Would the world be a better place without religion? (page 4)

JT

truthseek1

i will be the first to say that religion has done some excellent things in the lives of others, but by the same token i feel that you should commend one where one can and hold thier feet to the fire when need

religion is like a DR Hickle and Mr Hyde-

to see a group of believers rally around a person in their dire time of need in the name of god/lord is wonderful, yet this same group can 10 days later rally around someone and burn them alive all in the name of the lord or god

just because they dont share the same views as they do

this is a hard cold fact that believers in belief systems often time refuse to address

Princess

I'll have to go back and read most of this thread...I'm short on time at the moment. However:

I'm not sure religion is the problem so much as Organized Religion is.

I couldn't agree more.

I also like what my mom said. Why do we have to put a label on every thought we have? It's so tiresome...and then there are the people who choose not to be my friend because I refuse to label myself as part of any particular religion. Yes I believe in God, bit sketchy on Jesus though so you better search the Jesus pages for a friend.

More later, I have stuff to do!

micheal

it can eventually reveal that the minds grasping for the ultimate Truth, will always come up empty. Then, there can be a relaxing, a surrender, a letting go, a silent clarity in which intrinsic wisdom can reveal itself.

That is an amazing point my friend.

For such a long time I have been searching, asking, pleading for answers to the most important questions - I have come up completly empty.

I am starting to give up but never accept that I will never find out, at least in this world, the answers I must know to be happy.

Gerard

A world without organized religion would be refreshing

JamesThomas

Ross,
I agree that religion can be a valuable "stepping stone"; but only if we come to see it as only a step.

Problem is, is that it is a treacherous and dangerous stone that can easily blind us into thinking we are at the end and there is nothing ahead.

Micheal,
I suggest you read the book: The Power of Now. It's very good at helping direct attention away from the minds concepts, and into the reality of the here and now.

This, that we seek, is our own true being. There just needs to be a clear seeing of that. So, there is no where to go, and there is nothing to earn. It's all about seeing, undeniably and without question. This requires a letting go of everything we think, we know.

j

Elsewhere

Religion fails when the faithful attempt to impose their beliefs onto other people, or when the faithful deny rights of others for not possessing the same faith.

micheal

Micheal,
I suggest you read the book: The Power of Now.

After reading it's reviews, I will do just that. I'm sure it will have some benefit, though few answers.

Thank you James

JamesThomas

Micheal, you're correct. Eckhart Tolle, who wrote the damn things says right up front that the book has no truth in it.

What we seek is found within, in the deepest and most intimate, or not at all.

peacefulpete

Great analogy, but why keep Christ out, given it's his basic message of "love" including "love thy neighbour" upon which the whole of the Xmas spirit is borne?
Maybe widening the bounds beyond Christianity, is the way to go, as is seen in Japan, etc.; But to remove Christ from Xmas surely leaves you with an empty "Mass"?

The "message" attributed to Christ has nothing to do with Christmas if you think about it. And I think that is what makes it so great. It is a story about gifts and babies and stables. In America most evryone would enjoy the occasion to meet with family and exchange gifts and decorate with colorful lights just the same if it were called Xmas or Mithmas or Solstice.

funkyderek

Religion is very useful in that it constrains the behaviour of those who are unwilling or unable to think for themselves. Mostly religion tells these people that they should not kill, steal or harm others. Unfortunately, the more religious somebody is, the more likely it is that their "morality" consists of simply doing whatever they are told is the will of God, which sometimes causes people to fly aeroplanes into skyscrapers.

"Love your neighbour" is good advice. "Do unto others..." is good advice. "Don't eat yellow snow" is good advice. Slavishly following instructions simply because of their source is not. If something is true, it doesn't matter whether it was said by Jesus, Buddha, Marx or Darwin.

Would the world be a better place without religion?

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