Problems cause by religion

[IndiReloaded]

Look, clearly you are lacking real-time wit. Why don't you go away for 24 hours and think up some better comebacks? See if you can't do a bit better. I really won't hold it against you. Equal opportunity on the web, even for the short bus riders.

[bluesummer]

It's okay. I know 16-year-old girls think they know everything, but don't worry; your parents know things a lot of things too, you know.

It's normal to be arrogant and unjustifiably self-righteous at your age.

Um, who are you, and what's your issue?

Indi is a respected voice on this forum. Post something useful or go away.

Anyways, Indi, thanks for your post about the two guys wh approached you. I was surrounded by evangelicals (my roommate was one) that found it necessary, on occasion, to sit me down and grill me as to why I had "turned away from God's path". It puzzled them how I could believe in God but not follow a religion. They also had no answers for me when I used to pick the bible/religion apart. They usually just replied "you have a point, I guess......I'll talk to the pastor about it." I still wonder what sort of bullshit answer he glazed things over with.

I always looked forward to their little 'interventions' because they amused me greatly. They always started off so animated, and in the end walked away so perplexed why things didn't 'go their way'.

[bluesummer]

Religion is awesome! It brings happiness and hope to billions of people on this planet in a way that nothing else can and it saves many lives.

I'm sure that you can take absolutely anything great and just by focusing on all the negative aspects of it make it sound absolutely terrifying. Like taking a beautiful face and magnifying one little pimple one thousand times and then talking about nothing but that one little pimple and how disgusting it is completely ignoring everything else that makes the face beautiful.

I won't deny its good points Mish. However, the positive aspects of religion can be achieved through other means as well.....I've achieved happiness and hope in my life without it. I'm tired of being told by people that my life could be so much more richer......how? I'm a good person, I have a great life, and I'm spiritually fulfilled on my own level.

I believe in tolerance, and that hate and judgement are wasted, negative emotions (on the whole). I won't say I've never judged anyone, but I don't hate or discriminate on other people based on their beliefs, their race or gender, or their sexual orientation. I watched a show today where religious people were walking around with signs saying "God hates Gays" and it justified everything I believe (and made me angry....I thought God loved everyone?). I practice what I preach. I also don't believe the positive aspects of religion grossly outweigh the negative as you're implying, but I won't get into why.

[Mish]

I won't deny its good points Mish. However, the positive aspects of religion can be achieved through other means as well.....I've achieved happiness and hope in my life without it. I'm tired of being told by people that my life could be so much more richer......how? I'm a good person, I have a great life, and I'm spiritually fulfilled on my own level.

That's great Blue, but there are many other people who can't do that for variety of different reasons. For them Religion remains the only way they can live a happy life because in many cases they don't have anything else besides their faith.

I believe in tolerance, and that hate and judgement are wasted, negative emotions (on the whole). I won't say I've never judged anyone, but I don't hate or discriminate on other people based on their beliefs, their race or gender, or their sexual orientation. I watched a show today where religious people were walking around with signs saying "God hates Gays" and it justified everything I believe (and made me angry....I thought God loved everyone?). I practice what I preach. I also don't believe the positive aspects of religion grossly outweigh the negative as you're implying, but I won't get into why.

Well, to be fair most Religions advocate that humans can't judge others, the judging itself is for the higher powers and people should just live good lives as best they can concentrating primarily on themselves and not on others. So you can say that people who judge others disrespect their own Religions and show their own vanity. It doesn't matter who does it in the name of Religion ignorant people, their ignorant pastors, political or TV preachers they stray when they judge. I agree there are hypocrites who follow Religion, but they are only hypocrites because they don't practice what they preach.

[bluesummer]

For them Religion remains the only way they can live a happy life because in many cases they don't have anything else besides their faith.

That's fair, and I understand that.

Actually, the greatest proportion of the most religious are those affected by poverty, war, and low levels of education. So religion gives them something bright in their day to day lives.

