How many here understand how biased religion really is?

Question

It most certainly promotes freedom from self responsibility.
It encourages the sanctimonious, self loathing that so many seem to need to feel superior.
It promotes the delusion that it's followers are the only ones who know the real "truth".
It teaches that there are superior paths that will lead you to heaven and bliss, and inferior paths that lead only to deception and destruction neither of which is focused on a personal relationship with it's deity.
It uses dogma to replace having a code of personal ethics that applies to every interaction in every aspect of life.
It advocates being good now, and being rewarded later because it crushes out all of the natural impulses of life therefore creating a sense of martyrdom.

He-Man...Exactly what scripture would you accept from a non-believer?
eduarodi...cut and paste away, you have my blessing :)
IdahoMike...Christianity...did I say the Christian religion. I think not, my question has to do with all religions, and by taking it personal you have proven my point.

Dr. Zoom Zoom....
1) It sounds like you're assuming I'm an Atheist...+wrong+
2) Transference...hmm I'd have to be an Atheist for that to be the case. Once again +wrong+
3) Atheists behave like they're the only ones who have the "truth"?? Once again +wrong+ Atheism isn't a religion, besides every Atheist I seen here seems to believe in freedom of belief and have the right to not have yours shoved down their throats.
4)Maybe you should study history more throughly, more than 100 million have died in the name of "God". DiVinci, and Michaelangelo were considered to be heretics by the church of their day.
5) Are you saying only the relgious understand the "Golden Rule"? I didn't know that leading a life of drunken debaucery was considered a religion.
6) Show me one church who uses the 10 commandments only as their code of conduct. Others understand how to live within society you know.

Dr. Zoom Zoom continued....
7)I don't consider murder to be a natural impulse, so no I wouldn't kill someone for calling me a name. Martyrdom has absolutely nothing to do with the inability to act out your desires.
My state of emotional well being is not the topic here. You are religious, fine stay that way....I didn't ask you to convert. I will be sticking to my choice as well.

Answer 1

I couldn't possibly agree more! I'm copying your text, so I can quote you later. May I?

Answer 2

Freedom from self responsibility? Who says? As a believer, one has more responsibility. You don't just say, ok I'm saved, Jesus did all the work and I believe so I'm ok. You have to live as you believe- which is not easy in this world. What exactly is "sanctimonious self loathing"? Whoever does that is misunderstanding God's word. If you call the truth a delusion, then what delusion are you subscribing to? The reality is that the basis of religion IS a personal relationship with God, so it doesn't sound as if you are very educated about what you reject. Dogma? What- were you raised in an ultra-traditional Catholic church? Do some research.
The "code of personal ethics that applies to every interaction in every aspect of life" originates in the word of God. What are you calling the "natural impulses of life" that religion says you can't have? Taking everything you want because you want it, regardless of the natural consequences of life? Murder, fornication with the neighbor's wife, lying for self gain, greed, should I go on?
The big lie you are subscribing to that religion is somehow out to get you is the real delusion. God isn't like anything you said. He has allowed you to have freewill so you can remain closed-minded as you are to new information about Him and His words of wisdom, which are available to all who seek them. I hope some day you will, because right now you don't sound as brilliant as you think you are.

Answer 3

"How many here understand how biased religion really is?"

Everyone is biased about something. Athiests are (obviously) biased too. It's a matter of semantics.

"It most certainly promotes freedom from self responsibility."

It most certainly does not! It makes people aware they are their brother's keeper. After Hurricane Charlie the people of Hardee county were fed twice a day for two months by the Baptist disater relief group. Not one athiest, Wiccan, Neopagan, or even a Satanist (Iknow that comes as a shock) helped. They were all volunteers and didn't get paid a dime. Covenant House, the Salvation Army, the Red Cross were all started by Christians. I could go on and on and on.

"It encourages the sanctimonious, self loathing that so many seem to need to feel superior."

LOL! Actually you've just described every athiest on Yahoo Answers! Transference my friend.

"It promotes the delusion that it's followers are the only ones who know the real "truth"."

Again, every athiest on Yahoo Answers acts like that. I have freedom of religion and you can stand that I would dare think differently than you. Semantics, again.

