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

Thanks to all of you who have posted so far on this thread. The thing I love about our home is that the majority of members are intelligent enough to follow the OP and make impactful contributions. I have learned a few things from some of you. Thanks for sharing your personal faith issues with me and the others. If we can stay on topic and can develop this database of beliefs.... it could be a great source of inspiration for those who, like me, are having problems connecting the dots.

Keep It Up!

Dave

I really dislike talking about religion. Not because I'm easily offended, or hurt, but because it usually ends up an eye sore for forums, people hating other people blah blah blah...

But let me ask you this...

Is Atheism a security blanket? Maybe people choose not to believe, because they're afraid of ending up in hell? Maybe the bad don't want to change, so instead they use the "Religion is BS" excuse.

Maybe it's harder, to pick oneself up, do what's right in the bible and live a good life, then staying put. Doing nothing, being lazy, whatever and then claim that there is no God.

Maybe the fear of the possibility is so heavy, that you'd rather deny the existance of after-life, Hell.



But don't get me wrong, you don't have to be religious, a Christian to be a great person. You could be whatever creed you are. Religious or no, and still be an awesome person. (I know, I have many great, GREAT friends that don't believe in God, a few agnostic and many atheists.)

But my point is, why do you think we use Christianity as a security blanket? Because we're afraid of not existing after we pass? That's certainly not the case here. In fact, it'd be a benefit for me, seeing how scared I am of ending up in hell.

I think it's the other way around, that Atheiests use the guise of not believing because they are too afraid to think of what could happen. (Not saying that's the case for everyone, so don't jump all over me.)

Just food for thought.


Peace,
FK

if you can't explain something..it's a mircle

if you kid lives from a head on car wreck ..god saved him

but if you kid dies from a wreck...it was his time. god called him home

it's a win / win scenario for god..thus people use it for a crutch when there minds cant comprehend what happen.

it's more of a electric blanket Rabbit...you plug it in and it makes you all warm inside..all is good..then someone with a weak bladder leaks....and poof crispy blanket users

In my childhood I was raised in a "full Gospel" church, but Hypocrisy drove me away from a childlike faith in God. Besides I pictured God in my head much like he was represented in Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel ( bearded, old, human like). I became disillusioned with the American Jesus, and lived a hedonistic lifestyle, which still ripples through to this day.
However, In my soul I just know, not from science or proof, that I am accountable for my actions here on Earth. That cannot be a security blanket, for I believe that all men will answer according to the "light that is given" to them and that Christians will answer for the works done in the body "whether good or bad". This fear still doesnt shape my current behavior, so I believe, just as "the demons believe", I guess.
Most will say i'm a nutcase, but what can I say? Believing in God and the Bible is a matter of faith, which means acceptance without all of the answers.
Some people use religion a crutch, some use it as an excuse, some find peace and fulfillment, and some dont use it at all.
Sorry if this is rambling, I just cant type as fast as I think.

reply to post by kinglizard


Are we allowed to reply to the thoughts of others? If not I apologize but I would like to add to something KL said.

This is so true. With Christianity, Jesus actually WANTS us to use Him as a security blanket. We're even told the Lord is our refuge, to come to Him like little children, and that the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

There is a great video series out right now humorously called 'Hate yourself into heaven.' This is because Jesus came to save the lost, the poor in spirit, those who can fall onto their knees and acknowledge their need of a savior, the sinner, etc. By 'hating yourself' it means to get off your high horse, pick up the cross, and follow Him. Sometimes it is VERY humbling to tell someone you need them. Especially humans who struggle with pride. It was hard to humble myself and accept the existence of God- especially after so many years of vocally denying His existence to anyone who tried to lead me to Him. But once you take that leap, our faith does become our security blanket. Or as the Bible uses the phrases to describe them, 'Refuge' [God], 'Comforter' [Holy Spirit], and Shepherd [Jesus].

I'm too sleepy, I haven't read the whole thread.

Anyway, i'll admit I have had more than a few people say to me 'May as well, theres nothing to lose from it and better safe than sorry' in regards to religion.

I think the fact that the elderly turn more to religion closer to their deaths, may be slightly telling.


It is hard to place an answer neatly in a box though. Everyone has their own different reasons for being religious.

