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03-28-24 08:05 AM
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Xeogaming Forums - Debate Shrine - Why Religion? | | Thread closed
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Pockets

Werewolf
pockets








Since: 10-20-04

Since last post: 4852 days
Last activity: 4368 days
Posted on 05-12-06 02:06 PM Link
Not What? Why?

Why is it do you think that the human race on the whole, not entirely but a major
portion of the human race, feels compelled to explain why we're here? What do
you think it is that made them believe in a higher power? A greater intelligence?
Or any other combination of things you might want to use.

I mean what if there is no higher power, no god or goddess or anything? What if
Science is right and we're just the product of incalculable odds creating the
means for life to grow on this planet? Would that really be so horrible? I mean,
you're still alive, you'd still go about your life as before. Would it really make that
much of a difference?
Makura









Since: 01-22-05
From: The restaurant at the end of the universe....

Since last post: 5648 days
Last activity: 4913 days
Posted on 05-12-06 03:20 PM Link
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I always looked at Religion as something that people had faith in to justify your existance. I actually am making a promise to myself to merely exist. I don't need religion. I just wish to exist.
Cairoi
This isn't about you and your loud mouth,
This is about me and my fucking beard.








Since: 08-29-04
From: PA

Since last post: 4610 days
Last activity: 4233 days
Posted on 05-12-06 03:42 PM Link
Why? Because curiosity drives our species as a whole.

^.^ My reason for believing in religon:

Science doesn't have all the answers. And you know what? Everything we know to be true because of science could actually be false. We're not entirely sure. We just have widly agreed theorys, and laws. And laws are not always right, as many of our board members would avidly attest to.

Look, intuition is what catches me. Intuition defies science in every aspect. Scientists can't explain it. And to me, intuition is the true self, because it can be completly different then you are grown up to act.

Souls are real. The body looses .01 ounces or something like that when you die.

I believe wholeheartedly in death after life. In what form, this one does not know. But matter cannot be destroyed, only broken apart and scattered.

AND AFTER I DIE, MY WILLPOWER SHALT REBIND MY BODY AND I WILL BE IMMORTAL: Joke.
Lord Vulkas Mormonus

Vile
High Xeodent of Xeomerica.








Since: 10-29-04
From: North Carolina, United States. World, Sol System, milky way

Since last post: 169 days
Last activity: 152 days
Posted on 05-12-06 04:32 PM Link
Sorry Cairoi, that's actually only a rumor. The body actually gains weight after it dies, due to the fact that bacteria begins to grow. How anyone knows either of these things, I don't want to know.

However, I do believe in spirits. I don't think that evolution explains psychics, intuition, energy control, or most of those other things. Come to think of it, I doubt it even explains how self awareness can come.
Elara

Divine Mamkute
Dark Elf Goddess
Chaos Imp
Penguins Fan

Ms. Invisable








Since: 08-15-04
From: Ferelden

Since last post: 73 days
Last activity: 73 days
Posted on 05-12-06 05:19 PM Link
Self awareness is explained in psychology. Evolution just covers how we got here. Science as we know it today was created after religion when religion failed to answer certain questions accurately.

Why religion? Because in the very beginning that was all that we had. Humans did not have the ability to calculate gravity or our distance from the sun. We didn't know what caused rain, nothing. Animism ran rampant as primitive humans worshiped the nature around them, believing that everything had a spirit... then they named these spirits and they ballooned into the gods and goddess of those things, then people merged all these divine entities into one god. It's been with us for so long that it's become ingrained in us.
Shuyin

Baron of Radical








Since: 08-19-04

Since last post: 3726 days
Last activity: 3632 days
Posted on 05-12-06 06:33 PM Link
Religion can also be a tool for control.

If you want people to behave, you need to act on their fears. What has been the oldest fear in men? Death. If there's promise that you will either go to a Utopia or Hell when you die, people will do what they can to reach the Utopia. Nobody wants to be told that when they die, they simply cease to exist.
Astrophel
Fear will kill your mind and steal your love as sure as anything;
Fear will rob you blind and make you numb to others suffering









Since: 10-03-04
From: Azul Lux Orbital, Kirin Beta

Since last post: 2241 days
Last activity: 1092 days
Posted on 05-12-06 08:53 PM Link
Popped in to check on my old forum, and saw a topic I've been thinking about for a while...

Perhaps it's fear of the unknown. Indeed, this is the first idea that sprung into my mind. No one truly knows what lies beyond death, and that scares people, so they wanted to believe that there would be something.

