Your Opinion on Religion?

Question

Just wondering what everyone thought. I am not religious...so I am not asking for a lecture. I would just appreciate some feedback.
Maybe the pros and cons of religion...

I was raised christian...I just stopped believing...

I was just thinking about how much global conflict religion (organized) has caused....

Thanks for the comments!!!

Answer 1

I personally don't think there are a lot of pros. For the most part, I think that organized religion is the cause of a lot of the world's problems.

Answer 2

Pros: Everybody and I mean everybody hits a point in their life where faith in a higher power can make the person feel like they are in control somewhat of a situation that they have no control over i.e. a loved one with a terminal illness or a natural disaster.

Cons: People who believe too much into religion are easily manipulated by it. That is why most religions have an "all or nothing" attitutde to be part of the faith.

.....just one example of each, but you said you didnt want a lecture.

Answer 3

Religion is not for you as you don't want to be lectured. Religion is more or less a social club where like minded people go once a week and listen to some one who is paid to give a speech on dos and don'ts. What you get out of that is a basic understanding that if you believe in someone he will save your soul but it will be for a price. I don't believe in any organized religion myself but do believe in some one up there who watches our every move and we are rewarded for good deeds and punished for bad deeds.

Answer 4

I am wondering what you mean by religion?

People draw a great deal of certainty and comfort from being part of or believing in a religion.

Maybe if more importance the basis of their belief will be in God and that is a powerful and life changing thing.

The cons of religion ? It has been used to control small groups and entire nations both morally and legally.

I will state my position so you know where i am coming from. I am a Christian and attend a protestant Christian church.

Hope this helps..

Peter

Answer 5

For what its worth I am an agnostic, so my view of religion is rather mixed and I understand you not wanting a lecture, so here is my two cents:
Religion is more than belief, it is a social bond with others. I see the strength in such a belief system. I found that people that seemed to belong to Unitarian churches are more objective and compromising than most organized religions. Living in Israel has taught me to watch for those that close themselves off from others. I saw and still see the Israelis and Palestinians religious people that closed themselves off from each other, for the sake of their own peoples, so that social bond, in my opinion is a double edged. weapon. Does that help any?

Answer 6

I think it can do wonders for those who believe;it can give them hope, direction and strength (which I think comes from within ultimately).On the down side, it may hinder ones ability to incorporate original thought and ideas(I take notice of this when you ask a question and get a biblical quote instead of an actual answer).

I personally don't care for religion. For me, it seems too much power has been vested into it historically and presently. It binds by fear hidden behind a loving sheath and can limit curiosity, questioning, and creativity. This, of course, is only my opinion.

Answer 7

Religion is based on faith. If it can make someone a better person, bring them happiness, give them comfort in hard times, improve their relationships with others and give them the oneness of a community, them it is right where that person belongs. I am not a religious person myself as I do not have the need for a religion to live my life with love and compassion for my fellow human beings on a global scale. For me religion places too many walls in fromt of me and that would separate me from all of that.

Answer 8

I believe strongly in personal beliefs, not organized religion. I think that people should take from life what they will and create their own philosophy of life and choose how they will live accordingly. It is crazy to live your life because some book tells you that's the way it is or because that's the way lives in your family have always been lived. I think that if everyone truly knew themselves and trusted that what they believe is all they need in this life, the world would be better off.

Answer 9

I am a very devoted christian and I love God very much. I am not really a "pusher" on religion and all but religion is meant to convince people your right or you will have to go to hell or w/e the religions consequences are for not believing in that certain religion. So I think when people say that a certain religion is to "pushy", it's bull because that's what there suppose to do before a certain period of time, before it's to late for ones humanity. But it is ones choice to choose and I think people should respect that but don't expect them not to try to convince you. Well I just know that God is real and I have the holy spirit in me and he changed my life. For my religion if you do not say the prayer of salvation through heart and words for savior then you will go to hell and if you do then you will go to heaven. I believe in sin and that Jesus also died on the cross for us. Nobody could convince me otherwise :)

Answer 10

Many people misunderstand the implications of religion. One look at everything God has ever said shows him to be a hypocrite, a liar, a fiend, and an obnoxious bully. He follows the model of the abusive parent, extorting worship from followers in exchange (supposedly) for his not obliterating them, belittling and denigrating people into believing they are low and worthless, and then blaming people for things he is the cause of!

The constant unanswered question of theology is "If God is good, why is there evil and suffering in the world?" Theologists come up with twisted contorted answers to try to MAKE God good despite the clear fact that he cannot be. The obvious answer to the question is that it makes no sense that this would be so, thus the premise ("if God is good") is flawed.

God erroneously describes himself as benevolent, but he defines what is good based on his own whims, often at our expense. He takes credit for creating all that is good, but all that is evil he blames on a fictitious patsy he calls Satan, or (worse) on us. A God claiming to be all powerful but who is not held accountable for evil is clearly a responsibility-shirking liar.

Note that despite his claim to be a "creator," he has never actually created anything. He is not a creator but divider; note how in his own words his acts of "creation" have him dividing and separating things (and people) from each other. For centuries, he has told disparate groups of people that THEY are his chosen ones, that THEY alone have got it right, leading them all to feel justified in perpetrating violence in his name.

Clearly this is what he wants: to see us dividied, separated from each other, at each other's throats. This is why he "predicts" (i.e., instigates) an Armageddon in which we will destroy each other in his name, after which he will lay blame on US for what happened.

What can we do to stop this? Clearly he feeds on our worship, he needs our supplication and devotion to energize him. If we shirk centuries of abusive religious indoctrination and deny him this feeding frenzy, perhaps we will prevent him from realizing his dream of destroying us and blaming us for the result. Perhaps he will wither into a desiccated nothing. We can only hope..........