"It teaches that there are superior paths that will lead you to heaven and bliss,"

And Communism was athiestic and taught people they could live in a worker's utopia. 100 million people died because of it. Christians have created charitable instituitions throughout the centuries that have helped people. Artists inspired by religiona like Da Vinci and Michealangelo have created great works of art.

"and inferior paths that lead only to deception and destruction neither of which is focused on a personal relationship with it's deity."

Not true, living the Golden Rule will lead a person closer to God. And leading a life of druken debauchery will and worldly pleasure might be pleasureable at first, but it is fleeting. John Belushi, Marylin Monroe, and many others bear this out.

"It uses dogma to replace having a code of personal ethics that applies to every interaction in every aspect of life."

What do you call the 10 commandments? Don't kill, don't steal, don't be promiscuous ,be good to your parents...how aren't these a code of ethics??? The commandments transcend the individual and benefit the entire community!

"It advocates being good now, and being rewarded later because it crushes out all of the natural impulses of life therefore creating a sense of martyrdom."

Suppose your natural instinct was to kill everyone who called you a name? Well, you'd go to prison pretty soon. Supressing this animal insitinct (Thou Shalt Not Kill) benefits everyone. I cetainly don't feel a sense of martydom because I can't live out every crazy thought or impulse that comes my way! In fact there was a sci-fi movie in the 70's called "Impulse"where people did all kinds of horrible things because they couldn't supress these impulses.

You sound like a very unhappy person. If you don't want to be religious, fine then don't. It's your choice. I'll stick with my religion, thanks.

Answer 4

I understand where you're coming from, on one level, but on the whole, I disagree with your statements. I am a Roman Catholic, and don't feel superior to anybody, nor am I sanctimonious. I believe in God, but others choose not to believe, and that's their business. I interact daily with people who are on many different paths, including the path of skepticism, and I respect their choices. Yes, the Church has dogma, but that doesn't replace the need for an individual to practice ethical behavior. And sorry, but I don't suffer from a martyr complex.

Answer 5

We are just supposed to follow the laws of God.

It is so simple! He does not ask for so much!

You are making it to complicated!

Being a Christian does not make us better than anyone else.

If I chose to follow God, work hard, be honest, moral, fair, and peaceful, what does that hurt you?

Our society would be better off if we were all faithful (not fake) Christians.

No Crime, No Drugs, No Divorce, No Murder, No Rape, No Injustice, No Racism, No Hunger, No Problem!

Why is that a bad thing?

Natural Impulses are not Crushed out. Sinful impulses are.

Big difference.

Peace and God Bless you!

Answer 6

All man invented "religion" contains at least some of what you describe... however you clearly are directing your attack against The Christian ,what you think to be, "religion"... The True Christian Faith is not a man invented religion... and you have a very flawed understanding of True Christian Faith if you believe The Faith seeks to imposs any of what you state upon any one... there are those who seek to use the name Christian to do so... but to seek to impose dogma as you describe would be aginst the teaching of The Lord and Master of The Christian Faith.

I accept honest email questions concerning the basics of The True Christian Faith. Any honest seeker may ask.

Answer 7

So true, friend. However, some people thrive on it. Let them, they are only stifling themselves. My aunt is such a holy roller that she will not divorce this piece of $hit man she has been chained to for 17 years and enjoy the rest of her life in peace. She just puts up with it because divorce is forbidden according to the bible. She is so sad and wasted away, and has been very sick, and he treats her like crap. What a waste of life in the name of religion.

Answer 8

I assume from this question you feel there is some organization somewhere that has members that are free of bias? Don't think so. ALL people bring their personal bias to any interaction or difference of opinion. If you think you are not biased you have been affected by your personal bias and perception that you are superior to others.

Answer 9

I don't agree with your generalizations.The product of any religion is the spiritual upliftment of its' followers here and now. That requires some responsibility on the individual's part. We must approach God not with our minds but with our hearts. With the former we will experience concepts, with the latter, love.

Answer 10

I'm Catholic, but I don't consider that my religion. I follow the general customs and traditions but I generally rely on my heart which is where my faith comes from. It's much more reliable and it connects me personally to God.

Answer 11

Sexism, racism, nationalism, religous intolerance. These are false prides. And things we use to excuse the real problems
like loss of self-esteem, from the daily assaults on our sensibiltites by other human beings.