Religion is inherently toxic, in all forms, and serves largely to destroy and demonize human progression

[Geel]

First of all, yes. Religion is responsible for many great things in this world. Religious churches have donated vast amounts of money to public works.

 

Religion has also done bad things -- Islamist Extremists, the Crusades, etc.

 

I'm not going to talk about any of that. That shit's fucking secondary.

 

No, the problem with religion -- all religion -- is it is inherently faith based. What is faith? Faith is a "strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof."

 

The key phrase here is rather than proof. As human beings, we have spent a long-ass time trying to perfect and master the art of reasoning. The only reason I'm speaking to you over the internet is because of reasoning. Without reasoning, we'd be no further along as a species than monkeys.  

 

Religion flies directly counter to all reasoning. It promotes the idea that you can have absolute certainty in something without absolute proof. It instills, at a very young age, that as long as you believe in something hard enough it's true, or at the very least, nobody can tell you it might not be true. This is wrong. This poisons the mind. This is absolutely incredibly damaging to humanity as a whole.

 

It's natural for human beings to cry "God did it!" when we can't explain something. Why fire? GOD. Why thunderstorms? THOR. Why do the planets orbit the sun? GOD FIXES THEM EVERY SO OFTEN. 

 

How about we cut the shit and actually progress? Thanks.

[The Oddball]

I agree that religion is normally not based on actual scientific fact, but people still have the right to believe in what they want. Sure it may be illogical, but the point of religion is to have something to look up to. Inherently, those things people look up to maybe faked or exaggerated, but everyone should have the right to believe in what they want.

 

 

I personally don't understand the point of the Muslims always fighting each other, and we all think that should end, and religious "freedom" comes with some fine print. If it harms anyone, or anything, in a direct or indirect way, it shouldn't be believed in. The Muslims should stop what they're doing, and generally humankind should look up to the logical light and see that most religions are truly impossible, but we can't force everyone to believe one group's ideals.

[Geel]

My point is that having religion as a construct instills the idea that you don't have to have any evidence to be correct. This is toxic and drives humanity in the wrong direction.

 

I'm not for enforcing atheism, that'd be fucking ridiculous, but people should know where their religious beliefs lead.

[flukey.lukey]

Why did you make this post?

I don't get it. Do you actually think you can change people's theological views?

[puddingkip]

You can discuss religion on here just fine but this is not a way to start a level-headed and serious debate. From the rules:

Do not belittle others' ideas or viewpoints. You are welcome to counter arguments with your own, or to politely disagree. Attacking other ideas, however, is never appropriate.