what is religion ?

I dare to ask...
did the neanderthal man believe in god 200,000 years ago? or should I say did he need god?, perhaps there was some other profit that came 2 him but he was unable to record it in history like Jesus was although all we see are animals and space men on cave paintings, Is this space man actually God, did our forefathers that saw these extraterrestrial beings also call then God or angels, think about it in the last 3000 years or so many religions have arisen and most have derived from the same roots yet they kill each other and persecute each other for what they believe in, it's ludracrise so I ask U again what is religion? and can U b sure U r in the right one?

Religion is manipulation and control of the masses.

Religion is a sense of corrupt order.

Religion is in favour of sexism and prejudice.

Religion is a lie.

Religion is all this and more.

"Shake yer reptile, baby!"

religion might be thought of as the commodification of faith.

Anxiety said:

Cloudbuster said:

Religion is manipulation and control of the masses.

Religion is a sense of corrupt order.

Religion is in favour of sexism and prejudice.

Religion is a lie.

Religion is all this and more.

Cloudbuster said:

Religion is manipulation and control of the masses.

Religion is a sense of corrupt order.

Religion is in favour of sexism and prejudice.

Religion is a lie.

Religion is all this and more.

kisscamille said:

Cloudbuster said:

Religion is manipulation and control of the masses.

Religion is a sense of corrupt order.

Religion is in favour of sexism and prejudice.

Religion is a lie.

Religion is all this and more.

This is why I love you CB. You took the words right out of my mouth. Religion is also controlling. It's separates family and loved ones. It makes people do things that are very stupid (like refusing blood transfusions) etc, etc. I have nothing against anyone that has faith or believes in God, but I think there is a fine line between what is appropriate and what is not.

kisscamille said:

Cloudbuster said:

Religion is manipulation and control of the masses.

Religion is a sense of corrupt order.

Religion is in favour of sexism and prejudice.

Religion is a lie.

Religion is all this and more.

This is why I love you CB. You took the words right out of my mouth. Religion is also controlling. It's separates family and loved ones. It makes people do things that are very stupid (like refusing blood transfusions) etc, etc. I have nothing against anyone that has faith or believes in God, but I think there is a fine line between what is appropriate and what is not.

sosgemini said:

Soulchild82 said:

kisscamille said:

Religion can be all that CB says, but religion and a relationship with God are not the same thing.
I am a christian, but find religion, in itself, to be pompous and misleading. I am very devoted to my church, but we do not believe that religion is our salvation; we believe Jesus Christ is our Salvation.

Never substitute religion for relationship.

We are all looking for absolute truths. Because our world doesn't provide those, we automatically search for them elsewhere. When we claim to have found such truths, or when they are tought to us by others, 'religion' ensues.
The danger, and absurdity, of religion lies in the fact that you cannot 'agree to disagree' over absolute truths. In the best case you can 'tolerate' the other's (supposed) ignorance, in the worst (and perhaps most logic) case you feel you have to convince the other, whatever it takes (including terrorism).
Sure, religion has it's merits on a strictly personal level. Many people have benefitted from the illusion that religion offers, and this illusion is probably as real as anything else we use to give meaning to our existence, so good for them.
It is however a pitty that this illusion will inevitably lead to conflict and suffering, because two people who hold different absolute truths can never meet eye-to-eye.
Of course (and thank God, pun intended), religion has been washed down in our modern society to something that only plays in the strictly personal sphere, where everybody has their own convictions and interpretations which are so weak that none of the religious institutions can yield any real power. Of course this indicates the bankrupt of religion where the emphasis shift from what you believe to believing tout court. Because this is a pretty confortable position - you still get the benefits without having to be consequent about it - this pseudo-religion will continue to exist.

(mmm...don't know if i'm making any sense, i'm thinking this up as i type, mayb i should shuddup now )

It sounds like you have as many prescribed absolutes as my "religion" does.
I believe that their are certain things in my belief system that are absolute and some that are not. The bible does give absolutes that have been watered down for the sake of accomodation.
1. God created the heavens and the earth.
2. Jesus Christ, the son of God, took on fleshly form and was crucified; purging sin as the perfect sacrifice.
3. This sacrifice frees me from the bondage that sin has on my life. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life.

