I didnt neccessarily mean positive for society but for the individual, it gives many people a sense of purpose and comfort.
Wha? this answer? i may just be tired but that doesnt make sense... Nexxo your superior literary skills and knowledge are confusing me
No worries, I'll put it like this: A belief in God gives many people a sense of purpose and comfort, sure. This can be a purpose to help others and do good works, and a comfort that despite life's misfortunes and injustices, He will look after you because you are a lamb of His flock. This can be a purpose to persecute and eradicate heathen infidels and a comfort that no matter what cruelties you engage in, He will approve because you are his instrument of Judgement. People will do what they want to do, and justify/rationalise their actions to suit. Porn made me do it, drugs made me do it, my bad childhood made me do it, violent video games made me do it, the Devil made me do it, God made me do it. Same difference.
Ah now I think I see your point (humans will be humans and seek justification for their acts), I'm not entirely sure I agree 100% with it but c'est la vie.
What you don't understand is that science is simply a framework. Try to understand, people make many mistakes. They also lie for no discernable reason. Science is merely a way to take a subject and, as best as possible, filter out the lies and mistakes. The final word on every subject should undergo scientific review enough to at least understand how questionable the best significant "answers" are. To believe or support or assume a subject is factual or true, when it doesn't meet scientific rigor, is ignorant at best and unwise at least.
Agreed, It's not that simple exactly; the relationship between act and explanation/rationalisation/justification is rather more circular. But people are primarily moved by basic physiological and emotional needs (see Maslow's Hiearchy of Needs), and rationality is a modulating layer on top, so to speak. We have a need for safety and security, so Man creates God (for the religious amongst us: this is not incompatible with the idea that God created man, by the way. Relationships work both ways). We have a need for love and belonging, so we create religion as a group bond. We have a need for self-esteem, so we think our religion (group) is the better, the One, True Faith. We have a need for social group rules to maintain order (and hierarchy), so we create religious laws... But the kicker is, any other framework will do just as well. Culture, nationalism, philosophy, political ideology... even science.
Nope, just means that most of the many current views of intelligent design are wrong. Although (IMO) most religions' views on creation are quite obviously a load of rubbish, none of this disproves that god or gods exist, it just proves that people are idiots for taking their knowledge from books designed to control the masses hundereds/thousands of years ago. EDIT: Holy crap I didn't realise this thread had gotten so big in just 5 days.
I've tried to stay away from this thread, as a self confessed agnostic (mostly atheist, but fully prepared to admit I'm wrong if I peg it and there is an afterlife) but I have just two things to say: A) What does religion matter, and why should it matter if someone else believes something different to you? All you can do is try to be nice to people, including yourself, saving the very occasional bitchslap for the terminally stupid. B) Not enough Dinosaurs in this thread. That is all.
A) In the United States it is easy for a religious group to get control of the local school board in small towns and push their delusional ideas as facts on unsuspecting innocent children. It is a daily fight to combat the spread of religious ignorance. B) People have compared me to a dinosaur - does that help?
I agree. I think I chose my words badly about 'giving science the final say', what I was trying to argue against is giving science a disproportionate say. I'm arguing that 95% of the time, beliefs are not about what is scientifically factual or true. Science can and does serve as a reality check, sure. It's good at that. But at this point it's pretty clear that if god exists, he/she/it has chosen not to give us scientific proof of their existance. So why are we harping on scientific proof, or lack thereof, when there are many other ways to look for the existance or nonexistance of god? For once I absolutely agree with you. I long ago lost the idea that Christians or any type of religious folk are inherently better, happier, or more moral people. (Same is true in reverse, btw. Humans = Humans.) I do know some shining examples of Christians. I also know some real rats. I believe the religion is worth following anyway, though I'm sure many of you will disagree with me.
Christianity (like several other religions) has some sound basic moral principles. But any relatively sensible human being has a working conscience and a moral center. You don't need religion to be a decent human being, nor does religion guarantee that you will be one.
Complete fail. I'm not talking about the discussion of an existence I'm talking about the discussions, preachings, and beliefs of how things are in the world, as seen by an atheist. This is part of what the philosphy of atheism is obviously being sarcastic, good one!
This needs to be broadcast around the globe hundreds of times IMHO I'm truely fed up (no matter how well they mean by it) of religious people claiming that you have to be religious to have morals
I agree to the n'th degree. Religion is not synonymous with morals, you don't have to believe in a certain religion to have a moral compass.
Everyone's got different definitions of morals however. Some people cheat on partners whenever possible, some don't no matter what! Some steal whenever possible, some don't even take freebies with giving a tip. Some think it's funny for someone to get bullied, others find it offensive, etc... Maybe we need a new religion that sets the guidlines for kids to grow up with, basically needed because of inadequate parenting. "Moralisim" sounds good, no? I does sound a little too much like muslim maybe?
We already have guidelines: we call them social rules and laws. No matter what individual, or certain religious interpretations, distortions or embellishments may be, we all know that certain social behaviours are acceptable or unacceptable, and certain ways of living are healthy or unhealthy. Everything we needed to know we learned in Kindergarten: Share everything. Play fair. Don't hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don't take things that aren't yours. Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we. And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.
Some of those people are religion, having a religion doesn't necessarily stick to it's beliefs and morals 100%, people will do bad things even if they're taught that it's bad, there's no way of avoiding that without Friend Computer looking over us. Pity some people don't stick to what they're taught Just for you:
