The Rationale of Religion (1 Viewer)

[Aquawhite]

How can religion be rational?

Seen in the documentary Religulous: Religulous - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. It is discussed that religion, in lay-man's terms is basically the human's way of trying to self prophesise answers to all their questions. Without the actual knowledge of a 'God' one is simply filling their doubt with other people and their own religiously biased opinions.

It's human nature to know everything. By filling the unknown with religion, it's self prophecy - it's blasphemy (ha!). Rather than making decisions and 'thinking' that we know the answer to everything, which are fueled by religious context, it is far better to stay in doubt and in modesty.

I find it hard to comprehend that people have 'faith', which they just conform and follow to something because they belong or fill their own answers with some other blo-joe's ideas from the Bible, Torah or whatever the religion.

Clearly, I'm not religious. I cannot see there being any rational thinking in providing 'make-believe' answers to things we don't know. Is it simply humanity's desire just to think we can tell you eveything.

And yes, before anyone says it, of course my ideas are biased - is not everyone biased by our own contexts and experiences.

Please discuss your thoughts.

 

[Sprangler]

People don't want to acknowledge that we are just one insignificant race on one tiny insignificant planet in a giant universe, the total size of which we have no idea and never will (That alone makes me feel sick, is there a wall at the end omg?).

Also people need somewhere to belong, a group to be a part of, it's all human nature.

 

[Aquawhite]

And according to most religions, the other plantets don't actually exist or are in the creation of anything. ^o)

If anyone has seen Religulous, what did you think? If you havn't seen it... watch it!

 

[TechnIx]

Clearly, the reason behind AquaWhite taking the Studies of Religion course is because it's a requirement of his school! Haha.

It's all based around hope. Hope that there's something waiting for us when we die, that we won't just become nothing and have no mind nor thoughts.

This hope can only exist if a collective believes in it. That collective is known as a religion (or cult, whichever you prefer). Think about it, if you hope for something to happen, and everyone else thinks it won't happen, you lose hope. If everyone else backs you up and has hope too, you gain confidence and so do the others, in what you were hoping for. It gets stronger for all involved until a religion forms around that hope.

We all here hope for an ATAR of 99. That is why Bored of Studies was created, its a collective of high ATAR hopefuls. I guess you could say we're part of a cult

 

[Tangent]

It's scary if there is no higher power looking over us. Religion also gives purpose.

It's an easy way of finding answers

 

[Kwayera]

As someone who doesn't believe in a higher power, I don't think it's scary at all. Look at the universe with a sense of wonder for its existence, not fear of its loneliness.

 

[Cookie182]

If you actually think about the religious paradigm, it is the willing hope to be a slave.

As Hitchens says, a celestrial North Korea.

Biological death is the only freedom- if a "spiritual world" exists, what escape there be?

 

[yoddle]

It is an easy answer to the question "Why am I here?"

 

[HumanDichotomy]

As someone who doesn't believe in a higher power, I don't think it's scary at all. Look at the universe with a sense of wonder for its existence, not fear of its loneliness.

Yeah...fair enough. But that's just from your perspective. Others feel differently. Some can't be simply satisfied with that way of thinking.

Religion can and does have several functions:

• Sense of purpose.
• Sense of hope.
• Provision of order within this chaotic world.
• Sense of meaning.

etc.

 

[Kwayera]

Yeah...fair enough. But that's just from your perspective. Others feel differently. Some can't be simply satisfied with that way of thinking.

Religion can and does have several functions:

• Sense of purpose.
• Sense of hope.
• Provision of order within this chaotic world.
• Sense of meaning.

etc.

That's why I said "I don't think."

 

[Aquawhite]

It's scary if there is no higher power looking over us. Religion also gives purpose.

It's an easy way of finding answers

It is an easy answer to the question "Why am I here?"

They aren't really answers, they are just based on the beliefs of the founders of that certain religion. They are false senses of security... filling holes which should be left humbly empty with doubt and uncertainty which is a good thing - as questioning things is how the world will continue.

It also seems to me that humans have a way of taking the easy ways out, accepting what mainstream accepts and not questioning things in their own mind and perspective. The human race is like an electrical current; we will always take the path of least resistance.

 

[Cookie182]

The word god is meaningless anyway, it is just...a word.

Consider this statement:

-How did the universe come to be?

"oh that's an easy one, god made it"

Then ask yourself, how educational was that? Did you really learn something- or did it just evade the question, specifically "how".

We will never learn anything under religion.

 

[Aquawhite]

The word god is meaningless anyway, it is just...a word.

Consider this statement:

-How did the universe come to be?

"oh that's an easy one, god made it"

Then ask yourself, how educational was that? Did you really learn something- or did it just evade the question, specifically "how".

We will never learn anything under religion.

+1

"Oh but he just waved his divine magic powers and poof! In 7 days it was all finished... it's magical!"....

I totally agree. How does that as creation provide answers for us, if that is one of the founding and fundamental concepts (specifically in Christianity)...

Although, in saying this, I can comprehend and understand when people are able to have half a head screwed on and simply interpret a religion and only take what is needed (such as good ethics and morals - but then again, these morals and values and based on a false sense of assurance and hope).

 

[HumanDichotomy]

They aren't really answers, they are just based on the beliefs of the founders of that certain religion.

They are for the people who follow that religion. A Christian could say to you that science isn't an answer...it's just different perceptions.

 

[ComingUpForAir]

If anyone has seen Religulous, what did you think? If you havn't seen it... watch it!

Yea I saw it ages ago, Bill maher is not good at actually debating the religious, but he's pretty funny.

 

[Aquawhite]

They are for the people who follow that religion. A Christian could say to you that science isn't an answer...it's just different perceptions.

Lol. Most science has proof. Religion has.... basically none.

Science is not a perception - it is.

 

[dieburndie]

They are for the people who follow that religion. A Christian could say to you that science isn't an answer...it's just different perceptions.

What an incredibly useless statement.

 

[Azarnakumar]

not to mention wrong

 

[SylviaB]

We all here hope for an ATAR of 99. That is why Bored of Studies was created, its a collective of high ATAR hopefuls. I guess you could say we're part of a cult

If everyone else was hoping for a low ATAR then I'd be far mroe hopeful of achieving a 99.

 

[Tangent]

Lol. Most science has proof. Religion has.... basically none.

Science is not a perception - it is.

Really? Science is base on sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing. Religion is based on faith. Two completely different persceptions.

When you believe in something you don't need proof, believing makes it real enough....Sorry, i'll say that better, when you believe something, it becomes real

Doesn't science need a form of belief too?

In the end, its all about what we believe, and where we look to to get our explanations for the world around us. Some look to science, others look to religion. Can't you see the similarities? In this thread already there have been accusations that others are wrong, and they are right...that sounds like perception to me