Those are definites I believe. If, and often I do, I come across someone that does not believe the way I do; I live my life according to the God's leading and leave the Spirit of God to minister to that person as He sees fit.

kisscamille said:

Cloudbuster said:

Religion is manipulation and control of the masses.

Religion is a sense of corrupt order.

Religion is in favour of sexism and prejudice.

Religion is a lie.

Religion is all this and more.

This is why I love you CB. You took the words right out of my mouth. Religion is also controlling. It's separates family and loved ones. It makes people do things that are very stupid (like refusing blood transfusions) etc, etc. I have nothing against anyone that has faith or believes in God, but I think there is a fine line between what is appropriate and what is not.

seekingtruth said:

kisscamille said:

What is it with the obsession of blood transfusions anyways? They have no idea about the countless deseases that they don't even test for, yet they put into another person's body.

sosgemini said:

Cloudbuster said:

Religion is manipulation and control of the masses.

Religion is a sense of corrupt order.

Religion is in favour of sexism and prejudice.

Religion is a lie.

Religion is all this and more.

to you.....

"Shake yer reptile, baby!"

kisscamille said:

"Shake yer reptile, baby!"

Cloudbuster said:

sosgemini said:

to you.....

That's right. But my opinion is as valid as anyone else's.

SpcMs said:[quote]

seekingtruth said:

zkp2003 said:

kisscamille said:

What is it with the obsession of blood transfusions anyways? They have no idea about the countless deseases that they don't even test for, yet they put into another person's body.

Yeahyeah, and vaccinations are a huge government scam to kill blacks.

sosgemini said:

Cloudbuster said:

That's right. But my opinion is as valid as anyone else's.

oh yes it is, but like i asked in my other post, what joy do you get in breaking anothers belief down?

i too dont need religion in my life...i too dont need got in my life...but making disparaging comments like you did above, well....whats the point of doing it?

positivity...have you had your + sign today....

"Shake yer reptile, baby!"

The 2 questions are: 1. What is religion, and 2. Can one be sure they are in the "right" one?



What is religion? Opinions aside, it is defined as "a belief in and reverence for a supernatural power accepted as the creator and governor of the universe,"

or "a belief, activity, or cause pursued with fervor or devotion."

So religion can be a belief in God or a fervent devotion or belief in an idea. Some orgers who don't adhere to the former are fervently devoted to discrediting belief systems and therefore are as religious as believers. But I digress.

The belief in God is not evil. It is the use of that belief in pursuit of sinful ends that is evil. Any religion is entrusted to men to carry it out. As men are imperfect, so will the acts of religious organizations be imperfect. They always have been. And they always will be. One can choose not to believe in God for whatever reason, but they shouldn't discredit the belief for the sins of the believers.

And those who are opponents of religion (often) fail to recognize the immeasurable good that has been done as a result of the belief in God and His word. Many modern notions of justice, kindness, mercy and charity are derived from the Scriptures. For their many imperfections, religious organizations around the world have fed the hungry, housed the homeless, visited the imprisoned, and worked for social justice for centuries. The sins of religious organizations are many, and they are rightfully exposed. But the good that comes from religious beliefs and organizations is often taken for granted if not ignored.

Is one sure that one has chosen the right religion? No one can be objectively certain that they have chosen the "right" religion. The certainty in God comes from the heart and soul, which can't really be measured. In other words, it comes from faith.

And as many religions have noted, the most important measure of one's salvation is how they regard and obey God's law. There may very well be many paths to "salvation." and most of the major religions recognize that possibility. All one can do is be the best believer (s)he can be.

namepeace said:

Number23 said:

namepeace said:

OdysseyMiles said:

Anxiety said:

religion might be thought of as the commodification of faith.

.....

Soulchild82 said:

It is ok to say we ignore the good that religion does but let's weigh it up, in our modern society we the masses have no control and little direction so we turn to something that gives us direction and meaning, but is it the right direction and right meaning, is it good to live life with a false sense of knowing?
In the last millennium Christianity has a lot to answer for The Spanish Inquisition, the exploits of the Romans, the English diversion and not to mention other religions worldwide.
It is good 2 loveoneanother but let’s keep a grip on reality

namepeace said:

seekingtruth said: