Do we really need religion anymore?

So I was having a conversation with my religious friend and afterwards i came upon an interesting point. I said religion was only useful in uncivilized times, to scare people if they did bad tthings. But my friend said that these are still uncivilized times and that we still NEED religion in order to learn morals and manners.

what do you think?

We could use Aesop's fables for moral lessons.

Well some may agree, that the time we live in now is the most sinful and worst times.

So yes, I agree, we do still need religion.

Since I believe in God, then yes, I think we need it. Of course an atheist might say no, so that really sums up the thread.

All I know is that I've been doing alright without it.

We need religion, but religion of the kind that a person wants to belong to, not of the kind that a person needs to belong to. The two are fundamentally different and even, I would say, at odds with one another, though the difference I would imagine is much less evident to one who belongs to no religion.

but even my religious mother says we dont really need religion anymore but she still believes in god AND evolution(which i dont think is right at all) i think the modern lifestyle and education system is more than enough to teach us everything

Once the Aliens come on october 13th, we wont.

We need religion, but religion of the kind that a person wants to belong to, not of the kind that a person needs to belong to. The two are fundamentally different and even, I would say, at odds with one another, though the difference I would imagine is much less evident to one who belongs to no religion.

GabuEx

money is the true god,

money is the true god,

Vader993

Mankind has an inherant need for ritual, wonder and myth. Religion serves all three functions. As long as man exists there will be religion of some sort.

[QUOTE="GabuEx"]

We need religion, but religion of the kind that a person wants to belong to, not of the kind that a person needs to belong to. The two are fundamentally different and even, I would say, at odds with one another, though the difference I would imagine is much less evident to one who belongs to no religion.

iliatay

That depends on one's definition of "choose" - I don't believe that true free will exists - but as much as anyone can indeed "choose" something, yes.

We kinda don't.

More people are moral in spite of religion, than the other way around.

Though it does serve some purposes.

[QUOTE="iliatay"]

[QUOTE="GabuEx"]

We need religion, but religion of the kind that a person wants to belong to, not of the kind that a person needs to belong to. The two are fundamentally different and even, I would say, at odds with one another, though the difference I would imagine is much less evident to one who belongs to no religion.

GabuEx

That depends on one's definition of "choose" - I don't believe that true free will exists - but as much as anyone can indeed "choose" something, yes.

All I know is that I've been doing alright without it.

THE_DRUGGIE

Religion is a kind of pre-scientific extreme urge to explain the World around one self, as if they couldn't wait for a logical explanation.

Since I believe in God, then yes, I think we need it. Of course an atheist might say no, so that really sums up the thread.

gaming25

Yeah, exactly this is how this works.

No we don't. Not the organized kind, at least.

People should be free to believe whatever they want, but this belief should be personal. Any organization that starts telling people what they should or shouldn't believe, and what is acceptable and what isn't on a religious level (as in "This is God's truth; this is actually God speaking, not us"), should be banned.

Well, Jesus Christ was against religion and I tend to agree. Faith, on the other hand, is strongly in need. Faith brings hope, and a reason for living.

I guess my question to you (TC) would be what makes this world today any more civilized than in times past? Humanism tends to be the most common belief system as more and more believe in their own perceived power and control. At the same time, those who wield such power and control tend to do it solely for selfish reasons. Interesting that the old saying is often misspoken as the "weak" instead of the "meek" shall inherit the Earth. Weakness is having no power or control - Meekness is having power and control at your disposal and choosing not to use it for personal gain.

You strike me as a deist. Am I right?iliatay

I've had many labels that might've been appropriate descriptors of me at one time or another. Deist was one such label; however, I would say that I've reached the point that I've more or less given up attempting to find a succinct label to summarize my beliefs, as I don't believe any given label is satisfactorily descriptive.

[QUOTE="gaming25"]

Since I believe in God, then yes, I think we need it. Of course an atheist might say no, so that really sums up the thread.

Yeah, exactly this is how this works.

We need religion

GabuEx

Why?

I feel the "fact" that the human race is "civil" and "intelligent" as a whole is an illusion. When the **** hits the fan, people lose their "civility" and (will) become animals, fighting for survival. Let's not kid ourselves about it, we are still animals and our technological advancements does not change our primal, violent instincts.

Faith, on the other hand, is strongly in need. Faith brings hope, and a reason for living.

Stinger78

I couldn't agree more. It still baffles me how people don't seem to realize the difference between "religion" and "faith"; they are completely different things, and one doesn't need the other to exist.

[QUOTE="GabuEx"]

We need religion

TheGrayEye

Why?

I agree. That certainly seems a redundant statement.

Religion is a kind of pre-scientific extreme urge to explain the World around one self, as if they couldn't wait for a logical explanation.

Robbler

[QUOTE="Stinger78"]

Faith, on the other hand, is strongly in need. Faith brings hope, and a reason for living.

black_cat19

I couldn't agree more. It still baffles me how people don't seem to realize the difference between "religion" and "faith"; they are completely different things, and one doesn't need the other to exist.

They are different, but they can be connected. People having "faith" usually means having faith in some kind of religion.

