Is Religion Simply A Security Blanket? INTELLIGENT Discussion With NO FLAMING

Originally posted by Dave Rabbit
Are people religious because they really believe? Do they simply go through the motions because they are too afraid of the consequences .... just in case there is a Heaven or Hell? Is it simply a security blanket because they want to believe that there is something better after they die and would be miserable if they didn’t believe there was something at the end of the religious rainbow?

Excellent questions. However, this will be a case by case basis. Some will use it as a crutch and in some cases, the religion actually makes life a little more difficult. It's easy to say, 'God does not exist. Now I get to do it my way.' It's a whole other ball game when you have to admit that He does in fact exist (even when you really don't want Him to) and it is His will, not ours.

I am a former atheist who went on a quest to find out the truth for myself. After a few years of belligerence, some years of honest searching, and some years of at least giving the existence of 'a god' the benefit of the doubt, what I discovered was beautiful. But... life got harder in some senses. It wasn't about fulfilling my will. It was about a constant denial of the self and the flesh (that I still often struggle with).

Sure we get the gold at the end but that doesn't mean life is a bowl of cherries. Of course, with the belief in Heaven, I also know there is a Hell. I have unsaved loved ones- that is not an easy cross to bear. So, I don't accept my faith because 'Hey, what if?' I accept it because it is the truth. A truth I was too stubborn to accept for far too long but we have the option of either sticking our fingers in our ears or accepting the facts or surrendering our will and desired reality to actual reality.

We don't watch the news, see a horrible story and say, 'Oh. I didn't like that story at all! Therefore, it didn't happen.' Sadly, many people approach God in that manner. Very dangerous. So, no... definitely not a crutch or a security blanket. More like, 'Ah nuts. Really? Ok then.' Then it becomes 'The Wow.'

[edit on 9/21/2008 by AshleyD]

That security blanket feels pretty good in my opinion. We are living in some really tough times, and everyone needs something to cling to, ecomonic disaster, war, you name it... it all points in one direction. ^

-map

You'll be amazed how often the theists say to the atheists and the agnostist that if God exist, they will go to heaven and the atheist goes to hell, but if God does not exist, there is nothing to lose.

And of course, most theists believe that their religion of choice is the one and only true path to God, almost all other paths are false and lead to damnation.

There are many wars being fought because of these differences in opinions, something that is not likely to change anytime soon.

Many religions appear to be exclusive, a followers loyalty and worship of a particular deity or deities in a certain fashion, appear to be the fundamental requirement of these religions and their Gods rather than the moral decency and character of a person.

In other words, it doesn't matter how moral, decent and nice you are, If your not a member in that elite club, you will be eternally damned.

That's why there are people who subcribe to all known religions on this planet to play it safe, just in case.

Is that how God operates or is it just us humans?....

Security blanket.


[edit on 21-9-2008 by ixiy]

How ironic... a thread originated by a "patriot/vet" asking if "religion is a security blanket" on a Site dedicated to conspiracy theories ranging from government cover-ups of UFO's, 911 Truth, and now the controlled demolition of the global economic "system". I will only speak of Jesus and the KOG.

Hebrews11:13-16 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

I graduated in Political Science during the Vietnam/Civil Rights era(1968-72). I didn't need McNamara's end of life confession(Fog of War), or recent revelations concerning the lie known as the Gulf of Tonkin incident to know that the VN war was based on a lie. Might be a good time to listen again to Jesse Ventura a VN vet who speaks truthfully about the lies that got us into the VN war...

I have always sought "truth".

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me...

I found truth in the KOG.
John 18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."

No wars on this planet have ever been instigated or fought by "true" followers of Jesus. So... Move on to those cults/religions that are part of the conspiracies that are discussed on this forum. Leave the KOG out of your rants. Your wars are contrived from a mix of territorialism white washed with "religion" and salted with the indoctrination which we all have received from birth by every nation that has ever existed. There really is "nothing new under the sun".

Jesus revealed "conspiracies". He spoke the "truth" and was crucified for doing so. Since when did speaking "truth" on Planet Weasel provide a "security blanket" for anyone so foolish as to speak "truth"? Might want to look into Socrates and why he was forced to drink his nation's "poison"...

