Dreamer wrote:One wonders if the same views in your post should be taken about religion. Because athiests think getting rid of religion will solve most of the world's problems, but it is probably likely that people will just find another thing to fight over.
There's two sides to every coin.
To say religion has always held society down would be incorrect. Take the time to think about some of our most awe-inspiring ancient civilizations. Who here doesn't know about the Great Pyramids of Egypt? These pyramids were created to honour the pharoahs of Egypt and to ensure them a peaceful afterlife. The Aztec and Mayan civilization had focused themselves around honouring the various natural spirits around them with temples and structures dedicated to these spirits.
(The Aztec city of Cuzco is in the shape of a Jagaur.) There are countless most civilizations like this. Would we not have them if it weren't for religion?
These people's beliefs drove them to work together and form the civilization that they had. I think the point I was trying to make here is that:
When people agree, amazing things happen.
All the Major Religions on our Earth teach kindness and empathy to those around us. Religion teaches us how to act to each other. Religion gives us the ground rules for a peaceful, idealistic society. Religion allows people to agree with one another to the point where the Whole becomes more important than the Individual, and we're all able to sacrifice ourselves for good of everyone else, and this power of religion is what allowed so many people across the world to break tribal laws and life and create the society we have today.
If you want to say religion is brainwashing, that's fine with me. If brainwashing people to treat eachother and the nature around them gently is brainwashing, I fully support it.
Of course. The only problem with religion is that for all the amazing power that religion holds, it's in control of human-kind. It's not that religion controls people.
People control religion. Countless Crusades, Genocides, and the current sad state of Isreal can all be blamed on Religion.
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
-- Ghandi
Religion can teach people both fear and love. For Example: Western religion teaches thatwolves are messengers of the devil, and werewolves are people whom are cursed with evil. While many Eastern religions believe that Animals in nature are teachers, and that people whom can change into animals are revered. In Western thought, Dragons pillage villages. In Japan and China, Dragons bring rain and good fortune.
Religion can both be used for our benefit and destruction. It's all a matter of how it's applied. Religion can be described as a
Double-Edged Sword.
On the Other hand, if all of the world became athiests, I don't think it would be any different than if all the world were of one religion. Religion teaches us morals, and just because a society if Atheist, this doesn't mean they would become without morals. (And that is precisely where Humanism comes in. You can debate that Atheism would encourage people to become better people more than religion. If there's no after life, then we might as well live it up now. And if there's no god to cure our problems, we'll have to do it ourselves.)
But this is all set in the tense of an
IDEAL SOCIETY. Which, we're not, because
IDEALLY everything works, but not everything does. Two Sides. One Coin.
The reason why this doesn't work is because there's too many religions in this world. (Andwe'reidiotsandliketodestroyeachother.)
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Now, ABOUT SEX.
The famous book
Brave New World by
Aldous Huxley describes a care-free society void of religion, family and art, and filled with sex and drugs. The world is designed so that the individual is obsolete. The book can be compared to the general-on goings of our own society -- that of a society obsessed with sex, conformity, and living in the moment.
The two sides of the coin on this debate is:
1. Should we avoid sex in our everyday lives for the enjoyments of other aspects of human kind?
--OR--
2. Should we encourage sex and hedonism, trust that everything will work out, and enjoy ourselves?
I bring up the book Brave New World because it demonstrates the debate between Art and Tradition, or Hedonism. Which is more important? (Oh, by the way, read the book. I SWEAR, it's a good read, if you haven't had to read it already.)
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I
personally believe that
the root of every religion is just a different interpretation of the same divine. I also believe that what is better for the whole, is better for the individual, and that all the world needs is love. Not respect, not tolerance. LOVE.