Originally posted by pause4thought]

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And why not, pray tell? Jesus taught people to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength", created an insatiable desire in his people to worship God (in communal unison) - by demonstrating His love for us, and told us to freely share with others what he has freely given us.

The OP says "abolish religion". How on earth can you claim that if implemented that would not be a threat to the Christian way of life?!

Pause4thought, neither what I, or the Original Poster has said effects your personal beliefs, to carry them out in the way you choose and according to what you feel is right. I have already stated that I disagree with the OP's choice of words in opening this thread. However, I will still stand my subsequent postings when I have stated that I believe that we, as a part of humanity, is still capable of surviving as a race regardless of who, or what we ultimately beleive in.

Ive been saying this same thing for years and years. no one is going to listen.

religion is an outdated theory on who/why/what/when/how. nothing more - nothing less.

its funny, people dont beleive the earth is flat floating on an infinite ocean, or that the sun is 17 miles away...yet they still believe in those same peoples other theories.

and we are so advanced and intelligent.

The problem isn't religions it self it's people inteligence, most religious people are religious because their inteligence level does not allow them to comprehent the world as it is, so they must hold on to things that allow them to survive the 'reality'.

Religion will not go away untill humanity matures it's intelect levels

I agree that religion is part of the problem, but it's only one piece. We use religion to separate us from others. If humanity is to survive it's own ignorance, we have to abolish the idea that we're completely separate from each other. We have to see everyone as our brothers and sisters instead of a religious affiliation, the country we live/were born in, our skin color, what gender our significant other is, etc.

We're all human Before we're christian, muslim, hinduist, buddhist, etc.

We're all human Before we're white, brown, yellow, red, etc.

We're all human Before we're American, Canadian, British, Russian, Chinese, Israeli, Iranian, etc.

We're all human Before we're straight, gay, or bi.

Instead, we retreat like cowards into factions and bury our heads in the sand and pretend no one but us matters. Some religions facilitate that behavior, even encourage it. But as long as we divide ourselves from the whole, we are less than complete.

Ahhh..how I love posts about religion. The subject always brings the best and worst in most of us.OP, you’re in a minefield here, but I’m sure you know it already.

As some posters implied, religion is needed to teach us to be good and compassionate (among other things) and bring the “good” in all of us. Need I remind here the wars and horrors created by men in the name of it?

I guess I should be a Christian ( at least my parents were, even though they did not practice it),but as it stands now ( and always did),I don’t have a religion. I’ve chosen long time ago not to bow to “fictive” painted figures or to listen to one man’s interpretation of what “God” should be like.

I am compassionate, I have always helped others, I brake for animals on the road, and I believe all people are good at the core. Even though I am reminded almost constantly how untrue that is. I do things for everyone I know (and on occasion strangers) without expecting anything, but when I see someone in need, and if I can help in any way, I do it.
How did I come to be like this, and not even reading the bible once? How would religion help me to be better, or understand more about life or about myself?

Religion as an idea, probably a decent thing, I wouldn’t know for sure. Certainly I would not abolish it in that form, because we must always keep our minds open, and not think that we know everything, or that what we believe is the “truth”.

Religion as practice. I would abolish it tomorrow if I could. Call me stupid, but I think that the lost “souls” which will find themselves without something to believe in, will gradually adjust and start using their own mind. Or maybe the rest of us (“non religious” folks) can help showing them how a man can be good without a religion.

I have acquaintances from different religious backgrounds: Muslims, Buddhists, you name it. We all get along pretty well. Why?...because we have decided to respect each other at the human level, and none of us gives a rats a*** about the other’s guy religion.

Mankind has survived with religion so far and it will continue to do so if we don't destroy ourselves.

If someone just wants to see the negative aspect of something then that is all they will want to see.

Yes, men have used religion to do evil. It's a shame.

However, some of the most terrible people in history did not use religion to kill other people.

It's not religion I'm worried about... it's mankind. We're bound to destroy ourselves if we don't wise up.

I just love the fact the OP can start a fire and we all jump into it!
I know for a fact no matter what I believe, the masses will follow a leader and just like your OP all it will take is that, one leader to rise and sweep you off your feet.
What will happen next?If I am your new leader I will create the new religion and all will follow me God..NWO..

Who is the OP to tell me what I can and can't believe?

Originally posted by rattan1

Originally posted by HERACAT
. If you don't want to talk about your thread with any who do not share your opinion,why post at all? Just curious.(shrug) Peace and light to you r!

[edit on 23-12-2008 by HERACAT]

I agree with you.... what is the point of starting a thread if you don't want to discuss with those who disagree with you..I don't see any logic or common sense in that.

I will not waste my time to put the OP on my Ignore list, but I will post my views as it may put a little bit of common sense and logic in the OP.

The reality is that religion has been part of Human history for thousands of years and has shaped and influenced our lives and the society we live in today. Certainly many wars have been fought and still are being fought in the name of religion and many innocent people have lost their lives in those wars. But is religion at fault or Humans who misinterpret religion at fault.

There are no religions that promote hatred or division. It is us humans that create division and hatred by using religion for our own greed and selfishness. Even if religion never existed we would have found another way to create division and Hatred. People never see the commonality in all the religions but we see only the differences.

Common sense and logic would say that you should know about a subject before criticizing it. The simple fact that you don’t want to argue with those against your views clearly shows that you don’t understand anything about religion.

Yea yea.. Everyone loves to say they start threads for discussion but the bottom line is nobody is changing anyone elses mind. People like for their voice to be heard. Period. Which is why you came in here, read what was written and still just had to reply even though it made not one bit of difference to anybody else. You wanted your "wisdom" heard. Just like the op.

This was pretty ignorant. I go to church fairly often, have since I can remember. I don't agree with Bill Mahr's take on it. That was a movie made for a specific group and you have made your mind up based on a movie. Perhaps you may try going to church? It's easy to blame religion, not the people that carry out the acts, isn't it?