Light
Inquisitor
Posts: 59
|
Post by Light on Dec 31, 2008 1:31:56 GMT -7
It's more than a thing of repetition, there's also a factor in how everyone else acts if you decide to believe something else. In that same 200 years ago, Theocracies were fairly common (at least in the parts of the world my limited knowledge of history covers), so going against the church was going against the government. To say you didn't believe that you were made in a god's image made you a heathen, and outcast, and possibly a witch. In today's world, although the theory of evolution is most common, no one will persecute you for believing what you believe (unless said persecutor is a jackass or you are pushing your belief like a jackass).
|
|
|
Post by electroshock on Dec 31, 2008 11:09:02 GMT -7
well, Mark Twain commented on that fact in saying "If the man doesn't believe as we do, we say he is a crank, and that settles it. I mean, it does nowadays, because now we can't burn him."
I do agree with you on that matter, but it also depends on how early in life you are told something. Remember, children are very impressionable. If a child is told something at a young age, they will, most likely, not have the reasoning abilities to doubt the truth value of the statement. However, if they are older, they will have more developed reasoning skills and will be able to properly asses the statement and whether or not it is true.
i feel like I, or someone else, said this before.
|
|
|
Post by Pem on Jan 5, 2009 14:00:26 GMT -7
I totally agree with you on this electroshock you teach children many things, if you were like me you were raised from a very young age that Santa Clause brings presents every Christmas. Eventually, you find out this is not true and go about your life. Now then, if you, like me, were an inquisitive child you would chide this non-existence a step further and ask your parents whether God existed (or Gods as my hindu friend got to experience, yes some Hindu do celebrate the secularized and commercialized version of Christmas too). My parents were honest and asked me to decide for myself. However, some kids in learning that all their child hood buddies are are fake are often confused why God and Jesus aren't grouped with them.
Kids are often cited for having more common sense then most adults and in this case I'd have to agree with them. Now I know this isn't a statement on whether religion is good or evil, but I felt it valid to the current argument. Feel free to tear it apart, I feel I am comfortable defending my position.
|
|
Light
Inquisitor
Posts: 59
|
Post by Light on Jan 13, 2009 23:00:32 GMT -7
I prefer to think of it as a difference of priorities than an abundance of common sense. To a little kid, what matters most? They don't care about where they'll go after they die, nor who created the universe and whatever else. All they really care about is material goods. Presents. The average kid will care more about Santa than God, Jesus, or whatever religious figure they worship (Giftmas isn't just for Christians anymore). Go check my post in the holiday topic. Aside from the last line (lol, Satan) I am led to believe that Santa may be a sort of "warm-up God" to hopefully take place of the real one until the little kiddies care enough to truly worship. (It should be noted now that the rest of this paragraph is sarcastic) It's a wonderful plan and all, but suddenly the little brats develop free thinking, and discover the physical impossibility of good Saint Nick traveling the world in one night. This kinda ruins it for the Christian parents, 'cause if your child doesn't believe you when you say "magic" to his Santa arguments, where's the hope of him believing in God? Guess it's time to put him to sleep and try again.
|
|
|
Post by Pem on Jan 25, 2009 17:39:59 GMT -7
Only the whole point of Santa Claus is to grow out of it eventually whereas Jesus the whole point is to never grow out of it.
|
|
|
Post by electroshock on Jan 25, 2009 18:35:20 GMT -7
Well, Someone could potential travel the circumference of the planet in one night. Most people assume that night is from when the sun sets, to when the sunrises the next morning. that's, at the equinox, twelve hours. less depending on the season. But really, he has 24. He has exactly one hour to traverse each time zone. It's the whole "visits every house of every christian child o the planet" that's an impossibility.