There is no better way to sign off on this thread than to quote from the original insightful weasel/agnostic/atheist, Niccolo Machiavelli... "Many have imagined republics and principalities which have never been seen or known to exist in reality; for how we live is so far removed from how we ought to live, that he who abandons what is done for what ought to be done, will rather bring about his own ruin than his preservation."

Security Blanket..... What nonsense. I would like to see any agnostic/atheist live the life of a "born again citizen of the KOG". NEVER.... EVER.... Could or would any agnostic/atheist dare live so bravely. Better to stick with a fundamental belief in the dirt from which we emerged and to which most shall return. Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel... Nationalism/patriotism/territoriality... the real "security blanket" of all thumb sucking atheist/agnostics.

I'm kinda in the air on the whole topic. My entire family is catholic. I went to a catholic school when I was a child. I did the whole thing, alter girl and all. As I got older, I started to question everything I was taught because logic finally set in I guess. My whole deal is the fact that my entire family wants me to baptize my son catholic, but I don't think I want him to have to deal with the whole Dogma thing. Personally, I follow more New Age then anything. I think everyone should have a choice in what they believe. So, I'm just going to expose him to all religions and let him decide when he is good and ready. If he walks in one day with a tin hat on saying he believes that aliens are god.. Thats cool. If thats what he chooses to believe, I can dig that.

Great Thread!!!

Anything that paints the world in an 'us - them', 'black - white' mentality irks me. Look at the entire world and tell me how many black and white (er, as in extreme ends) individuals you see. The vast majority falls in the gray area in between.

What is the truth? How can there be a universal truth with pretty much everyone defining the truth a little differently from the next person? Human beings disagree on many things, and they are not stopping anytime soon. Therefore when a religion comes along claiming it has the truth I am a bit wary. And it doesn't matter what kind of book they rely on. Quoting the bible to someone who doesn't believe in it is rather absurd (this is more of a general thing, not specifically about me).


To hear some believers, non-believers shut their eyes so they cannot see, and stick fingers in their ears so as not to hear. This so they can live their life purposefully keeping God out.

Perhaps some do.

And perhaps some simply look, but they don't see anything, and they listen but don't hear anything either.

The funny thing is, these religions are so much alike (while probably each one of them believes the opposite) I would get a headache trying to decide which one to join.

[edit on 21/9/08 by Anomander]

I tell you a story, a thousand years on it is written, generations have embellished it, and made it word of God.

One day those words are used to torture, kill, and even sexually abuse children.

One can have faith in God, be very spiritual, say prayers and even believe in life after death without belonging to a "religion".

Organized religion can be dangerous, people can be influenced, even controlled. There is too much potential for abuse.

Faith should be very personal. There is danger when you openly share a faith with a large group, or collective... You eventually become one of them!

I don't see what is so bad about teaching children to treat others as they themselves would like to be treated,or to help out their fellow man,stay out of trouble,I have 4 kids seems they have followed the straight and narrow,well a few stumbling blocks,can think of worse ways to raise a family

Is religion the believe in God? Or is it a form of government that is based on the doctrines of faith? I have often wondered why there are as many religious conflicts as there are political ones.

Being born of parents with different religious backgrounds, I found that I was in the position of having to choose one over the other. Did I follow Dad who was Roman Catholic but did not go to church, or that of my Mom who was "conservatively" Jewish? So I found myself confronted with a dilemma of faith.

Somewhere along the paths of life it struck me that all religions were basically the same in the belief of a god, and the was a very strict god. It seemed to me that the "laws" of God were not always opposed to the "laws" of man. Both seemed to be designed to maintain a civilization based on concepts of charity, hard work, community, friendship, respect, and doing good by yourself and others. Most religions at least in "spirit" spoke of compassion for all people, yet there was this blatantly obvious notion that if I chose to believe differently from my peers, I was an outcast, and it was unacceptable to them that I did not embrace the faith as they saw it.

So I have developed the idea that religion of all types, are first and foremost a method of governance, and secondly a method of imposing restrictions on the behavior of people, usually based on a common sense context of love and friendship, but in so many instances there is hatred and violence.

