Religion is a Hoax?

Religion tell the viking, monguls, huns etc not to raid, rape and kill. Religion tell the Egyptian 10 commandments. Religion tell the Roman thunder is not god . Religion tell the Arabs not to buried their daughters alive. Religion tell incest is taboo. Now what's wrong with that?

As we progress further from this simple basic law, we develop magna carta. The king is no longer divine. Then we have declaration of Independant. Everyman is created equal. And now we have constitutional law. If none of this ever exist, how do you expect humanity to progress further? By relying self awareness and self created morality value? Obviously that thought is bad for Genghiz Khan, Atilla the Hun, Caligula, Nero etc...

All the more reason why the separation of church and state is essential, right?

Gday,

Originally posted by stevcolx

Originally posted by Kapyong
Gday,
Hmmm...
Can you give an example of a religion created by a governmnt?
Kap

Perfect examples. Chritianity, Islam, Hindu, Buddism, etc are all created by man.

Created by MAN, yes.
Created by GOVERNMENT, no.
None of those religions were started by a government.

Can you name a religion that was started by a government?


Kap

reply to post by Sumdumguy


Religion is a Multi-Billion dollar tax free business.

And business is goooooooooood.

I cannot even imagine how much money has been soaked up
by all the religions, even just all the buildings would be an insane amount.

George Carlin's skit on religion is great, and the videos on youtube
by nonstampcollector hit the nail on the head.

Dawkins also makes it VERY clear.

Religion is a huge con job.

Originally posted by masqua
There's two kinds of religion:

One that needs a human mediator who sets themselves up to speak for the Divinity.

Another where every human being has a direct connection to the Divinity itself.

Which one might you more readily trust and which could be prone to the human tendency of greed?

Only a public authority divinely guided can spell out without error a message divinely revealed-Pere Benoit

I like this , humm think Ill use it in my signature.

This site has some interesting thoughts:

www.666blacksun.com...

Most religious folks have no idea what the history of their religion is.
They are told that the hero of their book/bible is kind and loving and they belive that in spite of the fact that on the pages of that book this hero appears to be and egomaniacal psycopathic killer who lusted after blood.

Originally posted by Kapyong
Gday,

Originally posted by stevcolx

Originally posted by Kapyong
Gday,
Hmmm...
Can you give an example of a religion created by a governmnt?
Kap

Perfect examples. Chritianity, Islam, Hindu, Buddism, etc are all created by man.

Created by MAN, yes.
Created by GOVERNMENT, no.
None of those religions were started by a government.

Can you name a religion that was started by a government?


Kap

Actually yes. Man aka the Roman Government!! I rest my case!

Originally posted by Kapyong
Gday,

Originally posted by Sumdumguy
I believe that religion is just a way governments create to keep the people in line.

Hmmm...
Can you give an example of a religion created by a governmnt?


Kap

The Nazis tried to establish what amounted to a Nazi version of Christianity. And in my opinion, the cult of personality surrounding Kim Jong-Il has become a religion. And in ancient times, monarchs would often be elevated to divine status, though this might be a government co-opting a religion rather than creating one.

That said, I don't believe modern religions are tools of governments (for the most part). The Abrahamic faiths in particular are more likely to try and take over the government, granting their religion secular power to enforce their dogma.

Of course, once you get to the point of a theocracy, it's hard to tell the difference.

Saying 'religion is a hoax' is like saying art is a hoax. It just doesn't sit right.

Religion is NOT a hoax. It is a human reaction to mystical experience. Indeed every mythology and every religion is related, because they are all reactions to the same handful of mystical experience types.

The ontological status of mystical experience can be debated of course, but the way the ancients reacted to mystical experience was sincere. Religion is motived by primordial mystical experience, which is partly rooted in our capacity for abstract symbolic thinking. It's not motivated by a mundane desire to manipulate people. Just as art is based in inspiration and yet art too can be abused by status seekers. Is it a hoax?

[edit on 7-8-2010 by Student X]

How about this for telling it how it is......

Man does not know God, nor can he demonstrate the existence of a God.

Even if God did exist, it's not evident nor has anyone been able to prove it.

Therefore it would be stupid to assume or guess God is the Yahweh, or God is Allah, or God is Zeus. You could not prove it.

It would be illogical to assume that God has desires especially the corrupt desires present in the abrahamic religions scriptures, you could not prove this as you could not prove his existence of God in the first place.

Religion is a hoax, in the same way that Santa, or the flying spagetti monster is a hoax.

In this day and age of knowledge, science, technology to help save us, it is a trajedy that people still want to belief in stories without evidence, especially that were written when man was immature. Whether they think they get there morals from it or not.

One last point: Man wasn't made in God's image, but God was made in man's. And at the time of the bible and other scriptures it is plain to see that they have out-of-date values, wicked preachings and this overarching fear of a dictator and have mirrored that in God.

It's time to emancipate ourselves to true freedom, an adventure for truth, real truth, absolute truth.

Religion = Hoax
Spirituality = Nothing to joke about.

They are two different things trying to reach the same goal.

Originally posted by humbleseeker
Well religion has been around in some form or fashion in every culture for thousands of years, I guess its a realy long lasting conspericy

I would say that religion was the very first conspiracy and hoax there every was. I find it hard to understand how even in the modern day that it is still going on. It should have failed and came to an end many years ago but it is still going as strong as ever. In the end it will be our undoing.

reply to post by Equinox99


There's nothing wrong with believing in a creator or a God - that's what Deism is all about.

