Just to clear a few things up I thought I'd tell everybody a bunch of different reasons why religions were made, and possibly a few can still apply to todays world full of scientific explanation and stuff
so here are a few reasons that various religions were made:

1. The one question that everybody asks himself or herself at one point in their life is: "why?" why are we here, why do we have to stay alive if we have to work so hard to do so?---some religions were made to answer this
2. some people wondered how the world was created--this was before all the scientific breakthroughs we have today, and people wanted an explanation, so some people started making stories about the creation of the world that to them (a long time ago) made sense.
3.control. In the old days, governments wanted control over their citezens. and what better way to control your people than to scare people into thinking that if they don't be good they'll burn in eternal hellfire??
4.understanding: there were a lot of things people couldn't understand so they just said: ok so that mountain seems to be smoking at the top, there must be some sort of supernatural being that's mad at us...lets please him! and other things that weren't understandable in those days were just blamed on Gods because they didn't have science.


There are a tun of other reasons why numerous religions were made, like afterlife (because nobody wants to belive that you just die and you're gone for ever, that would make you question why you're even here in the first place and what's so important about staying alive) but you have to remember that they weren't all made for the same reasons. Yes, the roman catholic church was a way to control citezens, but taoism and confusionism weren't.
and by the way I'm not athiest, I'm buddhist, but I guess that could fall into a category of athiesm because we don't have Gods

^ Yes we do.
If only I could write their names in english. I don't refer to them as Gods/Goddesses but they basically are.

Religion is something to lean on and give meaning to life, so that it doesnt its not all for nothing or full of unanswered questions, and so you have someone (god) to pray to, knowing you have their confort and presense.

I think its all bs but religious people see it in a different way i guess, so yeah..

I will say this, and you seem to agree but I doubt you'll agree with fully what I say: religion is meaningless bull. God has no desire for religion, and honestly all it's done is send a bunch of people to eternal death :(. But all God wants is relationship ;). Religion is ceremonies and doing certain things to get a reward in an afterlife, but it isn't by what we do that anyone is saved from death, but by relationship with Jesus Christ, who died for us all after living a perfect life, giving up his own life in exchange for ours! And it's by what he did that man is saved!

But all God wants is relationship ;)

Why is that?

Why is that?

Razz, if one day you get married and the two of you decide to use no BC and have a kid, won't you want a relationship with the person you helped create? God's the same way. He loves us because we are his creation, and he wants to us, or more so us know him because he knows us better than we know ourselves. He wants a relationship because he created us the same way a parent wants a relationship with their child.

I'm just trying to figure out why you believe this is the case? Listen, there is nothing wrong with believing in God if you feel science is too complicated or you're trying to feel like you have purpose, but why believe a book? A book that flat out tells you that everyone but it's believers are going to Hell.

How can you say that "God" loves us? What kind of love is this? He just wants us to believe in him?

I'm just trying to figure out why you believe this is the case? Listen, there is nothing wrong with believing in God if you feel science is too complicated or you're trying to feel like you have purpose, but why believe a book? A book that flat out tells you that everyone but it's believers are going to Hell.

How can you say that "God" loves us? What kind of love is this? He just wants us to believe in him?

Just love. Before he is love he is just. He cannot go against his own law, but he went as far as to pretty much kill himself so that we could have a loophole through his law. Do you have a lawyer who would do that for you here on earth? I sorta doubt it. And just to believe in him to make it simple. Why make it complicated. That would make it harder to go through that loophole, so to speak. He made it very simple so that all man could be saved. And as I've said before, I don't believe in God because I believe the Bible, but I believe in the Bible because I've seen God move.

What's wrong with loving my family, friends, and life...and appreciate the world as it is? Why does God punish people like this? Why do I get punished for not believing in the Biblical God, you're not meaning to tell me that if I believed in Krishna I'd go Heaven would you?

btw Izzy, I like your last sentence, nice play on words with CS Lewis' quote :) - oh yes, that's right, I did read Mere Christianity and tbh, it wasn't very impressive. I love how he gave marriage advice and had never been married when he wrote that book

Yes that's why he started in the middle east and it took 1500+ years before Christianity got introduced to North and South America. Meanwhile all the native Americans went to hell because they didn't know any better.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=U0XXEd1W0pw

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EQi96Fd5o8Q

Enjoy

Just love. Before he is love he is just. He cannot go against his own law, but he went as far as to pretty much kill himself so that we could have a loophole through his law. Do you have a lawyer who would do that for you here on earth? I sorta doubt it. And just to believe in him to make it simple. Why make it complicated. That would make it harder to go through that loophole, so to speak. He made it very simple so that all man could be saved. And as I've said before, I don't believe in God because I believe the Bible, but I believe in the Bible because I've seen God move.

Wait so if he had to create loophole for a law does that imply he made a mistake by creating the one he made a loophole for? I see no other reason for a loophole besides the fact that last one was a mistake but God does not want to admit it. But how could God make a mistake? He is God, right? Perfect in every way, right?

^ Dude he's brainwashed. Think of it like this, we had it nailed into our heads and the way we escaped it was by nailing it out ourselves. I can even remember a post where Izzy said he couldn't bring "evolution" books into his house because his parents would think he's turning into "an Athiest!"

That's right, an Atheist!


I think there's a psychological aspect to it, sort of like a 14-year old girl who dates the older guy that her parents don't want her to date, by them constantly telling her that it's wrong (and they're right) she feels even more grievance towards them and wants to rebel further. Izzy is the same way in regards to religion.

