Now you're probably opening this thinking "oh great another rant on religion", well you're right. But please keep reading on because what I have to say is important and applies to all beliefs, even if you don't have one.
Many religions now believe the world is going to end, soon. Basically they believe this because of "signs" and their precious magic books. Well the scary thing is the world could end soon, and religion could actually be its cause. The fact is, for the world to live on religion must die. Faith is nothing to brag about it, and people who accept faith, or preach it are just intellectual slaveholders. Religion has caused so much craziness and destruction and I think 9/11 is a great example, however I won't get into it much because of everything else I have to say.
Now, why is religion so powerful? Because it allows people who DON'T have the answer to what happens when we die to think they do. If you're a christian or any other religion you may think it's great to say "PLEASE GOD I'M WILLING! I'LL DO ANYTHING YOU ASK OF ME!" Well guess what, there are no gods talking to us so that void is filled in by corrupt and often hostile people.
This is why anti-religious rationalists must come out of the freakin closet and let themselves be heard. And for those of you who only consider yourselves "a little religious", is the safe feeling of believing in a religion worth the pain and destruction it causes? If you belonged to a social group that wasn't a religion that involved so much bigotry, homophobia, violence, and ignorance as religions you would quit the club and protest against it. And if the end of the world comes because of nuclear arms led by religious nut jobs... just remember what the true problem was. We found a way to end lives on a mass scale before we stopped wishing for it.
Atheists also haven't been this best thing for the world Hitler, Stalin... In it's entire history religion has been used for many terrible things but it has been USED. Religion=bad, relationship with Jesus=good.
So, you argue that religion doesn't have a direct tie to evil, it's only certain people that have done bad by using it and then postulate that atheism is evil on the same grounds? That's an embarassing argument. Also - Hitler was more Christian then most people realize.
Atheists also haven't been this best thing for the world Hitler, Stalin... In it's entire history religion has been used for many terrible things but it has been USED. Religion=bad, relationship with Jesus=good.
This is for everyone, whether you believe in God or not. This is a few of the things wrong with religion... and is probably what most agnostics think. But I don't see anything wrong with this was of thinking... am I saying I believe this? No but just something for religious people to think about
READ THE WHOLE THING
All people have a longing for something that is the ultimate reality, the ultimate satisfaction to fill their lives. And they have a sense of wonder at the universe that they see. And so religions sprang up, with people coming up with different ideas about why the world existed, and who was in charge of it, or in charge of their bit of it, and what this being was like.
For instance, Buddhism says, "If you do compassionate acts, live according to the eight-fold path and meditate properly, letting go of everything, and all desire, that holds you to this life, you will find your way to the ultimate - to Nirvana."
Islam says, "If you live according to the five pillars (main rules) of Islam and do good works, if you submit to Allah and pray five times a day, God will accept you to paradise."
And Christianity, as a world religion, so often gives a similar message. "You can come to Jesus if you say a special prayer, or are splashed with 'holy water', or agonise over your sins. God is waiting for you; if you come, you will be welcome, but you must find your own way; find your own faith within yourself; make your own repentance."
The Good News of Jesus is so very different from this. All these religions are ways for people to try to make their way to God. This is an admirable desire and in many senses shouldn't be discouraged. But sadly it is a futile attempt, because we can never find our own way to God, and it is entirely unnecessary. Because God himself has made a way, but it is not a way from us up to him, it is a way from him to us. In Jesus we see God coming to us - not just to the respectable people, or the religious people or the earnestly moral people; nor to the rich and comfortable places, to a position where servants would wait on him. But to the lowest places, the unrespectable, the immoral, to those who have reached an end of all hope or faith - yes, especially to them. This is the true route of connection between God and people - from God right to where you are.
What's wrong with religion is not the desire for connection with God, but that it makes people feel that they have to do something to achieve or earn this. God has already done everything necessary to enable a loving relationship between us and himself; and to save us from doing destructive things and from the utter annihilation which would happen to us and the entire universe if it were not for his gift of Jesus to us. It might be hard to believe, when one way or another you have had to pay or sacrifice for everything you wanted, but it truly is a gift - entirely free: that he will raise us to endless life and fill us with his love.
you will find your way to the ultimate - to Nirvana."
God will accept you to paradise."
So if I pray God will accept me into Paradise, where the band Nirvana will play songs for me? Sounds fun.
God has already done everything necessary to enable a loving relationship between us and himself
A loving relationship with God? Really creepy. I hate when people say that they were able to survive or whatever because of their "relationship with our savior Jesus Christ".
lol, either I misinterpreted it wrong, or there is a crap load of different interpretations. I thought it was saying a reason of why religion was wrong, because people do so many things to get to "nirvana" or "aradise" but I guess not?
