The Need For Religion

[Adios]

In all of creation the need for religion is found only in the Human race. Did you ever think to question why? Did not all living things come from the same "source"? Can we attribute our higher brain functions to this? If indeed we do all come from the same source wouldn't we all want to return to that source? Human or beast?

No, the need for a higher being is a human trait. Ours alone. Sure, our pets can look at us in a way that makes us wonder if we aren't gods to them, but hurt that loving pet and likely as not you'll get bit. In the wild some animals will see you as lunch, not a god.

Is it a matter of perspective? Does our "higher" brain function give us that much more insight? Or is it much simpler than that?

Do we have a driving need for something to control the chaos that exists? Are we afraid that we are alone and the choices we make are ours? Why do we seem to be so willing to lay the woes of the world somewhere else?


So many questions. Can the answers be so simple as we are afraid? I often wonder as I see an innocent child suffering some horrible torment, could a just Supreme Being allow this. We all have. So to justify this in our minds we must believe there is some Greater Plan,Ñ¢ that we as mere humans don't understand. That child is suffering to teach us all a lesson. The Supreme Being,Ñ¢ knows what he/she is doing, who are we to question it?

Let's take a look at some of the things that have and are being worshiped as Supreme Beings. Cows. Snakes. Rats. Statues. Myths. Legends. Sunrises. Sunsets. Shooting stars. Meteor showers. Rocks. Springs. A person born of a Virgin. Lightening. Thunder. Kings. Pharohs. Once I added one cup of algaecide that would turn two acre feet of water blue. I saw a grown man fall to his knees and start praying as the water turned blue, and every day for the next year he went to the same spot every day and knelt and prayed. It was a reflecting pond at a commercial building.

We are no more advanced than our prehistoric predecessors, just more knowledgeable. And yet we still seek some reason or excuse for our existence. And we still do it for the same reason. Because we feel inadequate. That's right, we feel an over powering need to have a fall back position. As we grow older the need becomes stronger. We face our own mortality. We feel we should have stood for something, should have meant something. Why didn't we accomplish more?

What if this is all there is?


This human feels we are nothing but spiritual beings having a human experience. Of our own choosing. That's right, we decided on our own to be here, to do this. I don't know what comes next. No one does. I feel that the experiences we have gone through in this life will have prepared us for the next step, whatever it is.

But this is just one humans opinion.

[Adios]

The above is a rewrite of "I Hate Your Religion".
Honest feedback is asked for.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

In all of creation the need for religion is found only in the Human race. Did you ever think to question why?

We're the only monkeys with Original Slack,Ñ¢.  The cleverest of us found a way to get the gullible ones to support them.

Darwin always wins.

[LHX]

isnt a 'source' and a 'higher being' the same thing?

[Adios]

To me the distinction is a source is inanimate, while a higher being follows a thought process.

Source = shit happens.

Higher being = I made it happen.

[Cramulus]

We are no more advanced than our prehistoric predecessors, just more knowledgeable. And yet we still seek some reason or excuse for our existence. And we still do it for the same reason. Because we feel inadequate. That's right, we feel an over powering need to have a fall back position. As we grow older the need becomes stronger. We face our own mortality. We feel we should have stood for something, should have meant something. Why didn't we accomplish more?

I think the implication here is that faith and religion are primitive trappings. Some antiquated thing that we should rid ourselves of.

I would disagree with the premise that religion only serves to justify and explain our weakness. I think there are lots of reasons that people need religion - preparation for death is just one of them.

Religion explains not only death, but how the whole universe works and how it should be classified.

More importantly (I think), it provides a structure for one's life. It gives suggestions as to how one should live and rewards good behavior.

In the absence of religion, something else would fill that gap. Philosophy or something. Personally I prefer my life to be structured according to the will of a sexy Greek deity than to follow rational ethical guidelines laid down by some dead white guy.

In answer to the question,

What if this is all there is?

So what? So I learn in the end that I was wrong my whole life. If this is all there is, then it doesn't matter that I spent my life believing something I wanted to believe.

One of the reasons I like Discordia better than other shticks is that it acknowledges that it's probably wrong but that doesn't in any way compromise its usefulness.

[Adios]

I guess I do see religion as primitive. Things that were once worshiped are now explained. What will the next decade bring? More understanding I hope.

Even without religion we know the difference between right and wrong. Religion just tries to organize and use it for control. Living right is not dependent on religion. It is dependent on ones self, on individual morals. Morality would not die in the absence of religion.

And if this is all there is, then the entire point is moot anyway. When one looks in the mirror, that is the first person they need to be pleased with. To me that is reward enough. If I can accept me with all my faults and try to improve, then to me I have justified my existence.

All of this is subjective according to each individuals opinion, as it should be. I appreciate your input.

[Random Probability]

I guess I do see religion as primitive. Things that were once worshiped are now explained. What will the next decade bring? More understanding I hope.

Even without religion we know the difference between right and wrong. Religion just tries to organize and use it for control. Living right is not dependent on religion. It is dependent on ones self, on individual morals. Morality would not die in the absence of religion.

Right.  That's basically what Kant was trying to say but didn't have the balls to just come right out and say it.  Of course, he also knew that the Church would ruin his shit if he took away one of their favorite toys.

And if this is all there is, then the entire point is moot anyway. When one looks in the mirror, that is the first person they need to be pleased with. To me that is reward enough. If I can accept me with all my faults and try to improve, then to me I have justified my existence.

All of this is subjective according to each individuals opinion, as it should be. I appreciate your input.

