What I Have to Say about Religion

Genkora

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(inspired by Ninva's signature)

I was Piscopalian (or however it's spelled) when I was younger. Baptised and everything. Then we went to a protestant church. So I was Protestant for a while. You won't believe what happened next, we moved on to a Catholic church. I dared not tell them I was Protestant in fear that they might do horrible things to me. After that I stopped going to church altogether and eventually decided, "I will Agnostic now." You know, like Agnostic was a verb or something.

It's hard you know? When people exclaim religious dogma and I have to think to myself, "Pfft, what a fool." It's a feeling of power, a feeling of superiority, that I, the thinker, the ponderer, am above this fool who eats said dogma from his parents. That the Atheists, so sure in their belief that you die and that in fact nothing happens after, are just as ludicrous as the dogmatic Catholics (I like saying dogma). I am a true human I think! A true human who does not allow their belief to be molded by the media, to instead let the Universe flow in its mysterious ways, and that the only way to know what happens after death is to die.

So what exactly I have to say about religion, is not what I have incinuated thus far. If any catagory were to define me best, still it would be Agnostic, but now I understand that religion is not the belief in god, nor is it a faith in anything particular. Religion, with all the skin peeled off, is just an obsession with a motive. The global warming arguement, that is a religion. The constant pursuit of love, that is a religion. The inherent nature of humans to avoid any sort of conflict, that is a religion, albeit a complex one.

So now you know, tell your friends and family what exactly it is, that I have to say about religion.

on a side note, I think "That is a religion," and, "An obsession with a motive," would be awesome phrases to have on T-shirts.
 

Ninva

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Haha, I like this a lot. :thup:

I think I'm going to get a T-Shirt that says that phrase now.
 

Jimpy

The Invisible Observer
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To build on Genkora's previous thoughts; I would argue its an obsession with blind motives when perceiving religion as a large scale affair, not discriminating any one religion from another. On an individual level, I have no preconceptions with anyone who has 'spiritual values'.

I like your written peice Genkora, it is thought provoking without being obscene or poorly written. Kudos to that.
 

Ninva

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To build on Genkora's previous thoughts; I would argue its an obsession with blind motives when perceiving religion as a large scale affair, not discriminating any one religion from another. On an individual level, I have no preconceptions with anyone who has 'spiritual values'.

I like your written peice Genkora, it is thought provoking without being obscene or poorly written. Kudos to that.

A very well thought out post, Jimpy. I see you make a very bold statement about religious peoples following blind motives. This is very true, but I believe some religions are good for human society such as some Christian sects and Buddhism. If a religion makes a person happy, then they should follow that religion.
 

Genkora

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Honestly, in case anyone gets the wrong idea from my piece, I don't care what other people believe. It's not my business, you can worship Greek gods and sacrifice goats regularly for all I care. Who does care? (well, a lot of people care I guess, but you get the point)
 

Dakho

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From an outward perspective, it would look like an obsession. However, to those from the inside, it is a matter of faith.
 
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I'm not trying to devalue your beliefs or experience, but you have made some categorical mistakes that I feel I ought to clarify.

That the Atheists, so sure in their belief that you die and that in fact nothing happens after ...

What you describe here is not atheism. You might be thinking of something like naturalism.

So what exactly I have to say about religion, is not what I have incinuated thus far. If any catagory were to define me best, still it would be Agnostic,

Despite the wide misuse of the term, agnosticism is not a "third category" or middle ground between atheism and theism, and it is not an alternative to religion, either. Agnosticism is, roughly, the position that questions of gods or the divine are inherently unknowable, or can not be known at this time. There is nothing stopping an agnostic from believing or not believing in a god, or even subscribing to religious beliefs, as long as he or she does not claim "knowledge" (often equated with certainty).

In practice, most self-proclaimed agnostics do not believe in a god and are atheists. Likewise, the wide majority of atheists would fit the extremely loose definition of "agnostic" that is often bandied about without regard to the philosophical underpinnings of the term.

Due to the misunderstanding of both positions, being labeled an agnostic rather than an atheist has come to be a matter of social convenience and little else.

but now I understand that religion is not the belief in god, nor is it a faith in anything particular. Religion, with all the skin peeled off, is just an obsession with a motive. The global warming arguement, that is a religion. The constant pursuit of love, that is a religion. The inherent nature of humans to avoid any sort of conflict, that is a religion, albeit a complex one.

In the loosest sense, a religion is an organized set of practices and beliefs shared between a group of people as part of a spiritual philosophy. When you reduce it to something like "obsession with a motive" (a description which may not even apply to religion), you're no longer using the meaning of the word.

