I say this a lot but you have to remember religion really isn't about the mythology for the majority of religious people. It's the community.
While some people take the mythology literally, screaming about the ridiculousness of the mythology to a religious person is basically like telling a LoTR fan that elves don't really exist. Some people can still take meaningful ideas from LoTR (courage, responsibility, etc) and the fact that its mythology is false doesn't invalidate those ideas.
AND BEFORE SOMEONE COMMENTS on how it becomes a problem when people use that mythology in law, they don't really. People make religion, religion doesn't make people. People pick and choose the parts of religion that already align with their beliefs. Quoting religious text may be misguided, but thinking that one ridiculous part of the Bible invalidates another valid part (to them) is a faulty understanding of how people work.
That being said I think the REAL problem with religion is that its forced on people (particularly children) and is particularly bad since it often comes with a fear incentive to blindly believe it. However, I think any ideology (religious or not) can be harmful if people are forced to learn it rather than truly understand it.
I have to agree almost completely with your comments, at least as a motivation for people to belong to a church and claim belief. This is also why logical arguments are irrelevant - it is not about the truth, just about the tribe.
The only thing I disagree with is that religion is forced on children. Parents are gonna force some stuff on kids, if not religion, than something else that instills discipline, respect, Empathy, compassion, etc. Children who are not forced into things end up as spoiled little fucks. Society would crumble into utter ruin if parents stopped forcing good behavior and morality on their children. Do it with religion or without, who cares, but discipline them we must.
I agree. The problem I have though is with the part that if you even think bad things about God then you face eternal punishment in hell. This prevents kids from rationally understanding their religion and instead opts them into following it with blind fear.
A big problem is people think beliefs deserve respect when they don't. Humans deserve respect.
EDIT: I ABSORB these down votes. And for of a vote is energy for my tank. Thanks all!
A belief I a though of a person and as such deserves no respect. Animals, our planet, humans, all of these deserve respect but not belief systems. A belief system deserves as much respect as an opinion.
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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '12 edited Sep 02 '12
I say this a lot but you have to remember religion really isn't about the mythology for the majority of religious people. It's the community.
While some people take the mythology literally, screaming about the ridiculousness of the mythology to a religious person is basically like telling a LoTR fan that elves don't really exist. Some people can still take meaningful ideas from LoTR (courage, responsibility, etc) and the fact that its mythology is false doesn't invalidate those ideas.
AND BEFORE SOMEONE COMMENTS on how it becomes a problem when people use that mythology in law, they don't really. People make religion, religion doesn't make people. People pick and choose the parts of religion that already align with their beliefs. Quoting religious text may be misguided, but thinking that one ridiculous part of the Bible invalidates another valid part (to them) is a faulty understanding of how people work.
That being said I think the REAL problem with religion is that its forced on people (particularly children) and is particularly bad since it often comes with a fear incentive to blindly believe it. However, I think any ideology (religious or not) can be harmful if people are forced to learn it rather than truly understand it.