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Organized Religion: At Best an inefficient charity organization. At worst an anti-progressive cult.

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Exellus

Exellus

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
2,348
Change my mind.

Rule 1 of every religion) All other religions are false, only this religion is the REAL truth. And you KNOW there are some wealthy, priests out there living lives of wealth from all the tithing their parishes do for them.

The feeling that my "good intentions" were being used to further the Church itself, feels like a pyramid scheme that's meant to control people. And I can't understand people who submit themselves to that. It's an active willingness to not think for yourself.

It's saying: "I really don't want to decide for myself, I want someone to tell me what to believe."

I just have no respect for anyone even adjacent to organized religion at this point. The moment in history where religion stopped being a boon for mankind was over 200 years ago. It really is something that shackles thought and prevents people from being truly free.

"Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones."

― Marcus Aurelius
 
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Feep

Feep

Lead Designer, Iridium Studios
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
4,607
Look, I'm theologically with you, but it doesn't really do to start effectively calling people morons for growing up in environments beyond their control. It is very difficult to overcome childhood conditioning without a very particular kind of upbringing.
 
Biske

Biske

Member
Nov 11, 2017
8,281
Lol this thread will go well, I'm atheist or anti-theist as fuck and no fan of organized religion as a whole, but it is what it is.
 
DavidDesu

DavidDesu

Banned
Oct 29, 2017
5,718
Glasgow, Scotland
It is a brainwashing cult that gets them when they're young.

The most egregious thing that often comes out of religious types and is preached by many Christians (and other religions) is that not believing in God somehow make you morally deficient. In some utterly fucked up way if you don't believe in a god and a religious framework to your life then you cannot possibly have basic morals... Like fuck right off you twisted fucks.
 
Seesaw15

Seesaw15

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,819
2igfpg.jpg
 
Carthago Delenda Est

Carthago Delenda Est

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
6,119
You've created an imagined idea of what religion is and went into this not looking at it objectively, but instead setting out to prove you're right. No one is going to take your call to prove you wrong seriously not because a valid effort couldn't be made, but because it would be wasted. I'd suggest you go do so more reading about why religion might be important, but I don't get the impression you're open to that idea so you might as well not.
 
Pomerlaw

Pomerlaw

Erarboreal
Member
Feb 25, 2018
8,536
They are all man made, and in my humble opinion, quite immature.

I accept the moderates, and hope they grow out of it.
 
mangopositive

mangopositive

The Fallen
Oct 28, 2017
2,441
Feep said:
Look, I'm theologically with you, but it doesn't really do to start effectively calling people morons for growing up in environments beyond their control. It is very difficult to overcome childhood conditioning without a very particular kind of upbringing.
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Well said.

You're not wrong, but don't be a dick.
 
Thrill_house

Thrill_house

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,642
Most abrahamic religions are doomsday cults at their core. I've been a firm believer that organized religion is nothing more than a brass ring to lead the masses about by the nose. Haven't been proven wrong yet.
 
Musubi

Musubi

Unshakable Resolve - Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,636
This thread is going to go well lol. I'm no fan of religion but also being a dick about it doesn't make you look so hot either.
 

onadesertedisland

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,660
Organized religion is the remnants of early human government systems. It's full of ideas that we've moved based but can't because it breaks the spell.
 
Buzzman

Buzzman

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,549
People are fucking stupid, I can't blame organizations for trying to wrangle the masses. Religions were once used as a template for society because no one how to deal with people in bigger groups. Sure, they've since kind of lost importance relatively speaking, but they still provide important functions for many.
 
PKrockin

PKrockin

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,260
Exellus said:
Rule 1 of every religion) All other religions are false, only this religion is the REAL truth. And you KNOW there are some wealthy, priests out there living lives of wealth from all the tithing their parishes do for them.
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This is wrong. It's hard to remember in many English speaking countries but non-Abrahamic religions exist too.
 
hobblygobbly

hobblygobbly

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,580
NORDFRIESLAND, DEUTSCHLAND
In Germany the churches have been the best at helping immigrants, surprisingly - although the far-right constantly repeats the "Islamic invaders" threatening "Christian traditions and customs", granted many immigrants are also from parts of Africa which are very conservative Christians, but they help all.

Although yes I cannot stand the way of thinking that comes from Abrahmic religions in particular, the holier than thou attitude and the mental gymnastics that arise from trying to reconcile the demanded worship and servitude of an omnipotent being who for some reason still can't stop misery in our lives and the world. Any way, I know very few religious people, religion is unpopular from where I'm from, or at least rarely ever spoken about.

I have a much larger appreciation for non-religions, philosophies and ways of life, like Taoism.
 
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Version 3.0

Version 3.0

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,215
Religions are way more complicated than that. They're also large bandwagons that people enjoy belonging to. They run schools and fund research. They're political entities. And charities.

There's good and bad in all that - the same good and bad that's in any large organized group of people.

I'm not a fan, but religion is not a simple topic, nor is it going anywhere.
 
entremet

entremet

You wouldn't toast a NES cartridge
Member
Oct 26, 2017
60,279
Religion itself is incredibly diverse. Compared a Mormon to a Reformed Jew for example. Or a Catholic to a Sunni Muslim. A Buddhist to someone of the Bahá'í faith.