I personally do not believe in the creator as religions profess that to be. For me, creation was inevitable and it began with the realization of consciousness. The primary thought "I am" is for me where life began. To explain how I arrived at that place and how the rest of the universe was formed from that beginning would take many chapters, which I am still composing and part of my own quest for knowledge.

Today we have "advanced sciences" which are themselves religion-like. Physical laws just as religious ones, take a certain amount of faith (in the physicists that helped create them) to be considered absolute. I question those laws constantly.

Like you, I will always respect another's choices to belief in a god or gods, and whatever religion works for them. What I have zero tolerance for is those that want to impose their beliefs on others as the only way to salvation.

I think I have kind of a unique perspective, because my parents always made it clear to me that I was free to believe what ever I wanted, so I was never pressured into anything, or had anything to rebel against.

I'm currently an atheist, but I did entertain the possibility of a god when I was in my youth. When I did so, it was generally because it was so difficult for me to understand how death could mean oblivion.

I don't think it was out of fear, though. It was just something that was really hard for me to wrap my head around. So I guess I don't think the origin of religion is a security blanket. Although, certainly it may be something that can be used that way. But in general, I say no.

Like all the creatures on this earth men can be fearful, and need comfort sometimes. But this fearfulness is not nearly as important as our inflated value of "common sense". We may fear the unknown to some degree, but more importantly, we are simply too proud to accept the unknown for what it is. Unknown.

Originally posted by Manasseh
reply to post by Oldtimer2

 

Wasn't it the priests that had Jesus killed??

I rest my case.

No those were the "patriots/Zionists" who "had Jesus killed".
John 11:48 If we let him go on in this way, everybody will have belief in him and the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation.

Originally posted by Dave Rabbit

I don't remember what ATS MIX Show it was.... but there was one of the earlier ones where it was about faith. We had wrapped the show and Johnny and I are simply talking as we have done numerous times before off air. In the course of the conversation, as we are discussing private things about faith..... I got so upset and choked up that I had to stop. I remember telling Johnny "I wish I still had faith". Yeah, a few of you know me well enough to know.... that deep inside the old Rabinator I really care about the world, its people and our destinies together on planet Earth.

I too am a caring and loving person, but I don't feel that having faith in god or belonging to a religion is a requirement. We are all creators in the real sense of it all, and what we create is manifest in the world we live in.

If you want to change the way the world looks, start by changing the way you look at the world.

Originally posted by KOGDOG
How ironic... a thread originated by a "patriot/vet" asking if "religion is a security blanket" on a Site dedicated to conspiracy theories ranging from government cover-ups of UFO's, 911 Truth, and now the controlled demolition of the global economic "system".

Well, it would not be surprising to the thousands of soldiers in Vietnam who had faith issues, not only with religion but with the government itself. This thread is about what YOU feel and think..... I spilled my guts.... exposed myself for an honest interaction with the members and guests of ATS, took a stand and position..... let's leave the irony to the imagination.

Dave

Originally posted by Manasseh
reply to post by Dave Rabbit

 

But you go ahead and mock God. Your day is coming.

Get on topic. This is about YOUR THOUGHTS And for the record, I have never mocked "God". Because I have a different belief than you is my choice. If you are so self righteous..... throw your beliefs out here like everyone else or don't post. Another infraction or personal attack will be dealt with. GET ON TOPIC!

Dave

I am going to REMIND everyone again. This is a serious topic to me for the reasons I stated in the OP. It is for the intelligent posting of ones beliefs and thoughts for the members and guests to read, consider and respect that individual's religion or lack of.

Any Negative Personal Comments About A Member Post Or My Religion Is Better Than Yours Crap, Will Be Deleted The First Time And Member Posting Privileges BANNED The Second Time.

STAY ON TOPIC - YOUR STORY - PERIOD

Dave


[edit on 9/21/2008 by Dave Rabbit]

I sat on a very high ledge and watched a spectacular sunset not too long ago and pondered my own existence. Thoughts of my life, memories, the world and deep thoughts about these words: "There has to be something more"

There has to be some larger reason for human existence, there must be something after death, or why are we able to even contemplate such things?

We are the only animal who does this, we KNOW we will die, we want to believe.

Security blanket indeed. Does anyone, even the atheists really want to believe that there is NOTHING after death for an eternity?

Don't answer that, just think about it.