point of religion?

Question

I don't understand the need for religion. Religion makes God look bad, makes people against other people. Most published bibles today are not even the original bible but mere interpritations. How do we know that what we are reading now isnt all just something changed over and over back 500 years ago. This isn't a debate whether god exists or not but more the reason for organized religion. Wouldn't the world be better off without it and allow everyone to worship for themselves?

Answer 1

yes I think it would be better if we could all walk our own spiritual path, which is why I am pagan, it allows me to do just that

Answer 2

False religion DOES make God look bad.
True religion praises him.
If they worshipped for themselves...who would they choose?
Many today regard their local sports hero as a god.
Some regard money.
Some even regard Jesus as God...but he isn't.
John 5;19...he is God's son.
The Bible though has not changed. This can be seen when various translations are compared. The words might be different but the meaning remains.
check out BIBLEGATEWAY.COM for the range of translations. And especially Exodus 6;3....then Psalm 83;18.
God';s personal name [ JEHOVAH/ YHWY/ YaHWeH ] has been left out of some translations.
also compare the condition of the dead at Ecclesiastes 9; 5,6

God himself said the Bible would be protected from major changes.
Revelation 22; 18,19

Answer 3

The Abrahamic faiths do paint a nasty and angry picture of God in some situations, I will give you that. There are many more that do not paint such a picture. Religion is not NEEDED by all, but it is WANTED by most. I like my religion, it serves as an example for which to live my life as a decent human being, which can be handy because it is easy to fall into the habit of being an a*shole.......trust me, I know.


Kadijia?!?!? What are you doing here? You are usually in Cultures and Groups.

Answer 4

Certainly.

"Religion is the opiate of the people."

Though that quote is from the father of communism, something I don't subscribe to as I am a pure capitalist at heart and all for free society, it speaks volumes of truth.Religion plays on peoples fears and plays on the need that people have for blind obedience mixed with enforcing their own superiority complexes.Without religion and without conversion through persuasion, people could truly be free to believe or not to believe and society would be better for it.But that probably will never happen because of that quote I mentioned pretty much tells the truth and the truth is that something as addictive as religion is a habit people would rather kill for then give up.Which is why Utopia will never be realized.

Answer 5

The problem is not God, the problem is religion. Religion causes a lot of turmoil in the world.

Answer 6

Because people like to have a religion.

Answer 7

The canon of the Old Testament that Catholics use is based on the text used by Alexandrian Jews, a version known as the "Septuagint" and which came into being around 280 B.C. as a translation of then existing texts from Hebrew into Greek by 72 Jewish scribes (the Torah was translated first, around 300 B.C., and the rest of Tanach was translated afterward).

The Septuagint is the Old Testament referred to in the Didache or "Doctrine of the Apostles" (first century Christian writings) and by Origen, Irenaeus of Lyons, Hippolytus, Tertullian, Cyprian of Carthage, Justin Martyr, St. Augustine and the vast majority of early Christians who referenced Scripture in their writings. The Epistle of Pope Clement, written in the first century, refers to the Books Ecclesiasticus and Wisdom, analyzed the book of Judith, and quotes sections of the book of Esther that were removed from Protestant Bibles.


In the 16th c., Luther, reacting to serious abuses and clerical corruption in the Latin Church, to his own heretical theological vision (see articles on sola scriptura and sola fide), and, frankly, to his own inner demons, removed those books from the canon that lent support to orthodox doctrine, relegating them to an appendix. Removed in this way were books that supported such things as prayers for the dead (Tobit 12:12; 2 Maccabees 12:39-45), Purgatory (Wisdom 3:1-7), intercession of dead saints (2 Maccabees 15:14), and intercession of angels as intermediaries (Tobit 12:12-15). Ultimately, the "Reformers" decided to ignore the canon determined by the Christian Councils of Hippo and Carthage.

The Latin Church in no way ignored the post-Temple rabbincal texts. Some Old Testament translations of the canon used by the Latin Church were also based in part on rabbinical translations, for example St. Jerome's 5th c. Latin translation of the Bible called the Vulgate.

