why is religion still around

[Jonathan Jenkins]

historically speaking religion was made to explain stuff inexplicable at the time if we are on the coarse to explain almost everything in our natural world why is religion still around

[John Eric Tiessen]

Good to hear! I am glad that my personal philosophy makes sense to somebody, it certainly doesn't appeal to people at my church.

[CD]

It is personal.  That kind of makes sense too.

*my brain just fell out*

[Hutch Hogan]

Haha! Very clever, you could also say, "Why is religion still around? Because nobody bothered to tell religious people that there are other ways of singing besides a round."

If you'll permit meanness for the spirit of smartassery, "Why is religion still around? Because their arguments are quite circular."

As for the religious revival back during the 50's and stuff I understand what you mean.[...] I think I am starting to understand why you would be so resentful of organized groups that use religion as a tool though.

I have to be careful between my effective belief and my idealistic belief.  My effective belief is that intolerance taught and practiced is wicked and is the result of Us and Them distinctions, in which religion is only one of the levels used to demonize and dehumanize the Thems. 

My idealistic belief is that the passing of religious instruction to children is also poisoning the well, but that would be on my belief that while god can inspire wonder, it also results in a killing of inquiry (see Newton, et al at the end of their scientific careers). 

You seem to have a well thought out stance on religion so I am wondering if you would have any criticisms of my own personal philosophy, besides the fact that I believe in something that does not appear to exist. I find criticism to be useful in analyzing my system of belief and make me a better person so any thoughts would be appreciated.

Well, to be honest, I was a Catholic apologist until the last year of my undergrad, (just about the summer of last year).  I started to ascend from my faith and finally cast it off.  The process was lengthy and required a lot of justification and mental wrestling.  To be entirely honest, very few of my friends, particularly my Catholic friends, know of my atheism.  I don't particularly know how to tell the ones that would care, and I have no interest in telling the ones that don't need to know. 

As a means to further rationalizing my rationalization of reality, I'm slowly picking away at a explanation of my atheism.  If you're interested in reading over sections and perhaps giving me insight into the arguments, then perhaps that would be fun. 

Personally I prefer to think of myself less as a Christian and more as a disciple of Christ. [...] At its core my philosophy is that Government should be purely secular in nature and that Churches should keep their political opinions within their own walls and among their own group. That I feel is more in keeping with what Jesus taught.

You actually serve as an excellent example of what is happening to Christianity in the west.  Though I selfishly hope that this will lead more people to become increasingly more critical of the gospel truth as well. 

This had some appeal to me, though upon further consideration Jesus' aggressive speech about how he must be loved over all others, the claim that he is the chief victim of all crimes, really doesn't bode well for the 'good moral teacher' approach that is common in the agnostic world (I read a lot of Lewis and found his trilemma particularly interesting in apologetic days). 

Anyways, thanks for the reply, it's always great to meet another thinker, 

-Hutch. 

[CD]

I selfishly hope that this will lead more people to become increasingly more critical of the gospel truth as well.  This had some appeal to me, though upon further consideration Jesus' aggressive speech about how he must be loved over all others, the claim that he is the chief victim of all crimes, really doesn't bode well for the 'good moral teacher' approach

Focusing on the death-resurrection bit doesn't make sense to me either.  It's possible that it sets up a bit of a martyr/messianic complex where people think they have to go to extremes just to make a point.  Focusing on the "Be Nice" part is all that's needed.  It's the golden rule anyways, people can do this with pretty much any religion and with no religion at all.  If all the truth in the gospel is that people need to be nicer to each other, that's good enough.  I don't think we'll find that any of these people existed, let alone what happened was true.  It's too much of a rehash of religions that pre-dated the socio-political movement to be anything other than a mythological reinterpretation.  Kind of like Zoroastrian/Jewish/Egyptian/Sumerian fan fiction in the Roman context.

[John Eric Tiessen]

Why is religion still around, because their arguments are quite circular.

Very clever, I like it! I like this discussion, if you guys start any other threads involving religion or other topics that you have particularly strong opinions on send me a message, I will be happy to join in!

Also CD, I see you have brought up the whole discussion that we had earlier, not going to continue that here but it is good to see that argument used again. It is a rather interesting one.

A pleasure talking with you guys, I think this thread is played out at this point but I can't wait for the next one.

John Eric Tiessen

[CD]

Also CD, I see you have brought up the whole discussion that we had earlier, not going to continue that here but it is good to see that argument used again. It is a rather interesting one.

Oh yeah...did too.  Thought that was another thread.  Maybe should set one up, we've been a bit tangential methinks.

[Lamaar Carty]

religion is still around it's there to help comfort people's beliefs of death it gives them comfort knowing the person they lost is somewhere better place supposedly. also some people are so susceptible they believe stuff then preach to other susceptible people then that carry's on religion. 

[Anastasia Cass]

In my mind, religion is a response to the mind's need for comfort.  How can we feel like we achieve anything if we are not rewarded? and no one wants to think about being unmade.  Therefore, there "must" be fulfilling afterlife.  Even when religion doesn't make sense, how many people actually prefer to think that when you die, you just cease?

[Hutch Hogan]

 Therefore, there "must" be fulfilling afterlife.

I hope there are a lot of quotation marks around that. 

 Even when religion doesn't make sense, how many people actually prefer to think that when you die, you just cease?

I don't mind it.  In fact, this was a driving point of tradition (not zen) Buddhism.  The escape from the endless reincarnation of hinduism.  

In the end, afterlives just seem monotonous and unfounded. 

[Anastasia Cass]

Very, very powerful quotation marks.

I'm just saying that, even if it people disagree with it, in general people like to think of continual existence.  Clearly not everyone, but enough to keep organized religions.

[Hutch Hogan]

Very, very powerful quotation marks.

Splendid haha.  I was going to say that that was a very high modality for such a point. 

[Lori S.]

People still have transcendent/numinous experiences.  Science can't make those go away.