why do we accept religion?

[jdoe7470]

Ok so i kind of understand the reasons and the ideas behind religion and how In the modern day people cling on to religion in times of hardship or because they are scared of not knowing what happens when we die (i get all of these things).

But seriously.... if you take a moment... really take a moment and think about how religion came about and what it is really asking you to believe. How can a straight thinking person believe such things? (i don't mean to disrespect anyone. just voicing my opinion)

Why is it acceptable for someone to believe in/create a fantasy because of something unknown?
If i were to truly and faithfully believe that a monster lived under my bed and the way i live my life is judged by this monster on the day that i die.
Should that also be accepted by everyone? if not why not?

in all seriousness I think it would be classed as a mental health issue?

all replies are welcome, i came here to discuss and vent my thoughts

[Angrboda]

I'm guessing you're biasing your question from a limited set of religious examples and a similarly limited set of arguments. As such, I don't see the point of discussing the more general question with you.

[KUSA]

When you see people talking in tounges and flopping on the floor like a fish you will know that they have mental health issues.

[Cato]

jdoe,
I certainly understand your frustration and can sympathize with the sentiment; however, what do you mean by accepting religion? I am compelled to accept its existence; most people are religious. Even if we woke up tomorrow and everyone was atheist, we would still have to accept religion as a historical fact and something that has had significant influence on our culture. Until a month ago I lived in a place where it was illegal to purchase beer on Sunday, so the effects of religion were very real, with or without my acceptance of doctrine.

Don't downplay the significance of tradition or the tug of family and community. Just after moving to NYC I took my wife to see the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center and afterwards did a bit of shopping. She laid eyes on nearby St. Patrick's Cathedral and had to go in. I gave up the ghost at quite a young age, but went through the motions until after confirmation yet I caught myself looking for the water font in order to dip my hand and cross myself when we entered.

[Popsicle]

The short answer: mental conditioning and brainwashing aren't that difficult to do, espcially if started from birth. And it's hard to undo. It may be biological/evolutionary to believe myths also.

Ok so i kind of understand the reasons and the ideas behind religion and how In the modern day people cling on to religion in times of hardship or because they are scared of not knowing what happens when we die (i get all of these things).

But seriously.... if you take a moment... really take a moment and think about how religion came about and what it is really asking you to believe. How can a straight thinking person believe such things? (i don't mean to disrespect anyone. just voicing my opinion)

Why is it acceptable for someone to believe in/create a fantasy because of something unknown?
If i were to truly and faithfully believe that a monster lived under my bed and the way i live my life is judged by this monster on the day that i die.
Should that also be accepted by everyone? if not why not?

in all seriousness I think it would be classed as a mental health issue?

all replies are welcome, i came here to discuss and vent my thoughts

[jdoe7470]

I'm guessing you're biasing your question from a limited set of religious examples and a similarly limited set of arguments. As such, I don't see the point of discussing the more general question with you.

im not sat here with a load of resources, examples, arguments for and against. im just curious about other peoples views and why i feel like i have to hide the fact that im an atheist because of peoples judgement. i was brought up with religion. religion was forced on me from a young age and i agree completely with a lot of the messages and morals but i dont see why the illsusion of a god has to be used to enforce these things.
Its hard to explain how im feeling. i dont believe that religion is evil or anything and i dont mean to offend. I just dont understand peoples reasoning for their belief that a'being' such as god exists?

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The short answer: mental conditioning and brainwashing aren't that difficult to do, espcially if started from birth. And it's hard to undo. It may be biological/evolutionary to believe myths also.

i agree with this fully, why do you think i was able to discard my religious beliefs so easily as apposed to my brothers and sisters if we had the same upbringing?

For me it was just a realization moment. one day i believed in god, took some time to think about it and decided i was an athiest

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[quote='Cato' pid='598411' dateline='1391571404']
jdoe,
I certainly understand your frustration and can sympathize with the sentiment; however, what do you mean by accepting religion? I am compelled to accept its existence; most people are religious. Even if we woke up tomorrow and everyone was atheist, we would still have to accept religion as a historical fact and something that has had significant influence on our culture. Until a month ago I lived in a place where it was illegal to purchase beer on Sunday, so the effects of religion were very real, with or without my acceptance of doctrine.

you're right i've not worded it very well. i completely agree with everything you said. i dont mean to say religion should not be 'accepted'.
thanks for the reply.

[Whateverist]

Well we probably don't want to start crucifying them. Seriously it goes beyond having an imaginary friend. No one has the brain/mind completely figured out. The relationship between conscious mind and unconscious mind leaves a lot of room for maneuver. Gods weren't manufactured to control the masses despite what it looks like sometimes nowadays. Gods have arisen everywhere and I don't personally believe it is purely as a primitive form of explanation. There is a tendency to disparage and underestimate the status of gods in the human psyche. So long as we insist on pathologizing the phenomenon I don't think we'll ever correctly understand it.

[Sword of Christ]

Some of it's social, some of it's cultural and some of it is existential.

[Minimalist]

Who is this "we" you speak of.

[Jacob(smooth)]

Simple. Society.

In 1940 in Germany it had become normal to kill Jews. Hundreds of perfectly normal, sane intelligent Germans got up in the morning, kissed their wives and kids, and went off to work herding people into gas Chambers. It had become normal to do so.

The op Presumes a base level of "sanity" which I'm not sure exists. Merely that some behaviours become accepted as normal, and become OK. Every Sunday in the UK thousands of people gather together and chant, sing songs together and work themselves up into a pitch of emotional excitement. That's soccer. People dance and scream with rage, joy and passion over a bunch of guys trying to kick a ball from one end of a field to another.

We accept religion simply because mist people still accept religion. If you try to sell it as a fresh concept, then yes it's probably verging into mental health territory. But since it's not its simple socialisation. Not especially admirable but certainly not indicative of mental health problems. We're herd animals, programmed to conform.