If I had to pick one reason out of the many, I would put it down to fear/uncertainty and yes, needing a blanket.

Originally posted by AshleyD

Are we allowed to reply to the thoughts of others? If not I apologize but I would like to add to something KL said.

Certainly. I do not want to restrict a normal exchange between the intelligent community on our home.... I simply Will Not Tolerate slamming of someone's beliefs. We are all going to have our own slant on things but encourage Positive contributions on responses. That doesn't mean you can't have a different opinion.... just do it courteously with respect of their position.

Dave


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

reply to post by kinglizard


OK, this is not an attack, but your post raised a question for me. I apologize if it is off topic. It is about the line where you refered to being persecuted. Couldn't a case be made that the persecuted have now become the persecutors? I recently read a thread where Oprah was being ripped to shreds for straying off the Christian path. I have experienced such attacks in my own life, and in fact, this is the only forum (ATS) where I feel comfortable discussing such issues as spirituality due to the same fear. Again, if this is off topic, I apologize. If it is, please respond U2U.

[edit on 21-9-2008 by JaxonRoberts]

Originally posted by Dave Rabbit
Are people religious because they really believe?

I can say yes but from my own perspective mostly. I don't assume to know the minds of anyone besides myself, but, there are certain behaviors that run in the same pattern as mine that I recognize as seemingly one who "believes".

Do they simply go through the motions because they are too afraid of the consequences .... just in case there is a Heaven or Hell?

Well, that's pretty much what drove me, the fear of "Hell" and the hope of "Heaven". It had been forced into my brain from childhood so I never questioned the logic, or lack of it.

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?

It was mostly the fear of "Hell". I suppose if I'd had a worse life, like growing up a starving child in Africa, the belief would have been driven by the hope of "Heaven".

But, as Paul said, "when I became a man(woman, in my case), I put away childish things..."

It's the people, and this is just speculation, who sacrificed their whole lives boldly speaking of things that made no sense who, when all grown up, refused to admit they forked up big time.

And that's the sum of religion, peoples, pride in overdrive and the inability to admit fault and accept change.

You don't know me, you don't care, what I believe is of no consequence to you. I am human, as are you. We are all insecure in this fragile life. The security we seek cannot come from a blanket, anymore than it will come from a religion or a faith, as is so much of our human existence the unknown, unexplainable end result of that existence is our greatest insecurity. For some people like myself the more we know, the more that insecurity grows.

Evil, there is so much of it... Evil is the one constant absolute in life that will constantly test us, teach us, motivate us, without evil, believing in a benevolent God would be impossible. Ironically the "security blanket" of religion is also a source of many great evils throughout history.

Like a child runs to mother for comfort when hurt or afraid, people turn to religion and faith.

Ever heard the words "Fear of God"?

I believe in what I see and what I know, and in this life I have known the best of all that is good, and seen the worst of all that is evil. Somewhere between the two I found my faith. I believe because I need something to believe in, I believe because I can't accept that this life means nothing in the end. I am not religious, and I am secure.

Are you?

I see all of this in a completely different light.

I take "God" and religion to an intellectual and logical level.

Through which I have concluded that the eternal one, or "God", "Allah", etc. is the universe, an eternal existence, that we all share. There isn't more than "one God", there is only time and space for one eternity.

Faith, as it is explained and not only to me or by me, is a submission to a conviction in ignorance. It has no evidential background and no substantial logical construct. From faith springs delusion and radicalism when faced with the truthful objective nature of the universe and logic.

I really did like your approach Dave, I haven't read all the replies but I'd assume that they're going to be of ultra high quality and respect.

I didn't know you were a comedian! That clears up why I laugh at all the points you attempt to make. ( ) And all this time I thought you were being serious... alright, I don't want to confuse you with my sarcasm.

Nice thread, good posts. Hope you're receiving everything that you asked for.

Edit: Religion isn't a security blanket in general, although it is used as such by many. It has really morphed into separate armies. Religion blocks people from coming together, ALL people that is. Until the labels of religion is dropped and the truth is accepted, there will always be one vs. another. When everyone realizes that there is only ONE eternal one, then it will be impossible to divide on this subject again.

