Thread: The purpose and power of Religion

Oh, of course. Why would we ever have a discussion for the purposes of knowledge and truth.

Originally posted by kimpossible
Bing! Give The Mark His Prize!

HAHA I WIN SO LONG SUCKERS I DONT NEED YOU JERKS ANYMORE ALSO I DONT NEED PUNCTUATION HAHAHAHAHAAAA

I think this topic is dying.

My conclusion? I honestly can't think of a purpose for religion. With all the information we have easy access to these days, I think it's reasonable to expect a person to go through life and draw their own conclusions based off their own experience and knowledge, rather than taking the easy way and having a pre-made belief system/morality/lifestyle handed to them.

Since the masses of the people are inconstant, full of unruly desires, passionate, and reckless of consequences, they must be filled with fears to keep them in order. The ancients did well, therefore, to invent gods, and the belief in punishment after death. -- the Roman historian Polybius

As quoted in that great Sagan essay, The Fine Art of Baloney Detection

Mark
then you do not understand quality religion. It is expecially not something which is givin to one in their ignorance without discovering for themself.

Exnine
A approach of the past, which we are moving beyond now with greater understanding

Originally posted by kimpossible
Without religion, I believe the suicide rate would rise considerably. I'm here to say that's a good and positive side effect, though, so I'll leave off that one.

Someone quote John Lennon now, please. I'm over my yearly commie-quote allotment as it is...

Seeing nothing on the other side of death played a major role in my battles against suicidal impulses, twice. If I had believed in an afterlife, there is a high likelihood that I would have given in.

How would you know if there is nothing? I really am curious, because I do not know for sure what happens to me when I die.

I admittedly still have suicidal thoughts from time to time. It seems so easy, right? Well, no, it's not. It's usually an incredibly painful process, even if the finish line is no feeling (which we are not even sure of). When I'm suicidal, I'm not all for death, I'm all for wanting relief from the pain of my life. The pro-life part of me keeps fighting, it's why I'm still here..and well, typing on my computer.

to say religion is necessary for society is a real far-fetched statement, imo. Religion has helped and hurt in countless ways, who am I to be one-sided about it? Sometimes I hate it, sometimes I love it. The thing is, it has to be preached as truth to actually give the opiate effect to the masses. There are some who believe, and some who question. There are some with a degree of both, and I think I'll continue that medium.

universal that's kinda interesting that you say that.

Even though I believe there is an afterlife. I don't kill myself because my understanding is that it would serve little purpose to do so. It would be like jumping into another fire. I would just have to deal with the same thing in another life at some point. No pain is no gain anyway. I would also miss out on a opportunity by ending the current life.

the way I see it. This is where we learn and progress and move forward. The afterlife, or death transition, no progression is possible. Because that is where you just exist.

I think the illusion and memory loss is important to our learning process. And that we exist here in our varies lives, to progress to a perfection, all experience being quite valuable.
If we knew about the purpose of our lives. I dont think it would be real enough to be valid.

For example, Say your lifes lession or test for progression was to save someones life in a position where you yourself were trying to survive on the street and very sick yourself.
This is to test and progress your quality of "light" or "love" aspect.

When you saw the person lying on the ground, and saw that you could save them. If you knew about what you had to do, you would obviously save them. But if you did not know what it was all about, You get a real choice. And perhaps you think. Who gives a shit about them, I have my own problems it does not effect me wether this person lives or dies. Why should it matter to me. But if your soul has a strong enough light, you will suddenly do this
out of not your benifit, but out of a pure desire to just help out. If you are able to do this. you have demonstrated a very important quality within yourself. Then when you die and look back on this. You can enjoy the fact that you did not fail to help out in that situation. So it gives you a totally different perspective when you are here. then when you exist there. Your perspective changes and you can look at what you achieved and learn from what you didn't. And even fix up some mistakes you did before in another life.

Ofcourse there is many other things involved and it is alot more complex, this is only a tiny tiny example of what I am tlaking about.

We achieve certain things, that are just not possible from the reality where we come.
From what I have concluded there can be no death. To me Death is not logical. It would take a long time to even discuss this properly with any of you. But if anyone wanted answers or to find out the flaws in my thinking. I could discuss it with them. And if they could find some. Great, I have learnt something. If not, they may learn something. If we are capable of a discussion in this way we should be able to come to a agreement. Otherwise one of us will continue to be illogical, and thats where it ends. I just have to make sure it is not me that is illogical.

When I say this without explaining the reason for my beliefs about this, I know I don't expect certain people to understand. It's just some of the conclusions have come to out of my experience. I know you have come to conclusions aswell. And I don't know how you are thinking what you believe. Or your experience. But I know there is reasons you believe what you do.

I just try to explain mine the best I can, and anything that people disagree with, I am always ready to understand what they are saying. If it makes sense. If they don't explain to me, and it is not logical. I am not about to throw everything I have concluded out the window, because of that.

to say religion is necessary for society is a real far-fetched statement[/b]

It is not really, when you consider at its essence, what religion is.

A quality religion, by its definition. It is a general understanding by the people, about reality. And it is used for the benifit of the whole.

When you look at it like this, you can see that religion plays a part not only in our education system. But governments. and even scientist are following their religion.

It is generally spirituality that plays a part in everything, which drives people therefore comes from their own personal "religion" I think it is unfair, to only keep the definition of religion to certain establishments and concepts such as christianity and buddhism.

It is obvious to me that the word implies and contains much more than is thought of. because of these establishments. And what is considered by the definition. "Religion"
I dont think conveys what I am talking about at all. Yet that is the only word that there is for it.

Originally posted by Nirvana Starseed
A approach of the past, which we are moving beyond now with greater understanding

Hopefully.

Okay. I'm not adopting a new spirituality that says we all moving towards greater understanding.

That's it.

That's the only tenet.

Do you believe?