The point I would disagree with is the part where you think this existence somehow prepares you for the "next".  I'll skip all the elemental questions about what this "next" is, where it is, what it is, or how you think you'll get there.  Instead I'll leave you with a much simpler question.  I'll use a watch as a functional model of a human being (work with me here).  When the watch stops.... where does the tick go?

[LMNO]

"tick" is a description of the action.  It's a verb disguised as a noun. 


There is no tick anywhere.

[guest7654]

I have been pondering this topic lately.  
The fear of death is the creator of religion.  Every living thing has the instinct to survive, and we needed a way to cheat death.  A way to comfort the survivors.  So that they could fear death less and hell more.  Something to thoroughly motivate them to help out the society.  So that they would happily die for the greater good/god.  

So is there a ''need for religion''?  I say why not.  Works about as good as anything to control the masses.  Besides, most people are better off not thinking about it.  In just "having faith" they recieve bliss, even if deep down they know it is deluded.  Same thing with politics...Most people could give a flying fuck that Alberto fired a few attorneys or that Bush is a total fuck up.  They don't even want to hear about it because they don't see any change in there lives from it.  The mall is still there, American Idol is still on ALL the damn time, and Grey's Anatomy teaches us that we should just worry about who's fucking who rather than what rights or being trampled on today or what blew the fuck up yesterday.  War is depressing, like "God is dead, and you are just gonna be maggot food," is depressing.

Besides maybe there is more, maybe not.  Deepak makes a good arguement of why there must be an afterlife.  Of course, he WANTS to go to hell.  This is of course because he has a different definition or perception of hell.  But then, what exactly is his perception of an afterlife?  I believe in a higher being but I also believe that my definition or perception of this God is different from many people.  My God has to exist by definition.

I'm gonna stop now because I am losing any point I might have been trying to make....

The tick is much like Deepak's arguement.  He says when the walls of this room are torn down what happens to the space in the room? 

[LMNO]

These Deepak quotes are seeming more and more like utter bullshit.


The word "space" in this instance is a placeholder for the absence of something, an artificial term used to deliniate the inside of a container.

[guest7654]

Yes, he is full of shit.  But he kinda lets you know he is full of shit...which is admirable.  It was funny when he tried to convince Bill Maher there was an afterlife.

[Adios]

I guess I do see religion as primitive. Things that were once worshiped are now explained. What will the next decade bring? More understanding I hope.

Even without religion we know the difference between right and wrong. Religion just tries to organize and use it for control. Living right is not dependent on religion. It is dependent on ones self, on individual morals. Morality would not die in the absence of religion.

Right.  That's basically what Kant was trying to say but didn't have the balls to just come right out and say it.  Of course, he also knew that the Church would ruin his shit if he took away one of their favorite toys.

And if this is all there is, then the entire point is moot anyway. When one looks in the mirror, that is the first person they need to be pleased with. To me that is reward enough. If I can accept me with all my faults and try to improve, then to me I have justified my existence.

All of this is subjective according to each individuals opinion, as it should be. I appreciate your input.

The point I would disagree with is the part where you think this existence somehow prepares you for the "next".  I'll skip all the elemental questions about what this "next" is, where it is, what it is, or how you think you'll get there.  Instead I'll leave you with a much simpler question.  I'll use a watch as a functional model of a human being (work with me here).  When the watch stops.... where does the tick go?

I didn't mean to imply there is an afterlife. I just don't know. AS for the tick, what if it's just a function of this life and not needed in whatever other place, if any, there is. That's just physics.

[P3nT4gR4m]

Often overlooked angle -

There is existence, infinity, everything.

You are a part of it

So maybe some day you cease to exist

This means nothing for you exist now and now is all you ever get to see.

Your components might cease to function, cells die and are transformed into food chain or dust.

Your mind/spirit/soul or whatever you call the program running on your brain ceases to run.

It still exists

Now

Which is all you ever get to see.

What happens after is an imponderable

You can't imagine what it'd be like if there was no you, simply because there'd be no you to imagine it

Why bother?

Freaks some people out but is it really that big of a deal?

You exist now, tomorrow you might not

Why worry about it?

You aint gonna be around to see it anyway.

If I'm wrong and I die tomorrow and some guy with a clipboard asks me my name, outside a pearly gate

That'd be cool

If it doesn't happen I won't be around to notice.

Beginnings and ends are all good and well but the middle is the only bit that's actually there.

I like to entertain imaginary scenarios from time to time, as much as the next guy.

Unlike the next guy I aint deranged enough to let these flights of fancy influence any decisions I make in the here and now.

I will not pass up a nice dirty fuck, right now, on the offchance that god might be cross with me when I die.

Behaving in this fashion is irrational, reckless and (potentially) very dangerous to those around you.

Religion is primitive. It's a fanciful coping mechanism which rational thought eliminates the need for.

It's holding this planet back as long as it's still taught to children.

Indoctrination into any 'faith' is an attempt to create a retard and, on the whole, it's quite a successful attempt.

There are a lot of faithfools out there.

Every one a retard

Every one a throwback to a more primitive mental paradigm

Every one needs repaired or scrapped.

Don't feel to bad about it - morality is just some more bullshit that you've been programmed with

Let's ditch morality and fire up the ovens

[Cramulus]

My current take on the end
(or at least my end)

is that I'm currently on my deathbed. My brain is lighting up before burning out. My memories are being relived in what seems (presently) to be chronological order.

and when I get to the end - then what?

*shrug* Serving drinks to Gods, I think.