I just remembered this:
Blaise Pascal, the mathematician, once made a point proving that the payoffs were in favor of believing the church. The argument is a bit like this:
There are two choices: believe the church or not. the church can either be right or wrong. if you believe the church and it is wrong, nothing happens. but if you believe it and it is right, you get eternal peace in heaven If you don't believe the church and it's wrong, nothing happens. but if it is right, you receive eternal d**nation in hell.
|
|
|
Post by Pem on Jan 25, 2009 21:05:37 GMT -7
Ah yes Pascal's wager. However it fails to account for which deity you worship. So now let's look at it this way, you believe in a deity or you don't.
You believe in a deity, it is the correct diety, you go to heaven. You believe in a deity, it is the wrong deity, you go to hell. You believe in a deity, but there is no deity, nothing happens. Now then you don't believe in a deity regardless of which one, you go to hell. You don't believe and none exist, who cares. So now you look at the odds and compare them to the amount of deities out there. There are hundreds of choices of Gods/Goddesses/whatever out there to worship now multiple that by the 1 in 6 chance of being right. That is your odds of getting into heaven for worshipping the correct God. Now then you have a 1/2 chance of going to hell for being wrong regardless of if you believe or not. Personally, I'm going to stick with my 1/3 chance of there not being any Gods period but that's up to you.
Basically the error with Pascal's wager is that he assumed that his God is the correct one, now he could be wrong and because of this his idea is not as simple as he proposed, thank you.
(lol I love this stuff especially logical progression)
|
|
|
Post by electroshock on Mar 3, 2009 17:20:33 GMT -7
That was... well thought out, i must say. I didn't think about it that way when i first read about it.
But back on the subject of the topic, I do think it can be both. It can lead someone to do the right thing (religious laws) or bad (crusaders). It can go either way.
|
|
Light
Inquisitor
Posts: 59
|
Post by Light on Mar 3, 2009 17:50:08 GMT -7
Right, religious laws, those things that, at some point, said people could be hanged for falling asleep in church. All we really need is a basic code of ethics that people in a society realize they cannot live without. Which, ironically, is what most of the ten commandments essentially were. Let's say this: I think religion is a good thing at first, but once it's twisted and distorted by different viewpoints and different interpretations, it falls apart and the whole thing becomes nothing but trouble.
|
|
|
Post by dallen9 on Mar 17, 2009 10:01:10 GMT -7
In my view, like many other things, religion has both bad and good qualities to it. Start with the good. It gives people somthing to believe in, someting to look up to, and en explaination of the world around us that even science can struggle to understand and explain. It provided good brickword for modern day morals and values, as well as many of the laws put into place for our safety. Without a lot of these the world would be in chaos and crime would be much higher than it is now. Such ideas have also helped our development technology wise and socially, becasue without the morals and rules to guide our actions we may have taken longer to become as civilised. Now the bad... Many disputed have been started over religions, and discriminations taken place. There have been wars over land that is considered sacred by two different religions that both consider it theirs, as well as causing behaviour that is considered illigal such as honour killings, suicide bombers I suppose it depends on how you look at it I dont really have an opinion, i'll stay mutual Now I'd like to make a Quick and Stable point on what she said... She's really close to hitting the jugular of the problems of Religion. Problems#1: Offspring Religions Fighting Grandpa Religions... Judaism V.S. Islam and Christianity V.S Islam. The Christianity V.S. Judaism is almost gone thanks to Hitler and the Nazi Genocide. Problem #2: West Coast Beliefs Appear to Conflict with East Coast Beliefs. I'm referring to the Eurasia Coasts if your not picking that out. Problem#3: Politics... Self Explanatory Problem#4: Enlightenment Butting in. We got smarter... Now We want to deny We Believed in such religious Political Poop. and Finally Problem #5: We Want War!!!! People like to fight what can I say? Now the Ancient Pros. Ancient Pro #1: We can unite the people and Have order! Ancient Pro#2: I have a Naturally Rised Army to Fight off my Enemies! Ancient Pro#3: They Think I'm God or God's Child! Ancient Pro#4: Trust is easily acquired and Distrust easy to spot. Ancient Pro #5: It's good to be the King! Ancient Pro #6: They people are Peaceful tonight.....|Con: It's Quiet too Quiet! X) Have fun with those thoughts.
|
|