Unity Through Faith?

[Alan V]

And I thought I was misanthropic.

Nothing you've posted gives me the impression that you would be misanthropic.

Yeah, I've been struggling with it lately.  I try not to be too pessimistic about human nature in my posts.

I do think that people are divided by lies, imagination, and tribalism.  I just don't want to condemn all of us that way.

In so far as people can be united at all, it seems possible only on the basis of factual information, i.e. reporting, scholarship, science.  

That's a big part of what atheists do at these forums -- we share information.

[Ahriman]

Well there can't be "unity through faith" because everyone has faith in different things. And just "having faith" doesn't matter either unless we're all trying to summon a spirit bomb or something like that.

[Leonardo17]

I agree with most of your comments. But happen to have turned to religion, because of religion. See you may go to 00:35 in the link bellow (or just look at the main frame):




 
 
This is a cut from the Movie “The Dictator” with Sacha Baron Cohen. I don’t know if they did it on purpose, but I find this frame so tragic. Do you see that boy sitting there with two prostitutes? With a boy in uniform, in a lavishly decorated home, but without even parents and the only love he receives is probably the love he receives from these two women who are themselves victims of their society in many ways.
 
It’s not easy to admit, but it’s not a rare phenomenon for such persons to develop narcissistic traits and then be very successful and end up at the top of some companies or even at the top some countries like my country. In this case, it’s still very common for such people to try to appeal to the religious feelings of the people in order to manipulate them better for whatever fate they have decided for the people they rule; who they see as toys to be placed here or there because (see picture above) that’s the true meaning to be a SOB. (Otherwise being a sex worker does not tell anything about anyone except that they might have developed a very addictive and unhealthy relation with money).
 
In my case, my type of spirituality taught me to look at these situations very differently.
 
Still I agree that most religions (although they probably did not start that way) are now more a part of the problem than a part of the solution in this world.

[awty]

I agree with most of your comments. But happen to have turned to religion, because of religion. See you may go to 00:35 in the link bellow (or just look at the main frame):




 
 
This is a cut from the Movie “The Dictator” with Sacha Baron Cohen. I don’t know if they did it on purpose, but I find this frame so tragic. Do you see that boy sitting there with two prostitutes? With a boy in uniform, in a lavishly decorated home, but without even parents and the only love he receives is probably the love he receives from these two women who are themselves victims of their society in many ways.
 
It’s not easy to admit, but it’s not a rare phenomenon for such persons to develop narcissistic traits and then be very successful and end up at the top of some companies or even at the top some countries like my country. In this case, it’s still very common for such people to try to appeal to the religious feelings of the people in order to manipulate them better for whatever fate they have decided for the people they rule; who they see as toys to be placed here or there because (see picture above) that’s the true meaning to be a SOB. (Otherwise being a sex worker does not tell anything about anyone except that they might have developed a very addictive and unhealthy relation with money).
 
In my case, my type of spirituality taught me to look at these situations very differently.
 
Still I agree that most religions (although they probably did not start that way) are now more a part of the problem than a part of the solution in this world.

When the day comes that I think anything having to do with Sacha Baron Cohen has any relevance...I want someone to pull the plug.