Is religion just a means of gaining power over people?

Question

I've been viewing questions on scientology and other cults/religions and to be honest, being totally athiest I cannot believe how many people devote their lives to what i think are lies created to gain power.

Please don't take offence I do respect everyones personal beliefs, I am just expressing mine. Christianity for an example, is pushed on most of us in the UK, if we don't believe in god, we're told we're going to hell.

All I can say is there were some very good conmen that knew an easy way to earn lots of money and have lots of people following them. All it takes is some easilly led people, a book of very tall tales(written by man!) and threats of "your going to hell" if you don't believe! Just look at the riches and power the vatican has from it all, is that not proof?

In conclusion I think we should just enjoy our life, we only have time for one, shouldn't we use it wisely? Spending hours praying, to me is a waste of time, lets just be bad and enjoy ourselves.

Answer 1

No, its a way of thanking the creator for all he has given you.

Answer 2

Yes some religions have used fear and coercion fundamentalist Islam does as did the Puritans and the Catholic church did in the past but that's not necessary the true reflection of the faith in fact in the case of the Catholic Church it was a minority who where literate distorting scripture like the Pharisees so the message of Christ was not heard. We also have had violent Atheist regimes like Nazism and Communism in fact there still are in China and North Korea where Christians are persecuted and driven underground . And lets not forget the intolerant rantings of Richard Dawkins the Atheist Fundamentalist who seems to be on a personal crusade . You state about living your life wisely but then say be bad and enjoy yourself ( excessive drinking? drug taking? promiscuous sex? ) here in Britain are moral and ethical culture was built on Christianity i would argue it restrained are selfish and self destructive appetites are legal and educational system where also started by the Church. Since the sixties the Secular Left have demolished the moral foundations and since then we have had an increase in VIOLENT CRIME, STDs, BROKEN MARRIAGES etc and we here from the Secular Left is excuses and sex education for 10 year olds . So who are the real conmen? the Cultural Revolution is supposed to of liberated us but society is living in fear and is ridden with crime and disorder so are we really civilised now? By the way a program you might like to watch if your British or have access is The Problem with Atheism on Channel 4 tonight 18th dec at 8 o clock.

Answer 3

Religion didn't used to mean faith, old eastern religion was about wisdom. In the words of Siddhartha Gotama in the Kalama Sutta, the Buddha pointed out the danger in fashioning one's beliefs merely on the following grounds: on hearsay, on tradition, because many others say it is so, on the authority of ancient scriptures, on the word of a supernatural being, or out of trust in one's teachers, elders, or priests. Instead one maintains an open mind and thoroughly investigates one's own experience of life.
You are talking Western religion that is a bad interpretation of Eastern religion. There is not dogmatic culture in Eastern religion.
Is not a question of faith. Is a question of awareness. Not because it was written in a book but because you know. Who you are? Are you a brain, a computer, an animal? Or are you an immortal spiritual being? Evidence? Scientist can't explain how you think! They have even given up in investigating this area. Man is far more intelligent than any computer and it has individuality and creativity. But the brain is far inferior than any computer. You can fit a thousand transistor in a brain cell. And transistors don't need food, oxygen and don't produce waist. Also brain cell are a poor conductor of electricity. Under modern theories the hard drive of the brain would be full in 2 months use. So the thinking unit of man can't be the brain!!!!
More evidence? Scientist can't explain the existance of the Universe or its creation. Scientist can't explain evolution. The theory of evolution can't explain the the creation of the eye and other intricate part of the body or the balance in nature. Life is intelligent and wise and design it self in a wise, intelligent and balanced way.You are a immortal spiritual being. Mind over matter not matter over mind. Believe in your soul and you can't lose. Believe that you are a brain and you already lost.
Faith is knowing not because it is in a book, you just know.
I realy can't see how can a man live a happy life with out faith. The I live only once phylosophy is sad and doomed phylosophy. Because you will die and there is no purpose in life with out faith.

