This is a major problem in religion. It appears as if religions fail at properly defining evil. After all, religions have so many ideals in common, it's not reasonable to define them as evil simply because they are of a different source.
This. Anybody can interpret words in a book to mean anything really, some people choose to use it for an excuse to go to war, while some use it as a way of making money.. But some myself included try to use it to better ourselves, IMO you can't blame religions for an individuals action honestly. And when I say myself included I don't mean going to church every Sunday and all that good stuff, because of some of the reasons stated in this thread I try to get closer to God on my own and shy away from outside interference.. Edit: There is nothing wrong with religion if it is used correctly, IMO..
which brings me back to the question, if we accept gods, why should we accept religion? we have already reasoned some man-made failings in religion. the truth is we all can make our own interpretation. there hasn't been a lot of reasoning in here why we should accept religion, and yet the world is mostly filled with people who do.
faith i would think. Explaining the unexplainable. After all there are something that just cant be explained in this universe at least Source Wikipedia Credible? probably... Religion is the belief in and worship of a god or gods, or a set of beliefs concerning the origin and purpose of the universe.[1] It is commonly regarded as consisting of a person's relation to God or to gods or spirits
religion broken down would come to worshiping. i dont think i could relate the two tho. Really makes me think about it haha
Religions tell us how to serve. They also tell us what god to serve. So what came first? God or religion? I think we can reason the idea of god must have come first in the development of religion, but in the individual understanding of religion... doesn't that come before the idea of god? Don't most people learn religion and then learn about god?
i thought the reason people got into religion was because of God and the need that the people feel should worship. Is it me or does it just seem like we are going in circles.
Sorry but all I can try to contribute is this [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7TKxV5wwLA]YouTube - The Invention of Lying - Where you go when you die[/ame]
I wrote this a few years ago after returning from Nigeria. --- Title : Why Christianity is needed. I never had an 'African' friend. Nor did I have any friend who was 'black'. So it was a bit strange to be sitting in a planefull of African (black) people. The only non-black people were me and a couple of Japanese tourists. That's how my trip to Nigeria started... And once I landed in Nigeria after switching plane in Ethiopia, I knew I was in a totally different world from the one I just came from. Everyone, so black. Everything so old... everywhere so crowded. I've never sat next to a black man before, and now I'm gonna live in their country for the next 10 days! How cool... Immediately after leaving the airport, I saw poverty. Once I was in the middle of their urban chaos, I saw pain. I saw how difficult life is in this place. Here, simple things become big problem. Simple things such as food and water... There is no food. There is no water. There is no electricity... there is no job... but what's worse is that THERE IS NO HOPE. Unless you're connected to big shot politician in some way, you're not gonna make it. Unless you can tap into the oil pipe... I came to Nigeria to find business, and I saw a lot of business in Nigeria. The less developed a country is, the more things to sell. And the more corrupted the officials are, the easier it is to do business... But this trip wasn't just about finding business... This trip was supposed to teach me something... So I went to a church. In Nigeria. On Sunday. With the guy I met a day before, who invited me to go to their church. And I did. I've not set my foot in any church for the last ten years, so I was a bit wary of lightening striking my head when I stepped into the place of worship. Glad nothing happened. And they welcomed me. The black, African people. Normal, everyday people. Men... women... children... elders... everyone came to shake hand and talk with probabaly the first foreigner to visit their church. I saw them. I saw their pain. I saw their fatigue. They were all very sad. They were all very tired. It was as if they couldn't take another step forward. It was as if their feet were tied to the ground... everyone looked so thin. It was as if they hadn't eaten at all. The children... dressed in their Sunday clothes... didn't matter the clothes were old and torn... it was Sunday, and they were dressed in their best clothes. Suddenly I felt inappropriately dressed... even in my white Gucci shirt and Bali shoes... And then they began their religious ceremony... A typical sermon. With a preacher on the podium, reading the holy book... they started with a song... and one by one, they began to sing... And the people... they suddenly became alive! They had energy! They stood up and prayed to their God... And their God listened to poor people! Their God was on the poor man's side! Their God took away pain and sorrow. Their God gave them hope for better tomorrow. Their God gave them something to rely on. Their God provided them with what they needed. Their God protected them from harm. Their God chased the evil away and made everything OK... Their God gave them reason to live. And that's when I realized why Christianity is needed for humans.
I'm very glad you posted this thread. A good one... What is the reason for religion... good question...
yea, It's been about two years since the last time I visited, but you definitely nailed that one on the head...
Great place... needs a bit of work here and there, but overall, it's alright... I was in Lagos for ten days. Visited a lot of local business people... with the help of some local friend... who owned a bar... which had a stage... with a Michael Jackson doing the 'Thriller' dance... had it not been for worn out clothes, I'd have thought it was Michael Jackson himself! My friend explained to me, "Did you know Michael Jackson is from Nigeria? Well, his ancestors are..."
Have I just captured the core of your position? You propose that religion has the dual purposes of counterbalancing evil and providing hope? I tried to separate away the elements I took to be assigning purposes to god to leave the elements that seem to assign purposes to religion. If I have succeeded, perhaps we can discuss hope in a little more detail. What is the value of hope? What is the purpose?