For example, if I say that "at its core, religion is belief" and then declared that all beliefs must be religions on this basis, I would be making the same mistake.
 

Ninva

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In the loosest sense, a religion is an organized set of practices and beliefs shared between a group of people as part of a spiritual philosophy. When you reduce it to something like "obsession with a motive" (a description which may not even apply to religion), you're no longer using the meaning of the word.

TheDamien, this was written in the Writer's Corner. Thus I acknowledge this prose as both entertainment and very opinionated. You are right about everything you said, but there's no real need to be critical about the information. This is not a report in the science journal. It's more like an small amusing essay. If you haven't noticed, there was a tiny bit of wit involved - entertainment.

I'm sorry, but a writer is nothing more than an entertainer. He or she can be adjusted to be a informer though, but most of us just live to make people excited or emotional. We're artists. Even journalists are artists to begin with. It's the editor's job to harden them and make them reports.

I know some of us write meaningful themes in their short stories. I do that too. That's our way to enlighten the world a bit. Without literature the world would be rather inhumane. No one would know what's right or wrong. We'd be animals or robots. There'd have no souls in us.

If I captivated you, then I fulfilled my duty as a writer. If I made you cry, I get bonus points. If you laughed out loud, then I get a medal. That's how it goes in the writing world, friend. We may be the most intelligent or stupidest people to exist, but people will still be eager to read another one of our chapters if we write it well enough.

We are craftsmen, artists, and corrupted reporters bending relativity to our will. Even the most realistic fiction is not like a report. It includes human values, terminology, and opinions.

Now, if you write a nonfiction book, then you should get all your facts straight. It's an obligation to fill your pages with facts instead of opinions.

Anyways... I just spilled out the "religion" of writing.
 

Seb!

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Now, if you write a nonfiction book, then you should get all your facts straight. It's an obligation to fill your pages with facts instead of opinions.

But opinions should be based on facts. It's not all about emotion. Some of the most famous literary works have always been satires or some sort of rebellion against the times. Reading and writing, and any medium of expression for that matter, are not just to feel good. Enlightenment is another goal.
 

Ninva

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But opinions should be based on facts. It's not all about emotion. Some of the most famous literary works have always been satires or some sort of rebellion against the times. Reading and writing, and any medium of expression for that matter, are not just to feel good. Enlightenment is another goal.

I'm a fan of satires. They aren't all true.

(Actually, very few have real depth or value.)
 

Seb!

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I'm a fan of satires. They aren't all true.

(Actually, very few have real depth or value.)

Are you dismissing literature as a means of social criticism? Maybe the ones you've read aren't quite as cutting nowadays.. but satire used to change things. Check out Mark Twain, Jonathan Swift, Voltaire, etc..
 

Ninva

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Are you dismissing literature as a means of social criticism? Maybe the ones you've read aren't quite as cutting nowadays.. but satire used to change things. Check out Mark Twain, Jonathan Swift, Voltaire, etc..

No. I'm merely saying as an active writer that all fictional literature is entertainment with a message and is based on truth. There's nothing divine about it. The reason "smart" people read is because they have vast imaginations and the ability to understand literature.

Literature like art can change cultures. I acknowledge that fact. But sometimes I feel people get carried away with literature, and they substitute it for life and truth.

The way I recognize a classic is that when I read it I feel like the book is speaking truth to me like the Bible: instant classic. But humans do not speak the full truth. No, we're always opinionated about something. Thus if you're seeking the truth, never read a book written by man. Find it yourself.
 
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TheDamien, this was written in the Writer's Corner. Thus I acknowledge this prose as both entertainment and very opinionated. You are right about everything you said, but there's no real need to be critical about the information. This is not a report in the science journal. It's more like an small amusing essay. If you haven't noticed, there was a tiny bit of wit involved - entertainment.

Mistakes are mistakes, whether they appear in writing or not. If it comes to choosing between correcting them or giving them the chance to perpetuate further, I prefer the former. Likewise, opinions should not be considered unassailable on the basis that they appear in literature and should be open to as much debate as anything else.
 

BANANAMAN

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Honestly, in case anyone gets the wrong idea from my piece, I don't care what other people believe. It's not my business, you can worship Greek gods and sacrifice goats regularly for all I care. Who does care? (well, a lot of people care I guess, but you get the point)

I have the same view on religion. Maybe there should be a word for people who don't care about religion.
 

Miz

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Oddly enough my Creative Writing Teacher and I discussed a topic about Religion in society. Certainly religion has its flaws, as humans do, as religion is run by humans, but if you ever go to a rehab clinic, or group. Most will tell you to find a religion that you like and cling to that, as if Humans need a higher authority in their life to set things right.

