Why Religion Must Remain A Part Of The World...

ItsEvolutionBaby74

At least for me it must because i have Bi-Polar disorder and i need the spiritual help to keep me where I am, and without an afterlife...whats the point? And how do you know there is no afterlife?? Are you dead?? If so I wont be hearing your response to this thread.

Collin

Do you really need religion or your personal belief in the after life or your belief in a god?

p.s. Glad you can get strength out of your beliefs.

Will1659

How do you know there is an afterlife? Are you dead? Saying you "need" it because the idea of it somehow gives you strength now doesn't prove its existence.

warehouse

Without an afterlife the "point" is still to live a good life, to have a positive effect on the world and those around you, to still live morally.

BinFrog

ItsEvolutionBaby74 wrote:

At least for me it must because i have Bi-Polar disorder and i need the spiritual help to keep me where I am, and without an afterlife...whats the point? And how do you know there is no afterlife?? Are you dead?? If so I wont be hearing your response to this thread.

You don't need religion to be spiritual. Just live a good life and realize everyone and everything is connected and you can't go wrong.

kenny olav

I can't say for sure that there's an afterlife, and I don't think anyone can, but the feeling that my soul will live on after my body dies is unshakable. I think all religions are nonsense, but nonsense isn't bad as long as you don't treat it seriously. In fact, nonsense is great! I love absurdism. And that's why I have adopted the pagan practices that have continued on despite Christianity. Halloween is coming up soon, and that's fun. Yesterday I went to family-owned pumpkin patch to pick out a few future jack o' lanterns with my fiancee and kid.

Anyway, back to the soul living on - which is how to prefer to think of it, rather than an 'afterlife' - I certainly have no idea what happens, but the ideas of heaven and hell seem too simplistic to me. I imagine life, whether on this world or another, is a journey that leads, if you want it to, to greater and greater enlightenment. When you become fully enlightened, well, then maybe you die. Doesn't seem to be much point to existance after that. But who fuckin knows?

robbie

i agree that religion may be helpful to people that have a need to believe in an afterlife. it may be helpful to people who cannot deal with the loss of a loved one and need the thought of an afterlife to deal with that situation. i believe it is helpful to people who have trouble controlling their actions without the fear of eternal punishment. i also believe it is helpful to thos about to die, and fear the unknown. i have NO problem with religion for these personal issues, the problem comes in when the people of any religion pass laws based on their personal faith that effect those of us who do not need religion to deal with life.

Pearl Jam and toast

BinFrog wrote:

You don't need religion to be spiritual. Just live a good life and realize everyone and everything is connected and you can't go wrong.

Preach on.

UpSideDown

religion will remain a part of the world because people are too fragile to face mortality

having no after life is one of the scariest thoughts a person can have

eden

ItsEvolutionBaby74 wrote:

At least for me it must because i have Bi-Polar disorder and i need the spiritual help to keep me where I am, and without an afterlife...whats the point? And how do you know there is no afterlife?? Are you dead?? If so I wont be hearing your response to this thread.

I believe spirituality is a primal human need that we either supress or embrace. I love that saying "there are no atheists in foxholes".

Death is an unnatural state, we were created with eternity in mind. Otherwise it would be easier to accept the death of a loved one. To the contrary, when someone you love dies the human mind absolutely cant wrap around the idea that the person is gone, so they go into denial, or survive it however they can.

eden

Corey Erven wrote:

religion will remain a part of the world because people are too fragile to face mortality

having no after life is one of the scariest thoughts a person can have

But take it a step further, WHY are our minds created without the compehension of death? Makes no sense unless death isnt natural to begin with.

Scientists are still baffled at why the Human body breaks down and begins to die, they say our cells should have the capability to renew themselves forever.

brain of c

ItsEvolutionBaby74 wrote:

At least for me it must because i have Bi-Polar disorder and i need the spiritual help to keep me where I am, and without an afterlife...whats the point? And how do you know there is no afterlife?? Are you dead?? If so I wont be hearing your response to this thread.

everybody dies.


make up your own story.

UpSideDown

eden wrote:

But take it a step further, WHY are our minds created without the compehension of death? Makes no sense unless death isnt natural to begin with.