The "Masoretic texts" refers to translations of the Old Testament made by rabbis between the 6th and 10th centuries; the phrase doesn't refer to ancient texts in the Hebrew language. Some people think that the Masoretic texts are the "original texts" and that, simply because they are in Hebrew, they are superior.

Some Protestants claim that the "Apocrypha" are not quoted in the New Testament so, therefore, they are not canonical.
Going by that standard of proof, we'd have to throw out Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Obadiah, Nahum, and Zephaniah because none of these Old Testament Books are quoted in the New Testament.


But there is a bigger lesson in all this confusion over not only the canon but proper translation of the canon , especially considering that even within the Catholic Church there have been differing opinions by individual theologians about the proper place of the deuterocanonicals (not that an individual theologian's opinions count for Magisterial teaching!).
The lesson, though, is this: relying on the "Bible alone" is a bad idea; we are not to rely solely on Sacred Scripture to understand Christ's message. While Scripture is "given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16-17), it is not sufficient for reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness.
It is the Church that is the "pillar and ground of Truth" (1 Timothy 3:15)!
Jesus did not come to write a book; He came to redeem us, and He founded a Sacramental Church through His apostles to show us the way.
It is to them, to the Church Fathers, to the Sacred Deposit of Faith, to the living Church that is guided by the Holy Spirit, and to Scripture that we must prayerfully look.

Answer 8

Good question... I sometimes wonder the same thing... The world would be better off if there wasn't organized religion.. As long as you believe..

Answer 9

good you are able to think so you can choose your path of life, but there are many people in this world who needs spoon feeding in every part of their life, so this word religion gives some solutions to them, it they are broad minded and can understand the sence of it they would take good things else they think very narrowly and create all sorts of things in the name of religion and its phrases.

good, long live humanity.

Answer 10

The purpose of authentic religion is to live according to divine truth, out of love for God and love for one another.

Here is a fairly modern translation of one of the earliest descriptions of the Christian faith, along with the practical reasons for it, plus some warnings for those who might misunderstand, or tend to take it too lightly:

1Ti 6:3 If anyone teaches false doctrine and refuses to agree with the healthy words of our Lord Jesus Christ and godly teaching,
1Ti 6:4 he is a conceited person and does not understand anything. He has an unhealthy craving for arguments and debates. This produces jealousy, rivalry, slander, evil suspicions,
1Ti 6:5 and incessant conflict between people who are depraved in mind and deprived of truth. They think that godliness is a way to make a profit.
1Ti 6:6 Of course, godliness with contentment does bring a great profit.
1Ti 6:7 For we did not bring anything into the world, and surely we cannot take anything out of it.
1Ti 6:8 So as long as we have food and clothes, we will be satisfied with these.
1Ti 6:9 But people who want to get rich keep toppling into temptation and are trapped by many stupid and harmful desires that plunge them into destruction and ruin.
1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with much pain.
1Ti 6:11 But you, man of God, must flee from all these things. Instead, you must pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness.
1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight for the faith. Keep your hold on eternal life, to which you were called and about which you gave a good testimony in front of many witnesses.
1Ti 6:13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and in the sight of Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, I solemnly charge you
1Ti 6:14 to keep this command stainless and blameless until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Ti 6:15 At the right time God will make him known. He is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
1Ti 6:16 He alone has endless life and lives in inaccessible light. No one has ever seen him, nor can anyone see him. Honor and eternal power belong to him! Amen.
1Ti 6:17 Tell those who are rich in the present world not to be arrogant and not to place their confidence in anything as uncertain as riches. Instead, let them place their confidence in God, who lavishly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
1Ti 6:18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, and to share.
1Ti 6:19 By doing this they store up a treasure for themselves that is a good foundation for the future, so that they can take hold of the life that is real.
1Ti 6:20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the pointless discussions and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge.
1Ti 6:21 Although some claim to have it, they have abandoned the faith. May grace be with all of you!

While you seem to be skeptical of the authenticity of the bible, I can assure you that this passage hasn't substantially changed in over 1900 years, and it is still 100% true today.

How would the world be better off without it? Do you think you could do any better, on your own? And if so, to what end?

Answer 11

How long would it be before people started worshiping themselves are other mortals just like before?