My next idea, a much less serious one (initially), was control, which Shuyin mentioned. The non-serious part, lemme see if I can remember the thought in my head... "Well, maybe some guy thought to himself 'I'm not gettin' any, so I may as well make lust a sin.'" or something to that effect. I was tired, though, and I don't do much serious thinking when I'm tired. I thought about it more at a later date, when I was more awake, and it started making some sense that some would see the power in making people believe in something, and in using those beliefs to your advantage.

On one of my angrier days, however, another thought came to me - arrogance, a desire to place us above other members of the animal kingdom. That might sound odd, but how many completely non-humanlike gods can you name? Even if there are some (I admit to considerable ignorance regarding depictions of deities), they are massively outnumbered by the ones who look entirely human.

But the thing is, I don't think any one possibility covers it. Perhaps originally religion came about to explain things, but as science advanced further, religion has been left able to explain less and less; I don't know that anyone believes droughts to be the work of an angry god anymore, at least in the major religions, for example. And I don't think that the original concept of religion came from a desire to manipulate; I think instead that the power religion had been proven to have is what created that thirst for power that has lead to people using religion to selfish ends. I think that the main reason so many people are still religious is that they're raised that way and they don't question it, because questioning it defies the religion that they grew up following.



I do hope that makes sense to you all... I think I confused myself while I wrote it...

Edit: Oh, right, forgot to point out in case anyone forgot/didn't care to remember, I'm largely atheist; the above was simply my attempt to figure out why others rely on religion.


(Last edited by Tanis Rotheran on 05-13-06 03:30 PM)
Leon D. Sagara

Zombie Tarma
HELLO!!!!! ^_^








Since: 08-18-04
From: To Hell and Back

Since last post: 5069 days
Last activity: 4549 days
Posted on 05-13-06 12:58 AM Link
::enters and speaks::


I don't belive in any of that. God, Satan, Heaven, Hell. Its all just fiction to me. I am Agnostic to the T, The only thing I belive in with all my "Faith" and "Dedication" ((Enphisis on the quotes)) Is my own ability. The Only way I as a person will become the BEST i can be, is not by praying or worship. Its by working and pushing myself to the max, untill my body gives out. Then when I am better, I do it again. Strength is all I belive in, an by that I mean the strength that I possess.

Reasoning, well I have one answer for that. If I cant rely on myself, then what right do I have to allow people to Rely on me?
Van Rhanell

Missile Bot








Since: 08-15-04
From: Fraser, Michigan

Since last post: 6106 days
Last activity: 6109 days
Posted on 05-13-06 01:12 AM Link
All humans have the ability to love, and want to find out the source of the amazing gift that it is. The act of connecting and communicating with everyone else brings out the best feelings in us, a more complete sense of love. This feeling of community happens for no reason that we can understand, so we turn to religion which gives reason for gathering. It's what keeps us from being tools of eachother and turns us into corresponding gears of the most marvelous contraption.
Bitmap

#1 Enhancement Shaman US Ravenholdt








Since: 09-05-04
From: His Laughin' Place

Since last post: 4318 days
Last activity: 4312 days
Posted on 05-13-06 08:37 PM Link
Because I have seen miracles at work

And it was awesome
Xeoman

Ball and Chain Trooper
Administrator








Since: 08-14-04
From: 255

Since last post: 18 days
Last activity: 15 hours
Posted on 05-13-06 09:26 PM Link
Short and simple, I believe a lot of it is to give people ... faith. Maybe blind faith, maybe true. And maybe I'm not someone with the biggest amount of faith. But, people do seek wisdom, and faith and religion's seem to focus on these areas. It just probably makes a lot of people out there feel better about themselves, and secure.
Squiggy

Micro-Goomba








Since: 07-31-06
From: US

Since last post: 6448 days
Last activity: 6239 days
Posted on 08-02-06 04:33 AM Link
It is frightening as an athiest to think about death. I have no idea what will come if anything. There are so many religions who tell me I am going to a horrible place because I do not follow there rules or I do not believe in their divinitie(s). Part of me wants to take up religion just to not have to be scared anymore. I really like Buddism,a few forms of animism, Hinduism if only for their ideas of reincarnation and/or peacefull natures. But why would I believe? Only to quell the fear, not because I really do believe. Religions never seem to make sense to me when they are dogmatic and hatefilled, preaching about the "sinners" and faith instead of just trying to help people. Why do people go door to door to recruite people into their religions? They arent respecting me and my believes, why should I join theirs? (sigh)
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