Posts: 1615
Threads: 5
Joined: September 26, 2018
Reputation:
12
RE: Why is religion especially Christianity so widely practied?
February 12, 2019 at 9:03 pm
(This post was last modified: February 12, 2019 at 9:04 pm by HappySkeptic.)
(February 12, 2019 at 4:24 pm)Acrobat Wrote: (February 12, 2019 at 3:30 pm)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: Religion was a placeholder for science. Unfortunately it became vacuum-welded to society.
No, religion never was a placeholder for science, anymore so then great novels, art, poetry are placeholders for science.
People cling to religions for questions regarding meaning, how one ought to live life, how things ought to be. Religions are about dealing with suffering, our desire for community, about the values and virtues we ought to embody. None of which are scientific questions, since all science provides us is answers to how things are.
Religion fashions stories that provide meaning to those who believe in them.
These stories start with the big questions of "what exists", to which the bible answers "A God, who created a Heaven and an Earth, and designed and created Man and every living thing, and want's Man's obedience". From that foundation, we get stories about fictional characters in Jewish tradition, that attempt to explain the interaction of this God with mankind.
The question of "What exists" is a scientific question, for the most part. Science can only explain so far, but nothing we have discovered has anything to do with gods, or with any supernatural causes for anything.
Religion's basis is incorrect, so how can the stories about this God's interaction with man be useful? How can the book of Job tell us anything moral? It says that God and Satan made a bet, and killed Job's family and took away everything. The only answer to "why" is that it "glorified God" (and Job gets given a new family -- too bad for the old one). Well, considering that God doesn't exist, how does that little gem come to be useful?
The stories of bronze-age sheep farmers, in a world infested by gods of opposing tribes (but their god is stronger), is pretty much without value. I would much rather read the ancient poets and philosophers than the religious authors.
As for religion being about community, and a search for meaning and values, I agree. But unjustifiable beliefs in ancient stories only get in the way. How can one find meaning in what is factually untrue? How can one find values in the commandments of a god that never existed? Sure, sometimes authors have useful thoughts, but no more so than any other writer in history.
Posts: 4222
Threads: 13
Joined: September 27, 2018
Reputation:
17
RE: Why is religion especially Christianity so widely practied?
February 13, 2019 at 1:59 am
(February 12, 2019 at 9:03 pm)HappySkeptic Wrote: The stories of bronze-age sheep farmers, in a world infested by gods of opposing tribes (but their god is stronger), is pretty much without value.
None of the Bible originated with bronze age sheep farmers. This appears to be a myth widely spread by people who don't like the Bible.
If you're going to criticize something for inaccuracy, it would make sense to be accurate.
Quote:I would much rather read the ancient poets and philosophers than the religious authors.
Which ancient poets were not religious authors? Homer? Hesiod?
Posts: 66329
Threads: 140
Joined: June 28, 2011
Reputation:
160
RE: Why is religion especially Christianity so widely practied?
February 13, 2019 at 2:02 am
(This post was last modified: February 13, 2019 at 2:04 am by The Grand Nudger.)
Theres a pretty good argument that "homer" whomever he or she or the many he and shes it was... wasn't religious, or..if "he" was, that it took the form of antireligion, actually.
Totally onboard with you about the whole "bronze age shepherds" thing, though. They were iron age city dwellers. Whatever the bronze age shepherds had to say, the authors of magic book werent having any of that backwards bullshit! People and their godamned slurs.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
Posts: 4222
Threads: 13
Joined: September 27, 2018
Reputation:
17
RE: Why is religion especially Christianity so widely practied?
February 13, 2019 at 2:15 am
(February 13, 2019 at 2:02 am)Gae Bolga Wrote: Theres a pretty good argument that "homer" whomever he or she or the many he and shes it was... wasn't religious, or..if "he" was, that it took the form of antireligion, actually.
Totally onboard with you about the whole "bronze age shepherds" thing, though. They were iron age city dwellers. Whatever the bronze age shepherds had to say, the authors of magic book werent having any of that backwards bullshit! People and their godamned slurs.
*whoever
Posts: 66329
Threads: 140
Joined: June 28, 2011
Reputation:
160
RE: Why is religion especially Christianity so widely practied?
