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What does religion offer?
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 (August 15, 2013 at 4:35 pm)Thor Wrote: The only thing I can think of is that without religion there would be no Christmas. It's really a terrific holiday.... getting together with your family, exchanging gifts, great food.... and the message of peace and goodwill is highly positive. If only they would take the mythology out of it. On the other hand, without religion we'd probably have hovering cars by now.  (August 15, 2013 at 4:37 pm)pineapplebunnybounce Wrote: On the other hand, without religion we'd probably have hovering cars by now. No question religion has stunted the intellectual growth of the human race. Look at the morons in Muslim theocracies. If they had their way, we'd be living like they did in the 12th century.
Science flies us to the moon and stars. Religion flies us into buildings.
God allowed 200,000 people to die in an earthquake. So what makes you think he cares about YOUR problems?  RE: What does religion offer?
August 15, 2013 at 4:52 pm
(This post was last modified: August 15, 2013 at 4:58 pm by paulpablo.)
(August 14, 2013 at 9:37 pm)BadWriterSparty Wrote: Let's get some examples of (good) things that religions have to offer that secular organizations/people cannot. If religion is so necessary, as the theists out there claim, then there has to be some reason as to why that is, right? There is only one thing and that's the threat of punishment or the promise of rewards after death. (August 14, 2013 at 10:51 pm)Rationalman Wrote: Well it can make good men do bad things while thinking they are good. Maybe it can go in reverse: make bad men do good things while making them think they are bad. Thats all i can think of Non religious organizations can make good men do bad things or bad men do good things, I could just point a gun at an unarmed bad or good man and say "Don't do that" and that would be fairly persuasive to any rational person to do what I say. (August 15, 2013 at 4:35 pm)Thor Wrote: The only thing I can think of is that without religion there would be no Christmas. It's really a terrific holiday.... getting together with your family, exchanging gifts, great food.... and the message of peace and goodwill is highly positive. If only they would take the mythology out of it. Celebratory days are organized by non religious people, and I don't think the removal or non existence of religion would effect celebrations. Are you ready for the fire? We are firemen. WE ARE FIREMEN! The heat doesn’t bother us. We live in the heat. We train in the heat. It tells us that we’re ready, we’re at home, we’re where we’re supposed to be. Flames don’t intimidate us. What do we do? We control the flame. We control them. We move the flames where we want to. And then we extinguish them. Impersonation is treason.  
Bad Wolf
Compulsive procrastinator  Religious Views: Agnostic atheist, anti-theist, whovian, misanthrope? (August 15, 2013 at 4:52 pm)paulpablo Wrote:(August 14, 2013 at 10:51 pm)Rationalman Wrote: Well it can make good men do bad things while thinking they are good. Maybe it can go in reverse: make bad men do good things while making them think they are bad. Thats all i can think of You forgot the most crucial part: religion makes good men do bad things while making them believe they are good
'The more I learn about people the more I like my dog'- Mark Twain
'You can have all the faith you want in spirits, and the afterlife, and heaven and hell, but when it comes to this world, don't be an idiot. Cause you can tell me you put your faith in God to put you through the day, but when it comes time to cross the road, I know you look both ways.' - Dr House “Young earth creationism is essentially the position that all of modern science, 90% of living scientists and 98% of living biologists, all major university biology departments, every major science journal, the American Academy of Sciences, and every major science organization in the world, are all wrong regarding the origins and development of life….but one particular tribe of uneducated, bronze aged, goat herders got it exactly right.” - Chuck Easttom "If my good friend Doctor Gasparri speaks badly of my mother, he can expect to get punched.....You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others. There is a limit." - Pope Francis on freedom of speech (August 15, 2013 at 5:23 pm)Rationalman Wrote:(August 15, 2013 at 4:52 pm)paulpablo Wrote: Non religious organizations can make good men do bad things or bad men do good things, I could just point a gun at an unarmed bad or good man and say "Don't do that" and that would be fairly persuasive to any rational person to do what I say. not really because I can lie to someone, and say "that guy over there is a pedophile he deserves to die" and get someone to do something bad while believing they are doing something good. It's the same with non religious terrorists, or military organizations. Are you ready for the fire? We are firemen. WE ARE FIREMEN! The heat doesn’t bother us. We live in the heat. We train in the heat. It tells us that we’re ready, we’re at home, we’re where we’re supposed to be. Flames don’t intimidate us. What do we do? We control the flame. We control them. We move the flames where we want to. And then we extinguish them. Impersonation is treason. 
A reason to feel as if you are better, wiser, more special than everybody else. A justification for hating people you probably already don't like.
RE: What does religion offer?
August 15, 2013 at 5:59 pm
(This post was last modified: August 15, 2013 at 6:03 pm by paulpablo.)
(August 15, 2013 at 5:55 pm)Ryantology Wrote: A reason to feel as if you are better, wiser, more special than everybody else. A justification for hating people you probably already don't like. Again there's loads of non religious things that do this, racism nationalism, all non religious prejudice. Besides the thread is actually about good things religions have to offer that secular non religious things can't. Are you ready for the fire? We are firemen. WE ARE FIREMEN! The heat doesn’t bother us. We live in the heat. We train in the heat. It tells us that we’re ready, we’re at home, we’re where we’re supposed to be. Flames don’t intimidate us. What do we do? We control the flame. We control them. We move the flames where we want to. And then we extinguish them. Impersonation is treason. 
Secular humanists can usually accomplish more good than religious charities because the former are not wasting people's time on trying to help while taking time off to teach them a silly story about an invisible sky daddy. "Come to our sermon; we have soup and crackers for everyone afterwards!"
![[Image: 10314461_875206779161622_3907189760171701548_n.jpg]](https://scontent-a-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t1.0-9/10314461_875206779161622_3907189760171701548_n.jpg)
Bad Wolf
Compulsive procrastinator Religious Views: Agnostic atheist, anti-theist, whovian, misanthrope? (August 15, 2013 at 5:29 pm)paulpablo Wrote: not really because I can lie to someone, and say "that guy over there is a pedophile he deserves to die" and get someone to do something bad while believing they are doing something good.Thats not quite the same, i'm talking about warping the core values of an entire group of people and their outlook on the world. Also its debatable as to whether it is morally right to just kill a pedophile. (August 15, 2013 at 5:29 pm)paulpablo Wrote: It's the same with non religious terrorists, or military organizations. Ah yes maybe but these groups don't warp the reality of the members, they simply impose a more religious like regime: don't question commands, just follow orders, do as you are told etc
'The more I learn about people the more I like my dog'- Mark Twain
'You can have all the faith you want in spirits, and the afterlife, and heaven and hell, but when it comes to this world, don't be an idiot. Cause you can tell me you put your faith in God to put you through the day, but when it comes time to cross the road, I know you look both ways.' - Dr House “Young earth creationism is essentially the position that all of modern science, 90% of living scientists and 98% of living biologists, all major university biology departments, every major science journal, the American Academy of Sciences, and every major science organization in the world, are all wrong regarding the origins and development of life….but one particular tribe of uneducated, bronze aged, goat herders got it exactly right.” - Chuck Easttom "If my good friend Doctor Gasparri speaks badly of my mother, he can expect to get punched.....You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others. There is a limit." - Pope Francis on freedom of speech |
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