The Politics Thread

Religion is the root of all evil. And has been for centuries.

 

Religion is just one of many ways to identify "us" and "them". Be it nationality, religion, colour, caste, eye colour , whatever; if men can find a difference between us and them, then that's all the reason needed to wipe them out.

 

It's a good job that we can escape all of that tribalism by watching the football, eh?

 

Because, of course, that's what God wants!

 

Which God?

 

That's what she tells me when we chat.

 

I believe that it is not disputed that there is only one God. He just seems to be being a tad mischievous by sending different messages to the various groups of his worshippers. Thereby causing them to attack, and to try and kill each other.

 

To blame religion and scripture entirely for the faults of humans and the lust for power is ridiculous.

Throughout the course of human history, people have benefitted far more from religion than secularism.

Some of the comments I'm reading on here are a joke.

 

Religion served a purpose in a pre-enlightenment world when science had no answers. Yes religion has provided some benefits - art, architecture, music, literature, quasi-moral leadership etc etc. But these benefits are trivial when compared to the suffering inflicted on millions by contraception bans, entrenched poverty and disease, gender based enslavement, sexuality based persecution, sectarian intolerance and much much more.

You're right religion is not the cause of all of humanity's problems, far from it, but I can't think of a single major problem facing humanity whose solution isn't barricaded by religious issues.

 

Re religion I am part of a group that believes that human society
would have arrived at certain moral/social codes anyway, as for human
societies to function cohesively certain individual behaviours must be
followed / cannot be tolerated.

Irrespective of whether you believe omnipotent judgement awaits you on
death regarding the above.

The fact that ostensibly different cultures/races with different theistic schemes
have such a large overlap on these codes IMHO supports my belief.

However, religion has had a long-standing nasty "fair game" streak, whether
enshrined in scripture or inferred/implied by the unscrupulous or mad.
The consequences thereof have been as bad as anything Adolf dreamt up
in his head.

 

At the risk of getting a Pythonesque answer, what has religion done for us? From the beginning it was a construct to keep the masses from overturning their masters - hence all this BS about the meek inheriting the earth. If you accept the status quo you will get your reward in heaven. The only benefit is the comfort it brings people - but that is a house built on sand.

 

And the best bit is, there's no sale or return on it!

Beautiful concept!

 

Quite right SD. One of the big changes in my lifetime in the UK has been the awakening of ordinary folk to the utter garbage of religion. I refuse to be 'nice' about a system of control and intimidation designed purely to keep the masses 'in their place'. As this awakening to free thought has taken place so once again the violence from the large religions has increased as they desperately seek to maintain their dominance.
There is no saving grace from religion, none at all. Using their own manufactured bollocks and their concept of good and evil it is clear that they all represent evil.
I would exclude from my tirade such groups as Buddhism and Quakers who concern themselves with personal responsibility, but perhaps we wouldn't need them if the major religions ceased to exist.

Free your mind and free your self, only personal responsibility will improve the human condition.

It is a good job that we on here mostly concentrate on important matters like football.

 

I have my own beliefs and tenets. I don't try to force them down other people's necks, and similarly, I don't expect them to try to force their opinions on me.

As far as religion goes, my personal belief is that it's a nice story, but that's just what it is; a story invented to gain power and keep it, by scaring the crap out of the masses. Been pretty successful for a few thousand years too!

However, if someone else has different beliefs. If those beliefs give them comfort, make their lives peaceful and enjoyable, then who am I, or anybody else to try and snatch that away from them?

Live and let live.

 

Agreed that is fine, if and only if those beliefs are not projected onto our laws, institutions and cultural values. Personal religion is fine, organised religion tends to project onto the way the rest of us live our lives...

 

{However, if someone else has different beliefs. If those beliefs give them comfort, make their lives peaceful and enjoyable, then who am I, or anybody else to try and snatch that away from them?}

As long as that 'cop out' carries on so will religion. Unless it is something that is carried on in the privacy of of your own home between consenting adults then we cannot afford it. There is no progress as long as religion rules the roost.

 

In the UK they certainly used to when I was young. I'm not sure that's the case anymore. Religion is much more peripheral than it was half a century ago. It's very much an optional personal decision nowadays, IMO.

 

It's not a cop out! It's just a simple recognition that some people have different views and beliefs to your own.

It's called democracy.

 

label it how you like it's a cop out. Whoever voted for God LOL your all encompassing democracy definition will not stand up to the smallest of scrutiny.

Democracy is about inclusion of all in the decision making process.

Let's have a vote then on religion,

1. should it be outlawed from all education processes.

Let;s try that!

 

One of the basic tenets of any democracy is freedom of choice, that includes personal beliefs. So, yes it does stand up under that scrutiny.

No, I don't feel it should be banned from schools. It should perhaps be taught alongside the evolutionary theory. Let pupils decide which they place their faith in.