Originally posted by Haydn_17
When ET arrives and shows themselves to us i am hopefully wishing them to show how our galaxy started, to prove evolution and explain to us that god does not exist.

Ive just realisded what a big problem religion is, its like the voice in your head demanding you must do this and that, and an old book dominating your life..

You must live like this or you will burn in hellfire forever and ever.

So come on ET put everyone out of there misery.

Did you ever think that Religion is a way of trying to treat other people with respect, dignity, care, and understanding? I am not the biggest religion guy, but obviously your view on it was distorted in some way.

In a way, you have a point. However, I think it is more of a guilty conscience than Religion. I think that, inherently, most people want to treat each other well, and their conscience gets the best of them if them do not.

Originally posted by MarshMallow_Snake
Did you ever think that Religion is a way of trying to treat other people with respect, dignity, care, and understanding?

It'd be great that religion would help people treat others with respect, dignity, understanding and everything you talk about, but unfortunately that's not what we see happening.

More, all the other work organized religions do is accomplished by non-religious means as well. There are plenty of social (and economic) aid organizations, foundations, etc with no religious 'flavor' to them doing that same good work successfully.

Unfortunately, religions have become arguments, reasons and tools for disagreements, prejudices and conflicts. And historically speaking religions have never really been catalysts for understanding between people of different races, cultures or faiths. On the contrary.

Why make assumptions im taking about christianity only? Islam has the Quran, jews have the Torah???

Now lets assume ET lands tommorow, all the religious folk start shouting devils!! Fallen angels!!

And some members of ATS think thats ok?

I wouldnt be suprised if the religious folk scared them off with pitch forks and flaming torches.


First ET metting scenario:

ET: Do human fully understand your begginning?
MAN: Oh but the majority of Earth thinks we all decend from invisible people who aways watch us from the sky.
ET: okkkkkk *runs back to ship thinking we better come back in another 3000 years when they are fully developed*

Originally posted by karl 12
Always thought this quote by Steve Allen hit the nail on the head:

Steve Allen misses the mark. These things are not endemic of religion but unfortunately, humanity. They are not caused by religion but rather religion may be used to excuse and justify these actions. It happens in secular societies as well.

I think that religion and law both serve the same purpose but in different ways. IMO, religion and the legal system are redundant. They both contain a code of laws and ethics for governing how people should behave. Even some of the laws are redundant and serve the same purpose such as do not kill, do not steal, respect other's property, etc. The difference with religion is that its law is infused with spirituality.

[edit on 23-10-2009 by gazerstar]

The problem is, as one pro-religion poster noted, is humans.

The number of humans capable of discerning a "true" understanding of moral and spiritual issues, was v e r y small though history.

The rest of the people have been fairly moronic in that department, and consequently misinterpreted and generally screwed up what they thought they heard from the enlightened ones. They made it worse when they developed religions based on their screwed up misinterpretations and imposed myriads of rules and edicts that not only didn't adhere to the original message but in many cases worked against it.

I don't know if God exists as an entity or not or can even be understood but one thing is for sure religion sucks!

Hadyn does not realize it, but he isreplacing God with aliens. He is attributing them God-like abilities; they are omniscient and all truth flows from them. He considers them infalliable, if they say there is no God then he thinks we should believe it because they say so.

If an alien told me there is no god, I would have the same question of them I would a religious person: How do you know?

As much as that is what religion is, 90% of the world's population is going to disagree and destroy you. So don't just come out and say things like that.

But your right about something, religion does cause problems. Its actually started more wars and killed more people than any other reason in the history of EARTH.

Its pretty stupid why things have to come to be like this. But you know, there's scientific theories that explain religion. I guess some people just need the tales and the stories to get it right. For example the Universal Laws that explain the entire thing really. God is another name for "The Universe". In reality you can bridge Religion and Science together. So nobody is actually wrong, besides the ones who take it too seriously, and have to kill for it, and deny others ideas.

My thing is where its written that GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND EARTH. To me this says God created all that is in the heavens (space) and earth and GOD EXIST OUTSIDE OF THESE 2 REALMS MEANING THEY WERE CREATED FROM THE SAME CREATOR they are not my god mabey yours SMH. The ignorant 1z (FROM THE heavens) have behaved/decieved as gods to others less informed dwelling in the heavens (space) and on earth because they EVEN dissmissed the CREATOR long ago and they will pay for it. They may be powerfull but if they die in some way they are not gods they are just from the HEAVENS (ABOVE) NT THE LOCATION WHERE THE ALL GOD EXIST. AMEN ALL MEN*

I guess this thread is coming from an aethists point of view.

Its ironic since this thread reassembles a wishiful thinking no different than of a dictator.

Originally posted by gazerstar
I think that religion and law both serve the same purpose but in different ways. IMO, religion and the legal system are redundant.

Really? So, what religious 'legal' system do you purpose we follow? Let me guess - the Christian bible?

They both contain a code of laws and ethics for governing how people should behave.

If you think people should be stoned to death for being gay, working on the sabbath or planting different crops side by side, I guess the legal system is not only redundant but completely inadequate altogether.

Show yourself how the Universe was created. Create yourself... because you are the alien.

I was visited by aliens a few times in previous years. They didn't speak, yet at the time, I understood. Of course, I forgot for a good length of time because well the good teachers speak to you subconsciously. What surfaced a few years later was the understanding that We as individuals created the Universe. We are the God, the Gods, the extraterrestrials, the demons, the ghosts, etc....

