): Why can't religious people allow people to live and think for themselves?

Question

It's kind of sad. As long as no one is hurting you/your friends/whoever... What harm does it cause? Maybe they won't get into your Heaven/Nirvana/Great Mountain in the Sky. Big deal. Why would you want to be around people forever and ever in the afterlife who you had to yell at to obey you anyway?

I don't understand it... :/ Sure, everyone wants everyone else to be happy. But just because someone is happy doing something you're not, doesn't make it wrong.

As long as no one is being harmed or killed, I think all factions, religions, tribes, et cetera, need to just chill and be happy with each other. :)

The world is always changing, things need to be accepted and carried on. I suppose I just want to know why some people need to STAY in one idealism, and not move on. Is it just easier to follow what you know/have been taught? Actually... Yeah, I guess it is. Thinking for one's self is hard, and causes people to turn against you.

Like the majority of people do to me here. ):

Rather, EXTENSIVELY religious people.

Doing things in moderation is always a good thing. :)

Answer 1

Because it makes sense to them, just like it doesn't make sense to you or me. It fills needs too. I'd say security and assurance are big ones, but expect that most fundamentalists and evangelicals wouldn't see it that way.

These 'idealisms' are also very much self-reinforcing. They typically have strong communities and spend a lot of their time talking about what makes them special. It's not so much that the members follow what they're taught, but that they are taught over and over again through prayer groups and services and Bible studies, and they also become teachers themselves.

They are thinking, but within limits which they accept. You and I find that far too restrictive, so it doesn't make sense to us and can even feel like lies. They see these boundaries as divinely-ordained and irrefutable, and follow these teachings through to often logical conclusions. We're working with different sets of assumptions, have different criteria for determining validity, and thus we reach different conclusions.

Well, fundamentalists and evangelicals reach conclusions. I keep finding more questions -- and that's exactly how I want to live.

Answer 2

I'm not trying to convert you or anyone else, and never have, as far as I'm concerned you've heard the word and rejected it. That's it. What I don't get is why you post this about us trying to change you and you put in "I suppose I just want to know why some people need to STAY in one idealism, and not move on. Is it just easier to follow what you know/have been taught? Actually... Yeah, I guess it is." Seems to me you're the one trying to force others to what you believe, which as far as I can figure, is nothing. No thanks, not interested, so back off already.

Answer 3

"As long as no one is being harmed or killed, I think all factions, religions, tribes, et cetera, need to just chill and be happy with each other. :)"

ONE OF THE BEST STATEMENTS MADE ON YAHOO ANSWERS.

Sadly - the Christian Extremist's can't live with it, neither can the Muslim Fundamentalists. This is the answer to life dear - being able to be yourself and not following others - including old books written by dead people who probably never existed.

Answer 4

alot of people spout off that we should "Accept" other peoples points of view and "live and let live". it doenst work that way in the real world. if it did then we should let everyone do whatever the want as long as it's right by there religion or beliefe system.

for example some religouns say that we americans are infadels and should die for our "crimes against humanity" because our government and citizens alow homosexual relationships and out of wedlock children, and so on.

you see this as extreeme, but many people in this county would like to see child molesters and rapists put to death for thier Crimes against humanity". it's all in the perspective.

btw christianity asks its members to go and try to help those who don't belive, but if you refuse most christians will not push it, but you have to expect that kind of response when you go looking for it like you are right now.

Answer 5

the mothers and dads could come to a decision at a youthful age. if your christian that's what affirmation is for, that's asking them no count if or no longer they like to settle for the church or no longer later of their teenager years. enable them to ascertain the understand God. i think of that's honest that fogeys could make their toddlers do what's right because of the fact they are the adults contained in the area.

Answer 6

All religious preachers just pump their one theory (God exists) down our throats.

When the science community makes a discovery or modifies a theory they publish a paper for all to view, speculate on, and debate. Invariably such discoveries open up our simplistic minds and expand our horizons. Examples would be the works of Einstein and Hawking, to name a very small sample.

So why do preachers have to continually pump their one theory (God exists) down our throats. Why do they stand on street corners and hand out leaflets, yell at passers by, gather huge crowds and push unsuspecting victims over in the belief they will be cured of whatever mental or physical ailment invades them, if they just believe in the theory of God.

Why can’t the believers of religious theory just behave in a decent manner, in much the same way as the scientific community does. The answer to all of these questions is simple. They know their theory of God is wrong, and saturation mental and verbal bombardment is the only way they can convince people, and they do it directly or indirectly for money.

Answer 7

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. It just happens that most of those people share that opinion as well, whether you or I want to hear it or not. Best thing to do is just walk away, change the channel or the subject or just tell them, "You know, I really don't have the desire to listen to your spill right now, don't feel it even remotely interesting." They'll either change the subject or get mad and walk away and if they don't maybe you should(walk away!). If alls they want to do is preach, let them talk to someone who has the patience and time to listen!

Answer 8

The devout to any cause seem to me to follow a cause, any cause (religious or not) because they need someone to tell them what is right, wrong, and what to do. They fear having to decide for themselves because they would, by default be responsible for their own lives, rather than saying "My life is such because God is testing/rewarding/etc. me. Nothing I could do about it."

Because they must follow, they fear anyone who does not follow. Hence, if you do not follow my leader I must protect myself from you. "If you will not be turned, then you will be destroyed," to borrow a line from Return of the Jedi.

Answer 9

I think religions and non religious do already think for themself.

I also think the two should give up on trying to change one another, I don't see it happening.

I don't see why they want to spend there time "both sides" fighting about it.

Answer 10

the man has a strange fetish,,

to talk to other people
and make him think like him...

so gangster would want u to like guns
a addict would want u to like drugs
a religious man would want u to like religion.

a gangster can threaten u
a addict can pester u
a religious man would only nag u

so smile,bow , say no thank u and move ahead