Could relgion be connected to the goverment?

Religion is a control, it makes people do good things, it gives people something to hold on to in rough times. To me it seems that as soon as large and sophisticated empires began to form this is when religion came into being. It just makes sense to me, religion is the greatest control, can do a better job that any laws.

Well,to start with if it is only something to hold on in rough times than I wouldn't call it 'Religion'..but Hope...of faith..

Belief..you mean..but if you look at the way that the republicans are going about Their beliefs and to a large extent wanting to impose them on the rest of us,than yes you could sat it is Control..
But look up Religion on an encyclopedia..see what you find..

back in the days of kings and queens religion did have more control of everything.there choices made by governments back then and in some older countries to this day still use religious laws.lucky for us north america has public laws and they are way better then the religious laws.remember when they used to burn people to the stake for thinking or believing in something else.they threw galileo galilei in a dungeon for his knowledge of science and inventions.history shows us over and over again the misfortures of religious laws. that recently we have seen a direct link to fear,war, massive poverty and my favourite the abuse of women kind.if is not good for the masses why do we still incorporate it?

Religion taken to the extreme can be very detrimental to a community/society. But on in individual basis, it is harmless. The need for hope and faith in an individuals life is pivotal when going threw rough times.

The only thing that makes me wonder about humans is why they would be mindless followers of a faith when it is taken to extremes and the foundation of the religions is destroyed. Changed threw manipulation of the religious text, in order to create a hostile environment. Per say, why would they follow a faith that calls for a beheading of another individual that follows a different religion?
Question: Would todays society still be as mindless if a religion became hostile? Would Christians still follow there faith if they were told it was time to rid the world of the unholy people and the righteous way to do this would be mass be-headings or sum thing as such?

Just wondered.
b56

Originally posted by TKainZero
Religion is a control, it makes people do good things,

Ya mean like killing in the name of god? Burning people at the stake? hating people who are different?

Originally posted by TKainZero
Religion is a control, it makes people do good things, it gives people something to hold on to in rough times. To me it seems that as soon as large and sophisticated empires began to form this is when religion came into being. It just makes sense to me, religion is the greatest control, can do a better job that any laws.

Without a doubt religion is a control mechanism, hence the term "God fearing". Devised to ensure that the masses would adhere to some kind of regulation or suffer the consequences when death ensues. Thats not to say that the initial intentions of religion was to rule, but merely to guide. As the human race has developed, corruption, greed and self interests have become the priority mainly due to the ruling bodies wanting more control and as the majority of people within any one country normally has a prominent faith the government or certainly the head of the government will claim to represent that faith and therefore the interests of a majority of the voting public.......at least thats what I think, I haven't really thought about it..

Religion makes people react in a predictable manner,wasnt it Machiavalli who said "if god didnt exist,then it would be neccesary to invent him"?
Free thinkers are dangerous to the status quo.
Thats why our founding fathers attempted to keep religion out of politics,,which as we have seen in the last few years,hasnt been too succesful.

most certainly it could... look at middle eatern countries, and other ones that follow the Koran and the Bible.

the US in the beginning followed the Bible by its laws, and still does follow the christian religion, just not as much as before.

Remember religion may be harmless in the hands of the regular few, but when is involve in the ones of power it can become a deadly tool, to opress and to decimate others.

All you have to do is go back into the history of religion and the world, and you will see how deadly can be, and more recent look at the middle east how religion is used to justify atrocities.

Yes, and it is. The Catholic church is connected to Governments. Look how many of the leaders consult with the Pope. he was also directly responsible with the fall of communism in the Soviet Union.

Look in America. Bush is suppose to be a Born again Christian. The policies he is persuing are based on his christian beliefs (well some of them). So yes they have mixed in the past and they will always continue and may so more and more. Church and State will soon be one again in my opinion.

Originally posted by shmick25
Yes, and it is. The Catholic church is connected to Governments. Look how many of the leaders consult with the Pope. he was also directly responsible with the fall of communism in the Soviet Union.

Look in America. Bush is suppose to be a Born again Christian. The policies he is persuing are based on his christian beliefs (well some of them). So yes they have mixed in the past and they will always continue and may so more and more. Church and State will soon be one again in my opinion.

Agreed.
Israel is the perfect example. It uses, faith,race and history to get support for its actions.

Originally posted by LadyV

Originally posted by TKainZero
Religion is a control, it makes people do good things,

Ya mean like killing in the name of god? Burning people at the stake? hating people who are different?

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No, more like pay your taxes (which became a law in the cristian faith a few years ago), dont cheat. Those kind of things.

[edit on 12/19/2004 by TKainZero]