[edit on 21-9-2008 by LastOutfiniteVoiceEternal]

I love that one bumper sticker where it uses a bunch of religious symbols to spell out the word "Coexist". I definitely don't believe in an atheist view of religion being a human mind's delusional fantasy made up out of fear of death. I've had my own experiences that tell me a much different story, and through the understanding of these experiences, I've been able to re-examine all religions in a new light. The problem with religion is the doctrines and the labeling and especially the mentality that if you do something not in line with the religious doctrines, you will suffer for eternity. Even the concepts of "good" and "bad", where being good is being of God and being bad is something not of creation and therefore it shouldn't exist, are kind of crooked. All of these indoctrinated views on the world and thoughts about who you should worship and who you should punish are not the basis of religion. If any religion was completely or even mostly true, there would be no need for it to exist, because the truth would be self evident.

The truth that all religions talk about is that, in order for peace and harmony to happen, we must all help each other coexist, because we are all one consciousness in its varied incarnations, and more obviously, we are all part of one experience. Therefore when you harm someone, you are harming yourself and the overall one experience. Even the bad things are one with us. In the Bible, I believe the story goes that Lucifer was one with God until he decided to rebel. Lucifer, however real or metaphoric "he" may be, is called the lightbringer for a reason. In knowing evil, you are able to know good. Evil is like our own personal soul mirror. We may look at it, and we may learn more about ourselves from it, thus enabling us to know more of our inherent goodness. At the heart of even the most wicked things lies love. If God is love, then so must Lucifer be that love. It is all the same thing. Us teaching ourselves how to exist and evolve within that existence.

Truth only makes you stronger if it stings. Today's religious organizations basically want people to become dependent and surrender, which is why worship of a deity is such a key factor. Jesus didn't want to be worshiped. He wanted to teach people, but like I said, people find it easier to surrender to a belief that one man or a group of Gods and Goddesses are holier than thou and will save them just by believing their spoken words instead of actually hearing and understanding what is spoken.... and the Establishment has taken complete advantage and control of that vulnerability. EDIT: To add that the vulnerability being that people for understandable reasons want to avoid as much suffering as possible because it's an unpleasant thing.

The mistake that Jesus and all religious icons have made was speaking at all, because people only learn about what is true of existence through trial and tribulation. Until enough of us monkeys know what of being through our own independent realization, the world will not be changing for the better... and that is because it is the way it is because it has to be in order for us to get to that next step. I don't condone religions (EDIT: their establishment, more accurately) and their mostly scampering quickly around harsh truths and expecting people to have faith in the goodness. They aren't teaching people to own their struggles and overcome them through understanding of what their struggle mean. They are telling people "just have faith in doing what this establishment says, and God/Goddess will make sure you are rewarded." It's a spiritual reward system, and that's ridiculous. Nobody has power over you to give you what you think is good. You do that yourself. You decide based on your own personal trials and errors what works and what doesn't. You evolve on your own, or else you aren't truly evolving. You're just getting lost in an emotional crutch.

Now... I'm not saying that some religious people aren't grasping the spiritual lessons distorted by doctrines. I have found that lots of religious people who become religious mystics often come to realize that all faiths have attempted, in the beginning, to show the way towards the same thing.

Religious people on this board, I respect you guys a bit more than say the average joe faithful, because it seems like most of you genuinely do take the time to understand what your faith means more deeply. Whether you are right or wrong... I don't think such a thing exists really. If it works for you and helps you evolve, then obviously you are understanding something of the truth in it. If it's hindering you, eventually you'll see the truth as well. So I mean even the "wrong" path will still lead you out of the dark scary forest eventually. You just have to hike a little more. I don't know what the right path is, either. This is most definitely just my opinion.

[edit on 21-9-2008 by dunwichwitch]

[edit on 21-9-2008 by dunwichwitch]

[edit on 21-9-2008 by dunwichwitch]

This is great. Finally having a post that does not turn into a flamefest.

I personally do not believe in God. I was not raised to be religous or non religous. My lack of belief comes from a lifetime of looking, critical thinking, and listening.

Maybe I feel this way due to a constant desire for control. This is not to say I need to control other people or their beliefs. I just cannot submit to something that seems so bent on controlling me. I try to treat other people the way I would want to be treated and I do it without the guilt of some people who think they will be punished for not doing it.

Some people find solace or strength though their own actions andsome people find it through religion. There is no right or wrong. This is what life is all about, choice.

