Religion

[MrBishop]

Oh yeah, the outdoors thing was more a reference to lifestyle rather than location, living directly off the land rather than through trade.

It wouldn't work anymore with the population explosion that we've had over the past 500 years or so. The land would get 'tired' and stop producing, but I get the idea.

You mentioned that in China's case...that religion would play a positive aspect. Does this mean that you consider religion more as a stepping-stone towards modern society as opposed to a continual background presence?

I agree with you that Christianity could have done jsut as well without it's views on both sexuality and gender-roles. This is why I work for the Anglican church, which is similar enough to Roman Catholicism as to be the same religion, but with core changes in place.

Priests can marry and have children, Priests can be women (Equality in the eyes of God), and... Priests can be Gay (Though, not openly practicing) - No Frenching in teh aisles after service

If I may ask a question...there's no need to answer it if you prefer not to, but:

If you had faith at some point in your life (Perhaps only as a child), did any particular event occur to make you lose your faith, or did it merely evaporate and be replaced with something else?

 

[ris]

i was raised a catholic but stopped practicing regularly at around the age of 14. the last few years have seen my christian faith wane strongly, and i read an interesting newspaper article last year that made me realise that i had become and should accept my atheism.

 

[a13antichrist]

You mentioned that in China's case...that religion would play a positive aspect. Does this mean that you consider religion more as a stepping-stone towards modern society as opposed to a continual background presence?

Well what I said was that the more advanced societies seem to be the ones under the hand of Religion, and in particular Christianity, whereas more "slow-moving" societies generally have had very little exposure to it. I do think it's an interesting correlation but I wouldn't go as far as to behold Christianity as "that-to-which-we-owe-our-mordernity". I did agree with you earlier though on your point corncerning certain positive benefits religion has had on society.

There was no one event that made me refute the idea. When I was 11 I decided to "become" a Christian, and I was proud of that. That lasted about three weeks and later on I sorta lost interest. Got re-motivated a few months later and this time actually got around to reading a large chunk of the bible, around 80% of the Old Testament I would say. Looking back on it I would have to say that it did appear to me to be more of a game than anything to do with belief. I guess the revolt came because that was about the time I started thinking critically about myself and others, existence, and truth. Religion never had a chance. It's now shut away in the same box as Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.

I guess you could say that Religion is to society what Santa Claus is to a child. We still throw out that idea once the kid reaches a certain age, don't we?

 

[Justintime]

i was raised a catholic but stopped practicing regularly at around the age of 14. the last few years have seen my christian faith wane strongly, and i read an interesting newspaper article last year that made me realise that i had become and should accept my atheism.

Welcome..brother.

 

[Shadowfax]

same here....


one thing i strongly hope is that after i die, there is nothing

 

[ris]

Welcome..brother.

amen brother, can i get a halleluia?

 

[Justintime]

We don't say halleluia around here.. are you sure you're not a catholick spy?

 

[chcr]

Do you guys get the newsletter and secret decoder ring?

 

[MrBishop]

A13- I would say that it's fairly generational now. The congregations and true believers are ageing, and they failed to drag their children to church. Their grandchildren are less liable to come to church. It's a shame really.

Much like exposure to the sciences, I feel that a certain amount of exposure to religion should be given to children, not in an effort to convert them, but rather to educate them. That is to say, that the more information that you have, the easier it would be to make an intelligent pro/con decision regarding their beliefs. Religious education in schools is anachronistic, as is teachers who are nuns/priests etc... I had precious little christian education and had to seek it out when I was older in order to make my own agnostic decision.

Learn everything that you can, use what you want, discard the rest.

 

[MrBishop]

Do you guys get the newsletter and secret decoder ring?

Shhh!!! DO you want everyone to know!!?! Then everyone will become agnostics and aethiests and we'll have to sell all those churches!

 

[Justintime]

Yup, we own the churches mosques and temples, so all you 'believers' actually contribute to our organization and we get rich off you

 

[chcr]

A13- I would say that it's fairly generational now.

That's certainly part of it. Part is people not believing everything they're told. As I've said before, religion has outlived it's usefulness to society.

*Proudly disbelieving since 1969*

 

[MrBishop]

This is soo funny, and relavant

 

[freako104]

That's certainly part of it. Part is people not believing everything they're told. As I've said before, religion has outlived it's usefulness to society.

*Proudly disbelieving since 1969*

did it ever truly have a use? dont get me wrong but some people will want to live their lives by it and what morals it teaches but not everyone. its more useful to an individual than it is to society.

bish

 

[rrfield]

Someday, someday, this crazy world will have to end,
And our God will take things back that He to us did lend.
And if, on that sad day, you want to scold our God,
Why just go ahead and scold Him. He'll just smile and nod.