Why are thre more opinions....

Or is it the other way around?

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Hmm, fair enough.
I meant that there seem to be so many people agianst religion and its 'rules' than there are fore it.
Surely there would be more people going to places of worship to show their support if it were the other way around.

Im sure the people who take it seriously are in abundance but it seems some use it as a reason for terrorism/war which isnt its correct use.

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Well what i have noticed is that when i was a christian i saw most the world godless, but now that im agnostic there seams to be religion every where i look. i think it just depend which side of the fence your on.

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material girl wrote:

I meant that there seem to be so many people agianst religion and its 'rules' than there are fore it.

Do you mean here on A2K, or in general?

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Before you can measure who is 'for' or 'against' religion, you must specify which religion. It's not like all religionists agree with eachother, or form any sort of consensus.

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I suppose a2k is the only place i get teh chance to discuss anything.

I think we are a broad enough spectrum of people to get a fair demographic.

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For many people, their religion keeps them sane. Laughing

It may at times seem like theres more people against religion maybe because those that are religious don't wish to impose their beliefs on others and don't really argue for religion itself but more for their specific faith.

An atheist would have more grounds to disprove of all religions because don't impose any religious beliefs. An person with no religion wouldn't sit in a lecture that preaches against religion, but an open-minded religious person would (I think). It's about perception and that is why we are able to notice that there is more opinions for or against religion itself.

Can I guess then that you have a religion believe too material girl?

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Re: Why are thre more opinions....

material girl wrote:

....against religion than there are fore?

Material girl, there are a thousand reasons why people are against or for religion.

As far as the ones who are against it:

-Some people want to make up their own rules.
-Some people have been "disappointed by God".
-Some people think everything in life has to have a logical conclusion.
-Some people just don't care.

As far as the ones who are for it:

-Some people find comfort in believing they are not alone.
-Some people need rules to follow to function properly.
-Some people get a sense of superiority or importance by following those rules and then pushing them on others.
-Some people just want to feel needed in a great big cold world.

Just to name a few possible reasons.

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Re: Why are thre more opinions....

hephzibah wrote:

As far as the ones who are against it:

-Some people want to make up their own rules.
-Some people have been "disappointed by God".
-Some people think everything in life has to have a logical conclusion.
-Some people just don't care.

1) Name a nonreligious person who is against religion merely because it tries to establish rules. Under the same category they must also rigorously oppose the laws set by their government. I highly doubt you would be able to name a single person with this viewpoint.

2) Atheists cannot be "disappointed by God." The only disappointment that could be mentioned for those who converted away from religion is that they were disappointed that there were no gods. Speaking of "gods," you have totally excluded those who once believed there were many gods.

3) Correct.

4) Correct.

You forgot about the fifth possibility: some people think religion is dangerous to society.

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Opiate of the masses
IMHO:

Religion, on the whole, has a bad track record:

Opiate-of-the-masses theory:

I think people want to have hope from SOMEWHERE, as the world population grows, interactions get more and more complicated and frustrating. The more the population grows, the more it gets in each other's way.

Religion tries to offer hope that better days will come and to love one another as you do your own. But all this ends up leaving so many feeling even more let down emotionally. The analogy I make is that it's sort of like eating cotton candy. Initially your energy has a short "rush" and then you get an even further energy ebb.

Lastly, as you look over history of the wars on earth, most wars have been fought in the name of religion (directly or indirectly).

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most....which oness havent?

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Re: Why are thre more opinions....

megamanXplosion wrote:

hephzibah wrote:
As far as the ones who are against it:

-Some people want to make up their own rules.
-Some people have been "disappointed by God".
-Some people think everything in life has to have a logical conclusion.
-Some people just don't care.

1) Name a nonreligious person who is against religion merely because it tries to establish rules. Under the same category they must also rigorously oppose the laws set by their government. I highly doubt you would be able to name a single person with this viewpoint.

2) Atheists cannot be "disappointed by God." The only disappointment that could be mentioned for those who converted away from religion is that they were disappointed that there were no gods. Speaking of "gods," you have totally excluded those who once believed there were many gods.

3) Correct.

4) Correct.

You forgot about the fifth possibility: some people think religion is dangerous to society.

mega, I know PLENTY of people for all the things I listed. That is where that opinion is based out of. I have had the chance to meet with and discuss with many "unbelievers" as well as "believers" their reasoning for believing or not. I wasn't implying anyone here actually because I haven't talked to anyone here to that extent, so to say that would be nothing more than a judgemental criticism on my part. Atheists can turn to atheism BECAUSE they were disappointed by God. I've met several of people like that as well. Here's an example though:

I met a man once who's only reason for turning to atheism (yes he admitted this) is that his mother died at a very early age and he, as a child got on his knees, begged and pleaded with God to save her, and God didn't. So he then decided there must be no "God" because his prayers were not answered. I have heard similar things to this said in this forum as well. I've heard it said practically thousands of times how "stupid" religious rules are.

-Can't drink excessively.
-Can't do drugs.
-Can't smoke.
-Can't have sex before you get married.
-Can't watch certain types of movies.

Just to name a few. "Religious rules" are much different than governmental rules. Religious rules put serious restrictions on one's behavior and then condemn that person to hell if they "break those rules". Where governmental rules don't do that. That's the difference.

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Re: Why are thre more opinions....

hephzibah wrote:

I met a man once who's only reason for turning to atheism (yes he admitted this) is that his mother died at a very early age and he, as a child got on his knees, begged and pleaded with God to save her, and God didn't. So he then decided there must be no "God" because his prayers were not answered.

You seem to have missed my point. You were mixing your perspective--that there is a god--with the atheist perspective when you said they were "disappointed with God." You'll never, ever, find an atheist that is disappointed with God because an atheist doesn't believe there is a god to be disappointed with.

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you both are talking about two differnt things here.

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You forgot about the fifth possibility: some people think religion is dangerous to society.

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Freedom of thought is bad for society, that makes religion good.
-StronGuest

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I have some opinions regarding the decline of the importance of religion in the west european countries. But I know I'm quite longwinded and convoluted in my wording, and I have little patience tonight in trying to pour it all out in posts. Be glad Smile

As for the opinions? They originate on both sides of the fence, and stem from the common desire to find fault with people who do not share a particular way of life (namely your own). By discrediting them (or trying to, at least), you automatically proclaim that your own worldview does have more merit.

Overall, I think the atheists quite easily (and naively) fall back on the fact that religion is the cause of most wars in the history of mankind. There is of course some merit there but I'd rather phrase it that religion has often been the excuse for those wars... Not its cause.
As for religious people, they often disdain the opinions of atheists and quote scripture to show they are right *while it is often the case that the factuality of that scripture is being questioned*.
Neither approach is particulalry conducive to a fruitful discussion.

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Major Rathole/Sidetrack Alert:

I feel that the historic search for profit (land control etc.) is at the root of wars not religion itself, pe rse. What has happened by nations or political entities is that it's been rapped up in the guise of religion for the purposes of recruitment and injecting energy and passion around the cause.

Why are thre more opinions....

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