Why do you reject Religion?

[diuretic]

The point of individual thought is to propel people to learn and discover the truth. Individual thought is a means and not an ends.

First part I disagree with, second part I agree with. And that's because we're coming at the issue from very different perspectives.

[PostmodernProphet]

I completely agree with you. My atheism is built on the simple foundation that it is not logical to believe in God.

However, it is necessary to make some foundational faith choices before a legitimate logical framework can be constructed that leads you to that conclusion......

[PostmodernProphet]

This is all totally subjective, there is no objective "truth" in this discussion.

you can't honestly say that.....

consider a hypothetical where A=B.....the first person believes A does not equal B and he argues that 'truth' in a debate.....the second person believes A equals B, but has reached that conclusion through an error in reasoning, he argues in the debate but everyone recoginizes his error and rejects his argument.....the third person believes that A equals B and argues it in the debate.....

now, throughout the debate the objective truth remains that A=B, it didn't change into something else because of the debate.....

likewise, in this debate, either a deity exists or a deity does not exist.....that objective truth does not change because of our discussion.....

[diuretic]

However, it is necessary to make some foundational faith choices before a legitimate logical framework can be constructed that leads you to that conclusion......

I would think it's incumbent on parents to introduce their child to the prevailing religious ideas of their society and then gradually allow their child, as he or she matures, to make their own decisions. As the child develops intellectually then they can begin to formulate their personal philosophies.

[PostmodernProphet]

I would think it's incumbent on parents to introduce their child to the prevailing religious ideas of their society and then gradually allow their child, as he or she matures, to make their own decisions. As the child develops intellectually then they can begin to formulate their personal philosophies.

???.....a very strange concept......I am already aware of the truth, why would I want my child to grow up and choose something that isn't true.....if I seriously believed there was some chance my faith choice WASN'T the truth, I would have rejected it myself, already......

I expect that is true of every other parent who has made a religious faith choice.....

in fact, if you consider it, it is consistent with the faith choice you have made.....you are uncertain, therefore you want your child raised up to be uncertain.....

[diuretic]

Fine if you like indoctrination. Just don't whine when your child grows up and realises it.

[PostmodernProphet]

Fine if you like indoctrination. Just don't whine when your child grows up and realises it.

only in the sense that all of education is 'indoctrination'.....

[diuretic]

only in the sense that all of education is 'indoctrination'.....

Education isn't indoctrination, in fact it's the polar opposite.

[PostmodernProphet]

/shrugs.....then so is educating my children about my religion.....

[dan]

I consider myself agnostic. To me, there's too much in the world that seems to work for it all to be a massive cosmic accident. It could be, though, who knows?

I reject specific religions for a few reasons. First, the obvious hypocracy that comes with most all religions, not just Christianity. I'm trying to keep this away from being specifically about Christianity, but I was raised Methodist, so obviously the only religion I'm rejecting is Christianity.

The Bible was written at a time when people were very, very, very ignorant. It offends people to suggest such things about the disciples, but the fact is, the world in general simply hadn't developed enough. I think through science and reason, we have evolved beyond religion.

I also agree with Manu about the nature of the Christian God, though I didn't go through the personal strife he did in order to come to that conclusion. When I look at the many, many, many tragic things that befall good people on a daily basis, I can't bring myself to accept the idea that I should worship a God that allowed this to happen, or even designed this to happen. I could absolutely be wrong, but to me, the idea of life being nothing but a test for us to prove our will as a Christian is outrageous. Why would God create humans for the sole purpose of worshipping him? Am I the only one who finds that disturbingly egotistical?

There is no connection between the world described in the Bible and the world today. Hyperbole aside, when has there ever been a miracle in recorded history like those described in the Bible? So much of what the Bible writes off as God's work has been explained through science, it's hard to take much of what it says seriously.

I think every religion has something to offer. I think the Bible offers a great set of stories on how to live a good honest life. It is very dated, and taking very specific things it says and applying them to modern life is very dangerous. I have nothing against most Christians, but quite a few of them use God as their loophole to just blindly believe what they believe, and if they're challenged, it's just "That's God's will. :shrug:" This is fine, until people start applying this to the world at large, and then that becomes a major problem. I don't think we need to abolish religion, by any means, it's just not for me.

[Hagbard Celine]

I've never felt a need for religion. I've never "felt" God's presence and I've never felt a need to. Period. People talk about "feeling spiritually empty." I guess I was born without that emotion. Getting up early and dressing in uncomfortable clothes to go to a place full of people you barely know or like to listen to something that contradicts every logical thought in your brain has always seemed like a really ill-conceived way to waste one of the only two days you have off all week. I'd rather go bowling with my family on Sunday morning, which is actually what my family did for a couple of years back when I was in highschool.

[PostmodernProphet]

Hyperbole aside, when has there ever been a miracle in recorded history like those described in the Bible?

/shrugs....there are many people who say they have experienced miracles in today's world.....they are not believed by most, but then I wonder if most folks in Jesus' day believed people when they said "Yeah, last week I was a leper but Jesus cured me" or "they fed all 5000 of us with just three fish and a loaf of bread"......

[PostmodernProphet]

Getting up early and dressing in uncomfortable clothes to go to a place full of people you barely know or like to listen to something that contradicts every logical thought in your brain

so what if there was a church you could go to late, dress comfortably, meet with friends you like and get along with and hear things that made sense to you?

[Hagbard Celine]

so what if there was a church you could go to late, dress comfortably, meet with friends you like and get along with and hear things that made sense to you?

I still wouldn't go. If I want to learn about God I'll read a book about it. I have a busy life and I've never been one to subject myself to abject torture (sitting in a lecture listening to some putz) when there are fun and/or industrious things I could do instead. Hey, different strokes for different folks. That's one of my philosophies.

[truthmatters]

I would think it's incumbent on parents to introduce their child to the prevailing religious ideas of their society and then gradually allow their child, as he or she matures, to make their own decisions. As the child develops intellectually then they can begin to formulate their personal philosophies.

I told my son when the subject of religion came up about the differing things people believe. That satisfied him for some time. Then when he was about 4 he asked for the first time "what do we believe"? I then told him what I believed and told him what he believed was up to him. He may be the only person I know who was allowed to deside what he believed without someone cramming it down his throat.