Viewing Thread:
"If.."

..a (any) religion had none of the hypocritical rubbish such as dying for you faith etc, and co-existed happily with others and offered itself (in any of the forms) as a solace and flawless belief, would you join one?

If there was a religion that praised the universe in it's entirety, that wholly accepted evolution, that didn't judge people just for not adhering to certain rules, that praised the human spirit despite its imperfections, that accepted anyone no matter what their race or history, that didn't ask you to believe fantastical stories purely on faith, and without a shred of proof. Then yes.

That'll never happen.

There we go then.

*mumbles about clever runts*

Cyclone wrote:
> ..a (any) religion had none of the hypocritical rubbish such as dying
> for you faith etc, and co-existed happily with others and offered
> itself (in any of the forms) as a solace and flawless belief, would
> you join one?

What, you mean like Buddhism?

I find a view like that interesting - found in Blake's poetry, that if one has Love, Peace, Justice etc, then God is there - essentially, where there is human goodness, in you and your friends and family, then a god-type existence is there as well.

Ah good. I do agree with what Monkey Man says in that you don't really need a religion. As long as you can justify your own actions to your self, a God is unnecessary.

Blank wrote:
> By that do you mean I've misunderstood the question entirely? Please
> tell me if I have.

No, just I was reading it and it's kinda a stupid question, but you answered it correctly. Or rather in the correct sense.

I have faith in myself and my friends. That's all I need. But possibly a religion that worships lemon meringue might convert me. Mmmmm

By that do you mean I've misunderstood the question entirely? Please tell me if I have.

*Please note, I didn't really think about the wording of the question, so it could be a lot better.

No, I wouldn't.

Because all the religions tell you different things. Some say it's wrong to eat certain types of meat, others say it's wrong to wash in stagnant water, others say you can't cut certain bits of your hair etc...

And this is basically rubbish. But if all that was forgotten about, I still wouldn't. Because all of them say that a different God or set of gods exist. If I did, one day, come to believe that there is or could be some all knowing, all powerful one up there somewhere, which at the moment I can't envisage happening, then which god would I believe in? How would you choose? And surely the very fact that you have to choose means that one isn't necessarily true over the others, and therefore doesn't really exist as they are supposed to?

I agree with many of the day to day aspects of religions - I don't really have a qualm with not covetting my neighbour's ass, not stealing, committing murder etc. These values I don't have a problem with. But it's the way religions make people do these things that I take offence at. "Do this or you'll go to Hell"..."Do this or you'll come back as a tree". It's scare tactics. It's not promoting a good society at all, it's a dictatorship.

And the irrelevancies, such as those named above, not eating from sunrise to sunset etc are just the icing on the cake.