"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do"
"ERROR: Error Code Does Not Indicate An Error"
"ERROR: Error Code Does Not Indicate An Error"
Seems to me that people's beliefs (whether you wish to call it faith or religion, or not) is the only guiding force people truly have aside from their emotions. Without the ability to at least hope for something better, mankind would be no better than the shooter whose acts we abhor. Yes, there are many different beliefs. Yes, there are many different religions, even among Christianity. And yes, some of them can truly get on one's nerves.
But, the main thing is that, though you can do away with religion, you cannot do away with belief. It is through belief that a better day is sought, and that changes and innovations are made. Without it, there is no vision for the future, but only the here and now, and only what satisfies the desires of one's heart. And yet, isn't desire still governed by the belief in what will make the heart happy?
The laws of this land were founded based on religious beliefs as well as hoping that things could be different, could be better. A great many of the freedoms we enjoy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc., are a byproduct of religion. Therefore, to undermine religion would be to also undermine the Constitution, which in turn would undermine the very fabric of society.
In short, religion is not something to devalue. In some ways, it's the glue that holds society together.
Hammerhead
But, the main thing is that, though you can do away with religion, you cannot do away with belief. It is through belief that a better day is sought, and that changes and innovations are made. Without it, there is no vision for the future, but only the here and now, and only what satisfies the desires of one's heart. And yet, isn't desire still governed by the belief in what will make the heart happy?
The laws of this land were founded based on religious beliefs as well as hoping that things could be different, could be better. A great many of the freedoms we enjoy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc., are a byproduct of religion. Therefore, to undermine religion would be to also undermine the Constitution, which in turn would undermine the very fabric of society.
In short, religion is not something to devalue. In some ways, it's the glue that holds society together.
Hammerhead
This is where arguments can arise... It is also a possibility that Religion is what has kept us separated and divided... Religion is what has made some groups think that they are better than others... Lets take America's latest turmoil for example... The Gay and Lesbians rights... I think most of us will agree that they are people like anyone else, so therefore they are due equal rights as everyone else, be whatever those rights are... But Religion constantly stands and protests saying that these people should be exterminated and wiped from the earth, thus continuing to Divide people...Hammerhead wrote:In short, religion is not something to devalue. In some ways, it's the glue that holds society together.
Religion has been doing this for centuries... If it is not one group that isn't good enough for them than it is another... More blood has been spilled in the name of god than for any other reason... Why, because one religion thinks it is better than another, so they must do what religion does and try to conquer and separate its "good" people from the "bad"... And who is it that determines who are the "good" and "bad" people, the religious people of course...
The laws of this land were not based on religion... The people coming to this Country came here seeking a life away from religion... Religion followed people over and for the longest time practiced out of tents... Yes, in the Constitution the "Right To Religious Freedom" was put in, along with many other "Rights", that doesn't mean Religion must continue...
The only way Religion would Unite us is if Everyone believed in the same exact thing and lived by the same exact set of rules put in place by that religion... Given our nature, that will never happen...
I have to agree with Jim here, Religion must come to an end at some point so that people will finally wake up and realize that we are one group, Human Beings, and as a group we must strive to better ourselves...Jim the old guy wrote:Which brings us to point two: religion has had its day. As impossible as this may seem, religion will come to a well-deserved horrific end in the near future.
Apologies if I have upset anyone...
The Paved Straight Road, Won't Always Get You Farther Than The Winding Dirt Road...
Can You Run Your Game??? Click Here And Find Out...
*Note, Not All Games Have Been Tested & Therefore May Not Be Listed...
Can You Run Your Game??? Click Here And Find Out...
*Note, Not All Games Have Been Tested & Therefore May Not Be Listed...
History is on Jim's side on this, though. I don't think there are that many Zeus or Aten worshipers out there. The fact that the current christian religion might be the fabric of this empire doesn't mean that what is will always be. Just like we'd be foolish to expect our respective countries to geographically remain as they are, until the end of days.
I don't see Canada going anywhere now, and it probably won't change in my lifetime. But the one sure thing, besides my own death, is that it will not remain as is forever.
You would be very harpressed to find a true christian in Quebec anymore. What's more, I've noticed that Muslim immigrants in Montreal, while physically displaying their religion for all to see, are individually becoming less religious the longer they remain away from their home country. The fact that we are not in the least a religious state, and that we have collectively cast Christianity aside in the 1960's appears to have a contagious effect on other religions being exposed to full-on atheism. In two or three generations, you will not find any Muslim in this province, no matter how many mosques the imams keep on building in the neighbourhood.
For political reasons many worshipers have cast aside multiple gods in favor of the uni-god theory. There is probably a next logical step to this, and religious extinction is one of the possibilities. But whatever the outcome is, don't expect the world to become more religious than it has been in the past. If the world becomes a more hostile place, no one will collectively suggest to leave our fate in the hands of a god anymore. If it suddenly gets better, very few will thank a god for it.
