RELIGION - WHATS THE POINT?

i was very sad when the reverend mr. adams passed.

I invite my ancestors over all the time. They, most of them being dead, have a hard time getting here.

I believe Michael Jackson invites his chimp to tea....here's a question: If monkeys were capable of inventing god, would they?

How do you know they haven't, if you've never discussed it with one over tea?

They put monkeys on trial in the 1920's? If PETA were around then, that wouldn't have happened, heh heh....

In all honesty, I think the more relevant question is if we have not just substituted one form of dogma for another, and exchanged preachers for pop culture. As social animals, humans will always be searching for some way to feel a connectedness, a sameness, with others, however they may define it. We seek groups of people who have things in common with us, and regardless of whether it is religion, taste in music, politics, science, whatever, the basic motivation is the same: We like hanging out with people who are similar to us. It's a tribal instinct, and nobody knows how to exploit it better than advertisers.

pd, I saw 2001....that's all I know. Next time I have a monkey over to tea, I will indeed ask. The last monkey I had over was very ill-behaved, and I had to spank it.

This is the only explanation I can think of with the ongoing infatuation with Krispy Kreme donuts. It doesn't matter how meager the experience is, as long as we know we are on the same page we'll subject ourselves to all kinds of crap. "Yes! Another Terminator movie! Friends! The Sopranos! Yes, oh, it's all so great, and you watch it, too! So much for those awkward silences in which we are so acutely aware of the vast experiential gulf between us, when those little doubts about our own self-worth, about our ability to love and be loved, about the very value of casual social intercourse start to creep in! Hey, nice cargo pants!"

heeeheeeeeheee -- bad monkey! bad!

Re: RELIGION - WHATS THE POINT?


You can't make a generalization of that sort, personally I'm extremely proud of my ancestors(the aztecs, the mayan & the spanish), of their traditions, of the aztec mythology(though I know really few, as well as the mayan mythology), their cities, among other things, & though I don't have tea with them I do talk to other descendants of them when I travel, I had always enjoy talking to them I still think I will.

Regarding to the points of religion, it's just a consolation for the weak minded people.

Have a confortable night!

Well, Trixabell, i appreciated that bit of ironic humor. Be forewarned that these are precincts of vile hilarity, where the slyly humorous abound, and take little to nothing seriously. You will get very well-considered, well-written and sincere posts at this site. You will also get ribbed to distraction.

All of that being said, nothing in the way of tribal superstition, suspicion and bigotry in the human animal surprises me. Mr. Scopes, the unfortunate defendant in the "monkey trial" in Tennessee was haled before the bar for having observed to a fellow teacher that: "God created man, and man, being a gentleman, returned the compliment." Appropriate charges were cobbled together once it was known that a dangerously irreligious man was in their midst and bidding fair to pollute their youth. Not only are the religiously convinced narrow minded and vicious, they completely lack a sense of humor.

A charge which cannot, however, be levelled against the members of this group.

lol...no big deal...monkey jokes amuse me as much as the next fairy...

This is a bit from Douglas Adams' "A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and is specifically in reference to our evolution from more simian ancestors and the observation that many humans are very uncomfortable with this notion. I feel the same way about certain of my relations, but I don't deny that they are part of my family.

Religions serve many purposes:

1. Initially, personifying nature gave people a way to control the mindless forces of nature and fate through prayer, sacrifice, or magic rituals.

2. Religion allowed the rise of an educated priest class who did not have to work and could devote their time to deciding what rules the rest of humanity should live by, and gave them the unimpeachable authority to impose such rules.

3. It appeals to our sense of justice: crime goes unpunished and good unrewarded in this world, but evil will ultimately be punished and all of the nice people will spend eternity in paradise.

4. Religions that advocate life after death offer hope for reuniting with beloved family and friends, and ease the fear of death.

5. Religion gives people moral standards to live by and encourages love and charity. However, the moral standards imposed by some religions are neither loving nor charitable to outsiders, and may even degrade some classes of people within the religion (women and slaves, for instance).

6. It fosters a sense of community and makes people feel proud to be part of the in-group that is on the right side of god, so they can look down on the rest of the world slated for eternal hell.

7. It offers a church-supported outlet for artistry such as painting, music, architecture, and creative writing.

Religion also inspired the burning of the library in Alexandria, the Dark Ages, and the Crusades...

Oh joy!

Another anti-religion member..........

Hey maxsdadeo....don't get your knickers in a knot...you are one person I know who actually understands what your personal religion is all about, namely humanity. I am not anti-religion, I am anti-horrid things done in religion's name, thats all. Personally, I think that politics, not faith, is the true evil. Just check out the threads here

Eh, I'm not big on organized religion myself, but I've got a feeling sufficiently large populations of people will always find some excuse to kill each other, generally at the behest of a privileged few, regardless of ideology. Certainly religion has been used as an effective instrument of organization in this regard, though.

Nice response Terry! Not only religion but, sex, drugs and rock-n-roll have have all be the cause of many a death. I am not religoius, nor do I believe in god but, it becomes a song played once too many times when the "Death through christ" tune is chanted. Someone noted that it is consolationm for the weak mind. Why the added comment "Weak mind"? Can it not simply be consolation for those in need of support but lacking in other sources of that support? Here in Tennessee, it is not uncommon to sit in a doctors office and see a person quietly reading a well worn bible. At least they have something to read that is only slightly older than the magazines on the tables! If they don't knock on my door at 7pm, what do I care. They're not starting wars, they're just knocking on doors. If memory serves me, there have been quite a few non-christian wars.

morganwood: props for noting that wars are not always religous in nature. And for quoting Arlo Gutherie
You guys even quoted hitchiker's guide!
Now all I need is a Mark Twain, and you'll have all my fav's.