Skate
newbie
Reged: 05/23/04
Posts: 39
Loc: Ohio, U.S.
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I'm not denying that religion causes violence. But I think that had we not had religion, there would be more violence. Perhaps not on such great scales as it was on 9/11, but many of our morals today come from religion. Perhaps people aren't afraid of going to hell, but rather they don't want to sin. I know there are other reasons for not commiting murder, but I think that religion helped that reason. A murderer is going to murder, regardless of religion or law, but that's not my point. My point is that more people will not commit crimes becuase they think it is wrong. I think religion HELPED define those boundries and laws.
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Gefilte3fish
stranger
Reged: 12/06/03
Posts: 12
Loc: TN, USA
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Quote:
Sumer said:
...without religion there would be no wars...
I disagree. I think that although religion is one major cause of wars, it isn't the only one. People find other things to fight about.
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Arguing over Religion is like arguing over who has a better imaginary friend.-Comedy central
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AAnnAArchy
Gifted Procrastinator
Reged: 10/20/03
Posts: 643
Loc: Las Vegas
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Skate <<I think religion HELPED define those boundries and laws.>>
I think that people who didn't want to live in chaos came up with laws. Any society, with or without religion will end up with their own definitions of right and wrong. Some countries think eating cats and dogs is okay, in the US, it isn't okay. That isn't based on religion.
My opinion is, religion serves no purpose except to give people excuses for their behavior ("The bible said so") or as a crutch ("If I pray, everything will be okay") - I don't believe in anything, yet I'm perfectly able to manage to not steal, kill anyone or make illegal u-turns.
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Skate
newbie
Reged: 05/23/04
Posts: 39
Loc: Ohio, U.S.
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You don't kill because you have no need to. Imagine if, in the beggining, there was no religion. In that time there were probably no laws either. People lived by what they thought, if they had to kill someone to get food they would do it. I think, for each society itself, religion helped create bounds, moral rights and wrongs, ect...
I never said tht religion created these all by itself. It was the help of human minds that made these connections between what we call right and wrong. I mearly think religion helped push people in the right directoin. MOST religions have a clear definition of right and wrong, it mearly helped people decide, and then ultimatly take action. It's just my idea is all, I never said anyone had to agree.
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Nichee
stranger
Reged: 05/25/04
Posts: 6
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Quote:
AAnnAArchy said:
Would you rather live in a world without religion…or a world without science?
Although I would prefer to live in the world we do with both, I would have to pick a world without science.
While science can prove more (and will continue to do so with each new finding) than religion, science cannot inspire me to want to be a better and more compassionate person.
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AAnnAArchy
Gifted Procrastinator
Reged: 10/20/03
Posts: 643
Loc: Las Vegas
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That's interesting - I don't need science or religion to inspire me to be a better person. The joy of just being nice to others is enough for me. I don't believe in any religion (I'm a cultural Jew, but completely non-religious), I don't believe in any gods and yet, I somehow manage to be nice to others, rescue unwanted animals, donate money to charity, etc. Why do you need religion to inspire you to do those things?
I want science around to explain things to me that I'm not smart enough to figure out on my own. How the human body works, how the planets are aligned, how fossils got where they are, how a microwave can make such delicious popcorn without the mess.
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Skate
newbie
Reged: 05/23/04
Posts: 39
Loc: Ohio, U.S.
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Lol, I know what you mean AAnn, but some people need different things. Sometimes a little push, like religion, can help people be better. Some people need it some people don't. I just have fun argueing and viewing religions, I just don't beleive anything in particular. I don't know if ther is a god or not, so I don't spend time trying to figure it out, I spend time discussing why there might be, or why there might not be. I don't care either way.
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Nichee
stranger
Reged: 05/25/04
Posts: 6
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Quote:
AAnnAArchy said:
Why do you need religion to inspire you to do those things?
Hi Ann. I never said I needed religion to inspire me to do right, just that it can. I'm not sure science can do that. I don't think so. So, pressed into choosing, I would choose religion.
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Skate
newbie
Reged: 05/23/04
Posts: 39
Loc: Ohio, U.S.
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Inspiration can come from anything. If something in science told you to do good deeds you would. Like perhaps, Helping an old lady cross a cross walk without getting hit is scientifically proven to make you feel better, than there is your insperation for doing it. Insperation is what you take from things, it isn't created by anything but your mind.
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Sephia
Supreme Goddess
Reged: 11/28/03
Posts: 876
Loc: MA, USA
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What came first: the morals or religion? If religion made the morals, then it's necessary, but, if all it did was put them all in one book, then it isn't. Personally, I think that morals can be followed without the necessity of faith in any religious ideals. However, said ideals may help--they are a reason to be a good person.
I'll agree that not many would say, "Well, I would have killed so-and-so but I'm scared of hell" but there are many whose beliefs inspire them to be better.
I think that religion is a human invention and as such, is constantly twisted by humans. No suicide bomber pulled the trigger thinking God was not on his side.
Religion, in some shape or form, is justification, is a conscience, and is a comfortor, or any combination thereof.
I think I can live w/o science, but without any belief? no. The world is not such a wonderul place that one can survive without hope.
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"Your life is yours alone, rise up and live it" ~Terry Goodkind
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