EvC Forum: Is religion good for us?

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Topic: Is religion good for us?

Jumped Up Chimpanzee

Member (Idle past 4967 days)

Posts: 572

From: UK

Joined: 10-22-2009

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Message 8 of 181 (576530)
08-24-2010 12:08 PM

Reply to: Message 1 by Dogmafood
08-23-2010 10:23 PM

I offer these examples,

-the Israel/Palestine conflict
-the sunni/shia conflict
-India/Pakistan conflict
-stem cell research in the USA
-the Texas board of education
-drug war/policy (this may be strictly economics hiding behind morals)
-quality of life for women in places like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan
-quality of life for anyone in places like Saudia Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan
-caste system in India
-seperate school board funding
-religion based terrorism
-the fact that I have to swear on the bible in a court room (whole truth my ass)
-Jehovas witnesses (granted they do provide entertainment value)
-religion based censorship/miseducation around the world (is that a word?)

When you put it all in a list like that, it's so easy to see how religion is used by the selfish and power-hungry to treat their fellow humans in the most appalling manner, while conveniently absolving themselves of all responsibility.

"Hey, it's not me who wants to bury you in the sand and stone you to death/blow up the plane you're in/deny you an education/condemn you to a life of servitude/deny you medical treatment/deny truth and justice. No, no. Oh no. You've got it wrong. It's not me. It's God. I'm just following orders."

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	Message 1 by Dogmafood, posted 08-23-2010 10:23 PM		Dogmafood has seen this message but not replied

Jumped Up Chimpanzee

Member (Idle past 4967 days)

Posts: 572

From: UK

Joined: 10-22-2009

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Message 44 of 181 (576699)
08-25-2010 7:38 AM

Reply to: Message 40 by archaeologist
08-25-2010 5:38 AM

if i were you i would be less worried about religious people and more worried about your own kind. wh do you think invents all those terrible weapons of war, mixes all those gases to be used in bombs, refines those poisons so spies and others can be eliminated without worry of being discovered and so much more...atheistic scientists that is who.

It's true that atheists and religious alike are responsible for war, murder, etc. But it does seem to be the case that people need some kind of excuse to commit atrocities. Religion is a prime example of this.

Religion is also quite unique in not just giving people a "justification" for committing an atrocity, but for often ensuring they are not subsequently dealt with by the normal process of justice, as in the following case of Father James Chesney.

Claudy bombing: The 'dark secret' Cardinal Conway took to his grave - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

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Jumped Up Chimpanzee

Member (Idle past 4967 days)

Posts: 572

From: UK

Joined: 10-22-2009

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Message 74 of 181 (577084)
08-27-2010 5:48 AM

Reply to: Message 72 by archaeologist
08-27-2010 4:29 AM

Re: Religion = Bonbons

your analogy fails for it assumes that the other person at the table is like-minded with you. with no morality, there is nothing stopping him from picking up the gun when you are not looking and shooting you to get the food you bought at the grocery store.

Ignoring the fact that you missed the point of the analogy, there is the likelihood that anyone shooting someone for some groceries would very likely end up in jail, lose their friends, family, possessions, and possibly even get killed themselves, which are pretty good reasons why the vast majority of people don't do things like that, and indeed why the vast majority aren't even inclined to think of doing so.

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	Message 72 by archaeologist, posted 08-27-2010 4:29 AM		archaeologist has not replied

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