I can't imagine a new religion being born today, and taken seriously enough to gather followers for the next thousand years. It will not get the jumpstart it needs to go down in history. Any new movement today would be seen as a sect, one way or the other. I know we like to say history repeats itself, but we will never collectively forget what we've learned. Contrary to the days of extinct civilisations with lost knowledge, there are just too many of us, with too much free recorded information, to lose it all. Wherever we are going, we're not going back, for better or worse.
I don't see Canada going anywhere now, and it probably won't change in my lifetime. But the one sure thing, besides my own death, is that it will not remain as is forever.
You would be very harpressed to find a true christian in Quebec anymore. What's more, I've noticed that Muslim immigrants in Montreal, while physically displaying their religion for all to see, are individually becoming less religious the longer they remain away from their home country. The fact that we are not in the least a religious state, and that we have collectively cast Christianity aside in the 1960's appears to have a contagious effect on other religions being exposed to full-on atheism. In two or three generations, you will not find any Muslim in this province, no matter how many mosques the imams keep on building in the neighbourhood.
For political reasons many worshipers have cast aside multiple gods in favor of the uni-god theory. There is probably a next logical step to this, and religious extinction is one of the possibilities. But whatever the outcome is, don't expect the world to become more religious than it has been in the past. If the world becomes a more hostile place, no one will collectively suggest to leave our fate in the hands of a god anymore. If it suddenly gets better, very few will thank a god for it.
I can't imagine a new religion being born today, and taken seriously enough to gather followers for the next thousand years. It will not get the jumpstart it needs to go down in history. Any new movement today would be seen as a sect, one way or the other. I know we like to say history repeats itself, but we will never collectively forget what we've learned. Contrary to the days of extinct civilisations with lost knowledge, there are just too many of us, with too much free recorded information, to lose it all. Wherever we are going, we're not going back, for better or worse.
Part-Time Nomad
Here's a novel idea, then - that all religions are wrong, that we know still next to nothing about why we're here or how everything works; but as long as we can be excellent to each other, we'll work it out in due course. There's nothing to fear.
And anybody who convinces you there is something to fear, has their eyes on your wallet.
I'll say that again. Be not afraid. There is no reason to be.
-Fred
And anybody who convinces you there is something to fear, has their eyes on your wallet.
I'll say that again. Be not afraid. There is no reason to be.
-Fred
Pirates, vampires, zombies, ninjas, ghouls, aliens, goblins, monsters, robots, sorcerers, undead, werewolves, demons, mutated dinosaur-cyborgs and those pesky phone salesmen! The shotgun is a one-size-fits-all solution!
I like Fred's idea here.
We just don't know enough of what there actually is and people have tried to explain the unknown via religion and somehow we have maintained these ideas and ideals even though now we know more to explain a lot of these things.
I am not saying that religion doesn't teach a good moral compass. There are plenty of things that religions teach that should be part of everyone's lives... ie though shall not commit murder, though shall not steal, etc. But we have to look at it for what it is. Obviously some of it may have happened, and as we know.... some of it may have not.
The creation story is what it is... A story. There is just too much scientific evidence to state otherwise. The great flood? There is scientific evidence there was a flood.... the whole world ? no. Science shows that only most of the known world at the time was flooded, so to them, it seemed like the whole world.
This is just some of the things science has shown us.
We still do not know the whole inner workings of the universe, and until we do, we do not know what there is afterwards. There definitely may be something, but no one knows for sure what that is. Something had to have started the Big Bang, and that is where I stand.
Until we know everything, no one or religion can say what is in the next life.
The unknown the pursuit of that knowledge is what will push us into the future. Religion, in some way, could hold us back, if thought of to be actual proven fact. It could be an explanation that we sit on complacently, instead of actually pursuing what we truly don't know.
I think what we all need to do is just live our lives as good as we can.... make the most of the time you have left.
I tried to take a non biased approach here of not knowing, as to try and not offend anyone.
my 2 cents.
We just don't know enough of what there actually is and people have tried to explain the unknown via religion and somehow we have maintained these ideas and ideals even though now we know more to explain a lot of these things.
I am not saying that religion doesn't teach a good moral compass. There are plenty of things that religions teach that should be part of everyone's lives... ie though shall not commit murder, though shall not steal, etc. But we have to look at it for what it is. Obviously some of it may have happened, and as we know.... some of it may have not.
The creation story is what it is... A story. There is just too much scientific evidence to state otherwise. The great flood? There is scientific evidence there was a flood.... the whole world ? no. Science shows that only most of the known world at the time was flooded, so to them, it seemed like the whole world.
This is just some of the things science has shown us.
We still do not know the whole inner workings of the universe, and until we do, we do not know what there is afterwards. There definitely may be something, but no one knows for sure what that is. Something had to have started the Big Bang, and that is where I stand.
Until we know everything, no one or religion can say what is in the next life.
The unknown the pursuit of that knowledge is what will push us into the future. Religion, in some way, could hold us back, if thought of to be actual proven fact. It could be an explanation that we sit on complacently, instead of actually pursuing what we truly don't know.
I think what we all need to do is just live our lives as good as we can.... make the most of the time you have left.
I tried to take a non biased approach here of not knowing, as to try and not offend anyone.
my 2 cents.
Matt