[QUOTE="TheGrayEye"]

[QUOTE="GabuEx"]

We need religion

Why?

I agree. That certainly seems a redundant statement.

Well some may agree, that the time we live in now is the most sinful and worst times.

So yes, I agree, we do still need religion.

WiiMan21

no it just seems that way because of the widespread media. in fact there was a study that said murder/criminal activity is/was historically low.

[QUOTE="iliatay"]You strike me as a deist. Am I right?GabuEx

I've had many labels that might've been appropriate descriptors of me at one time or another. Deist was one such label; however, I would say that I've reached the point that I've more or less given up attempting to find a succinct label to summarize my beliefs, as I don't believe any given label is satisfactorily descriptive.

Well, Jesus Christ was against religion and I tend to agree. Faith, on the other hand, is strongly in need. Faith brings hope, and a reason for living.

I guess my question to you (TC) would be what makes this world today any more civilized than in times past? Humanism tends to be the most common belief system as more and more believe in their own perceived power and control. At the same time, those who wield such power and control tend to do it solely for selfish reasons. Interesting that the old saying is often misspoken as the "weak" instead of the "meek" shall inherit the Earth. Weakness is having no power or control - Meekness is having power and control at your disposal and choosing not to use it for personal gain.

Stinger78

[QUOTE="iliatay"]You strike me as a deist. Am I right?GabuEx

I've had many labels that might've been appropriate descriptors of me at one time or another. Deist was one such label; however, I would say that I've reached the point that I've more or less given up attempting to find a succinct label to summarize my beliefs, as I don't believe any given label is satisfactorily descriptive.

Faith is a very bad thing. Faith acts like a blindfold against logic and to the actual truth behind whatever it is that they have faith in. We are more civilized today because we understand everything better and i see religion to become obsolete in a century or less.iliatay

but even my religious mother says we dont really need religion anymore but she still believes in god AND evolution(which i dont think is right at all) i think the modern lifestyle and education system is more than enough to teach us everything

iliatay

[QUOTE="Robbler"]

Religion is a kind of pre-scientific extreme urge to explain the World around one self, as if they couldn't wait for a logical explanation.

gaming25

That explains religion to a T, that, and an irrational obligation to ones parents/predecessors.

They are fun to learn about, but I would say that they were never necessary to begin with. We don't need religions to give us our morals in the same way that we don't need magazines to give us our personalities.

Well, Jesus Christ was against religion and I tend to agree. Faith, on the other hand, is strongly in need. Faith brings hope, and a reason for living.

I guess my question to you (TC) would be what makes this world today any more civilized than in times past? Humanism tends to be the most common belief system as more and more believe in their own perceived power and control. At the same time, those who wield such power and control tend to do it solely for selfish reasons. Interesting that the old saying is often misspoken as the "weak" instead of the "meek" shall inherit the Earth. Weakness is having no power or control - Meekness is having power and control at your disposal and choosing not to use it for personal gain.

Stinger78

I have literally never heard anyone mistake "meek" for "weak" when quoting that passage.

[QUOTE="TheGrayEye"]

[QUOTE="GabuEx"]

We need religion

Robbler

Why?

I agree. That certainly seems a redundant statement.

[QUOTE="iliatay"]Faith is a very bad thing. Faith acts like a blindfold against logic and to the actual truth behind whatever it is that they have faith in. We are more civilized today because we understand everything better and i see religion to become obsolete in a century or less.FFCYAN

There needs to be a religion where it's not complex, or demanding, and doesn't need interpretation to understand it, as well as being compatible with scientific findings.

[QUOTE="gaming25"][QUOTE="Robbler"]

Religion is a kind of pre-scientific extreme urge to explain the World around one self, as if they couldn't wait for a logical explanation.

That explains religion to a T, that, and an irrational obligation to ones parents/predecessors.

i hate any ideal of any god's or stuff like that or even the fact of religion ruling people life's by not allowing people live how they wish. i really hate the ideal of it

BUT

religion is good some times for some people i have to amite that. some people don't have enough coman sence to understand right/ wrong so i think religion helps guide some people.

also i understand some people use the word god just to have believe in someone protecting them.(one of the things one of my grandmother who's not related to me whats so ever but she has been there for me for 17 out of 20 years of my life and treats me as her own)

not the exact words but"people use relgaion to guide their selfs to better life and they use a god as a feeling of a protector even they know it can't really protect them."

but ya in

this is the modern way now but in the past religion and gods was struck into people to follow what other people wanted them to do.

[QUOTE="iliatay"]

but even my religious mother says we dont really need religion anymore but she still believes in god AND evolution(which i dont think is right at all) i think the modern lifestyle and education system is more than enough to teach us everything

Superironic

Nothing really. I don't consider the concept of "God" exclusive to religion either, I think one can still believe in God and not need a bunch of religious stuff to go with it- so in that case I don't see anything wrong with the concepts of God and evolution co-existing.

[QUOTE="Robbler"]

[QUOTE="TheGrayEye"]

Why?

gaming25

I agree. That certainly seems a redundant statement.

It was enough to make an interpretation.