by highdose 39 Replies latest jw friends
I guess most people do need spirituality of some kind, (whatever gives them kick I guess) but not religion, religion is simply a business that is trying to cash in on people's need for spirituality.
And if one is to listen to bible, was it written somewhere that " when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves"
PP: No, but it sometimes helps. How many times do you do something you wouldn't otherwise because, "It's the Christian thing to do." ?
never.
Never
tal
( ps to bohm,,, we had exactly the same answer~! *faints* it's a good thing :D )
bohm & talesin beat me to it.
No, but you definetly need religion in order not to have morality.
Everything that is vile, hateful, murderous in people comes out from under the religious leash the individuals wear around their necks. And where religion inhibits the bad traits of personality, it's because of fear, not because of morality.
I feel bad for all of the runaway slaves who will burn in hell for violating pauls words about obedience to their masters....I can't think of a more moral book than the bible
'God' must have special place in hell for Harriet Tubman and Spartacus.
Everything that is vile, hateful, murderous in people comes out from under the religious leash the individuals wear around their necks.
Now, that can't be true, dear DU (peace to you!). I think China under Mao Se Tung proved that. What about the barbaric monguls? Pol Pot? Idi Amin? What of what occured in the Soviet Union during the 1980's (or maybe it was the 90's, but my point is still valid). Religion is responsible for much, yes, but not "everything." Indeed, science was responsible for Hiroshima, yes?
Just sayin'...
Peace to you!
A slave of Christ,
SA, who also NEVER used violence to get what she wanted... as a child or otherwise... and PRIOR to knowing my Lord, didn't do "good" because it was the "christian" thing to do... but because it was the RIGHT thing to do... to the extent she knew what WAS right... which prior to she sometimes didn't...
"With or without (religion) you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion.” - Steven Weinberg
NO!!!! I think religion causes more trouble in the world than almost any other thing.
I believe in spirituality!!!!!
Further to the track record of some of the more notorious political leaders that have been mentioned:
- political extremism often takes on an almost religious dimension ("Heil Hitler", "The Thoughts of Mao", larger than life sized posters of Stalin, Mao Tse Tung etc.)
Then, once again, people can be easily manipulated into performing what otherwise would be classed as atrocities.
Steven Weinberg put it perfectly, "but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion."
- bearing in mind that "religion" has many forms, some quite overt, others more covert.
Bill.
Aguest, I made an English error. Not "everything", just "most of". And some of the examples you mentioned were also some sort of religions.
Bumpin' the thread...
Hmmm.... Interesting...
I mentioned to Curtains in a PM something about having a "code of conduct" but not "religion".
A "code of conduct" is a pattern of behavior that is instituted by society to facilitate common cooperation within the group. This behavior pattern has many advantages. It is generally based upon reason and speaks directly to issues that are concretely pertinent to the well-being of the group.
On the other hand, "religion" - and let's define that as blind obedience or nearly-blind obedience to a group leader, spiritual or otherwise, or invisible "deity" with the power of life-or-death...
"Religion" enforces its edicts with death-threats and threats of torture - whether it's "You'll burn in Hell!" or "You'll Die at Armageddon!" or "You'll be kept out of Valhalla" or "You'll be eternally reborn as a cockroach!"
There's no appeal to reason and logic, with religion. It's all emotional, irrational and based upon some fantastical imaginary force or "after-you-die" Never-Never land.
In other words, society needs a code of conduct. Religion has too many "bells, toots and whistles" - imaginary friends, weird superstitions, and so on - to be as effective as a straightforward "code of conduct".
Zid 