We ARE religion. Religion is our tool by which we create. Religion as we know it is merely a physical ritual representation of Universal Archetypes, which the Mind uses to build its Temple (Creation). The Temple is everywhere. Heaven is floating right inside of Earth, and haha wouldn't ya know it, the reverse is true as well.

Why are you looking for someone to tell you what/who you are? How would anyone else know that?

uhhh , I have been going to this program awhile for weeks and there are a lot of different people there in the mental health system. There was this born again who kept talking about religion and eventually this other guy said ,"Thats enough keep your personal beliefs to you self , I cant believe in this day and age people still believe in religion". In this other class a guy was talking about AA and saying he doesnt really fit in cause he believes in himself or people not organized religion, than other people were saying so you dont believe you have a soul or why are we all here why is everything here.
If extraterrestrials who come from a more advanced civilization might have more knowledge of us or the universe, whos to know what they would say. Maybe like the greek Zeus or Posidien were just myths or not taken very seriously, but maybe other religions all come from the same source or connected to it. There is this study I heard of called ultimate religion that studies them all and sees them all as positive and worthwhile and maybe connected. Maybe ETs dont exist and where just a pet project in the universe alone or being guided watched. I dont think we are ever going to get to some answers in are lifetimes and their are many different perspectives to take.

Hello! There is alot of negative energy on this site, probably shocking and scary to really good souls. God is real. He leaves it up to you in free choice to decide, testing your faith. Electricity is something you can't see either but its there in your wall alive and powerful. The big bang was probably created by God the moment the universe was created, from
which all good things and all walks of life evolved whether they are on Earth or another planet. Tabloid internet, as this site is today, is a challenge to your devotion of your faith. Faith is good, it keeps society stable and hope alive in everyone's hearts. Unfortunately, very bad things happen to very good people. Its a sad part of life. Aliens probably have their own religions for expressing gratitude to the devine creator. Who is to say they didn't leave their planet because they ruined it with polution, war, etc.. It amazes me that people expect to be rescued from their bad choices and failed relationships. Where is the committed responsibility to each other and the Earth? No free lunch... work for solutions.

The problem I see some of you taking is that in order to believe in a god, you have to be religious, this isn't true.
There can be a god without a religion, a god who does not meddle in the affairs of humans, but who created the universe, or creates all the universes

Haydn-17 No. You need to participate in community church or other volunteer services. The homeless shelter, nursing homes, bible school, sports coach, tutoring, salvation army, goodwill, habitat for humanity, school volunteer work if you pass the police background check to be around small children, etc... You would discover giving your time to constructive endeavors will lift your own spirit as well as help others in need. Don't go around tearing down others belief and faith, negative energies aways come back 10 fold.

Originally posted by lagenese
Religions were created for 2 reasons: the 1st was to better control mankind, and 2nd, humans were not able to think for themselves so somebody had to do it for them.
I know that all beliefs, whichever they might be, lead to deception. Beliefs are part of the domination of the human mind, because humans are unable to obtain answers on the questions they seek. That's why they need to secure their ego by believing in some form or another (God, science, philosophy, etc).
However, with the rise of consciousness around the globe, religions will be left behind on an individual basis. We cannot consider this on a global scale because all individuals have unique experiences to achieve, and we are not all at the same level of experimentation.

Clap clap clap! Very good point, a star and flag for you. I agree wholeheartedly here. Religion dividesmankind like nothing ever did before. Look at the words they all use..."Pagan," Infidel," "Devil worshipper," and so on. Boils down to: You believe different than I do, so you should be killed. My God is the real God, you god is a Devil/Demon/Satan.
Religion divides mankind/womankind like no other thing!
Is there anything that actually brings us together? If these is such a thing, I cannot see it.
See, if we are divided all the time, the Bankers make billions of Dollars/Dinars/Euros while the people kill each other every day. Can anyone convince me that the current wars Americans are fighting are not about religion? Islam against Christianity. The Muslims even called it a "Crusade" when it began.

Originally posted by stereovoyaged
You realized that if aliens came down and people said that there was no god, christians would just say that the devil sent them and that the aliens were sent to decieve and test us all. It's their cop-out for everything, dinosaur bones, devil put em there, proof of evolution found, devil put it there, etc

Yep! You said it stereovoyaged! I said the very same thing yesterday in another post. I think that is why ET has hesitated for so long, they would not love getting shot at, and definitely would not like it if one of theirs got burned at the stake, something the Church seems to relish. Don't believe that? Research "The Burning Times."

Originally posted by Haydn_17
Why make assumptions im taking about christianity only? Islam has the Quran, jews have the Torah???

Now lets assume ET lands tommorow, all the religious folk start shouting devils!! Fallen angels!!

And some members of ATS think thats ok?

I wouldnt be suprised if the religious folk scared them off with pitch forks and flaming torches.

First ET metting scenario:

ET: Do human fully understand your begginning?
MAN: Oh but the majority of Earth thinks we all decend from invisible people who aways watch us from the sky.
ET: okkkkkk *runs back to ship thinking we better come back in another 3000 years when they are fully developed*

Good point here too. The ancients told us all where we came from, who created these human meat sacks, and still some cling to a God creating everything, including us, in 6 days, and that is that, they will never believe otherwise, even if visible proof is offered to them. You have all seen what happens in this forum, all of the bandwidth taken up with bible quotes, again and again, the entire KJV must be in here somewhere. An average Christian will not research his/her own Bible, they are warned not to, "do not question the word of God," they are told.

What will happen to religion when ET lands? Good question. There are two churches here in my community for sale now, and I see a lot more empty churches before all is said and done. The Christians, the Muslims, and the Jews have to wake up some day...don't they?