Agnostism claims that it doesn't not know, or in some cases doesn't care.

Theism or religion claims it not only knows God, but it knows his thoughts, feelings and desires, of which, give each of it's followers a prejiduce, prejiduces against gays, against values that today seem rational if you use some reason and common sense.

Spirituality, is to me pseudo-science, and pales no significance to the reality we're in, if you call meditating or finding peace with in oneself "spirituality" You can call that spirituality or whatever fancy word you want to. It's just another blank dry word like God.

[edit on 7/8/10 by awake_and_aware]

I see all these people arguing over "gods" and things like that and im like O_o give me on piece of evidence that you can find no other explanation for it other than "god"... and ill have science explain it for you in detail!
Science has proven so much stuff. I would believe a scientific explanation over a B.S. "god did it" explanation any day for the simple reason being that science gives you reason evidence how what when where, while this religion stuff has this to offer "god did it". In my opinion everything can be explained through science if you study long enough. While people have been studying religion for thousands of years and havent found crap to the amount of things science has discovered.

reply to post by Sumdumguy


I agree, spread the good word

reply to post by awake_and_aware


That I will do! im just tired of all the lies and thats what(in my mind) religion is. Just one big lie to make people feel good, give money, follow blindly, and/or die for a greater cause.

Originally posted by Kapyong
Gday,

Originally posted by Sumdumguy
I believe that religion is just a way governments create to keep the people in line.

Hmmm...
Can you give an example of a religion created by a governmnt?


Kap

As a dual comment to the above as well as the to the OP (in a generalization largely drawing on sumerian/egyptian/hebrew/christian societies versus far eastern religion/culture):

Weren't early governments and religion pretty much interchangeable? I mean, early governments were instituted by the priests and the societies were largely non secular, no? As society progressed, and since religion was such an influential factor in people's and cultures'/society's lives, government set "laws" modeled on religion, and instituted codes of governance based upon "scripture," which they picked and chose to reflect their desire for control and power.

As a generalization of Christianity, at least, no?

Why does the bible have so many scriptures about obeying authority? "Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities." I mean, of corse they want control. Sure they picked the *best* texts and translated them loosely enough to say to the people, "hey, god says do what we say. You don't want to go against god, do you?" And that tradition has largely been though history.

No?

OP, i totally agree with you, but i do not think it is quite as simple as you (or i) make it out to be.

[Edit to add.]


[edit on 8-8-2010 by Liquesence]

reply to post by Liquesence


True, nothing is as simple as we may view it. This conspiracy has been going on for thousands and thousands of years and likely will never cease to happen. In any religion there is power, of which, will be used/taken advantage of by a government or some other agency to prey on the weak minded looking for a voice to follow. And that is one of the things that gives these people such great power over the general population, the constant need of a guiding voice to follow. Until we as individuals can learn to think for ourselves we will always be under the control of a government.

Originally posted by Sumdumguy
I believe that religion is just a way governments create to keep the people in line. I mean religions tell you whats bad and whats good and if you doo good you go here and if you do bad you go there, and that you want to go to the good place.

Does your government tell you that? My government tell me to obey Civil Law and religion is own personal choice. What good and bad place? Are you referring to heaven and hell? Please provide any one of 5 classicals book written by Confucian that tell you heaven and hell. I also cannot find Mahayana texts describing heaven and hell. Can you help me point it out?
What religion are you referring?

Originally posted by Sumdumguy
The idea of those places keep the public(for the most part) in line. if the governments did not fake religion how would they keep everyone from doing bad things? Prison? that works for some but mst people try to be good for the simple thought of there being a devine creator to whom you must answer for you life choices in the end to determine if you spend eternity in peace or if you are doomed to rot and be tortured.

Does your government preach and promote Religion? I know my government adopt secularism. I could be a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist or even an Atheist and my government will not punish me.

Originally posted by Sumdumguy
Anyways thats my theory lets hear some comment and pleas do not flame me because you do not agree this is merely a chat if you disagree please voice it in a mature respectable way =] i dont have time for immature 12 year olds(no offense to the mature ones)

EDIT:
This could also be one reason for the hush hush on E.Ts because most religions deny them so if they were found out to exist that would shoot down alot of religions!

[edit on 5-8-2010 by Sumdumguy]

Your theory is too vague.

Thanks.



Please do not generalize religion. Unless you have full knowledge of every religion in this world than your concept of religion is just hearsay and insulting. Every religion has unique background, history, philosophy, cultural impact etc... Christian is the largest religion and Islam come next. But that doesn't meant everyone is Christian or Islam.

Generalization in religion is flaw logic unless you really want to talk about that subject.



[edit on 9-8-2010 by EasternShadow]

Originally posted by fixer1967

Originally posted by humbleseeker
Well religion has been around in some form or fashion in every culture for thousands of years, I guess its a realy long lasting conspericy

I would say that religion was the very first conspiracy and hoax there every was. I find it hard to understand how even in the modern day that it is still going on. It should have failed and came to an end many years ago but it is still going as strong as ever. In the end it will be our undoing.

Acts Chapter 5 vs 34-39
34But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35Then he addressed them: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."

Maybe there is a reason why religion does not die.