There are countless things in our body, as well as in other animals, that serve no purpose to us anymore, but are simply leftovers from our ancestry...how does religion explain this?
212340
Strangely enough, Hinduism would simply give the example of evolution. Hinduism teaches that everything in the universe starts out very small (atoms) and thus evolves into other things. Hinduism would say that these are merely things that still exist in us because the physical forms of things are always evolving. We evolved from that which had those things and are continuing to evolve.
298769
Edward O. Wilson's book Consilience deals with this question among others.  He maintains that genetic code associated with ethics and religion played an integral part in early man's life since religion and ethics help people to make sense of things like death, pain, and most importantly, purpose.  Wilson maintains that communities with stronger religion/ethics genes rose above those without it and so people today tend towards religion and ethics for good and sound reasons (that is, it's better for humanity to be driven by a sense of purpose than for it not to be).\n\nSo, in my mind, this is the crucial fork in the road.  Is purpose really a creation of our own, or is it possible that our sense of purpose comes from an outside force?  I think that it is at least possible, but how far does the rabbit hole go down?
298098
No, religion, for most people, is a way of explaining things that are essentially unknowable.  Does life have meaning?  What happens to us after we die?  Is there any reason to be ethical, even when we see others apparently succeed by being unethical? Why is so much of life a matter of pain and suffering? Etc., etc.  Religions attempt to provide answers to those questions, and therefore they are a comfort to their believers.
477285
for the record i like cows, they're nice.\n\nseveral religions believe in reincarnation. how you recognize people is different than you might think. some believe you carry similar physical traits in each life. some people are lucky enough to carry glimpses of their past lives, and they figure it out. it's not like you see someone and go "hey charlie where you been buddy?!"..it's more of a recognition on a deeper level. think about someone you've just met and instantly clicked with, and you can't quite put your finger on why. it's possible that you knew them/were related to them in a previous life. i've had that happen with several friends/boyfriends.
487893
Aren't we the same?  We're animals that inhabit this planet, the same as many others.  What sets humans apart?  The idea that we have a soul?  That is very debatable and has never been proven or disproven to exist but the same could be said for animals possessing souls.  The fact that many believe that only humans have souls only proves that our egos WANT to believe ourselves somehow better.  In many ways we are superior to the other animals, hence our dominance of the planet.  But also in many ways we are far inferior to other animals.  So where is the balance?
102627
It seems to me that what is being stated here is that only God (represented here by "Christ"?) matters and all else - all worldly pleasures, are worthless as dung.  All the temporary things will pass away, and to cling to them is to cling to what will be destroyed.  Only cling to God and the things of God, who is eternal.
397229
I believe so, judging from the way in nature all things are recycled, I'd have to say even if you were atheist, you'd have to believe in SOME form of reincarnation, after you die you become food for other lifeforms who in turn become food  for other lifeforms, if you define a soul as "life energy" then your life energy has "incarnated" itself in just about every form of life known to man.
645224
If god created us in his image ? He must have been pretty confused . He did not get it right as we are all different.Most of us are ugly and decrepit and crazy Maybe that's why there are so many gods and religions ? Man a god like creature. NEVER
112908
Oh the differences,\n\n\nThink about this. The LITTLEST things affect us in HUGE ways....\n\nIf bananas didn't exist, we would not.\nIf a certain stick didn't fall from a particular tree at the exact time it did, none of us would exist.\nFor those religious answerers out there...we would not exist, if evil or sin did not. If certain people were not murdered, we would not exist. Events of the past really affect our everyday lives so much, but most tend to ignore the things that aren't "alive", or aren't human. Not many think much about the truth, that things people never think about were crucial to their existences. Stop light colors affect everyone in ways we can hardly imagine.
