Im not going to shit on anyones religion, but if you need some 2000 year old fairy tale to keep your morality in check then you are weak minded. I can see how someone wants to keep some kind of faith and believe in something, but looking at what is established, its hard to understand why. IMO Christianity, Islam and Judaism are almost all the same. They believe in the same good, just different prophets.

I would like to add something to this comment: science has done more for us in a few centuries than religion has since its inception at the dawn of our evolution as an organized species. This, I believe, is reason enough to adopt a more agnostic approach to everything of a spiritual nature.

what kinds of things has science done to improve us as a people.

food, medicine, housing, education oOo:

what has faith in god given us?

You can't seriously be asking...

A browser error destroyed a post I was making as addendum to my earlier reply and I'm too lazy to re-do it. Succintly put, religion has been an impediment to our progress as a species and it has to end now.

Galileo said it best: "I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." We should be free to investigate matters of potential importance without the restrictions of unquestioning and feeble-minded people who lack the foresight to realize what's really in their best interest. Your doctrines are nothing more than a thorn in humanity's side.

Religion causes nothing but fustration amongst people, it does nothing to help our world and make it a better place, if anything its destroyed it, religion and church give people fear.

+1 for Jin

Religion is good. If you want to get rid of it, you are being just like the people you hate. Many of you criticize people for not letting people have freedoms you think they should have, ie homosexual marriage, but then you say religion shouldn't be allowed, can you not see the double standard?

I don't see the problem with religion, if it gives people hope, fantastic, if it makes them better people, even better, but I don't think it's being forced down anyone's throat. If you think that people are forcing religion upon you, ignore it, just as I ignore people telling me things I don't beleive (ie MTV, other societal motivators).

Also, i think you need to pause and think why people are trying to convert other people, it's not to have an empire on their religion, it's to help the people they are trying to convert. By trying to get you to beleive in their religion, beleivers are trying to help you escape the bad things they think are going to happen to you, therefore, they're only trying to help you to a better life, so why get angry at people for caring for you? If you don't want their advice or help, ignore it! But don't feel so hostile and try to eliminate something they have a right to beleive, especially if they beleive they are helping you.

[quote:5d9ef]
We should be free to investigate matters of potential importance without the restrictions of unquestioning and feeble-minded people who lack the foresight to realize what's really in their best interest. Your doctrines are nothing more than a thorn in humanity's side.[/quote:5d9ef]

Who are you to know what's in everyone's best interest?

I'll let you rethink that statement before I go into a hissy fit.

lol

You can hate me all you want but in the end, I'm usually right on the money. As for religion being useful to weaker minds regarding its ability to give faith and suggest proper behavior ? One does not need labels OR any belief systems to have his own ideas about the possibility of a creational force, nor is it necessary to expand on the golden rule: lack of imagination should not be a tool used to restrict the rest of us in our important endeavors.

it would be fine without the damn extremist muslics/islam terrorist that believes all non-believes are infidels and we must die. fuck that shit, they need to die for thinking that

[quote:97333]You can hate me all you want but in the end, I'm usually right on the money.[/quote:97333]

Huh? Talk about being concieted. Right on the money? How is the destruction of religion "right on the money". I mean, I'm not hardcore Christian, I don't even know if I believe but to say destroying religion will help us and that you're "right on the money" is sickening.

Generally, i would be the one bashing religion, but I will play devils advocate this time around. Religion can be a good thing, if you are being reasonable/rational. It gives people something to believe in. Something to hope for. In some cases, it even negates a persons fear of death. It helps people get on with their lives after losing a cherished friend, or a loved one. Religion hasn't really done things to improve society as a whole, but it has done things to improve people, as indivisuals. Personally, i do not believe in god. I prefer taoism to any of the 3 major monotheistic religions because it makes more sense, and there is some evidence to support it. But that is my choice.

If people want to believe in god, let them. If it helps them in even the smallest way, let them. However, what I do have a problem with is when religious people start mixing politics with religion, and doing things like halting stem cell research. My take on it is simple. You don't like stem cells? Dont use them. That should not stop other people from having the right to choose though.

Basically, I think the "anti religion" people don't really have a problem with peopling believe what they want, they just don't like the fact that the people are taking their views with them into the political field. Religion should stay an indivisual thing, and one persons religious beliefs should not affect the country which he/she rules/helps rule.

TK-423 I have to disagree. Solidus is right on the money when it comes to improving society as a whole, because fact is, like it or not, religion is slowing down our progress. For hundreds of years the Church persecuted has brutally killed scientists/researchers for daring to challenge the church's views. Is that not sickening as well? Without religion, there would be a lot less wars, and substantially more people would be thinking thinking rationally.

Religion isn't about peace and love, it's about Jesus with an M-16 and a chip on his shoulder.