Answer 4

I don't think religion is JUST a means of gaining power over people, but it's certainly used for that, and a number of other undesirable things as well.
I've been rather hot under the collar (well, it would be under the collar if one wore collars, here in tropical Townsville), over an answer I saw in reply to a Yahoo question a couple of days ago. The questioner was wondering if s/he should get a tattoo, and one reply said, "I believe that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and should therefore be left as close as possible to natural," or words to that effect. Now, if the person answering the question wants to believe that his/her body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, that's fine. But, is the Holy Spirit really going to object to someone adding a fresco (to continue the metaphor)?
At best, the reply was intellectually lazy, the writer was letting his/her pastor/priest (for others, add rabbi/mullah/imam), do his/her thinking for him.
At worst, the reply was dishonest, in that, if you check the Bible, it doesn't say anything about whether or not it is OK to get tattoos. The writer of the reply was attributing a claim to God that God never made.
If the replier had said, "I'm a member of the Reformed Calathumpian Congregation, and it is CUSTOMARY among us not to get tattoos (or piercings)," fair enough. [Vide also Moslems, and those bloody burqas: the Qu'ran does NOT require women to cover their heads, let alone wear a black sack.]
If the replier had said, "I don't like tattoos," then s/he would have been taking responsibility for his/her own beliefs and preferences.
I think there are many, many sincere believers of religion, who do get comfort & guidance from their beliefs, but I think there is, as you suggest, a real danger that those in charge use and manipulate those beliefs for their own ends.

Answer 5

1.We should just enjoy our life.

We don’t have a choice. Our human nature is a will to receive pleasure. Every desire that appears in me is based on the calculation that “by doing whatever I’m about to do, I will achieve more pleasure than if I were to just stay still and do nothing.”

2.Let’s just be bad and enjoy ourselves.

The thing is, you earlier defined religion as being only to serve the will to power—another form of pleasure—and thus have already defined it as bad. Meaning, people who go in that direction are doing no more or less bad than going in any other direction. Everybody is going in the same direction: Moving towards whatever I think will give me more pleasure than just staying where I am—and it’s different for each person.

Now since you’ve reached a dissatisfaction with religion, you now want to try something new, under the moral “let’s just be bad and enjoy ourselves.” So try it! The thing is, try to keep enjoying—that’s the task. If you find you can keep enjoying under this moral, then great! If you find that you just keep ending up in an empty space after each pleasure you fulfill, and that you’re actually not enjoying through all these efforts to find enjoyment, then that’s a problem.

There’s a short video about this on YouTube.com called “What Generates Movement?” It says that every movement we do is in order to receive pleasure, and that there is a hidden law in nature governing all this (like what’s in The Matrix). And to understand this law is beyond religion, and beyond the human mind to grasp. Here it is…enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX02Uc-KeW4

Answer 6

It all depends on what religion you are reffering to, but i would assume that a religion that is solely bent on controlling people is not actually right as the Bible says God gave free will, a right to choose between right and wrong hence no one should control anyone or force anyone into believeing it should be a personal decision from the heart according to what one believes and understands to be true regarding that particular religion.

Answer 7

Well I don't see how someone claiming "you are going to hell" creates any power in their favor. For instance, though I am a Christian and you an Atheist, I don't think I can usurp any power over, political or ecclesiastical. I don't like how many Christians say "you'll go to hell" in a tone like "ha! I'm going to heaven but you're going to hell!" ........ In truth Christians should be sad, not boastful. There's nothing good about someone going to hell, so I would not tell someone they are going there because that is the last place I want them to be, thus I certianly wouldn't tell them they are GOING to hell.

Answer 8

And don't forget - the majority of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Gnostic Gospels are held under lock&key in the Vatican - they won't let anyone look at them.

Why?

Answer 9

Well of course it is. There is no such thing as god - how COULD there be a god?

How could we worship a god who allows millions of innocent children every year to be beaten, starved, raped and tortured?

It's all about getting power over ordinary people. Only the ignorant and superstitious are taken in by all this drivel. And there are plenty of THEM.

Answer 10

yes it is. ever since christianity started, it's been used to control society. the way people think and what they do, by making them fear god. it might not work so much anymore, but a few hundred years ago it was the main feature of people's lives. the church was the best place to advertise and use propaganda.

end

Answer 11

being bad is wise ?
there are consequences for that even without religion .. so i dont think it is wise
i do agree that we should make the most of our lives though
and yes i believe in God , but i do feel that God would want us to do the same ... thats why we were given life , to experience it and enjoy it