266413
The Bible is not clear on that...but God wants us to be right with Him for those types of hopes.\nThere are numerous examples of animals associated with heaven (including 2 Kings 2:11, Revelation 5:13 and 19:11-14) or the “new creation” (Isaiah 65:17-25).\nStill, the question is “were these animals new creations or do these animals include reborn earthly creatures?” \nBoth mankind and animals are formed from the ground (Genesis 2:7, 19). This reveals that the physical bodies of both are similar, but it does not tell us about their immortality. \nGod’s covenant with Noah included both people and animals (Genesis 9:9-11). However, that covenant was not one of eternal life, but that He would not again destroy the earth with a flood. \nThe fourth commandment as recorded in Deuteronomy 5:12-15 includes a Sabbath rest for animals as well as people. Again, it reveals some equality between people and animals, but makes no statement regarding animals going to heaven. \nGod takes care of both men and animals (see Matthew 6:26 and Psalm 104—verses 14 and 27-30 in particular). Although death is mentioned in Psalm 104:29, we learn nothing regarding an afterlife. \nAt some future time, Christ (a Rod from the stem of Jesse) will bring about a time of peace where all animals and man will be in harmony (Isaiah 11:1-9). Still, the description is not necessarily of heaven, and these animals are not necessarily reborn animals. \nNotice the recurring theme, although animals are our “equals” in some ways, none of these passages tells us anything about whether an animal has eternal life.\nI'll end with hope...\nIn Ecc 3:19-22\nFor that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. \nAll go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. \nWho knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? \nWherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
291389
Good going I am one that has no use for religion as it is the base for most of the world problems today.  \n...Not only are we related to apes, We are related to every living thing on earth.  Every blade of grass and every creature in the sea.  All the trees and bacteria are our ken.  Everything living came from one source.  Every living thing on this planer came from one sours.
103513
I am a believer in reincarnation.  I do not believe that religion is as cut and dry as many people like to think.  I believe that we have had past lives and that for some there will be another life that will follow this one.  We are put here to learn lessons and to become enlightened souls, when we reach enlightenment is when we attain heaven.  There is no such things as hell, hell is being on earth and you can choose to continue to live here by not enlightening yourself or you can choose to learn and eventually reach heaven.
651901
Animals were made by the Almighty and we are indeed responsible for their well being.  When I was little, we had a cat.  Every so often I would pull the cat's tail.  It was a very patient old cat.  May the Lord forgive me...  My mom had told me that cat belongs to God and from that day forward I stopped pulling its tail.  I realize that indeed that cat does belong to the Lord Most High.  As my mom pointed out that the Lord gave him life, gave him food, gave him warm milk through his mom, when he was born and protected not only him but many cats in his lineage for centuries.\n\nTHAT SAID, it is also important to remember that balance is the key in everything.  If you allowed the mice to take over, they will kill off every cat.  When carnivores were killed off in large numbers, the deer die of starvation due to over grazing.  The Lord Most High has made human beings stewards and given the animals in our care.  We need to never forget that the animals are GOD's creatures, who the Lord knows individually and collectively but they have a purpose, just as we have a purpose.\n\nThey are something to learn from.  AND we need to remember that all animals belong to the MOST HIGH LORD ALMIGHTY.\n\nI hope this makes sense.
465174
Religion doesn't want you to know what it was really like back in biblical days. Food always was a problem. Meat was a luxury. After the growing season (there was no refrigeration) if you didn't have enough food to last, or if there was a bad crop or flood or insect damage, the people had to forage for food in order to survive. Which means , pick up anything that was edible, any leaf, plant  or root that could be chewed & swallowed was food. When that was depleated people actually picked up a handful of dirt and swallowed it in order to to take away hunger. If you ate the wrong plant or root you could halucinate. The root of the Payote Cactus, Mugwort,  etc are plants that contain halucinagins. The people didn't know. Eat it and you could see a staff turn into a snake like in the Bible. When Jesus went into the desert for 40 days did he bring a hundred pounds of food? When prophets claim that  they heard God it's never asked. "What did they eat before?" Religion always gives you a cleansed version of what went on in Biblical times (for obvious reasons).  If you would study the History of Civilization on this planet at a university (not from a religion) you will gain a better understanding of what really went on. And you would question a lot of things they tell you to believe. Religion is always much more popular with uneducated people (no offense intended).