The only person I have ever known that I would consider to be truly Christian was my grandmother. She went to church 2-3 times a week, taught Sunday school, never criticized other people. She was really a great person. I did not subscribe to her beliefs but she never condemned me for it. It made her feel complete and content and that is perfectly alright with me. She believed that there was something or someone waiting for her and it made her happy.

Originally posted by The_Alarmist2012
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"

I think that is the Holy Grail that we all may seek. It is also one of the classic lines of another of my favorite movies "Planet Of The Apes" with Charlton Heston. The line is "There has to be something better than man... has to be." When I was stuck on North Padre Island this summer, I use to love walking on the beach during sunset. The waves crashing at my feet, the seagulls.... it's like I was the only person on planet earth. It was a definite comfort level compared to what I was dealing with down there. That, to me, was tranquility. But was it faith?

Dave

Very good thread, I am interested to see all the opinions of others here, and wish to add my own thoughts to it.

I, myself, am a Christian, and am one for many reasons, not just because it was what I grew up in, practised every Sunday, prayed before a meal and bed, and because it was what I was told, but rather, because it is what I have found to be true as of late. I will however, admit that in my younger years, when I was too young to comprehend the meaning behind several "religious" practices, I was what many would call a blind follower, meaning, I just believed for the reasons I stated before, it was what I was told. But this is where things change. As I got older, I found that Christianity could be the very exact religion that many people on this forum detest: A set of rules just there to make your life harder, control you, and just something you don't want to your everyday struggle for truth and peace. In realizing what many people are exposed to when it comes to "Christianity", it was no surprise that many people turned away from it. There were so many denominations, so many arguments and so many conflicts between people of the [Christian] church, it seemed like this isn't how it should be. And like I said before, for that, I could not blame people from turning away from the hypocrisy, scandles, and seemingly control-orientated mind of the church.

But I didn't turn away from God, or true Christianity. No, in fact, in seeing the corrupt position that the "popular" church would expose to the rest of the world, weather they received it or not, it drew me closer to my God. Finding a good church, a non-denominational church as some would call it, was part of the increase in my hunger to find God, what he was about, and the true meaning behind his word. Now, every believer can believe different, and go to a different church, and we all extract different meanings from what we're told, but the church that I went to taught that as Christians, it is our job to love and accept everyone, and to develop a "relationship" with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. As our pastor likes to emphasize, "Christianity is a relationship, not a religion" and it is these words that I can claim, separate what I believe, and what millions of others believe, from conventional, population-controlling and political-game religions.

But now to address the main question of the OP from my perspective:

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?

For me, I would have to admit that when I was younger, yes I did follow because it was what I taught, but as I grew older, I followed my beliefs because I really did (and still do) believe. When it comes to consequences, this is the main key: Yes, I am afraid of what may happen between me and God if I do do something wrong, but just because of the negative that will impact me later, but because I want to love my God with all that I've got, and when you love someone, you WANT to make them proud, you want to listen to them, and you want them to be happy with you, or at least try. Now, as a Christian, I believe that I can never win over God's approval because he already loves ALL of us equally and unconditionally, but I still want to make a positive difference for him because it is the least I can do for the God whom sent his son to die for me. Like it was said in an earlier post by someone else, Jesus asks us to use him as our refuge, our strength. I don't really use religion as a tool to ensure me a ticket to heaven if that's what you mean. I don't believe in doing good works so other people can see, and pat me on the back, no. God is my Savior, and yes, I can count on him, and use him as my place for security because after all, he did create me. So in a way, yes my relationship with God is my security, but I don't use it to think illogically, and ignore the world around me, hoping that it'll all go away, but at the same time, I don't doubt God's power.

Like I said, I cannot blame many people for turning away from Christianity, or even religion as a whole, but maybe if the 'Church" would smarten up, we could actually expose what Christianity is all about. It's about God's love and care, and living for him, not because some Nun or Preacher told you to, but because it's what you want to do. But hear me out: I've experienced God in many ways, his grace, his joy, and his divine intervention, and much more, but like always, my claim, to you, is just as valid as any person claiming they've encountered an extraterrestrial being before to me. You have to experience it before you believe if you are going to remain a sceptic.

