Is it foolish to dismiss religion as just superstition?

originally posted by: intrptr

originally posted by: LSU0408

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Krahzeef_Ukhar

Is it foolish to dismiss religion as just superstition?

Which religion?

Distinguish between organized religion and spirituality. Dogma, ritual and tradition are 'superstitious'.


The superstition goes, if you don't follow the dogmatic tradition and perform the rituals you are 'sinning'.

Sinners are easily forgiven.

Just believe it, lol.

Not that easy.

originally posted by: angus1745
Religion really is utter bollox, in all its forms.

Einstein called it 'childish superstition' that about sums it up.

Personally I give religious folk a wide berth, I find them to be flaky and unreliable, not to mention dishonest and judgemental.

Judgmental like you're currently being?

a reply to: ClovenSky

Fair enough. You're a stronger person than I.
I think it would consume me.

Regarding the differences let's try another analogy.
Say you need heart surgery of the 3 who do you choose to do it?

The guy who believes in heart surgery.
The guy who doesn't believe in heart surgery.
The guy who assumes he can work it out himself.

originally posted by: LSU0408

originally posted by: intrptr

originally posted by: LSU0408

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Krahzeef_Ukhar

Is it foolish to dismiss religion as just superstition?

Which religion?

Distinguish between organized religion and spirituality. Dogma, ritual and tradition are 'superstitious'.


The superstition goes, if you don't follow the dogmatic tradition and perform the rituals you are 'sinning'.

Sinners are easily forgiven.

Just believe it, lol.

Not that easy.

Yes it is. Every mainstream western organized religion is a belief system. The onyly veracity it has is members belief in it. Don't question, do what you're told, never doubt what you're told, you are forgiven, come back next week. Wash rinse, repeat.

a reply to: intrptr

I still don't see a massive difference between thinking ghosts used to do stuff and thinking ghosts still do stuff.

I'm not saying that to offend, just to clarify my position.
I think I'm correct but there's no good reason to assume that I am.

a reply to: Krahzeef_Ukhar

You know the really weird part, it was 500% more difficult and stressful being a full blown catholic. The path that I am on currently feels right and dosen't require constant effort. Natural is probably the best way I could describe it.

As to the question, none of that information would allow me to select the best surgeon. What if the surgeon that didn't believe in the procedure was doing it out of pure greed and they were the best in their field? I would need to ask a lot more questions to determine the best surgical candidate.

But maybe I am toward the end of my life. Maybe I will instead choose to forgo the operation and eagerly await the chance to see what is on the other side. If my life were to end tomorrow, I would be content with the life that I have lived so far. I would miss seeing my family grow up and tackle life but I have tried to the best of my abilities to prepare them for the real world.

originally posted by: LindsayK
I agree, ignore the lessons of religion..at your own peril...but I dont think I need to be subservient to achieve the desired result.

That's kind of what I'm struggling with.
What if humbling yourself to be subservient is needed to truly understand the lessons of religion.

If so then we are both screwed but it's interesting to think about.

originally posted by: ClovenSky
As to the question, none of that information would allow me to select the best surgeon.

That's all the information you've got in this scenario.
Not making a decision could be a big decision.

originally posted by: Krahzeef_Ukhar
The Illuminati if they exist aren't cartoon villains. Whatever their goals are, it isn't to do evil. What would you do if you had the chance to kill a billion to save a trillion?

If one ever hopes to find the truth, one MUST learn to think in the OPPOSITE direction of what propaganda is telling you.

You are believing EXACTLY what the PTB's mind control (dis)information is telling you to believe...

Their agenda is to remain on top, their methods are to keep the truth as far away from you and me as is possible...including death threats, murder, and attack the messenger at all costs. ~ CIA Asset Susan Lindauer

As for killing an innocent human being goes, that in my humble opinion, is one of the worst crimes a person can commit.

The illusion of a 'Greater Good' might sound nice and sweet but in the end it is YOU who will be the one that reaps the consequences of said crime.

a reply to: Murgatroid

I think if someone hopes to find the truth they can't dismiss the possibility that they are the one's that have bought into the propaganda. The only way to confirm if someone has been brainwashed is if they are certain they are right.

Yes...no...maybe...

Its all a pov, with the context and how revelant it could be. Hell, one could make a Bible out of science quotes scientists, an say Tesla 22:16, Ohms 6:66, an so on an so forth....Murphies Law a good one.

And watch it will be like that South park episode with the otters at war with future humans over the most accurate question of life or like Adam an Eve...Let's talk about sex.

The basic problem I have with very religious people is that they tend to be predictable and boring. You can't have hypothetical discussions with them, because they already have their answer. "God did it." Why even bother talking to them?

a reply to: Blue Shift

Agreed...

Science - The Illuminati Religion and Mind Control Tool for the Masses

"Science" just like all other religions, is about keeping the truth hidden...

originally posted by: Murgatroid
a reply to: Blue Shift
"Science" just like all other religions, is about keeping the truth hidden...

I think the thing to remember is that "science" is not about finding answers, but rather finding new questions about how things are related to each other, and naming those things. It's not about what is true or false.

Engineering, on the other hand, has proven to be very useful.

originally posted by: StallionDuck

originally posted by: eNumbra

originally posted by: StallionDuck

originally posted by: eNumbra
Believing that eating a cracker and drinking some wine will offer you salvation is the definition of a superstition.

