I find that religeon is a product of ingorance, yet idealistic to our environment. Your views?

Question

Religeon is a way to keep people organized and in their place. It is also a way to promote social bonds i.e. church. But now that us humans are starting to get smarter and evolve into more intelligent beings, shouldn't we start to let go of it a little more? Those millions of drones commited to a vengeful superstition just goes to show that the human brain lusts for order, and someone (or in this case something) to dictate their lives. I would appreciate it if athiests and agnostic people would answer with your views on the subject.

Every one of the things that you mentioned can be explained by millions of years of evoulution. But no. The earth is only 7000 years old. Right, I find that concept incredibly believable.
(for those of you who did not notice, I was using sarcasm)

Answer 1

Religion will continue to exist as long as there are uncertainties and gaps in scientific knowledge.

The concept of God fills in those gaps for many people.

Many people cannot fathom the concept that science is continually searching for answers to questions about how and why our world functions.

Science does not have the answer for every question. Therefore, for many, God is the answer.

Answer 2

You wanted feedback from a totally NON-religios person? Well, here it is.

I am not sure I consider religion, per se, a "product of ignorance", but some of the directions it takes CERTAINLY are!
People have always tended to sense the existence and presence of something beyond the limits of physical reality and, for lack of any other interpretation, tried to explain it in terms of religion. Governments and other "institutions" hungry for power have always been quick to seize upon this and make the worst possible uses of it.

I happen to believe that what is REALLY being sensed is nothing more - or less - than our own expanded existence beyond the known physical limitations. However, it has been so tangled up in, interwoven with and buried under made-up "religious" significances, it is no wonder that people are confused and easily led into pre-packaged, organized "belief systems".
Churches and states, alike (and they ARE way TOO MUCH alike!) have taken advantage of this over the ages to firmly convince mankind that we cannot live civilized lives without THEIR direction. (Yet, in some societies - even today - that direction is rapidly leading AWAY from civilization and towards a resurgence in barbarism - just carried out with higher-tech weapons!)

I would be the first to say that we DO, INDEED, need positive direction in order to live civilized lives, but I see NO reason why that direction has to come from nebulous religious dictates. Why can we not live positive, productive, mutually helpful lives full of choices and actions that benefit eachother simply because this experience we call "life" goes better for everyone when we do - instead of doing it because some anthropomorphic being of cosmic proportions will condemn us to an eternity of unimaginable punishments if we don't?
Good behavior performed only under duress doesn't even qualify as good behavior (in my not very humble opinion), and can anyone think of more severe duress that THAT?

The unwelcome conclusion is, though, that most people are so unaware of their own spiritual nature that they have been conditioned into believing they NEED an artificial substitute for that awareness. (This creates the unfortunate illusion that we cannot have or practice "good [mutually beneficial] behavior" if it is not enforced by religious duress.) As long as that substitute is being supplied by the power-hungry special interests that have always controlled it and doled it out to the masses, it will remain a fertile ground for the kinds of disastrous and deadly misinterpretations we are seeing in some parts of the world today.

Answer 3

I agree with you. Religion is both good and bad. I always thought that religion is holding humanity from progress by limiting research. Embryonic stem cell research for example. There have been some great scientists in the past but because it was taboo to go against religious beliefs, some of their theories and discoveries weren't even brought to the table. We would probably have a cure for AIDS and other diseases if we just let scientist do what they have to do.

On the other hand, religion keeps a lot of people in check. It maintains order when needed and you can always count on church patrons to help you in a crisis. Some people even claim that "god" saved their life. In that case, I would say it's a good thing. Plus, if scientists could do anything they wanted, we would probably be extinct by now. I think religion also insures our survival....great question!

Answer 4

Some psychologists think that religion is a byproduct of evolution. Humans have highly developed cognitive functions which are an adaptation to our environment. Along with those functions religion appeared. It isn't an adaptation, but simply a byproduct.
Imagine you're building a house. You have to build a staircase to get to the top floor. When you've built the staircase you also get that empty space underneath it. You didn't want it and didn't plan to build it, but it was made in the process.

Answer 5

I appreciate your views and would like to express mine, although, I am Christian. I say live and let live. You are entitled to your opinion as is everyone else. It shouldn't bother you a bit what those of us who choose to believe are doing with our lives. Although, of course, I would like to encourage you to look around you at the miracles that cannot be explained such as the conception of a child, the way our bodies operate and heal themselves form wounds, our energies and emotions, nature. There is something much bigger than all of us out there and He is waiting for whoever wishes to join Him. Peace to you.

Answer 6

i don't think we humans are getting smarter. we just have more technology than we did in the past hundred years.

religion is not a product of ignorance. ignorance is your statement that humans are more intelligent than before. where did your evidence of more intelligence come in. a nonignorant or intelligent person would of done research to support their opinion.