I hope I didn't come off as offensive or preachy to anyone, as I am just sharing my own experience, and trying to elaborate on the topic of the OP from my own view. I want to respect what everyone else has to say as well. Thanks for reading.

Human beings, as a species, seem to me to have problems with chaos and random chance. In more than one sci-fi book I have read, "Order" is good and "Chaos" is bad. Humans, in all that they do, strive to create structure and logical order in their lives. Has any one of you not ever said, at least once "it's not FAIR!"? And yet, fairness is an artificial concept made up by humans.

Nature has laws, order, and predictable cycles. It also has chaos and random chance. The difference between individual animals who survive and thrive and those who don't may as often be accidental (say, perhaps, a result of their location) as being the consequence of their efforts, suitability, strength, or health. Animals, as far as we know, don't have the self-awareness to anything other than just accept whatever happens to them, but people do.

I want to believe that I am in control of my life, that the quality of my life will be a consequence of my own actions and plans. In some respects, it is. The person who buys too much on credit cards and can't make the payments generally has no one to blame but themselves. People who have planned and saved for retirement rightly expect their final years to be comfortable. And yet .. stuff happens. Natural disasters, disastrous people (like drunk drivers) and bizarre accidents (remember the lady who was killed when a fish jumped over the boat she was in?) happen every day, and they are just accidents. They aren't fair, or logical, or orderly. They are chaos and random chance in action.

Imagine yourself as an early Native American pondering a tornado that destroyed your well-built and strategically located village but left a nearby tribe's village untouched. Imagine being a primitive human suffering during a drought, or being struck by a disease you can't understand. I imagine feelings of total helplessness and frustration, and feelings of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty, in those kinds of situations.

Early humans recognized that the movements of the Sun and Moon, and weather phenomena such as rain, determined much about their lives and their survival. For humans, having someone (or something) else in control that you may be able to influence is preferable to there being no control at all. If I can't control the rain, maybe the Sun-god can, and maybe if I make sufficient sacrifices to him, he will do it. The hope or belief that something more powerful than us is in control, and that something can be appealed to or influenced in some way, is more comfortable for humans than believing that there is nothing in control; all the world including ourselves and our lives are subject to chaos and random chance, and there is nothing we can do about it.

Humans find comfort in the rituals of religion and worship because it allows them to believe that God will protect them from chaos and random chance, and that God can control the aspects of their lives that they can't control. Even when accidents and disasters do happen, it is still somehow more comfortable to believe that there was a purpose behind it that we can't understand (God needed him in Heaven; he needed that trial for his spiritual growth, etc.) than to accept that it was just pure chance, chaos in action. When there is a crisis, humans find comfort in prayer because it is something they can do to attempt to exert some control over the situation. Complete helplessness in situations where the outcome is extremely important to us, or to our lives, is a feeling possibly worse than nearly any other. I've got to be able to do something!, we think, and are in a state of anxiety and discomfort until we come up with something at least marginally productive or constructive to do. How many women have sent an expectant father to boil water, not because they needed any boiled water, but to give him something to DO?

The human concept of God imposes order on our sometimes chaotic world and gives us a belief that we can influence things which are out of our control as well as "reasons" (i.e., orderly causes) for the bad things that sometimes happen to good people. In that sense, I do see it as a sort of security blanket, something that allows us to live with less fear and uncertainty, and decreases our anxiety and feelings of helplessness when confronted with the unfair reality of chaos and random chance.

ForHomeCountry;

I think yours was an excellent reply. As someone who does not believe and wonder why people do your phrase "you want someone you love to feel pride in you" makes more sense to me than any I have read in quite a while. Star.

Originally posted by capgrup
This is great. Finally having a post that does not turn into a flame fest.

The only person I have ever known that I would consider to be truly Christian was my grandmother. She went to church 2-3 times a week, taught Sunday school, never criticized other people. She was really a great person. I did not subscribe to her beliefs but she never condemned me for it. It made her feel complete and content and that is perfectly alright with me. She believed that there was something or someone waiting for her and it made her happy.

Thanks for the Grandmother story. In my OP I only confessed to you all some of the events that led me to losing my faith and being Agnostic.... but this was a major one.

