The 'Holy' Drug

[Matt]

"Some people take drugs. Some people drink alcohol in excess. Some people are addicted to sex. Some feed other addictions. Others vegetate in front of the TV... All in the name of escape and distraction.

But far worse than any of these things: there are many that swallow religion as their mind pill. It is worse because it's sold and promoted in the name of truth and love - and it is condoned by the public as righteous.

The fact is religion kills people, divides people, steals their free will, suffocates creativity and expression, stifles passions, replaces "reason" with illusion, and casts a person's mind/soul into voluntary bondage and servitude. Hence the danger: lured by love and truth into the cage, and then become a "soldier" to put the bars around everyone else. At least the dangers of meth are advertised. At least the information is available to give meth users a viable "choice" on whether to use or not. Religion is inherited, and force fed to our children.

Religion is a drug. It will help you escape from reality. It will take away some of the perceived "sting" of existence. It will take the burdens of thought off your shoulders. It will make you feel like you can fly from ledge, without wings... Though I would advise you not act on that feeling.

The more OTHER people that buy into the idea of religion, the more a "convert" feels reinforced that the drug must be truth. After all, "John went to MIT and has a nice family, it must be due to his faith." Or, how can a billion people be wrong?(That is exactly the same argument made by the other billion in defence of their own religion)

Like a drug, the intoxicating effects cannot last forever. Reason does seep in... You have to increase the dose to stay high, to ward off contradiction. And, in the end, it will steal your life... But it's a voluntary trade: accept the lies and illusions in return for mind numbing escape... But, we can call it truth to make us feel better. What an amazing addiction! A justified self-righteous numbness and the path to heaven!(meth without societal disapproval - though meth has likely not killed nearly as many people)

Religion is on a "crusade" to justify itself. And the "devil" is laughing as the cancer grows."


I was going to write my own blog about this topic, but while researching, I found this got the point across much better than I could have.




_

[Demonaura]

Hit the nail on the head there. Something similar was said on a recent episode of The Atheist Experience.

I can't think of much else to add, that post explains itself very well.

[WWLD]

I never could have explained it better

[Edwardo Piet]

Great post Matt.

Religion is both like a drug and a virus I think. Its like a drug but its also like a virus because it evolved over time rather than just being designed.

Of course drugs themselves often come from plants which also evolve(d). But drugs are just given to people and it doesn't really give automatic reference to a past evolution I think - of something such as virus.

Viruses evolve and mutate and distort. Maybe religious people sometimes force their religion onto their children - but it wasn't necessarily the case for them.

Or rather, if you go far back enough down to line I think it was more of an evolution of how evolution arose, and if you go back just a bit back (or less) you will certainly get to someone who 'discovered' religion for themselves of course. In adulthood. So its not always a drug forced upon I think its sometimes a virus too.

Or perhaps rather its always both. Although I don't like using the word always. But as far as I can see religion is - overall - in a way, both a virus and a drug.

Do you think it would be at all correct to suggest that perhaps religion could be described as something like; like a viral drug?

I guess drugs themselves do spread like a virus at times. But I think of course that the word "virus" - the thing about that is the fact that viruses evolve and spread very quickily - as I think religions do - comparatively to a lot of other belief systems I mean, for instance. Because its taught directly and, well you know, I mean the bible, the koran for example are very popular across the world, to say the least lol. A lot of people believe in them.

Well anyway, a lot of this is speculation. I'd be interested to hear any thoughts on my 'ranting speculation' as it were, lol.
Evf

[WWLD]

a virus! thats the perfect word for it

[purplepurpose]

*Preforms resurrection spell and runs away*.

P.S. Author of the topic, Matt, wrote a really good post. I didn't even notice how damn good it is, before I casted my resurrection spell.

[Minimalist]

[Gwaithmir]

"Some people take drugs. Some people drink alcohol in excess. Some people are addicted to sex. Some feed other addictions. Others vegetate in front of the TV... All in the name of escape and distraction.

But far worse than any of these things: there are many that swallow religion as their mind pill. It is worse because it's sold and promoted in the name of truth and love - and it is condoned by the public as righteous.

The fact is religion kills people, divides people, steals their free will, suffocates creativity and expression, stifles passions, replaces "reason" with illusion, and casts a person's mind/soul into voluntary bondage and servitude. Hence the danger: lured by love and truth into the cage, and then become a "soldier" to put the bars around everyone else. At least the dangers of meth are advertised. At least the information is available to give meth users a viable "choice" on whether to use or not. Religion is inherited, and force fed to our children.

Religion is a drug. It will help you escape from reality. It will take away some of the perceived "sting" of existence. It will take the burdens of thought off your shoulders. It will make you feel like you can fly from ledge, without wings... Though I would advise you not act on that feeling.

The more OTHER people that buy into the idea of religion, the more a "convert" feels reinforced that the drug must be truth. After all, "John went to MIT and has a nice family, it must be due to his faith." Or, how can a billion people be wrong?(That is exactly the same argument made by the other billion in defence of their own religion)

Like a drug, the intoxicating effects cannot last forever. Reason does seep in... You have to increase the dose to stay high, to ward off contradiction. And, in the end, it will steal your life... But it's a voluntary trade: accept the lies and illusions in return for mind numbing escape... But, we can call it truth to make us feel better. What an amazing addiction! A justified self-righteous numbness and the path to heaven!(meth without societal disapproval - though meth has likely not killed nearly as many people)

Religion is on a "crusade" to justify itself. And the "devil" is laughing as the cancer grows."


I was going to write my own blog about this topic, but while researching, I found this got the point across much better than I could have.




_

Good post, Matt, but use larger type in future posts. Some of us are older members with vision issues.

[Sal]

"Some people take drugs. Some people drink alcohol in excess. Some people are addicted to sex. Some feed other addictions. Others vegetate in front of the TV... All in the name of escape and distraction.

But far worse than any of these things: there are many that swallow religion as their mind pill. It is worse because it's sold and promoted in the name of truth and love - and it is condoned by the public as righteous.

The fact is religion kills people, divides people, steals their free will, suffocates creativity and expression, stifles passions, replaces "reason" with illusion, and casts a person's mind/soul into voluntary bondage and servitude. Hence the danger: lured by love and truth into the cage, and then become a "soldier" to put the bars around everyone else. At least the dangers of meth are advertised. At least the information is available to give meth users a viable "choice" on whether to use or not. Religion is inherited, and force fed to our children.

Religion is a drug. It will help you escape from reality. It will take away some of the perceived "sting" of existence. It will take the burdens of thought off your shoulders. It will make you feel like you can fly from ledge, without wings... Though I would advise you not act on that feeling.

The more OTHER people that buy into the idea of religion, the more a "convert" feels reinforced that the drug must be truth. After all, "John went to MIT and has a nice family, it must be due to his faith." Or, how can a billion people be wrong?(That is exactly the same argument made by the other billion in defence of their own religion)

Like a drug, the intoxicating effects cannot last forever. Reason does seep in... You have to increase the dose to stay high, to ward off contradiction. And, in the end, it will steal your life... But it's a voluntary trade: accept the lies and illusions in return for mind numbing escape... But, we can call it truth to make us feel better. What an amazing addiction! A justified self-righteous numbness and the path to heaven!(meth without societal disapproval - though meth has likely not killed nearly as many people)

Religion is on a "crusade" to justify itself. And the "devil" is laughing as the cancer grows."


I was going to write my own blog about this topic, but while researching, I found this got the point across much better than I could have.




_

Good post, Matt, but use larger type in future posts. Some of us are older members with vision issues.

Just press CTRL and '+' to increase the font size, you can scale back again with CTRL and '-'