Scientists are still baffled at why the Human body breaks down and begins to die, they say our cells should have the capability to renew themselves forever.

Care to elaborate on the first statement? I dont quite see what you mean

eden

Corey Erven wrote:

Care to elaborate on the first statement? I dont quite see what you mean

Things that are part of the natural order of things are easy for our minds to come to terms with.

Death is beyond human comprehension, and I (being a believer of intelligent design) think its because we were created with eternity as our destinies, until this changed along the line.

If you are an evolutionist then its pointless even talking to each other.

hippiemom

Corey Erven wrote:

religion will remain a part of the world because people are too fragile to face mortality

having no after life is one of the scariest thoughts a person can have

Not always true. I am comforted by the thought that this is it. I don't want to live forever.

hippiemom

eden wrote:

Things that are part of the natural order of things are easy for our minds to come to terms with.

Death is beyond human comprehension, and I (being a believer of intelligent design) think its because we were created with eternity as our destinies, until this changed along the line.

If you are an evolutionist then its pointless even talking to each other.

What is more natural than death? Everything that is alive will eventually die. It's the ONE thing all living beings have in common. It is not at all beyond my comprehension.

Infinity_Now

"Why Religion Must Remain A Part Of The World,"

...because God might get lonely! or

...because religion must remain apart of the world.

bwahaha... start the bad jokes!

eden

hippiemom wrote:

Not always true. I am comforted by the thought that this is it. I don't want to live forever.

I dont so much want to live forever as much as I cant grasp that my friends and fam are only mine for 70 or so years and then thats it. Especially my daughter.

UpSideDown

hippiemom wrote:

Not always true. I am comforted by the thought that this is it. I don't want to live forever.

Well i would say you are certainly in the minority in that thought

thats an interesting outlook for sure

UpSideDown

hippiemom wrote:

What is more natural than death? Everything that is alive will eventually die. It's the ONE thing all living beings have in common. It is not at all beyond my comprehension.

I agree with your point here, as most of us inherently avoid injury or death

Maybe its not so much the act or process of death that we cant grasp but more of the meaning that we associate with it

eden

hippiemom wrote:

What is more natural than death? Everything that is alive will eventually die. It's the ONE thing all living beings have in common. It is not at all beyond my comprehension.

The one thing besides BIRTH ?!

Also, I admire your elevated thinking, I really do, but- have you experienced the death of a child, mate, or beloved parent. I think it changes perception when people go through this.

sourdough

I just lost my father. He was a very devout christian and firmly believed he is going to heaven. I really hope in many ways he was right and he is where he believed and wanted to be.

However, I am not a christian. I don't wish to live forever. I relate to hippiemom very much. I love the fact that I have one shot at this and I better make it good. I feel very liberated knowing this and I love the fact that after I die, I return to the earth. Although our lives end, the billions of atoms that compose us are everlasting and they become water, air, rock, tree, animal and human. That to me is really a beautiful thought.

Even if heaven is paradise and happy moments, it has no appeal to me. What good is happiness without sadness. It cannot occur without the other. Happiness, joy etc, is a relative term and even too much candy can make you sick.

hippiemom

eden wrote:

I dont so much want to live forever as much as I cant grasp that my friends and fam are only mine for 70 or so years and then thats it. Especially my daughter.

I grasp it because it's true. I don't accept the concept of "belief." Either I know something or I don't. What I know for certain is that I have a limited amount of time on this earth, as does everyone else. I don't have any reliable evidence that there's anything beyond this life. I'm completely comfortable with that. Reality suits me fine.

hippiemom

eden wrote:

The one thing besides BIRTH ?!

Also, I admire your elevated thinking, I really do, but- have you experienced the death of a child, mate, or beloved parent. I think it changes perception when people go through this.

I have experienced the death of people who are very, very close to me (not the exact relationships you mention, but I was closer to some of the people I've lost than I am to my parents, for example, so that's all relative), and I have been very close to death myself on several occasions.

Infinity_Now

life, death - we all agree on

after-life, though - let's consider, is "after-life" natural?

after-life, an excuse for death - this is why religion must cease.

after-life in the hands of those who control our lives, can lead to war, it is unjust and untrue.

