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What do you get out of it?
Published: Thursday, May 8, 2008 - 11:45pm
When I was little, my neighbors invited me to go to church with them. I did, and I liked it. I liked the building, and the cookies they gave out, and being an angel in the Christmas play. I learned about stories from the Bible — the burning bush, the great flood — the whole shebang. I celebrated Christmas and Easter (and still do).
As a kid, the stories from the Bible were just fun to listen to. But I never thought about the bigger picture.
Now, I’m a bit more questioning. What is religion?
For some people, it’s a way of life, and the benefit is a community of support. Others turn to religion when they’re confronted with a crisis. For some, religion is something to scoff at, something that seems irrational and lacking proof.
Some form of religion exists and is a shaping force of all societies. Is this a good thing?
Religion inspired some of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring art, music, and architecture in the whole world — just look at the Hagia Sofia, the music of Purcell, and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Charities are often based off a religion — the Salvation Army, for example.
But it’s not all good. Differences in religious beliefs have spawned some of the most appalling violence in history, for example, the Crusades, and more generally, extermination of people based on their religious beliefs. Many religions oppress women, and do not necessarily treat their adherents any better. You stick to the rules, or you get excommunicated — or doomed to hell — very fast.
Yet, most people belong to some religion. Why? What do they get out of it?
What does it mean to be religious? Why do people believe? What does it mean to be spiritual? Is being religious and being spiritual the same thing?
How would the world be different if there were no religions?
Comments
On the topic of religion
As to what people get out of religion, or possible why so many exist (assuming many if not all are false - which is not my opinion, by the way, so don't flame me on that basis), I've heard a lot about why so many could exist - I mean, even no one probably believes someone woke up and decided, "hey, I'm going to start a new religion." That's just really not likely.
What might be why so many of us cling to faith now, is that we've seen that we are in a huge universe - and many might not like the idea that we're all alone in it, or that there are other smart beings, possibly more advanced then us, possibly watching us (which gives a whole new meaning to Santa knowing when you're awake or asleep). People might cling to God as a way to guide their lives, to believe that they exist for a reason. It is a little scary to think that you are not alive for a reason, I suppose.
Also, if there were no religion, no form of judgment of your deeds after you die, people might do anything they wanted, because there would be no punishment, right? It comes down to morals, I suppose, but not everyone has very strong ones.
As far as your last two
As far as your last two lines go, this is clearly not the case, otherwise a much higher percentage of atheists would be committing crimes. Perhaps fear of legal punishment in this life works just as well if not better than fear of divine punishment in the next.
Ah, true, I'm sorry for that
Ah, true, I'm sorry for that bit.
What do you get out of a biblical worldview?
Unfortunately mans attempt at reaching God can cause a lot of problems. I am well aware of the crusades, and even the Islam holy war going on this very day. However, what people don't want to think about is the other side of the spectrum. Darwin's Theory on evolution is very interesting and does have some validity on a micro evolutionary scale, but the idea of Atheism and Evolution has opened up a Pandora's box on a much larger scale throughout history. Hitler's Nazi Germany regime was counting on the fact that there was no such higher power as God; he tried breeding a culture based on this "faith", the idea that society must purify itself. Unfortunately Russia has gone through periods of similar misbelief, need I only mention the name of Stalin. We all know the brutality of Hitler, but Stalin killed an estimated 20 million Russians.
Whether your an atheist or agnostic, I challenge you to ask the question: What do you get out of a biblical worldview? A true biblical worldview is something that can not be achieved by simply religion, however it does involve the power of the one true God talked about in the Bible. Equality and the idea of every man created equal is a purely Biblical worldview, because every human being was created in God's image (Genesis 1:27). Democracy is based off many basic principals found no where else in the world, but in the most consistent ancient text we have, the Bible. As the west departs from these truths, we will increasingly see the prosperity and foundation of Democracy falter. However, the sun need not set on the west. We must go beyond religion and grab a hold of the truths and promises offered by God, and these can only be found in the Bible.
I love talking to people about their worldviews, let me know your opinion and thoughts on were the prosperity of the west comes from. I am a Christian, but I only engage in respectful conversation. Don't send me a crazy email and expect a reply. My email is: Aurenoc2035@gmail.com
As an outspoken atheist, it
As an outspoken atheist, it is rather disgusting to hear people comparing my understanding of the world around me to that of the more popular dictators of the 20th century, Stalin and Hitler. What you fail to realize is that the failing of these men was not that had no belief in god, but rather that they thought themselves to actually be god. Might I remind you that Pope Urban II, the first pope to call for a crusade, was religious? The British who caused the Irish famine were Christians. The Belgian atrocities in the Congo were committed by Christians, among others.
Furthermore, I might remind Aurenoc2035@gmail.com that throughout history the fastest way to get burned at the stake or stoned to death was to not believe in god, or rather to believe in him the wrong way. And as to your assumption that "the sun is setting on the west," what the hell is this, the lord of the rings? Politicians have never relied on anyone but themselves, regardless of religious affiliation.
Oh, and the concept of democracy was first practiced in Greece. Before its exposure to the Bible. Ancient Israel, on the other hand, never practiced democracy in any form. Do you have a snappy comeback for that one? Or does your bible not tell the answer to that question?
What you get out of a biblical worldview is an ancient and outdated fear of an absentee "all-powerful" father figure. Live your life for yourself, not for some untouchable judge who gets pissed off when you have fun or make craven images.
Dude...chill out. Although
Dude...chill out. Although your argument may be valid, you have no right to be disrespectful to Aurenoc.
I agree. Carl, I respect
I agree. Carl, I respect your opinion [truly i do, in fact i completely agree with you] but your post was incredibly rude. And while I guess you will reply with some witty comment rather than an apology, I urge you to be more courteous online.
sorry, folks . . .
but when you compare atheists to Hitler and Stalin, you have no right to expect a courteous reply.
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