians do not go to Church ?

Then explain why they do or say things that makes them christians?

Because they go to mass maybe for christmas, or easter, or simply learn about religion and are told who God is. But this is not indoctrination, their parents do not force them to believe it. They accept is more or less as a fact and never think about it. It's not that they refuse to think, it's that religion is such a small minor part of their lives that spending time on it is trivial. Most believe in some sort of heaven, maybe see an exemple in Jesus, and that's about it.

You have to realize that for most people, religion is really not a big deal. Even people who go to church only think about God during mass, for an hour a week, and even then i know many people that go to church go there to see their friends in the community, it's more a social than religious event.

It is indoctrination, because they are told that god is real, Jesus died for their sins, prayer by rote is a part of everyday life, sinning is a ticket to hell, and so on... every day of their lives from the moment they are born. It may not be conscious and purposeful indoctrination, but it is, indeed, indoctrination. I was indoctrinated into the Catholic Church and only broke free of that indoctrination through effort of my own.

(December 8, 2010 at 3:51 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote:

(December 6, 2010 at 4:35 pm)Welsh cake Wrote: I'd argue religion is more like a machine, a machine that makes tools out of theists.

I think the dude with the curly hair is pretending to give a blow job.

He is thinking about his preacher.

(December 8, 2010 at 6:21 pm)Paul the Human Wrote: It is indoctrination, because they are told that god is real, Jesus died for their sins, prayer by rote is a part of everyday life, sinning is a ticket to hell, and so on... every day of their lives from the moment they are born. It may not be conscious and purposeful indoctrination, but it is, indeed, indoctrination. I was indoctrinated into the Catholic Church and only broke free of that indoctrination through effort of my own.

No, no and no. You are deeply wrong there. "They" is a MINORITY. The majority are never told the words "that's sinning" or "you should pray". The majority of people of faith don't give a flying fuck about their religion.

You antagonize religion and those who practice it so much...read you posts, they are so full of hatred ! Hatred of any kind is never good because, as you just showed, it clouds your judgment and only makes you see a small fraction of the whole picture.

Remember Jon Stewart's motto for the "Rally to restore Sanity": "i disagree with you, but i don't think you're Hitler."

I was brought up in a catholic family too, but i wouldn't say i "broke free". I just changed my mind about it. Breaking free from an idea is really not an amazing feat if you are in an open-minded environment. Becoming an atheist should not be considered a great act of amazing bravery. Some conversions are hard, dangerous, long, but most are not. Mine certainly was not. My parents, who go to church every sunday, just said "well as long as you're happy that's fine"

Finally, the vast majority of theists i know believe that your religion does not matter, if you are a good person, you are going to Heaven.

(December 8, 2010 at 6:36 pm)Rwandrall Wrote: "They" is a MINORITY. The majority are never told the words "that's sinning" or "you should pray". The majority of people of faith don't give a flying fuck about their religion.

You are wrong. The VAST majority of Americans are raised to believe in god and to believe that the bible is true and Jesus is Lord. Just because most of them don't bother going to church doesn't mean they were not indoctrinated, through a society that is almost completely dominated by Christianity, to believe the things they believe. Church goers or not, they believe... because they have always been told they should.

(December 8, 2010 at 6:36 pm)Rwandrall Wrote: You antagonize religion and those who practice it so much...read you posts, they are so full of hatred !

You are wrong again. I feel no hatred toward anyone... unless I'm driving behind some moron going 60 in the fast lane while talking on his cell phone... but I digress. I joke, I mock, I even ridicule... but I don't hate. I'm not even anti-theistic.

To be honest, it seems to me that you are having an emotional response where none is called for. I don't mind if you disagree with me, but how dare you morally chastise me in a 'holier than thou' manner! I demand satisfaction! *slaps Rwandrall with a glove*

Jon Stewart is too nice a guy.

Certainly it's a tool. Smart people know to stay far, far away from it.