"Please dismantle these phantom limbs." - TMV

afan

I think Religion helps those who feel they need it. I guess some people don't feel they need it. Some people have experiences in life that lead them a certain direction and that may very well be to Religion. As long as you aren't going around doing bodily harm to others or terrorizing, I don't see anything wrong with religion. I go to Church now. It gives you a sense of connection and family. It's a spiritual thing. I thought the point of religion was to promote peace and love and respect for God. That's religion to me anyway.

Gary Carter

afan wrote:

I thought the point of religion was to promote peace and love and respect for God. That's religion to me anyway.

yes thats true,but when u have assholes on both sides using it the wrong the way,the good people of the religion get thrown in.just like i truly believe that all muslmis arent bad people.same goes for christans and jews.and to throw my 2cents on the death thing.death is death u live and u die plain and simple.u only get one life might as well live it to the fullest,while u can. death is a part of life people wake the fuck up.but i do know one is thing fo certin "I know I was born and I know that I'll die The in between is mine I am mine"

catefrances

eden wrote:

The one thing besides BIRTH ?!

Also, I admire your elevated thinking, I really do, but- have you experienced the death of a child, mate, or beloved parent. I think it changes perception when people go through this.

i have. and i still remain an atheist. i find no less solace in the fact that for ones who have passed, their time is over, simply because i am irreligious. they shall remain alive in my heart and memory. i do not expect to 'see' them again when i die. why should i? and honestly what is it that Man does so wonderfully in this life that he should expect a reward such as an afterlife(if one believes it exists) when he denies it to the other creatures of the earth.
i am not afraid of death nor do i expect anything more from my life once it is over. all i have is this life. and what i choose to do with that life is what defines me as a person. and it is mine to do with as i wish.

OutOfBreath

eden wrote:

Things that are part of the natural order of things are easy for our minds to come to terms with.

Death is beyond human comprehension, and I (being a believer of intelligent design) think its because we were created with eternity as our destinies, until this changed along the line.

If you are an evolutionist then its pointless even talking to each other.

Depending on how much you buy into science, psychology and/or phenomenological philosophy it's really simple. Our minds doesn't "easily" grasp reality as it is, and our senses are easily fooled. Reality can be meaningless, brutal and incomprehensible. Something our minds are incapable of accepting, as the main functioning of our brain is making order. And it will seek order even if there really aren't any. Show a blot of ink to people, they will order it into an image. Show then a random rugged wall, they will find patterns and rough images.

Humans cannot accept non-meaning. Non-meaning makes us powerless and vulnerable. Then it is much better to be able to attribute a natural disaster on god(s) anger and repent for our sins and wrongdoings for instance. That gives us room for action and finding meaning. We can't accept that we have no ultimate "meaning" so we will invent narratives, context and meaning for ourselves for comfort always. Religion being somewhat based in that, well, religion will always be there I think.

I am not religious, but even I can't handle there not being any meaning behind my life and what I do. Realizing there is no ultimate meaning is a prime road to suicide for some people, as it really makes it hard to find a reason to go on. I recovered though, and found strength in making my own meaning. I also have some faith in the "divine" in some way, but not as a complete narrative and frame of thought, as a religion will have it.

Death isn't beyond human comprehension. Meaninglessness is. And meaningless death also of course. We are meaning-making and order-making machines. In fact they both develop from the other. Can there be meaning without order, or order without meaning? But just because we're wired in such a way to see order, doesn't mean that there fundamentally is.

Peace
Dan

catefrances

OutOfBreath wrote:

I am not religious, but even I can't handle there not being any meaning behind my life and what I do. Realizing there is no ultimate meaning is a prime road to suicide for some people, as it really makes it hard to find a reason to go on. I recovered though, and found strength in making my own meaning. I also have some faith in the "divine" in some way, but not as a complete narrative and frame of thought, as a religion will have it.

Peace
Dan

the meaning your life has, is the meaning YOU choose to give it. and as you've said dan you have found that. what else is there.

OutOfBreath

catefrances wrote:

the meaning your life has, is the meaning YOU choose to give it. and as you've said dan you have found that. what else is there.

What I forgot to include is that everyone, religious or not, make their own meaning. The difference is whether you accept a pre-made package or not.

Peace
Dan