Organized religion is the opiate of the masses...

Ok, so I'm not here to insult anyones beliefs. I believe that we all are entitled to believe in or pray to whomever we want. Period. End of story. But. it seems to me that religon is just that, the "opiate of the masses" Baisicly they all teach the same thing. You know, all the "be good to your neighbor" "love your kids", blah blah blah. Its pretty much of a moral compass. Nothing to sinister in it. I think it all started when people began to really populate, and some of the smarter ones, knew we needed to controled. not that thats bad. we were pretty savage back then, i imagine.

anyrate, to keep the people in line, they made up stories of "god" and "gods" and said "you better be good and do what we tell you, or when you die, youre going to hell!!!!" well heck, tell your kids that enough times and they are going to believe you! once they believe it and pass it down, before you know it, you have a "religon". any rate....back to my point

it just seems silly to me how many lives have ended so gruesemly in the name of "god" if their really is one, he has got to be ashamed of us. the world needs to focus more on how jesus lived, not died. that would end alot of problems. and the jihads?? holy war? isnt that an oxymoron?

i just never thought id here on the news on the same day "the jihad against America continues" and "the succesfull private flight into space"

what a mad, mad world we live in...

I can't say my religion is an opiate. It's alot harder for me to be "good" and follow what my religion says than to do whatever I wanna do. I choose to follow it, but not because it makes me feel good (like an opiate would) And it's definitely not addictive...I choose it.



jn

[edit on 7-7-2004 by junknewsie]

I don't know if opiate is what i would call it. I think in an chaotic and unpredictable world, it gives people a direction, purpose and a belief system. It gives a meaning to life. Sortof a rudder to steer and direct oneself. Some people get self-righteous about it and that is a feel-good thing, but people can do that about lots of things. They do seem to do that more so with religion than other things. I do wonder that some religious people are sort of cynical, assuming that only god can 'make' people be good. It makes it sound like they assume people will ALWAYS do the worst things.

The question is Why do people have to have the fear of hell to stop them from doing bad things? Religion is the opiate of the masses, it leaves a little voice in people heads telling them that they will live a life after death and thus the people are satisfied. If every single person was convinced that there was only one life and thats it, our 'soul' doesn't go anywhere, then I think the world would be alot different.

Religion is not just a control system.
In Islam, and to an extent Christianity, the authorities seem to genuinely believe that God is out of reach of the common man. They believe that you have to be singled out to experience God.
What they have done is to create a flawed system which they believe is an alternative. The masses get their definition of God and are expected to follow that
Perhaps it is better to have no God at all than a system based on fear and ignorance.

I think you should look up who stated this quote, prior to your using it. The leader of a failed country, a failed system, and a communist. Is this the system you want to live in?

"Religion is the opiate of the masses."
-- Karl Marx

Religion existed WAY before he did.....

Originally posted by defcon5
I think you should look up who stated this quote, prior to your using it. The leader of a failed country, a failed system, and a communist. Is this the system you want to live in?

"Religion is the opiate of the masses."
-- Karl Marx

Religion existed WAY before he did.....

Marx never led anything.
His system of Communism was way different to anything that has ever been put in place by any government.

The Human Race is growing up. We're being forced to by technology that has outpaced our social evolution. It doesn't matter as grow up we shall. As all do when coming of age, we are making many mistakes. It is inevitable that we struggle on this road. It's how we learn.

As outdated relics of our social puberty, religions are losing their franchises. Now that world history is available to so many, we can start to see the patterns of control. We can see what the churches have been up to. It is a slow process taking centuries, as humans vary as to how much freewill of their own they actually want to excercise. Some would rather have decisions made for them and that is fine for now. Those numbers are dropping in places where a higher standard of living gives the thoughtful time to take a good look around. The rest will follow eventually as they continue to be lied to, stolen from, and sent to die by those who claim to speak for God.

As we see the atrocities of fanatical Islam, we are reminded by their defenders of the atrocities of other various religions and we begin to face the undenyable truth. No religion is correct. No religion is sanctioned by God. All Religions do evil in God's name and the sooner we all give up ancient unprovable fables as justification for how bad we treat others, we'll all be a lot better off.

I'm glad the day is coming when people will stop letting others tell them what to believe and therefore what to think. Unlike some others, I don't respect Religions. I do respect your right and freewill to believe what you want, though, no matter how wrong I think it may be.