That, to me, is superstition. If I need to believe in a purpose, true or false, it's no one elses business but my own. It's not much different than simply saying...

You can believe whatever you wish to believe I won’t stop you.

But it is by definition, superstition.
www.dictionary.com...


It sounds like you’re just a little insecure about your beliefs

Post edit.... Why do I "sound like I'm insecure about my beliefs"? I don't feel insecure. Is there something I'm not telling me?

I've turned my back on my "beliefs" a few times in my life but none of the times was it due to disbelief more than it had to do with self righteous anger. I'm very secure in believing that God exists. Of that, I have no doubt. I can only say, if you lived my life and walked in my shoes, you would see my proof. Yet, if you want proof, you have to seek and find your own but you likely wont find it if you don't search for it. Then again, what do I know.... It might just walk up and slap you in the face

Religion, on the other hand, is separate from faith or belief. To me, religion is a kind of church and the person running it, not the message or the word there in. For me, the word is truth. Because a man in white speaks it, doesn't make that man true. Only the word is true. The man is fallible, faulty, broken, not perfect and not God. However, a "church" by definition, is a place of gathering to worship and/or discuss the word. I rather worship in private. No one needs to hear my words but God. I don't have anything to prove to anyone. Discussing the mysteries and what is written, I always welcome because it's a very interesting topic. Not to mention, there are often chances that in those discussions, I understand something more clearly about that word or within myself. I have "ah hah!" moments often.

Still, I'm confused. Where do I show that I am insecure about my beliefs? I'm more sure about that than anything else in life and I'm a pretty confident person.

Mostly the tangential straw man about diets, a superstition is what it is, by a definition and no matter how real something feels to someone it doesn’t make it any less so.

There’s no need to hold on to the obvious negative connotations of the word; we can criticize those who throw slat over their shoulder, or have a pair of lucky socks, or take the host, or participate in any ritual that is meant to bring them some unsubstantiatable, intangible, untestable thing. Or we can recognize them for what they are, whether or not someone is an asshole about someone else’s beliefs has no bearing on it.

Unless you can “prove”, and I’ve yet to see anyone “prove” any of those rituals - religious or otherwise actually do something, they’re superstitions.

We all have superstitions, own them or not, but trying to reclassify them is what sounds like insecurity.

And I may be wrong, you may be more secure in your belief system than I am in mine; I just said it sounded that way. These threads, I don’t like them on a very basic level, primarily because in discussing intangible ideas we often simply go in circles because all of it is subjective, as has been pointed out, everybody has had different experiences which have all had different impacts on them; belief systems like the ones we’re discussing forego the whole idea of prove and hard evidence so progress is never made. Everyone just sort of spins their wheels and reinforces their own beliefs in threads like these.

originally posted by: Krahzeef_Ukhar
The only way to confirm if someone has been brainwashed is if they are certain they are right.

Sounds like something L. Ron Hubbard would say.

I think you may have had just a little too much of that Scientology Koolaid...

The Church of Scientology today is happy to quote scholars who criticize anti-cult brainwashing theories. Yet in 1955 L. Ron Hubbard published a booklet called Brain-Washing, implying that brainwashing was practiced with some success in several countries.

The Strange Story of the Brain-Washing Manual of 1955

For those of you that have been following along, you already know about the fact that Bob Mandelstam of the CIA made a deal with two religious front groups – the MRA (Moral Re-Armament) and Scientology (L. Ron Hubbard) to conduct political action activities.

Hubbard had already been in bed with the CIA as far back as the very first foundation, the Dianetics Research Foundation, back in 1950, which Miles also talks about in his auto-biography The Game Player.

The Real Reason For Hubbard’s 1955 Brainwashing Manual – and Where He Got It From (the CIA)

originally posted by: Krahzeef_Ukhar

originally posted by: amazing
But we just don't know, do we? would that make us all agnostic and either leaning towards belief or leaning away?

Can you dismiss someone as ignorant if they believe in god?

Agnostics need to grow a pair.
It's a weak position born out of being scared of a potential god or being scared of being wrong.

It depends on the reason for belief.
If Benny Hinn's miracles convince you I would probably say yes.
But then again placebo's work so technically Benny Hinn has saved some people(Probably less than he killed tho) so those few are perfectly rational to believe.

But of course you cannot dismiss someone as ignorant purely for believing in god.
It's basically saying you're stupid because you don't agree with me.

So: are you saying that it's better to have a belief system, even if you will someday change it with another;
than to have no belief system?
Have you not considered the possibility that some may have rejected belief systems?

Jed McKenna suggests that all beliefs are BS:

originally posted by: LSU0408
In my religion, we pray to God in Jesus's name.

And yet, Jesus never told you to do that.

When asked how to pray, Jesus taught prayer directly to the Father thus, "Our Father who art in Heaven..."

Jesus isn't mentioned in the prayer which he himself taught us to pray.

a reply to: Krahzeef_Ukhar

It isn't foolish to dismiss religion. It is foolish to accept religion without rigorous testing.

originally posted by: AMPTAH
When asked how to pray, Jesus taught prayer directly to the Father thus, "Our Father who art in Heaven..."
Jesus isn't mentioned in the prayer which he himself taught us to pray.

Yeah, but he also very clearly said, "The only way to the Father is through me." (John 14:6)

What an ego on that guy.