We shouldn't have to rely on an old book to tell us to be good to one another. Why do we even need religion at all?
201453
I've often asked the same question. I suppose religion feeds our sense of spirituality and gives us "answers" to what happens to us after we die. But I think religion has caused, and will continue to cause, wars and other trouble. People should try setting aside their differences in religion and just work together. Besides, I think that religion is personal. It's what you personally believe. And atheists don't cause hatred, the term simply means they do not believe in any god whatsoever, that when you die, that's it. And I dislike those who always try to convert others. Just let people make up their own idea.
146133
As it is in life, different religions cannot live in harmony. I personally belong to no religion, and find it easy to tollerate and co-exist with people of other religions. Maybe this is a lesson the children of the future need to be taught.
177376
No-one really knows what they're talking about, because everything these people know has been told to them by somebody else. They dont have the ability to think for themselves so they adopt someone else's belief system. Yes, a lot more crap went on back in the day, but people change what the bible means to humanity to suit their own needs at that time, which is why beliefs keep changing. Even the New testament was written by a bunch of people who never even knew Jesus. So you or I could just as easily write another new testament and go and call that the bible.
651768
The purpose of any religion is to protect. each religion has evolved over different periods of time. the purpose of any religion is to help one co-exist peacefully without hurting someone else. The rules regulations are interpreted by different persons to suit their own needs, and hence conflicts arise.\n\nAll religions are good and should not be insulted or weighed as good or bad.\nst
528266
The real reason is lack of knowledge. When what you know is rooted in research and factual data, it's hard to get upset over information. But so much of what we know in this country is fantasy or make believe, we don't like anyone challenging beliefs that may not be rooted in reality but we've invested so much of our lives in.\n \nTake religion for instances. I'm not saying that Christ didn't exist, but I just think some of the stories (all of which were told by people who didn't have as much knowledge about the world they lived in as we do today) are far fetched and truly of fantasy. For instance, let's look at heaven. It's described as the land of milk and honey and the streets are paved with gold. Well we could actually create that place right here on earth now. And if you are in a spiritual form, what do you care about milk, honey, or gold? I think the stories were limited to our imagination back then and we've advanced so far technologically now, the heaven of old would bore most of us today.\n\nIf people would look at religion and politics objectively and not emotionally, people wouldn't be so sensitive over these issues. We confused knowing with believing which may explain why people are so sensitive today.
639796
No, the world would be a better place if everyone just believed in their own religion and stopped worrying about what other people are thinking and doing. As long as people follow the rules of their respective religions and we are all doing good then who cares if my neighbor is Wiccan or Buddhist or a Muslim or whatever! Live and let live people!!!
243189
Religions are based on faith, "revealed truth" and, as far as most educated Americans, That makes them about as important as the Easter Bunny and Santa.  Jesus lived, as did many other who claimed to be the Son of God -- christianity came out of a backward, primitive society of sheep herders.  YOu will never get your husband to change, particularly if he will not take a course in church history, the history of religions or anything else offered by a university.  People believe that spooky stuff because they are afraid to use their minds -- to believe in the supernatural is, let's face it, contrary to experience.  And god doesn't make you well then save you, you acquired a virus or bacteria, and your immune system won.  This is not to say that there is no value in belief in god, except that we who do believe in god don't think of some old man in the sky, but rather, god is energy, the warmth of the sun, a foal running beside his mother in a green field, the laugh of a child, the rippling muscle of a running cheetah.  And most of us believe that when you die, it is indeed over, and you got to use $14.67 worth of chemicals for about 85 years.  Heaven is here in the kindnesses you show people.  When the last spark leaves your brain, your body begins to rot, and return to the earth.  Part of the oxygen you breathe was part of Beethoven.  These are glorious ideas.  Fundamentalist anything -- christians, muslums -- all believe their revealed truth is the only truth, and go around even killing others to make sure they believe it -- now, and historically (ever read what the catholic church did during the Middle Ages?)  Your husband needs some education in college or a university, if he's bright enough, but he sounds like he loves that stuff. And if it works for him it's sorta "oh well" for you.  Otherwise, honey, you are stuck with a man unable to think for himself.  Try the Unitarian church -- they have a long history of liberal thought -- and significant Americans were Unitarians -- Washington a Deist (close) Thomas Jefferson, both Adams presidents, and recently (last century ) Adali Stephenson, senator from Illinois who ran against Eisenhower. There are tons of other -- It's just not very important to me to find out who they are.  I gave up on believing that stuff in grade three -- It was ridiculous to me then, and even more so now..... Sorry this is long....You seem to have a thinking mind, your husband is trapped in fundamentalism.  I'm sorry....
