My friend and I got into a conversation the other day, and he left me with the statement that Religion blinds people. He never explained what that meant, but I still want to know; based on your guys experiences, does Religion blind? And if so, how does it blind? Does it blind you from accepting all reality, or just another reality that you don't want to face?
It still stands that we can challenge policies on the stance that it's influencing religion. Take school prayers for example. It was tough, but it was finally taken out in the 60s I believe. This, of course, could have been challenged almost 200 years ago, but it never did. Now, on the basis of many different topics, politicians do have the right to use their beliefs. The first amendment also evokes the freedom of religion. However, it goes too far when that infringes the rights of others. So, take that Mosque-y community center. Y'know what the people that are protesting against that center on the basis of religion? They are infringing on their religious rights. It's...blinding, don't you think?
It's an interesting subject about why we have religion. I need to read more up about it. However, I can say that religion was not created for power. It has evolved into that. I would think that religions and the belief in supernatural come from ancient cultures that had no other explanation for certain questions they might have had.
true say, but those are ancient religions and even they have used religion as a source of power. The new religions are to impose power. Maybe it wasn't the first thing the guy that made it thought about, but it is for sure that it did become power short after.
Nice to know that those pyramids were all made by thousands of slaves and a few free architects, right? If their religion wasn't used for power, then I must be going insane.
Maybe it wasn't the first thing the guy that made it thought about, but it is for sure that it did become power short after.
I'd really like to see some literature on all of this and not go by what we think their behaviors and motives were of those ancient cultures.
But I suppose it would sort of hard considering we didn't have appropriate records from that time, only what researchers tell us they thought. But they are more educated on the subject than we are.
It still stands that we can challenge policies on the stance that it's influencing religion.
Politics is really just a good ol' boy brotherhood. If you aren't a white, Christian male then forget about it being an easy career.
Look at John Edwards, who cheated on his cancer ridden wife and got the girl pregnant, but people STILL respect him. Then 3 judges in Ohio were removed from office for pushing for equal marriage rights.
I guess that makes sense. This also brings me to my first post that was also plagiarized by Eddie13. Where would we be if religion was never here? Sure, in the early eras, we would have still been biased against minorities. But we would have also gotten through them faster, without religion holding us back. If anything, we would have advanced quicker, if religion wasn't in the picture.
Actually, stormwolf may be right. According to some theories, created by Cern a few years back, there almost had to be a all powerful force around at the time of the big bang.
Take a look at the definition of a singularity, the thing that expanded for the Big Bang.
1. the state of being singular, distinct, peculiar, uncommon or unusual 2. a point where all parallel lines meet 3. a point where a measured variable reaches unmeasurable or infinite value 4. (mathematics) the value or range of values of a function for which a derivative does not exist 5. (physics) a point or region in spacetime in which gravitational forces cause matter to have an infinite density; associated with Black Holes
A singularity can meet this requirement.
The energy there was enough to create Earth, the sun, and trillions of other planets, stars, and galaxies.
The Big Bang did not create the Earth , sun and trillions of planets, stars, and galaxies. All of these things came later after the Big Bang.
The idea of such a large amount of energy having an intelligence is not far fetched, becuase what are humans buy energy containded inside a skin body?
We are more then that. This is like saying your cell phone is just a battery contained in a plastic box. Humans consciousness is a specific culmination of both electrical and chemical interactions. A combination that would not have existed in the initial singularity. So really it's about as far fetched as claiming black holes have sentience.
If you also take into account that scientists have math proving the big bang all the way back to... Oh, Wait, you guys haven't come up with a mathematical way to prove time zero. the time that the big bang acctually happened.
We don't know something Have to insert "God did it". Seriously this is a very poor and intellectually dishonest answer.
Couple that with the fact that a Catholic priest by the name of Georges Lemaitre in 1927 and was origionaly shot down by most scientists until Edwin Hubble scientifically proved that it could be possible two years later.
Completely irrelevant to your argument of there being a God. This uy used mathematics not religion to arrive at this conclusion.
So if scientists have tried to prove time zero for, what, around 80 years now and haven't been able to, where does that leave you but with the option that there was a divine presence at the time of the Big Bang?
That leaves us with WE DON'T KNOW. That doesn't mean you get to insert what ever myth you like and call it the truth.
You do the same thing to prove Christianity wrong. Don't do one thing and then expect someone else to not do it back to you. It is what we call "Getting a taste of your own medicine."
No, It doesn't work that way. You have the claim there is a God so you try and prove that claim. You don't have to provide evidence of non existence because there wouldn't be anything to show. Since God has no evidence it's reasonable to assume he doesn't exist, because that matches with everything else that does not exist.
WhiteHat, I believe there is more to it than just that.
One of the problems that I see, is to accept Christian doctrine you have to accept moral laws and codes that are borderline inhumane.
What do you consider Christian doctrine? the Bible? There is more than just the bible, such as the people of the church. Also, What is borderline inhumane about Christianity (and any other religion you might of thought of)? Is Christmas inhumane? charity? treating others as you would want to be treated?
Because you have such extreme notions in the Bible, you then have Christians that pick and choose what they want to follow (which is an entirely different, but equally as large problem).
I will assume that you are referring to Christians ( I myself am not one). "Pick and choose?" Of course they can pick and choose, it's the same reason I can pick and choose where I want to go to eat or what programs I watch on TV, because I am human and capable of choice as everyone else is.
When you have folks that pick and choose certain notions to follow from a holy book, like the Bible, you end up with a pretty skewed view of the world. People condemning others for their actions, etc.
"People condemning others for their actions" Asherlee, people have been doing that regardless of religion; the judge condemns the defendant when proven guilty or the politician condemning the media for what they feel is wrong. As far as the bible is concerned not every Christian follows the bible word for word. The only thing there is to this is that, humans can do anything.
Also, What is borderline inhumane about Christianity (and any other religion you might of thought of)?
Stoning homosexual, witches, people who have sex with animals, before there married....
So don't feel alone. Everyone must get stoned.
I will assume that you are referring to Christians ( I myself am not one). "Pick and choose?" Of course they can pick and choose, it's the same reason I can pick and choose where I want to go to eat or what programs I watch on TV, because I am human and capable of choice as everyone else is.
Not when it is supposedly coming from a infallible source. Such as you do not follow the stoning but you do follow the charity. You don't follow giving all of your stuff away, but you follow Christmas.
