The great and all powerful religion thread!

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Regardless, sin has no basis in law.

 

[Zephyrus]

Chicken and the egg. Is society the product of religion, or is religion the product of society?

 

[Onder]

Chicken is a product of chicken, while egg is stage between these two.

And religion is product of society of course.

 

[seedofvengeance]

It doesn't matter... law and religion should be totally separate entities. Gay marriage shouldn't be outlawed by law because of the opinion of a religious body.

 

[cookiecutter]

Chicken and the egg. Is society the product of religion, or is religion the product of society?

Clearly religion is a product of society. If you look at how religion has been perceived it has changed all throughout history. For example as patriarchal society developed, so did patriarchal religion. And look at some modern protestantism like the United Church. They basically ignore some of the stupid parts of Christianity because intelligent society has move beyond stupid and hateful things like hating gays and Jews

Anyone who is against gay marriage is a bigot, plain and simple. There is no reasonable argument against it.

 

[swizzlenuts]

Chicken and the egg. Is society the product of religion, or is religion the product of society?

Chicken in the egg is probably the dumbest fucking question ever.

Tell me the exact pixel where red appears... Now can you see how stupid the question is?

Also I don't think religion and society are linked. Supernatural belief and our egos were most probably selected for while humans were evolving, so it's just a side effect of our brains now adays.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Societies could be said to require something to collectively believe in which links them all and can't be scientifically debunked so that they lose hope invariably. Religion fits this, in my opinion.

 

[cookiecutter]

Religion is part of society so of course they are linked.

 

[swizzlenuts]

Just because they are there together doesn't mean they are linked.

 

[waif]

Societies could be said to require something to collectively believe in which links them all and can't be scientifically debunked so that they lose hope invariably. Religion fits this, in my opinion.

So what happens now that atheism is becoming more and more widespread?

 

[cookiecutter]

Well a think a quick look at history would tell you that society influences what people believe and how they express those beliefs and that fits religion. How do you support your claim that they are not linked?

 

[swizzlenuts]

I was thinking more of the lines that it's ingrained in our brains for belief in some powerful thing to be in control from evolution, and from this belief a religion could easily start.

 

[Dazed and Brutal]

Are you saying we are born with an instinct to believe in a higher being and not because so-and-so brought us up to?

 

[swizzlenuts]

Yeah, because even in Europe where religion is declining belief in supernatural, spiritual, etc are quite large. There is still something that is ingrained to make us believe that stuff. We want to feel special, not just some insignificant being on a insignificant rock in all of space.

 

[Dazed and Brutal]

Yeah, because even in Europe where religion is declining belief in supernatural, spiritual, etc are quite large. There is still something that is ingrained to make us believe that stuff. We want to feel special, not just some insignificant being on a insignificant rock in all of space.

Makes sense, religion just gives false comfort by giving us answers to questions we either can't answer, or will just scare most of us into depression if we logically look at them (i.e. are we really something special, and why are we here and where did we come from). But I feel over time this will change as it has been progressivly doing for sometime.

 

[swizzlenuts]

My opinion has changed...

I think they are linked, and more than likely society produced religion. I think I was stuck on thinking of beliefs rather than religion.

It's still not a chicken and the egg question, and that question is still shit.

 

[zabu of nΩd]

Makes sense, religion just gives false comfort by giving us answers to questions we either can't answer, or will just scare most of us into depression if we logically look at them (i.e. are we really something special, and why are we here and where did we come from). But I feel over time this will change as it has been progressivly doing for sometime.

This is why I don't like stepping on people's religious beliefs unless they ask for it. To a certain extent, it's more important to be satisfied with one's life than to be correct in one's beliefs.

 

[Dazed and Brutal]

This is why I don't like stepping on people's religious beliefs unless they ask for it.

Can you expand on this please?

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

So what happens now that atheism is becoming more and more widespread?

No clue, but I'm assuming it is made of win and awesome.

 

[cookiecutter]

I was thinking more of the lines that it's ingrained in our brains for belief in some powerful thing to be in control from evolution, and from this belief a religion could easily start.

Ah, ok. I think we are talking about slightly different things. I mean the social construct that is religion as in Christianity, Islam etc. You mean belief in the supernatural, and I think you may be right. I don't know enough about the subject though to take a definitive stance.

This is why I don't like stepping on people's religious beliefs unless they ask for it. To a certain extent, it's more important to be satisfied with one's life than to be correct in one's beliefs.

I disagree with this, but rarely is it so black and white as be happy and wrong or unhappy and right. Atheism does not make me unhappy, quite the opposite in fact.