"If anyone can show me, and prove to me, that I am wrong in thought or deed, I will gladly change. I seek the truth, which never yet hurt anyone. It is only persistence in self-delusion and ignorance which does harm." --Marcus Aurelius

Originally posted by sublime4372
Ok, so I'm not here to insult anyones beliefs. I believe that we all are entitled to believe in or pray to whomever we want. Period. End of story. But. it seems to me that religon is just that, the "opiate of the masses" Baisicly they all teach the same thing. You know, all the "be good to your neighbor" "love your kids", blah blah blah. Its pretty much of a moral compass. Nothing to sinister in it. I think it all started when people began to really populate, and some of the smarter ones, knew we needed to controled. not that thats bad. we were pretty savage back then, i imagine.

anyrate, to keep the people in line, they made up stories of "god" and "gods" and said "you better be good and do what we tell you, or when you die, youre going to hell!!!!" well heck, tell your kids that enough times and they are going to believe you! once they believe it and pass it down, before you know it, you have a "religon". any rate....back to my point

it just seems silly to me how many lives have ended so gruesemly in the name of "god" if their really is one, he has got to be ashamed of us. the world needs to focus more on how jesus lived, not died. that would end alot of problems. and the jihads?? holy war? isnt that an oxymoron?

i just never thought id here on the news on the same day "the jihad against America continues" and "the succesfull private flight into space"

what a mad, mad world we live in...

I agree I am a Chaplain but I am non-denominational as well. the labeling of a persons service and religious faith just put a Worldly Treasuring that pollutes the important thing which is following what God has for you to do.
I have found that labels placed on religous beleifs have been the source of naming a problem you may have with someone else. I mean look at it this way My sister is an old beleif penticostal holyness church member you know back from the times where woman where to stay home and care for the kids and couldnt work,,,,,she cant cut her hair,,,,,where a wedding band or watch,,,,,etc. which if thats how she beleives she best serves God then ok but when I went to her church 2 out of the three times I went I heard christains are bad because they do this and catholics are bad cause they do that and so on they spent so much time attacking the religous names and methods I got no Biblical or Spiritual nourishment why cant we just teach Gods word without adding politics and backstabbing we will get alot further that way

Touch� Leveller, but without doing the research to back it up I will say that I am about 99% sure that China is Marxist, and still communist. In that system it is unacceptable to have anything be number 1 over the state. That is the reason that such repressive governments hate religion as such, it shows a higher authority to their laws.

Religion has become an open market to profit from, you see billboards on the street giving you a picture of why this church is better than that church, you see advertisement "the passion of the Christ" Jesus commercialize. After the movie you could find from grapping paper to an increased sale of anything passion, Christ and necklaces with the cross.

You visit a church and after leaving you received an initiation to joint with a break down of how much will cost to run the church and if you become a member you are expected to contribute.

It seem like salvation has to be bought and maintained with a healthy donations.

Religious organizations will use your hard earned and taxable money to pursue religious agendas, in the name of God.

New avatar marg ? I like the umbrella one better:

Back to the thread:

Religion is the root of all evil.

I have faith there is no god.

Thanks, but I have to be diverse even on avatars, ha, ha, ha,smokapot

marg

Right on with your last post by the way

Well, whatever Marx's views, I think HIS QUOTE says it right. Religion was around before Marx, true.
But, organized religion does organize, and control, the masses. They tell you how to act, think, pray, etc. Some of them do NOT want you to have a personal relationship with your Creator. They want to tell you who you Creator is. They instill fear and guilt. They promote sheep-like thinking. Geez, sheep and shepherds are even Church symbolism!!!

ya know, i watched my post sit dead here untill i went to sleep last night. i was bummed noone was into it. was glad to see it take off.thanks all.

ok karl marx said it, but again, i feel it is true. pretty much, it goes like this:
you better behave while your here, otherwise, when you die...youll be in big trouble.

ok, so my point is this. nothing wrong with keepin people in check. its actually a good system to that with. there is no proof of god, but in the back of everyones head is a nagging doubt..."what if im wrong?" so we stay in line and most of us dont run around killin each other, for fear of reprisal in the "Afterlife". however as with anything, the sheep put to much power and faith in the leaders of the church and the next thing you know, you got yourself a genuine "holy war"

cmon people. use religon for what is was meant to be used for: moral compass. ..

Originally posted by sublime4372
cmon people. use religon for what is was meant to be used for: moral compass. ..

I disagree. Religion in it's pure form is not a moral compass.
It's all a matter of choice.

Maybe Marx had a bad experience from opium

Originally posted by defcon5
I think you should look up who stated this quote, prior to your using it. The leader of a failed country, a failed system, and a communist. Is this the system you want to live in?

"Religion is the opiate of the masses."
-- Karl Marx

Religion existed WAY before he did.....

Maybe you should read a little about Karl Marx and the revolution before you make that statement.

He wasn't part of the revolution. His views, which were good views, were just carried out in the worse possible way.

This looks like another thread that belongs in the non-existant "Religious Mud Pit."

I don't think religion is evil, hey, if it works for you the go ahead. Personally, i don't ned it and dont participate.

Earthtone- you took the words out of my mouth! A big reason I don't partake or agree with religion is the whole fear issue. You shouldnt fear the one youre supposed to love.