I am not saying being an Atheist, or an Agnostic means you have no morals, I am saying that for an essence of hope, something humanity has been driven by. A religion is needed, to ensure that hope and inspire good morals. Not because you will be punished for all eternity, but because its the right thing to do. I know many Agnostics and Atheists from my school, and no offense to anyone who fits into those categories, most are extremely depressing. (Some are even 'emos'), and its sad almost, but I am not saying that you need to go to church every Sunday, and repent for everything. Hell not even I do that, but if you are in a tough situation, the very idea that someone is looking out for you, does make the day hopeful, in some way or another.

So call it a safety basket if you want, but I think Religion is an important aspect to humans. Whether you believe in God, Allah, Buddha, or some giant blue fish that lives in the clouds.

That's just my two cents.
 

Genkora

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I'm not trying to devalue your beliefs or experience, but you have made some categorical mistakes that I feel I ought to clarify.



What you describe here is not atheism. You might be thinking of something like naturalism.



Despite the wide misuse of the term, agnosticism is not a "third category" or middle ground between atheism and theism, and it is not an alternative to religion, either. Agnosticism is, roughly, the position that questions of gods or the divine are inherently unknowable, or can not be known at this time. There is nothing stopping an agnostic from believing or not believing in a god, or even subscribing to religious beliefs, as long as he or she does not claim "knowledge" (often equated with certainty).

In practice, most self-proclaimed agnostics do not believe in a god and are atheists. Likewise, the wide majority of atheists would fit the extremely loose definition of "agnostic" that is often bandied about without regard to the philosophical underpinnings of the term.

Due to the misunderstanding of both positions, being labeled an agnostic rather than an atheist has come to be a matter of social convenience and little else.



In the loosest sense, a religion is an organized set of practices and beliefs shared between a group of people as part of a spiritual philosophy. When you reduce it to something like "obsession with a motive" (a description which may not even apply to religion), you're no longer using the meaning of the word.

For example, if I say that "at its core, religion is belief" and then declared that all beliefs must be religions on this basis, I would be making the same mistake.

I wasn't aware I was being so misleading. I am also pretty sure I used the word agnostic in a way that wouldn't mislead the definition, and I know what Atheist means, people who don't believe any sort of deity exists. Which conclusively means they don't think anything is after death (in most cases). I suppose I could have just stated the definition of a bunch of different beliefs, but this was supposed to be pretty opinionated, hence the title, "What I think about Religion."

Maybe this thread should be closed? I don't want this to eventually turn into a full out battlefield, but if it seems harmless then I guess it's ok.

@ Miz

I agree that lots of atheists and agnostics are pretty depressing, but I think I would bring a little light to the whole dreary thing. I personally think nothing is greater than that which we don't understand. Like Quasars.
 

BANANAMAN

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@Miz

I think though that we don't really need religion to have morals. Sure we can base our morals on a certain religion's moral code but that doesn't necessarily mean we have to copy it. I've always wondered what people really need religion for. Maybe you have a point there,Maybe Atheists like that need something to look up to and to gather hope from. Im an err...Whatever you guys would call someone that doesn't care about religion nor the existence of gods for that matter and yet i don't feel overly depressed that i don't care to believe in a religion. Living in a deeply religious country I would have to say that atheists and people like me have a hard time in what we believe in (or don't care to believe in) in this country im in and yet we still exist. Personally i hate it when people keep saying that "Atheists are Evil" It's like i want to swallow lead and shoot my self every time i hear that assumption. No one is truly good or evil regardless of what we do or care not to believe in We are human beings damn it We behave in what we think is right.

Also:Im so going to make one of those t-shirts just to get some religious people around me angry.
 

AnthraxXx

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I believe in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

http://www.venganza.org/

LOL, but seriously, it would be better than Scientology. I personally am an Agnostic Atheist (Such a thing exists, believe it or not). I too began to question my religion and where I stand in this world in about Grade 7. I decided that, while religion teaches great values to have in life through the teachings of the Bible (I see the Bible not as a true story, but acts through metaphors etc to spread its meaning, and Jesus is the medium through which it passed through/from [I am confusing myself]).

But also, I see Christianity as a Business Man. Christianity, is far richer than Scientology (With Scientology, you pay ridiculous sums of money to climb the ranks) and had huge influence and power in the Medieval Ages. Christianity kept people in line back then, if not, then you would be sent to Hell, the ultimate punishment for anyone back then.

It may not be God, Allah or Buddha, but may be something that we cannot even fathom at this time. There could be even millions of Gods in charge of their own Universe, I don't have any idea.

So unless a divine deity stands before me, I shan't believe in any.
 
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