Notice I said the LARGEST PROPORTION, not everyone. I know wealthy, intelligent religious people....I count some of them among my friends. Just wanted to clarify before someone jumped down my throat.

[Lipp]

I find it amusing that religion works the same way as weed. I'll stay away from both.

[Yggdrasil]

I don't wanna sound like an ignorant but what kind of problems has religion caused on this panet. Here in Canada not many people follows it coz they say it's problematic. I know some problems and the Obvious ones but what are the problems religion brings in your opinion. Thanks

Not wanting to be the party pooper here and going against my earlier post when I said I wouldn't post in this thread anymore, but the question clearly was: what kind of problems has religion caused on this planet and not: what great things has religion done.

Which sort of reminds me about another problem religion has caused: this thread.

[IndiReloaded]

Religious missionaries & their parent organization leaders are totally freaked out b/c they don't have the monopoly anymore on "truth". Now, while I respect an individual's right to their personal belief, one cannot help but appreciate the irony in a brochure like this (for real):

[url]www.teachingtheword.org/content_events/new_atheism/new_atheism_sample_brochure_01.pdf[/url]

If they can, we can too. Its only fair, don't you think?

[Mish]

Religious missionaries & their parent organization leaders are totally freaked out b/c they don't have the monopoly anymore on "truth". Now, while I respect an individual's right to their personal belief, one cannot help but appreciate the irony in a brochure like this (for real):

[url]www.teachingtheword.org/content_events/new_atheism/new_atheism_sample_brochure_01.pdf[/url]

If they can, we can too. Its only fair, don't you think?

They charge for the entrance? Looks like a money making scheme by a couple of opportunists trying to make a quick buck on people's fears.

It's hard to say "they" in these types of situations. Who are they? As you know Religious community itself is greatly divided on a lot of issues, the gradient stretches all the way from open to new ideas to completely closed. Maybe it would be more productive not to attack Religion or Religious people as a whole, but just the ones who are completely entrenched in their silly conservative ideas? (Like the Pope and his ban on condoms in Africa)

[Petit Papillon]

Not wanting to be the party pooper here and going against my earlier post when I said I wouldn't post in this thread anymore, but the question clearly was: what kind of problems has religion caused on this planet and not: what great things has religion done.

Which sort of reminds me about another problem religion has caused: this thread.

Ygg, The same way they didn't respond to my post,they don't respond to Yours. They all are just stupid and prefere to talk about the thing where nobody has a right, or lets say, we won't know till we die Actually we have all the right to report this thread

YEAH We have, cause yesterday moderator deleted post by Sonrisa,where actually she did nothing wrong,and here they are BREAKING the rules of LF and nobody takes care? Pfff .It's like ,the rules are just for part of people?

[Lipp]

It's hard to say "they" in these types of situations. Who are they? As you know Religious community itself is greatly divided on a lot of issues, the gradient stretches all the way from open to new ideas to completely closed. Maybe it would be more productive not to attack Religion or Religious people as a whole, but just the ones who are completely entrenched in their silly conservative ideas? (Like the Pope and his ban on condoms in Africa)

Just as a unrelated highlight, with so many different opinions and all claiming to be "right", doesn't that mean that regardless of whether there's a god or not very many will be incorrect? It doesn't exactly strengthen the case that religion is making.

Unless you go down the path of thinking that everyone prays to the same god in different ways, but meh.

[Yggdrasil]

Ygg, The same way they didn't respond to my post,they don't respond to Yours. They all are just stupid and prefere to talk about the think where nobody has a right, or lets say, we won't know till we die Actually we have all the right to report this thread

YEAH We have, cause yesterday moderator deleted post by Sonrisa,where actually she did nothing wrong,and here they are BREAKING the rules of LF and nobody takes care? Pfff .It's like ,the rules are just for part of people?

Well, I tend to agree with you, this thread has grown beyond the original question and has become a pro/contra religion thread.