My Grandmother (all the grandkids called her Granny) lived in the country in East Texas about 20 miles from a town called Winnsboro, Texas. She was originally married to my real Grandfather who was the local pastor of that town’s Baptist Church (who I never knew until I was about 40 and met for the first time before he died) from another small town when she had my Mother and my Uncle and Aunt, she always had country roots. I absolutely idolized Granny. Growing up as a child, because my Mother was in and out of bad relationships, I would spend my entire summer with her and my Step-Grandfather (we all called Pop). They had about 200 acres of land.... had their own garden, pigs, horses, chickens, goats... all the trappings of the American Farmer. They made their living.... picking their crops.... candling eggs.... and selling livestock in the city. I remember that they would also make trips back to Dallas with eggs or whatever to sell, even though it was a 3 hour trip in those days with the 2 lane highways and 50 mile speed limits or less.

Anyway.... my Granny never stepped foot in a church while she was in Winnsboro and up to the day she died. It was never a topic of conversation by any of our family, although I saw old photos where she did go to church at one time with my Mom, Uncle and Aunt. Didn't have a clue why she stopped and wouldn’t until after my Mother’s death this last Christmas Day 2007. Okay.... so I see my Granny do all the wonderful things that she was known for. She would help her neighbors.... she brought food to those in need.... she shared everything she had with those that were less fortunate, even though it was a tremendous sacrifice. She never had fancy things, was a hard worker, never complained and never said a harsh word against anyone.... whether it be family, friends or total strangers. She was my role model. She showed me that you could be a great, kind, loving, giving, involved, unselfish and supportive of others human being without setting foot in a church. One day I asked my Mother, after I had been bombarded one day by some Catholic friends about people burning in hell If they weren’t Catholic, if God was going to send Granny to hell because she didn’t go to church any more. My Mom said NO WAY. Even though she was a church goer, she defended my Granny and said if anyone was going to be the first one to Heaven, it would be Granny. Damn, that made me feel good.

When my Granny died, it broke my heart. I was always her favorite, although she never told my cousins or any others in the family. Of course, it didn’t mean she didn’t love us all equally, but she and I had spent so much time together because of my Mom not having her life together, we had a bond. She called me her Love Bug.

After my Mom passed, I am visiting my Aunt, the survivor of my Mom’s family, and started asking questions that I had over 59 years. I found out the truth. My original Grandfather, the pastor of the church had sexually molested my Mom and when she had the courage to finally go to my Granny, even under death threats from her own Father, he went to prison and my Granny took everyone and began a new life.

My Granny, it seems, lost her faith because of this and for the hypocrisy of the situation and having it be in her own personal family. Once I heard this, all of the things for me starting to fall into place. My Mom’s attempts at happiness, my Granny’s philosophies about life and living.... it was amazing.

If there is a Heaven, I still believe to this day that my Granny and Mom are there. One because she lost her faith in humanity, the other because she didn’t. That is my quest with this thread.... to seek out other’s stories and opinions so I can see and experience the broader picture.

Of course, with all this revelation of Dave Rabbit that is happening..... I’m screwed if I ever want to run for President. I just have too many skeletons in my closet.

Dave

Originally posted by Grey Magic
Nice thread Dave and some good points.

I wish we would abolish organized religion in every way and make it individual religion.

I'll second that one in a second!

Let people read several books and standpoints and make up their own mind.

Several books? You are setting your standards a bit low! Learning should be a lifelong process, and that includes daily exploring, refining and redefining your spiritual "beliefs" and relationship with "god." Paradigm shift daily! Try on a new religion every chance you get, and when you get bored, make up your own!

Aleister Crowley, Peter Caroll and Robert Anton Wilson (among others, I am sure) have all encouraged the adoption of arbitrary belief systems at will. It offers the chance to explore a foreign mindset and you learn about yourself in the process. The idea is not to "debunk" all religions but find what works for you in each of them.

The problem is that everyone will always reach their own individual conclusions, so when you try to establish an "institution" of religion based on a particular dogma, you are bound to end up with trouble. Organized religion by its very nature can be nothing more than a means of control - or at its most innocuous, nothing more than a pseudo-social club for half-hearted "believers" who feel their social status requires them to make the Sunday appearance at the altar.

So many kids and adults are still brainwashed by organized religions that I am against it.

I see these people every day, kids and adults alike. Very sad. And often very defensive of their deeply held "beliefs."

[edit on 21-9-2008 by shipovfools]