287491
Because their ancient book of tribal myths tells them too.\n\nThey have no proof, only because thier "Bible" tells them so.\n\nThey even condemn other versions of Christianity!  So it's no wonder why they can't play nice with the other kids on the block.  They can't even play with their own "kind" nicely.\n\nSupposedly Hiduism is the oldest religion, dating some 5,000 or 6,000 years ago.\n\nNow that's old for a religion.
638395
Religion is SUPPOSED to lead you into doing good and living in harmony with others...
587959
That was society at the time. I'm an atheist (just for your info) and I think the Bible has a lot of good advice in it (don't kill etc), but you have to take it as something that was written a very long time ago. Your quotes are cultural, and of the time, more than religious, word-of-God and so on. That doesn't mean they're right though.
23467
I think religion is one of those "necessary evils".  I think many many wars could have been avoided without religion, but then the vast majority of people would not have any source of power to turn to in times of need.
33482
I think religion is a way for people to support each other in feeling spiritual and making correct moral decisions. Some people won't make good decisions on spirituality alone, and for those people, having other people around them helps.\n\nEDIT FOR ADDTNL INFO:\nWhy is anything neccessary? Why are homes neccessary? Why don't people just live at work? Eat grass? Because we as humans desire more, a more personal experience, a more organized approach. You don't get people at your community center sharing uplifting stories about standing up for what is right.
654061
Knowledge of other faiths, thier traditions etc  helps us better understand each other. Those who refuse to lern such are very narrow minded. Not knowing and understanding can lead to problems that lead to incidents like war...\n\nBlessings...+David
229069
If only. Wars used to be fought because someone didn't worship someone else's god. Then the Crusades started the trend of fighting wars because someone didn't worship God in what seemed to be to someone else the right way. Chirstians, Catholics, Muslims, these and many other religions don't worship a different God, they all worship the same God, the only difference being that they just worship God in different ways. So who's way of worshiping God is the right way to worship God? Who's to say. Each religion claims that they are right. Atheists claim that everyone is wrong. Who's to say? I personally am supposed to be a Presbiterian, but I haven't been in a church, let alone a Prebiterian one, for quite a while. I'm more spiritual than religious nowadays. I see inconsistantsees and problems with many religions, so I do what I think most people should do. I worship God not in a way told to me by man, but rather, in my own way. My God is a manifestation of my beliefs, as opposed to most people who believe, for the most part, in a God of someone else's beliefs. I too ask myself, "why can't we all have a common God?" And I am answered with, "because of our differences that, though for the better and making us all unique, is what ultimately keeps us apart." Yes, it WOULD pave the way for mankind if we all beleived in a common God, but as I stated with my very first sentence, if only. Do we need a religion for worshipping God? Some do. Most do in fact. But I don't.
270914
Many other religions have the same rules. It's all a matter of living together. I don't think any religion is superior or anything. We should all get along and help each other out regardless of faith/non-faith.
322833
Why would a person need a text or tradition to know right from wrong? The golden rule is extant for all of us. Don't do to other what you wouldn't want done to you. Be fair, honest and care for your fellow man. All these things are pretty much universal but sadly overlooked, even by religionists.
442329
For many of us, tradition, morality, religion and superstition and sometimes even patriotism is all a jumble.  Everything is all tangled up together in an old  incomprehensible dusty mess of stuff we were told to do.  That's my impression of religion-- a human construct for socio-cultural purposes.\n\nSpiritual geniuses like Buddha, Mohammed and Jesus all came across the same immutable truths that we need to follow.  These truths sound simple at first-- don't kill each other, you're all interconnected, think about what your're doing, etc.\n\nOver they centuries the efforts at explaining and simplifying this have done quite the opposite, sadly, and have even been used as platforms for political agenda, prejudice and hatred.\n\nI like to tell people that I belong to the Church of the Good Person (just made that name up), which stresses not whom you believe in, but how kindly and fairly you treat each other.