Religion is not only diverse, but how people practice is also diverse. There are full blown theocracies and then there are people who attend services twice a year at most.

Your thesis loses by the fact that's it's so general.
 
ArnoldJRimmer

ArnoldJRimmer

Banned
Aug 22, 2018
1,322
OP, im right there with you, but your tone is just going to get the religious to come with one liners meant to not only insult you but also all atheists.

Thats all their going to have for you.


3 2 1 to fedora....
 

Deleted member 18360

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,844
I don't see how organization or prescribing forms of authority is necessarily a problem in religion specifically. All specialized disciplines have people that specialize in them (experts), who then provide some service to the laity, and I don't see why religion should be any exception. However some forms of authority are particularly hard to challenge, and that does seem to present a problem. If a religion is too enmeshed in culture (like a kind of pervasive dogma) then we tend to take it for granted and lose the ability to reflect on it effectively. Also, speculative religion tends to make claims that are difficult to verify through lived experience, again making them hard to challenge. And the overlap of education with social class seems to cause perhaps too much gatekeeping, by separating the 'exoteric' and 'esoteric' in religion simply through opportunities for access. But some amount of organization and authority seems like it will always be necessary, even in the most benign or helpful religions, because as far as it is a specialized discipline, it has to be enacted and sustained by people specialized in it, but perhaps not in any particular or given way.
 
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Strangelove_77

Strangelove_77

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,392
I'm surprised you didn't mention the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Turn that edge up a bit more.
 
subpar spatula

subpar spatula

Refuses to Wash his Ass
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
22,187
Makes sense. Religion has never proven themselves to be correct. They've lied throughout centuries. They indoctrinate children at a young age. They oppress people. They get violent whenever they can because reason isn't a prevailing thought within them. Religions support some pretty shady shit.

Like, I get y'all are kind of upset he's calling out religion but it's not entirely unwarranted.
 
John Dunbar

John Dunbar

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
6,229
considering the history of most organised religions, it's pretty rich to say that some salty comments give atheists a bad name. you can tell which group comes from a position of privilege.
 

rambis

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,790
Exellus said:
Rule 1 of every religion) All other religions are false, only this religion is the REAL truth. And you KNOW there are some wealthy, priests out there living lives of wealth from all the tithing their parishes do for them.
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Stopped here. You should maybe learn more before you shout at others.
 
TheCthultist

TheCthultist

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,451
New York
rambis said:
Stopped here. You should maybe learn more before you shout at others.
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Yeah, it essentially just reads as someone who only knows about religion through arguments you'd see on places like /r/atheism. Most of the argument being made is a bunch of sweeping generalizations that don't actually apply to most religions in modern times.
 
DesertedManiacIsland

DesertedManiacIsland

Member
Oct 28, 2017
85
Love it when people who haven't studied cults and religion make generalizations!

Religion in secular societies is an aspect of an individuals life, that may or may not be communal. In non secular societies religions is the culture that bounds people together, people are so immersed in it, it becomes naturalized. Like many aspects of ourselves and culture, we don't necessarily have a choice in.

Also not EVERY religion says that other religions are false, those are the abrahamic religions. Hinduism, for example, is pluralistic and kind of accepts many faiths.
 

Deleted member 9714

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
1,882
OP, I'm an atheist, but your post is laughable and shows you have almost no knowledge of religion. Have you interacted with religious people or institutions at all in your life?

Study up a bit more before you make a post that reeks like a 14 year old in a private Catholic school rebelling.
 

Thebeast!

Banned
Mar 18, 2018
1,487
Leaving the church was for the best. Why believe in their bullshit and follow their shitty rules.
 
Hollywood Duo

Hollywood Duo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
42,117
Yes tell me more about your expertise on every single religion. Your use of the word Church clearly shows me you only have a passing knowledge of some Christian ideologies.
 
Boiled Goose

Boiled Goose

Banned
Nov 2, 2017
9,999
DesertedManiacIsland said:
Love it when people who haven't studied cults and religion make generalizations!

Religion in secular societies is an aspect of an individuals life, that may or may not be communal. In non secular societies religions is the culture that bounds people together, people are so immersed in it, it becomes naturalized. Like many aspects of ourselves and culture, we don't necessarily have a choice in.

Also not EVERY religion says that other religions are false, those are the abrahamic religions. Hinduism, for example, is pluralistic and kind of accepts many faiths.
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All religions make claims about reality that are mutually exclusive with beliefs from other religions

If Hinduism is true, every other religion is basically false.
 
BringBackSonics

BringBackSonics

Member
Oct 27, 2017
45,335
Seattle
Carthago Delenda Est said:
You've created an imagined idea of what religion is and went into this not looking at it objectively, but instead setting out to prove you're right. No one is going to take your call to prove you wrong seriously not because a valid effort couldn't be made, but because it would be wasted. I'd suggest you go do so more reading about why religion might be important, but I don't get the impression you're open to that idea so you might as well not.
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You pretty much said everything that I was going to say. You didn't come into this looking for an actual discussion OP
 
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