Religion: If You Don't Believe In It Why Does It Bother You?

Because it affects my life. That's the reason it bothers me. I wish for the demise of several organizations that I feel are destructive to me, my family, my friends and human evolution in general. Almost all countries in the world are ruled by religious people who, more than often, base their decisions on outdated beliefs rather than secular moral standards such as basic human rights, global awareness, tolerance towards difference and a genuine pursuit of peace.

That, my friend, is anything but reassuring.

Rationalists, those who chose, out of simple logic, not to believe in something supernatural, need to state their opinion, proudly and coherently. They need to have a place in society and politics, to be heard and to at least have a word on what the future's going to look like. Something as serious as the occupation of Iraq (close to 100000 have died in it) could probably have been avoided. If it wasn't for the fact that so many US voters based their vote on Bush's claim to have strong religious beliefs, rather than nonviolent ideologies, less people would be dead today.

Beliefs keep us from evolving because of what they are: Suppositions that were turned into artificial facts by irrational, although well intentioned people. The scientific approach goes in contradiction with the religious approach. I will show you that I have a baseball to prove that I own one. Instead, a religious person will dare you to prove that he doesn't have a baseball and your failing to demonstrate that he doesn't own one will make him feel justified.

Doubt, the very basis of knowledge: Doubt is the only way to keep our mind from falling into what I like to describe as "lazy mode". Doubt requires constant re-questioning of our assumptions and becomes harder as we grow old. We have to constantly remind ourselves that what we think we know... might be wrong.

Religions fundamentally discourage questioning; even when they pretend to do, they do it in a hypocritical way that discourages questioning even the relevance of believing. Oppositely, Science has, over the centuries, been re-evaluated from scratch, in the noble attempt to find some provable truths. Small truths, yes, but significant ones. The first scientists obviously believed in God; now, most don't.

k

tldr

Someone just got done watching Religulous?

OMFG stfu with these threads, NO ONE *** CARES

:)

It seems to me that Atheists like to shove their beliefs in my face more often then someone belonging to a religion.
Maybe its because I dont live right next to a bunch of Jehovah witnesses.
Or maybe religious people just arent *** naturally like all these atheists I meet.

And I suppose you represent the NO ONE people you're talking about?

Please look at the section I posted it in... If you don't like it, you could just not read it, right...? :)

That's what your missing... it's not a belief... lol it's actually about trying to get rid of beliefs in order to evolve >.> Obviously you're not trying to understand what I wrote.

i'd say its the belief in not believing heh

On a personal level it differs from person to person.

As far as society goes, what would you say is more forced on children? Religion or Science?

Of course... :) Religious people will always try to view atheism as a religion, because they don't know any better.

There are more people in this world than just you and your family. I don't think I can take anymore idiots like Bill Maher preaching how religion is stupid. Religion is a means for people to justify their otherwise meaningless life. Maybe you would be comfortable with a nihilistic view of everything but I would say the majority of people are not.

President Bush isnt religious. He used it as a way to get elected just how Barack Obama lied to everyone too. I seriously doubt many world powers use religion to direct their actions.

Beliefs don't keep anyone from evolving. Ignorance does.

Morality and religion are not the same however it has always been the basis of our fundamental laws. I'm not sure mankind would reach the conclusion its not right to steal or kill if most of the people weren't afraid of the consequences.

Science seeing how its forced upon them in school.

You don't believe in God cause you don't know any better o.o

lulz

idk what im doing here <.<

For the most part, science is testable and able to be proven and the things that aren't are labeled as theories, not as facts. The same can't be said about religion.

Welcome to the 945987th thread with the same message. Lets see if this one changes anything!

I'd have to agree

If it cant be proven through religion, its proven though science, if it cant be proven with science...religion cant prove anything so no one *** knows.

this is what's wrong with the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_design

/flameshield on!

I'm not talking about Science class. I'm talking about an understanding of moral code, social obligations, etc etc.

Perhaps, "logic" was the better word to use.

I would like to know what makes athiests think they have the right to tell people what to believe or not. I'm not saying religious people don't ever do it but only atheiest waste their time trying to remove god from the pledge of alligence. I'm sure you guys think you are accomplishing something but in fact you're just wasting peoples time. Stop worrying about what other people believe and control your own life. I really do hope you arent listening to Bill Maher, he and the rest of the leftest retards worship the government anyways. Hay guys lets all fix our problems with money and goverment control.

Touche! Now anyone that reads this message will get food poisoning and vomit some day in the future. You have all been changed.

this

For what it's worth, I actually agree with the OP, I just don't see the point in the thread. Yes, (imo) religion is *** up in so many ways. I also agree that religion gets in the way of a lot technological advances*, but what are you going to do about it? No one person can tell another person what they should or should not believe in. There are people out there with their own made up religions (like the flying spaghetti monster god), and as stupid as YOU may see it, they have just as much right to their belief as any christian, muslim, buddist or atheist.

So my question here, is why did you bother to create this thread?

*not to be confused with evolution. Evolution is a gradual process over hundreds of thousands of years, not the few thousand years that modern religion has been around.

One can follow a religion and still be a rationalist... to me it just means you put less stock in the crazy stories in whatever book you're reading and pay more attention to the message, which to me always seemed to be the point.

Considering that message is summed up as "Don't be a ***", it seems to me it'd be pretty easy to accept both science AND religion.

...though to be fair, ORGANIZED religion can get pretty crazy sometimes in how big of jerks they are... At the same time though I don't enjoy people saying "LOL there is no God ZOMBIEJESUS ROFLMAO gtfo Christians".

So, I submit to you all an amazing revelation I've had:

...We're all just jerks, nobody's right, and everyone seems to have missed the point.

Yes.