The biggest lie in human history. It has been responsible for more deaths throughout human history than all other unnatural causes combined. For a thousand years the Church was a tyrannical dictatorship that used religion to control the uneducated masses. Free your minds and come into the 21st century.
Up until about two hundred years ago religion was needed in order to keep high birth rates and control the masses; however today, religion is used as a tool to make war, confuse and psychologically damage people and promote hatred towards diversity
2006-07-29 00:06:23 · 17 answers · asked by Atheist 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
While I agree with your assessment of religion, some people actually use it to heal themselves and better their lives. In other words, so people actually believe and live their lives in accordance with their doctrine of faith. I cannot begrudge these people their religion...I am an agnostic and I have no faith affiliations, but if it works for some people, then fine. I have a problem with the manipulative and controlling aspect of religion, and people using it as a reason to hate and/or kill others. That is inexcusable.
In my eyes, religion is, as Eric Idle put it in "Nuns on the Run", after-life insurance. It's a brilliant ploy, because you don't actually know whether or not you need it! I will never say that someone does not have the right to practice their religion, just as long as they don't try to push it on me!!!!
2006-07-29 00:13:24 · answer #1 · answered by gadjitfreek 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
First of all, the Church has been a tyrannical dictatorship (your words, not mine) for over 1,000 years. My greatest suggestion to you, my friend (and yes, I know you're beliefs are in nothing... aren't you lonely?) would be to take a moment of your time and read Matthew 24 and the Book of Revelations in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It specifically outlines that yes, many people will be killed for their love and belief in Jesus Christ, (martyrdom) and yes, wars will rage for many many centuries (observe specifically the occurances of Israel and the Middle East at the moment). However, it is all necessary for the Second Coming of Christ to occur. All the aforementioned events you mentioned are detailed specifically in the Bible, primarily in the two places I mentioned in the beginning of my post.
Hatred towards diversity? No, not from religon how God intended. It is the corruption of mankind's sinful nature, and the rebellion of nonbelievers such as yourself that make this world fall far short of the glory of God. God created the diversity around us. Every human, animal, tree, leaf, rock and star was created in His vision. Religion as it was meant to be is designed to promote diversity if anything, it is the imperfection of man that distorts this perfect image.
I sincerely hope you'll educate yourself on those two places in the Bible I mentioned. (Yes, I realize you're an atheist) I will keep you in my prayers that you may someday seek the truth of the God that created you, loves you still to this day, and has a plan for you far exceeding anything you'd ever be able to accomplish on your own. Peace be with you.
2006-07-29 00:28:56 · answer #2 · answered by udayton_flyer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with you almost 100%. I would only like to add that for some people to live and function, they need religion. Otherwise they dont know what to do with themselves. But i agree that it has been abused for thousands of years. Religion is a way to control people. And by the way, im not an atheist.
2006-07-29 00:11:46 · answer #3 · answered by Joel E 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say that's the description of the Roman Catholic Church... but not all religions had a hand in dumbing down the people to better control them.
2006-07-29 01:16:42 · answer #4 · answered by Kithy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I hear you and this has been shared before.
I do agree that religion has and is used for these purposes. It is man trying to control man.The need for this is another conversation.
On the other hand, organized religion is a means to express and/or experience a "universal truth" I know we all share.
2006-07-29 00:15:17 · answer #5 · answered by mjohn28497@sbcglobal.net 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Religion means believing something no matter how implausible, improbable, or impossible because it's written in a book.
And it's what you learned as a three year old.
Kinda like a security blanket
2006-07-29 00:28:52 · answer #6 · answered by yadayada 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The definition of religion is man's manlpluation of God's truth. I have no idea where you got your ideas from but there are really inaccurate.
2006-07-29 00:16:51 · answer #7 · answered by oldguy63 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your definition is political and your agenda is the promotion of hate against America.
2006-07-29 00:13:00 · answer #8 · answered by Preacher 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm in absolute agreement with your thoughts about religion. "opium of the people" as it was once referred to by Karl Marx.
2006-07-29 00:21:21 · answer #9 · answered by Akimbo 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, believers at least know where they're gonna go when the world comes to an end! Why don't you start believing?
2006-07-29 00:12:53 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