I say we stop wasting our time and let him try to nail out the indoctrination himself, hey it's happened before so let's keep praying (r'amen!)

^Yet most often when they get caught being hypocritical and they can't side step around with it their usual arguments they just ignore and act like it never happened, such a shame really.

What I'm wondering is how their minds really work. Like why don't I believe in a god? To me the old book doesn't make any sense but like why doesn't it make sense to me and why does it make sense for others?

There are many cases where Christians become atheist and atheist becomes Christian.

To me believing in the bible is like believing in the story of peter pan. peter man is jesus and that pirate guy is the devil.

^ ooo this would make a cool thread in the science section, like something about neuroscience and how the brain works?

Who wants to make it? Me? I'm thinking the title could be the beautiful quote:
"Give me the child for the first 7 years and I will give you the man."

What's wrong with loving my family, friends, and life...and appreciate the world as it is? Why does God punish people like this? Why do I get punished for not believing in the Biblical God, you're not meaning to tell me that if I believed in Krishna I'd go Heaven would you?

btw Izzy, I like your last sentence, nice play on words with CS Lewis' quote :) - oh yes, that's right, I did read Mere Christianity and tbh, it wasn't very impressive. I love how he gave marriage advice and had never been married when he wrote that book

I'd actually like to read Mere Christianity myself, but I haven't got a chance to. Though I'd probably look at it from a different prospective from you. Lol I wasn't trying to use CSL's words, but if it's impressive then thanks :p. And nothing is wrong with it, to go on the other things, but nonetheless we've all sinned. I do all that. I love people and appreciate the world as it is, but nonetheless that's separate from the fact that I still deserve hell. Same with everyone else. Rom. 6:23 and 3:23. We can (and should) do all that but it still won't bring us true peace nor eternal life.

^ ooo this would make a cool thread in the science section, like something about neuroscience and how the brain works?


Because like for me it is impossible to believe in the bible. Like you could offer me all the money and women in the world and I wouldn't even consider believing in it. I obviously could pretend, but I would never really believe it.
I would rather die than being forced to believe in it.

When I served in the army I had this really Christian guy in my company and I talked with him about religion and there wasn't a thing he could say that even made me consider that the bible was true. He had way better arguments than any of the Christians who post on this part of the forum as well.(Norwegians you know 10x the intellect of an American ;) )

He was a really nice guy and wasn't stupid or ignorant. He was a bit strange though because he was against masturbation(among a lot of things) and would puke with the mere thought of it.

What I'm wondering is how their minds really work. Like why don't I believe in a god? To me the old book doesn't make any sense but like why doesn't it make sense to me and why does it make sense for others?

I think the main reason is because you have the amazing luck to be a North American citizen, so you are already happy with all your luxuries that come with living here. Other people who aren't as fortunate as you want a reason for their suffering. Or maybe they had a drinking problem or a drug problem and God keeps them from going back that road.

those are just my theories, but I think they make sense right?
Merging doublepost
oh and Elemental106 if you're refering to buddhism, some forms do have God like beings and some don't, I probably should have been more specific

I think the main reason is because you have the amazing luck to be a North American citizen, so you are already happy with all your luxuries that come with living here. Other people who aren't as fortunate as you want a reason for their suffering. Or maybe they had a drinking problem or a drug problem and God keeps them from going back that road.

those are just my theories, but I think they make sense right?
Merging doublepost
oh and Elemental106 if you're refering to buddhism, some forms do have God like beings and some don't, I probably should have been more specific

he's from norway

^^ oh boy, does anybody have a cloth so I can wipe the egg off my face??

^^ oh boy, does anybody have a cloth so I can wipe the egg off my face??

No worries Norway is undoubtedly a better place to live for the average person compared to the US.
It pays off to be poor in Norway(in a sense that you get a lot of money "for free"). Being rich however doesn't pay off as much.(have to pay all sorts of taxes)

That sounds like a cool place to live! Kind of like Canada but even more extreem

That sounds like a cool place to live! Kind of like Canada but even more extreem

Yeah but we are still complaining like mad over here. Spoiled everyone of us!

talking about being north american and all... this is kind of random but, do many of you say grace before eating? even if its just at christmas, once a year, do you??

because loads of families do (i think) and thats a sign that the way of thinking is very opposite. people in america are either religious and tradicional or the opposite, for what I've seen.

in spain people don't really care about this stuff

talking about being north american and all... this is kind of random but, do many of you say grace before eating? even if its just at christmas, once a year, do you??

because loads of families do (i think) and thats a sign that the way of thinking is very opposite. people in america are either religious and tradicional or the opposite, for what I've seen.

in spain people don't really care about this stuff

I can't really vouch for every family in North America, but from the two states I live in every year, every family I stay with doesn't say grace. My family, however, will only say it when the entire family is together.

For example, tomorrow being father's day, the whole family is getting together for supper. It's probable they'll say grace before supper. But if it were just my Grandma, Grandpa and I, we wouldn't.

We can hypothesize why religions were formed all day long, and nothing productive will come of it. The "reasons" that you listed aren't even proven or factual, they just make sense to us. None of us are trained psychologists, sociologists, theologians, or historians, so nothing in this thread is going to contain any valuable substance. It's all layman speculation. Sorry for being negative, but I don't see the point of discussions like these.

^ true