2006-08-02 07:43:39 · 13 answers · asked by ac_m007 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I think religion is man made, but not to control people's minds, well, most of the time anyway.
David Koresh and Jim Jones amongst others, specifically wanted to control people - the question there is which came first - the desire for power or the religion (I never thought of that before, hmm) If you are a charismatic power mad egotistical nutter, then religion is an easy way to gain support.
But I think the origins of religion are more benign - a way of explaining the unknown, the tragedies of life, and codifying successful social behaviour. And considering no one agrees on the unknown or social behaviour, it was bound to cause trouble from the get go.
2006-08-02 07:57:21 · answer #1 · answered by cobra 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here is a funny little verse out of the bible:
When a slave-owner strikes a male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies immediately, the owner shall be punished. But if the slave survives for a day or two, there is no punishment; for the slave is the owner’s property. [Exodus, chapter 21]
Now, everyone today agrees that slavery is BAD. But this comes straight out of the same bible that is quoted by so many people who use the bible as evidence of the truth of their religion. The second part that is funny is that people pick and choose what they will believe in out of the bible. Like the true word of God has to be deciphered - and apparently only now do we have to power to decipher what he was truly trying to say through his apostles and prophets. What a crock - its the same story it's always been, we point to the heavens when something happens that we don't currently understand or can't explain. "Its the will of God", "The Lord works in mysterious ways".
2006-08-02 08:01:16 · answer #2 · answered by Christopher B 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it were, we probably would have figured that out by now -- and the vast majority of the world's people would no longer practice any religion.
But as it is, the vast majority of the world's people DO believe in God and DO practice some formal religion -- so, the answer is no.
2006-08-02 07:53:10 · answer #3 · answered by Julia Encarnacion 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it were, we probably would have figured that out by now -- and the vast majority of the world's people would no longer practice any religion.
But as it is, the vast majority of the world's people DO believe in God and DO practice some formal religion -- so, the answer is no.
2006-08-02 07:50:11 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some of it is. Some of it is made to free people's minds. Try to separate the wheat from the chaff.
2006-08-02 07:49:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
this would be true of communism, socialism, and marxism too. they all seek to control the people by various means... they stop with man at the top of the spiritual ladder.
2006-08-02 07:52:01 · answer #6 · answered by more than a hat rack 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are asking answers here, just put 'is' after 'religion' and there you have it. Well said.
2006-08-02 07:53:34 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
albert einstien said, "religion is for simple minded people". i kinda agree it gives people the ability to place there faults and actions somewhere else and to simpily tell themselves "god will forgive me for this"......hello, who the hell told you god will forgive you...a human. i believe in faith but religion is for the sheep.
2006-08-02 07:53:32 · answer #8 · answered by always thinkin 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That would require a vast conspiracy. Even our power-hungry politicians aren't capable of that!
2006-08-02 07:58:12 · answer #9 · answered by Privratnik 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not initially but that came later when people twisted it around
2006-08-02 08:25:53 · answer #10 · answered by slippped 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