24510
Evolution doesn't eliminate everything which is useless. It will remove anything which is a disadvantage. For example, if it slows us down while running or makes us less intelligent, then it would have disappeared long ago.\n\nPubic and underarm hair may not have a reason to exist, but it also doesn't harm us, so it's still around. It may or may not disappear from humanity several thousand years from now.\n\nA few other points:\n- Some people believe that the underarm and pubic hair is used to reduce chafing. You'll notice that the crotch and armpits are two areas where the human body rubs against itself the most.\n- Some people believe that the underarm and pubic hair is used to hold in the pheromones that we produce. The crotch and underarms are two of the smelliest places on the human body.\n- In Asia, there are people who are actually born without underarm or pubic hair. However, in places like Korea, pubic hair is considered a sign of fertility, so many of the women born without pubic hair actually transplant hair from their head to their pubic area.
341979
In the book of Revelation, we are told that the former things will have passed away, and that pain and outcry and death will be no more... so we can rest assured that God doesn't intend for us to be able to remember the old hurts or the pain of someone who didn't make it to a new life!  God want's us to be happy, not sad and miserable!  Rev. 21 :4
303670
We are eternal spirit souls RIDING in the temporary VEHICLE of a human animal-mammal-primate-vertebrate-chordate-hominid Homo sapiens. Genetically inherited animal vehicles are born, eat, mate-breed, defend, sleep, get ill, cheat, steal, die. Genetically inherited ego structures-intellect-minds and personalities assist the body in these things so the karmic wheel of this huge cosmic computer-machine can keep on turning.  We are different from-superior to animals in one KEY AREA.  As humans we have the ability to ask the correct-wise-higher questions of WHO AM I REALLY AND WHY AM I HERE REALLY. Animals can't-don't do that! Answer to these questions are to know, love, serve, remember and glorify the Creator, and to know the difference between the three items listed below, not just say you believe and go to church for hour on sunday and be kinda "good" when you feel like it. It takes effort, grace, willpower and mercy!\n\nDo you know the difference between:\n\nillusion and Truth\ntemporary and Eternal\nmatter and Spirit\n\nOnce we KNOW who we REALLY are, why we are REALLY here (Bhakti Prema) then we can go back to the Eternal Home where we can serve the Creator. Until then, we are just here playing with matter, trying to be controllers and enjoyers of matter and the material world and play the role of "little pseudo-gods" instead of doing what He wants. Once we want to play with Spirit more than matter then we have BEGUN the REAL PURPOSE of human life, to NOT BE ANIMALS-INHUMANE.....but to become Self and God Realized (not ego realized!) and go back Home. Thus, most humans are behaving like animals.  \n\nEstimates are that about\n\n5-6% of humans are infant souls\n20 % baby souls\n30% young souls%\n33% mature souls\n10% old souls \n\nTypically it is not until souls are "later old souls," probably the last 2%,that humans start to REMEMBER the real purpose of life and are INTERESTED-COMMITTED in its deep pursuit. Christ came to help humans open their hearts and become at least "mature human" if they can do what He teaches instead of living the Old Testament animal way of "eye for an eye." Compassion is one of His many major teachings. If humans are incapable of love-compassion on any level, then they are animal Homo sapiens.  Some dogs are more compassionate, kind, caring, serving, devoted than some humans.\n\nbody\nmind\nintellect\nintelligence\nego\nSpirit\n\nThis is the "order of hierarchy-lowest to highest" of our utilizable components while here.  Once Spirit runs the show we are spiritual beings riding within a human experience.  But if body-mind-intellect-ego are "trying to run the show," then we are just animals, fancy and intellectually sharp sometimes, but not truly human-humane.\n\nStages of development of love (in order) include:\n\nnurturance\nbonding\nalliance\nreciprocity\nunderstanding-comprehension\nappreciation-gratitude\naltruism-selfless service\nagape-unconditional love\n\nIf we aren't doing these,then we must be going down the rung to lower animal behavior, aka "hell on earth".\n\nIf you can be tolerant and "agree to disagree" then you can be a "civilized human", but if not, the following DOWNHILL ANIMAL CANCER spreads:\n\ndisagree\naggravation-grudge-repressed anger-frustration\ncivil disputes\nfeuds-gang-regional warfare\ncriminal disputes\nwar (>1000 die over a specific issue)\nannihiliation\n\nbut the highest level of spiritual love (the only true-deepest love) is Prema!\n\nHave a great day-life!