February 13, 2019 at 2:17 am
(This post was last modified: February 13, 2019 at 2:22 am by The Grand Nudger.)
Yeah, that too...except for how it isn't plural, but hey, lol.
Goes like this- he or she whoever...him or her or them, whomever. You're welcome.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
Posts: 4222
Threads: 13
Joined: September 27, 2018
Reputation:
17
RE: Why is religion especially Christianity so widely practied?
February 13, 2019 at 2:44 am
(February 13, 2019 at 2:17 am)Gae Bolga Wrote: Yeah, that too...except for how it isn't plural, but hey, lol.
Goes like this- he or she whoever...him or her or them, whomever. You're welcome.
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/2-effecti...confusion/
Posts: 6607
Threads: 73
Joined: May 31, 2014
Reputation:
56
RE: Why is religion especially Christianity so widely practied?
February 13, 2019 at 3:20 am
(February 13, 2019 at 2:15 am)Belaqua Wrote: (February 13, 2019 at 2:02 am)Gae Bolga Wrote: Theres a pretty good argument that "homer" whomever he or she or the many he and shes it was... wasn't religious, or..if "he" was, that it took the form of antireligion, actually.
Totally onboard with you about the whole "bronze age shepherds" thing, though. They were iron age city dwellers. Whatever the bronze age shepherds had to say, the authors of magic book werent having any of that backwards bullshit! People and their godamned slurs.
*whoever
Sounds like whomever is correct. It's just Gae doesn't type neatly and is a mess with his words.
Whomever it was ... Since whomever here is object of was
Posts: 4222
Threads: 13
Joined: September 27, 2018
Reputation:
17
RE: Why is religion especially Christianity so widely practied?
February 13, 2019 at 3:35 am
(February 13, 2019 at 3:20 am)Grandizer Wrote: (February 13, 2019 at 2:15 am)Belaqua Wrote: *whoever
Sounds like whomever is correct. It's just Gae doesn't type neatly and is a mess with his words.
Whomever it was ... Since whomever here is object of was
The structure he was trying to use was something like "Homer, whoever he was, was _________." That doesn't take "whom."
https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/w...-he-she-is
It's not an object in this case. It would be different in a sentence like, "Homer's ideas, whomever he learned them from, were already ancient."
Posts: 66329
Threads: 140
Joined: June 28, 2011
Reputation:
160
RE: Why is religion especially Christianity so widely practied?
February 13, 2019 at 9:16 am
LOL. Still at it. Did you have any thoughts on the growing suspicion that homer is not a single author, or that the themes and narratives expressed under that header take the anti-religious form of human beings struggling against the capriciousness of the divine?
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
Posts: 13392
Threads: 187
Joined: March 18, 2012
Reputation:
48
RE: Why is religion especially Christianity so widely practied?
February 13, 2019 at 11:31 am
(This post was last modified: February 13, 2019 at 11:33 am by Drich.)
(February 11, 2019 at 4:19 pm)Gae Bolga Wrote: Any religion can lay equal claim to "because the gods fulfill their promises in this life and the next". I've never heard anything quite as vapid as that when it comes to describing a cultural phenomena.
you are making my point for me..
the distinction you have not arrived to yet is the nature of the promise/what was promised. then all one need do is take a step back to examine if said promises could be filled by nature society or any other controllable influence.
(February 11, 2019 at 9:38 pm)Mechaghostman2 Wrote: (February 4, 2019 at 10:04 am)GODZILLA Wrote: I understand that this may sound like a stupid question. However this is something I really never understand. Why do we give so much credence to a belief surrounding a single man? I have read accounts that the actual man Jesus Christ did exist. However, is "powers" or whatever were severely exaggerated. This question goes for Islam and Judaism as well. You know, the big three. And I do know these 3 do stem from each other. But why? Why are these so widely practiced?
People like brainwashing their children at a young age, and they do the same, and they do the same, and so on and so fourth. Instead of teaching their children how to think for themselves, they just teach them what to think. What kind of thinking is right, and what kind of thinking is wrong. I'm glad I escaped it, but it wasn't easy. Stepping away from religion felt like a really bad breakup with someone I loved. There was a lot of guilt associated with it.
do you really think this "brain washing" stops at religion?
|