Personally I don't see a problem to discuss in an off topic part of the forum the original question asked, because it may lead to more insight on how something that should lead to spiritual growth and better understanding of yourself, your surroundings and the universe in general can go terribly wrong in the wrong hands or when taken totally out of context.

Then again, it is up to the moderators to decide which threads are being kept and which ones are being deleted. What influenced their decisions I do not know, but I am quite sure there are reasons for them.

As to if the posters are stupid, I don't think they are. One track minded maybe, but I wouldn't call them stuppid.

I firmly believe that every person has the capacity for spiritual growth for the better of him or herself and mankind in general. I also KNOW that this capacity for spiritual growth can be corrupted by people who are using religion to control and manipulate the masses.

In the end, it all comes down to the choice of the individual.

We as fellow humans, have to respect those choices, regardless if we agree or disagree with them. We can speak out against what we as individuals experience as unjust, or incorrect, as evil or as manipulative and we can praise and proclaim what we experience as good, just and worthy following, we can attempt to raise awareness, but in the end again, it all comes back to individual choice.

When it comes to religion, I respect any religion, be that muslim, christian, wiccan, budhism,... as long as the intend is to grow in a spiritual way. The moment religion is used to corrupt, manipulate, abuse and destroy, I will raise my voice and speak up.

Those are my morals, views, opinions and ethics, and nothing or nobody will change those.

[Petit Papillon]

Well, I tend to agree with you, this thread has grown beyond the original question and has become a pro/contra religion thread.

Personally I don't see a problem to discuss in an off topic part of the forum the original question asked, because it may lead to more insight on how something that should lead to spiritual growth and better understanding of yourself, your surroundings and the universe in general can go terribly wrong in the wrong hands or when taken totally out of context.

Then again, it is up to the moderators to decide which threads are being kept and which ones are being deleted. What influenced their decisions I do not know, but I am quite sure there are reasons for them.

As to if the posters are stupid, I don't think they are. One track minded maybe, but I wouldn't call them stuppid.

I firmly believe that every person has the capacity for spiritual growth for the better of him or herself and mankind in general. I also KNOW that this capacity for spiritual growth can be corrupted by people who are using religion to control and manipulate the masses.

In the end, it all comes down to the choice of the individual.

We as fellow humans, have to respect those choices, regardless if we agree or disagree with them. We can speak out against what we as individuals experience as unjust, or incorrect, as evil or as manipulative and we can praise and proclaim what we experience as good, just and worthy following, we can attempt to raise awareness, but in the end again, it all comes back to individual choice.

When it comes to religion, I respect any religion, be that muslim, christian, wiccan, budhism,... as long as the intend is to grow in a spiritual way. The moment religion is used to corrupt, manipulate, abuse and destroy, I will raise my voice and speak up.

Those are my morals, views, opinions and ethics, and nothing or nobody will change those.

I am personally sick of discussions about religion as I see them on every step . I never saw such a discussion ended with a compromise,this won't end as well.
Sorry,buut question 'problem cause by religion' is itself problematic,and cause fights.

[lovesjoyajm]

Ygg, The same way they didn't respond to my post,they don't respond to Yours. They all are just stupid and prefere to talk about the thing where nobody has a right, or lets say, we won't know till we die Actually we have all the right to report this thread

YEAH We have, cause yesterday moderator deleted post by Sonrisa,where actually she did nothing wrong,and here they are BREAKING the rules of LF and nobody takes care? Pfff .It's like ,the rules are just for part of people?

Sorry you feel like you've been ignored. I'll respond to you and tell you what people didn't feel was necessary to state:

No one cares about this particular rule besides you two. If you don't want to talk about religion, ignore this thread and stop banging your head against the wall.

[Petit Papillon]

Sorry you feel like you've been ignored. I'll respond to you and tell you what people didn't feel was necessary to state:

No one cares about this particular rule besides you two. If you don't want to talk about religion, ignore this thread and stop banging your head against the wall.

I'm masochist, I like to torture myself with things that irritate me. And it doesn't change the fact that it's against the rules.Double standards are here.