The entire story is poorly developed, the lead character starts of acting like a bellend, before changing practically all of his character traits for no apparent reason. I also didn't find all of the side plots entirely convincing. Making for a pretty boring read.
Religion, what's the point?
- Thread starter TheRedFlag
- Start date
Religion or not, conmen have been getting people to believe exactly what they want throughout history to this day. Even now with the world at our fingertips and the almighty google.
It is. Stories written by man and translated and interpreted thousands of times over a couple of thousand years.
Can't we all just get along and leave everyone to believe what they want
It's human nature to question. Religious or not.
The Epicurus argument has been discussed to death already. You'd do well in catching up with contemporary scholarship on that' subject if you're gonna continue using it to prove your "logical impossibility" bollox.
Needed to show us who's boss, before he could get onto the more loving side.
I don't think so. America for example... Their leader calls himself Christian. There are many people who feel he is in fact atheist and felt he needed to appear Christian to have a career in politics. I think they're right (not that he isn't Christian, I have no opinion on that) that politicians do have to have to be seen as Christian to get to the top, in America.
This isn't a leader dictating what the people should believe. This is a people dictating what their leader should believe.
No it's not stories ffs! Can you not just google literary genres and figure it out for yourself? Can you not understand that a poem is not the same as a 'story'? And a genealogy is also not a 'story'. Oracles are not 'stories'. And what about letters, are personal letters stories? No they're fking not! Are you really really not getting it??
I still don't really know what your point is. I think religious leaders, in almost all cases, believe strongly in that they preach.
Is your argument that because the tea party exists religion is at the heart of civilization? What about Tony Blair feeling that he had to hide his religion to get elected in the UK? I'm not arguing that religion doesn't have power or influence - I'm just saying it's not at the heart of civilization, because 'the heart of civilization', as nice as it sounds, is a nonsensical and pointless concept.
Most seem to pick and choose which tenants of whatever religion they think are most important. Loving each other and being nice generally seems low on the list.
If you think it's just the tea party who would wish their president to be Christian, I would strongly dispute that. We're weird about religion in the UK. It's not that Blair's faith was an issue, it was in his favour, we just prefer politicians not to talk about their faith.
I shalln't attempt to argue over whether or not the term "heart of civilisation" is appropriate. Religion is a dominating factor of civilisation though.
I'd say it's the highest on the list of most religous people I've met.
You say that like it's a good thing.
You are lucky. I work with a very religious woman (jehovahs witness) who is probably the most hateful and bitter person I've ever met. I've also got family members who goto church every week and consider themselves good Christians but are anti gay, anti Muslim, anti pretty much anything that isn't white Christian.
No. Just an interesting one.
I certainly think it's influence is, on the whole, good. It obviously is used to justify some truly horrendous stuff too.
Religion doesn't teach hate, society does
If you want to be 'intellectual', then deal with evil which you are conspicuously sidestepping.
Nah, religion teaches hate - often more eloquently and convincingly than anything else.
Maybe you're unlucky?
Anti-gay is a strange one. I was approached by an American girl, about a year ago, who wanted me to come to her church. I tried to politely explain that I just didn't 'believe' but she wasn't deterred. So, I suggested my sexuality may be at odds with her particular church. She explained that God loved everyone and through his love people would realise they were heterosexual and in denial. I found it hard to get my head round. She didn't dislike people who live non-heterosexual lives, she loved them as she believed her God did, she just thought them lost. She wanted them to be happy and didn't believe they could be, living as they were. I found her beliefs quite dangerous but not born of any malice, just ignorance.
Most times it's just individual interpretation twisted to suit their agenda. The Bible, The Qur'an or any other religious text does not preach hate it's just wrongly interpreted and taken out of context.
My old work colleague certainly hated gays because her religion told her they were "an abomination". She also told me many time with a big grin on her face that if I didn't convert I'd be dammed forever.
Of course one crazy hateful bitch does not really prove anything conclusively but many, many people are very religious and are not loving or kind.
Sadly this is true and someone who judge others and can't simply accept someone for who they are is as far from religious as it gets
Like what?
My old work "friend" would consider someone who did not follow their religious rules and scriptures meticulously to be not a religious person at all. She was at least consistent in her views. She disliked the gays as much as the adulterers as much as the non believers. We are all going to hell.
The people religion brings together would already be together due to their geographical circumstances - try again though.
You don't need religion to "bring people together". The most secular countries in the world (Scandinavia, for example) are doing just fine without religion. And we're coping just fine without the false consolation, false hope, false comfort and false purpose of religion as well.
You don't need to believe anything on insufficient evidence to "bring people together", or have hope, comfort or purpose. So I don't see how you can claim that religion brings anything to the table in that regard. I also think it's extraordinarily condescending for a self-professed unbeliever to think that while you don't need the illusion of religion, others do.
You don't need to believe anything on insufficient evidence to "bring people together", or have hope, comfort or purpose. So I don't see how you can claim that religion brings anything to the table in that regard. I also think it's extraordinarily condescending for a self-professed unbeliever to think that while you don't need the illusion of religion, others do.
Yeah and she's perfect just recite that scripture about casting stones to her.
What about those who ignored the Sabbath? Crazy, but that's how it goes.
I disagree. I think communities are strengthened by shared religious belief.
Most of my football games are on the Sabbath...God will understand..I'm sure he's a United Supporter too
Never asked her about that. I don't work with her anymore but it was always fun to watch her get all grumpy when people brought in cakes for a birthday which she couldn't eat (she would sneak the odd one and we'd bust her occasionally).
I'm not sure. Our nickname, your moniker, doesn't sound his thing!
I'm sure he's adapted to the changing times and the progression of the human race
No they're not. What happens is that the people who go to any given place with time will become friends - if religion didn't exist, we wouldn't cease to have places where people meet each other. But if having a church telling it's members that the only salvation is in christ across the road from a Mosque telling it's members Mo was well boss is your idea of bringing communities together, then I think your attempt to justify religion is incorrect.
I guess we can only agree to differ, then. I think the example you say is great for community. I lived in the West Midlands for 13 years and the work that Christian leaders and Muslim leaders did together there, to fight racism, I thought remarkable.
Do you need Christianity or Islam to fight racism? Again, the most secular countries in the world are generally the most tolerant and least racist.
I think they help, often. They hinder sometimes, too, of course. I think much less often.
In Scandinavia you're talking about countries with a very high living standard. I suspect that has more to do with tolerance than the secularism.
Rubbish.
If we're talking less developed countries - the religious leaders are often the ones inciting all the hatred - think of all the theocracies in the world and their anti-women and anti-LGBT laws, because religions only really serve the interest of the half of the world which happens to have penises. There is also the caste system within Hinduism which promotes social classes. Palestine isn't exactly benefiting from this tolerance either.