Why is religion so persistent?

Do you think mankind will ever get past the age of religions?
(and can you "imagine" how awesome that would be?)

 

I think we are slowly getting past it the problem is that with religon leaving we are losing philosophers.

 

I don't mind religion itself, but it is the egotists that use it to spout their superiority b.s. that I am tired of. I like the good parts. I think it is so persistent cuz many of us need to find a solution to explain things that happened in our lives that defy rational explanation.

O am not any particular faith, just a believer.

 

Kilgore Trout, you ask about "religion" and then you talk about "religions"...
When you say religions you mean well-organized belief systems and the institutions that embody and enforce these beliefs and when you say religion you think of something more experiential, imaginal, creative, and a practical dimension of religious life, dimension which has little to do with ideological convictions.


Duck, what do you mean by "with religon leaving we are losing philosophers" ???

 

religion is part of human nature. a mix of spirituality and social conformity/structure, two inherit traits of humanity.

 

I think religion is fine, but unfortunately to many people use it as a scapegoat for their lack of personable responsibility.

You hear people say all the time, "I was an alchoholic, drug addict, bad parent, whatever until I found god and allowed him to save me" To me that's a load of crap. You don't need to 'find god' to improve yourself. You just need to grow the fuck up and take responsibility for your actions.

 

It depends on what you mean by 'religion'. It's quite possible that in the future new forms of religion will develop to replace the existing ones.
But I don't think people will ever be wholly content with a materialistic and mechanistic view of life. It's like people know there's more than meets the eye.

 

I think there is a greater truth that people seek and because we seek it, it has to be out there. I mean we naturally get hungry, because we need to eat food, we get sleepy because we need to sleep, we seek higher powers (if you will) because they are real and the need to bring ourselves in line with the higher power (or our perception of it) is just as real or natural as any hunger or other physical level of want.

 

Live without any spiritual feeling would make us slaves to logic. It would be a very cold world to live in.

Anyways, no, we won't ever get rid of it because it's natural for humans to have some form of religion or spirituality. It's hardwired into our brains, even. Besides, I don't think you can really avoid it, because it's there. Even if we try to explain it in strange ways (maybe using quantum physics), it is still too strange to believe, but there it is. I think the only way we'll ever solve the big problems of our origins and who we are is to move beyond logic and science and into philosophy and spirituality.

 

I'm glad at least one person said "fuck off, pagan".

The assumption that I am a non-believer was predictable, yet false. Yes, there is something bigger than us out there, whatever the fuck it is. I don't know what it is or how it works any better than anyone else. I have my ideas and certain philosophies have more appeal to me than others, but in the end I realize that I am just an overgrown monkey with thumbs whose brain couldn't even begin to process that kind of information even if it was available to us. It's the people that claim they've got the one true answer that you really have to watch out for - especially in large groups. These are called religions or sometimes cults (tom-ay-toes, to-mah-toes) and they are really fucking scary.

I mean don't you think the world would be a better place? John Lennon did, and God damn, so do I.

And I agree with you DHS that so many people use religion as a crutch. Imagine what we could accomplish if everyone took full responsibility for their actions instead of pawning it all off on some fantasy deity.

 

It's gonna be tough to recover from the Bush years. Holy shit, that man has done more to bring us to the brink of destruction than any enemy, real or imagined.

 

I was thinking roughtly along the same lines when I read the question and the poll.

I think us earthlings have a strange view of the universe because there's the big question of what's out there and that mysterious gut instinct that there is more than meets the eye. We're born curious and almost immediately begin experimenting with our environment trying to determine how things work and how we can interact with it and that never stops (even the blandest, dullest people still do little things towards that end) We're also extremely social creatures. We, for the most part, have an inherant drive to be with other people and share our lives, our ideals, what we have discovered thus far in our little journey. When you put those two together you wind up with shared belief systems. In that basic sense I don't think we'll ever be 'rid of religion' but maybe we can utilize that same principle to move past destructive and oppresive belief systems. Then again, right now, plenty still wish to dominate others into following their way of life as the only one. Until humanity can clear that hurdle, if we ever do, then we're stuck with what we know as religion today. That's my take for what it's worth.

 

I whole heartly believe that science will disprove all religion, not on purpose mind, it's not like science sets out to disprove religions texts.. it's just a bi-product.. it's just taking a while is all (lots of stubbon people refusing to let go of outdated ideas)..

 

I believe most religious nuts have a huge void in there soul and religion fills that for them. The ones who try to ram their beliefs down your throat without letting you talk are insecure in their beliefs and are afriad of hearing any other opinions!!

I know this because of my oldest Brother!!!

 

.The last two religions will be the beast's worship, and christian ones. After that we will
be either in heaven/earth(the two merge), where we will all believe in the LORD; either that or we'll be in the lake of fire....

I'm going after the prophecies, not my own oppinion. So please no flame!

 

What are your own opinions?

 

but think how scary the world would be with no moral guidelines or fear of "hell"

 

You don't need fear of hell to be moral or 'good'... It's more a case of common sence - don't want to repremanded for stealing something that belongs to someone else - don't steal, etc..

 

I think religion is for people who are too lazy or too scared to talk to God directly.

 

Life is full of joy; life is full of sorrow,
You cannot judge how dark your night,
But by the sun tomorrow.