One question,
What would the world be like without religion?
There seem to be some pretty thoughful people on this forum for the most part. I would be interested in hearing your opinions. If we are able to put our own beliefs aside for a time and treat it as a “What if” senario. I would think and suggest it would be a better discussion if people could leave the " (insert religion) is responsible for this and that" and other such hateful comments.
Just what the world would be like…
no more wars
It would be nice to not have wars to worry about that is true, some who call it religon are still very much a business, no escape ther an they strive on wars an disaster.
world without religion = less wars just be oil wars and wars about when the canucks will when
LOL!! not likely. Absent religion, humans would find another vehicle to rally the troops for war.
World without war. A very idealistic thought ! Since the human race is consumed by greed, who can have this, who can have that and so the cycle goes, there will always be war. The price of greed is war. I can imagine a world without religion but I would have to wonder of those who are fanatical and base every life decision on the Bible. What would become of those without that crutch? I guess move on to yet another.
When was there ever a time that this world did not have any wars to consume all those innocent children. I have to agree with Spider and what was mentioned about the ones who call themselves a church or religion and seem to strive on all the miseries caused by wars, bad economy and natural disasters. I do not see a world without war as long as there is oil companies and super powers invading other countries in the name of peace. That is like the old saying from the 70’s Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.
Is this “what if religion never existed and still does not exist?” or “what if religion went away suddenly?”
Either way, I think we’d just find some “non-religious” substitute… a good example being the two part South Park episode where Richard Dawkins succeeds in abolishing religion. Science damn you!
there are so many people who do not have their own direction, and need religion for just that reason. some cannot find their way in life without religion…
[quote=“eccentric”]
I think we’d just find some “non-religious” substitute… [/quote]
Chairman Meow?
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PLA, thats a great poster. So innocent it looks.
A cult is a cult, and it doesn’t matter what it is based on, is still a cult.
The sciences would be alot further along without there already being an “answer”. For me that has been one of the biggest stumbling blocks of out current situation.
“…it dawned on me that a universe without deities was simpler and more internally consistent. The beauty and simplicity with which atheism, materialism (on the mind/body question), moral relativism, and other philosophical ideas all just fell into place has eliminated any doubt that I could be mistaken. I didn’t realize until then how much cognitive dissonance the little logical inconsistencies in my previous beliefs had created. It is really wonderful for that to be gone. Atheism has given me more inner peace than religion ever could have.”
– David Nye
There would be more free thinking in a world without religion. More questioning thoughts instead of blindly following. Well at least, ideally, I’d hope that’s the way it would be. But humans seem to follow a pack mentality. So that very well might be a non option. Hopefully there would be less fear. But unlikely that would ever happen as well. People thrive on something to follow, someone to follow. We don’t really like to think for ourselves or make our own ideas. And I don’t think that would or will ever change. Even if we never had religion.
Interesting question, expat.
Is that only no religion, or no other bureaucracies also? Historically, if you take away organized religions, people look to another organization.
I find it remarkably easy to imagine a world without religion - harder to imagine a world without faith.
The question that I read into your query was:
What would the world be like if everyone was accountable for their own thought, feelings and actions?
Personally - I believe that this is the next step in human evolution. We must adapt or die - and I believe that accountability is our next adaptation.
Very interesting question.
If our world had no religion I feel that it would still exist but perhaps in another form. Certain things are inherent, such as values and beliefs and they will always be present.
How does that old saying go? A rose by any other name is still a rose? I feel that applies to a world without religion, it would still exist just with a different name.
Religion does not cause war and conflict, but it can very easily be used to mobilize large numbers of people toward that…war is always caused by power politics…they may try to justify it with religious or nationalistic rhetoric to get more support, but in the end its all about money, power and control, taking more than your share or imposing your will or ideology on others. Or fighting back against oppression when you are on the short end of the stick.
It’s probably a good time to mention that everyone is invited to the United Church next Sunday for World Religion Day…a celebration of spiritual unity put on by the Baha’i community. Might answer some questions, provoke some discussion. Of course if you would rather just sit behind your keyboard and generalize based on your own pitifully limited experience and perception, then that’s OK too.
As for me, I’m a follower of the Zen doctrine of Meifumado, walking with animal-headed demons on the agonizing path of bloody vengeance.
[quote=“Mr.Kurtz”]
Religion does not cause war and conflict, but it can very easily be used to mobilize large numbers of people toward that…war is always caused by power politics…they may try to justify it with religious or nationalistic rhetoric to get more support, but in the end its all about money, power and control, taking more than your share or imposing your will or ideology on others. Or fighting back against oppression when you are on the short end of the stick.
It’s probably a good time to mention that everyone is invited to the United Church next Sunday for World Religion Day…a celebration of spiritual unity put on by the Baha’i community. Might answer some questions, provoke some discussion. [/quote]
I was listening to you to about this point, fairly good points…
And then this,
And any respect for your argument fell away. This could be a good discussion if people do not, well, to use your own words “generalize based on your own pitifully limited experience and perception”
Why would Mr.Kurtz’s beliefs be any less valid than the mainstream religious ones?
Since there is no proof of the validity of any religion’s belief system, any belief system would be perfectly valid.