Fear and greed - the only reasons for religion?

Do people only believe in God because of their fear (of hell) or desire (for heaven)? I am convinced that this is the only incentive for people to believe, and that religion just uses primal human traits, like fear and greed, to gain followers.

Imagine there's no heaven it's easy if you try...no hell below us above us only sky....

Nah but really either way people would believe in something.

I found this topic title funny.

If I was religious and I found out that heaven and hell doesn't exist then I would probably be religious no longer. It just wouldn't make sense.

I found this topic title funny.

If I was religious and I found out that heaven and hell doesn't exist then I would probably be religious no longer. It just wouldn't make sense.

Pikdum

[QUOTE="Pikdum"]

I found this topic title funny.

If I was religious and I found out that heaven and hell doesn't exist then I would probably be religious no longer. It just wouldn't make sense.

LiftedHeadshot

If there was only hell, I would still worship God.

I don't know about greed, but Fear is definitetly the biggest one.

So we can't believe because we love God???

Fear is what keeps a weak believer in the faith, but If your convinced that its the only insentive, your sort of being ignorant, sorry.

Also how is greed an incentive???

So we can't believe because we love God???

Fear is what keeps a weak believer in the faith, but If your convinced that its the only insentive, your sort of being ignorant, sorry.

Also how is greed an incentive???

Fundai

[QUOTE="Fundai"]

So we can't believe because we love God???

Fear is what keeps a weak believer in the faith, but If your convinced that its the only insentive, your sort of being ignorant, sorry.

Also how is greed an incentive???

Nibroc420

[QUOTE="Fundai"]

So we can't believe because we love God???

Fear is what keeps a weak believer in the faith, but If your convinced that its the only insentive, your sort of being ignorant, sorry.

Also how is greed an incentive???

Nibroc420

Yes, but I can only name one denomination that runs it as a buisness...

If the Church Being rich brings more believers, I see very little problem in that, and Money is not our primary goal... Its not even a goal...

If you can some how find a way join a religion to get money, you wouldn't deserve to be there

Yes some find ways to take advantage, but thats not the Churches faul its humanities fault.

If you can some how find a way join a religion to get money, you wouldn't deserve to be there

Fundai

Didn't churches charge for their services at one point?
I believe it was during the renaissance or something

So we can't believe because we love God???

Fear is what keeps a weak believer in the faith, but If your convinced that its the only insentive, your sort of being ignorant, sorry.

Fundai

[QUOTE="Fundai"]

If you can some how find a way join a religion to get money, you wouldn't deserve to be there

Nibroc420

Didn't churches charge for their services at one point?
I believe it was during the renaissance or something

there were Indulgences, where people paid to support the churches mission and have their sins forgiven, but We can all Agree that practice wasn't good.

[QUOTE="Nibroc420"]

[QUOTE="Fundai"]

If you can some how find a way join a religion to get money, you wouldn't deserve to be there

Fundai

Didn't churches charge for their services at one point?
I believe it was during the renaissance or something

there were Indulgences, where people paid to support the churches mission and have their sins forgiven, but We can all Agree that practice wasn't good.

[QUOTE="Fundai"]

So we can't believe because we love God???

Fear is what keeps a weak believer in the faith, but If your convinced that its the only insentive, your sort of being ignorant, sorry.

GameGuy642003

Thats my point man.

Some one who honestly doesn't believe god loves them is a weak believer, if a believer at all.

So we can't believe because we love God???

Fear is what keeps a weak believer in the faith, but If your convinced that its the only insentive, your sort of being ignorant, sorry.

Also how is greed an incentive???

Fundai

[QUOTE="Fundai"]

[QUOTE="Nibroc420"]

Didn't churches charge for their services at one point?
I believe it was during the renaissance or something

Nibroc420

there were Indulgences, where people paid to support the churches mission and have their sins forgiven, but We can all Agree that practice wasn't good.

The faults of the church are there because it is run by Humans that make human mistakes...

I agree when things like that happens its a problem, but that shouldn't mean a religion is wrong.

[QUOTE="Fundai"]

So we can't believe because we love God???

Fear is what keeps a weak believer in the faith, but If your convinced that its the only insentive, your sort of being ignorant, sorry.

Also how is greed an incentive???

LiftedHeadshot

K then, i see how that could be a greedy incentive, but Fear and greed are by No means the only incentive to join a religion.

I would say it's bred from ignorance. Religion has convenient answers to all of the existential questions that people tend to ask.scorch-62

[QUOTE="Nibroc420"]

[QUOTE="Fundai"]

there were Indulgences, where people paid to support the churches mission and have their sins forgiven, but We can all Agree that practice wasn't good.

Fundai

The faults of the church are there because it is run by Humans that make human mistakes...

I agree when things like that happens its a problem, but that shouldn't mean a religion is wrong.

[QUOTE="Fundai"]

[QUOTE="Nibroc420"] Yet another example of churches teaching one thing, and doing the opposite.

Nibroc420

The faults of the church are there because it is run by Humans that make human mistakes...

I agree when things like that happens its a problem, but that shouldn't mean a religion is wrong.

I agree.

There will always be some leaders and members of religions who go against what they teach.

And that is sad.

You yanks sure do love your god threads. I think some people believe in god and religion just to feel secure that there is someone up there looking out for us and yeah basically going to heaven after we die. People wouldn't just like to think that is it when our time does come.

I would say it's bred from ignorance. Religion has convenient answers to all of the existential questions that people tend to ask.scorch-62

If there was only hell, I would still worship God.

Victorious_Fize

[QUOTE="Victorious_Fize"]

If there was only hell, I would still worship God.

Elann2008

People seek solace, community, hope, justice, love, and purpose - all of which is rare in human existence. The majority of people turn to some sort of religion for this. I personally don't seek any of that, nor would I find any of it through religion, but I don't condemn those who do just to feel superior about myself.This_Is_Not

This is an excellent post. I wholeheartedly agree.

The only thing I would add is; most everyone seeks to make peace with the great unknowables in human life. Religion is one way people do this.

[QUOTE="This_Is_Not"]People seek solace, community, hope, justice, love, and purpose - all of which is rare in human existence. The majority of people turn to some sort of religion for this. I personally don't seek any of that, nor would I find any of it through religion, but I don't condemn those who do just to feel superior about myself.collegeboy64

This is an excellent post. I wholeheartedly agree.

The only thing I would add is; most everyone seeks to make peace with the great unknowables in human life. Religion is one way people do this.

But would it not be better to seek out answers to "the great unknowables"?
thousands of years ago, if someone asked where thunder came from, they'd say "Thor" or "Zeus"
Today we know thats not true ;)

Not all religions include Heaven or Hell.

[QUOTE="collegeboy64"]

[QUOTE="This_Is_Not"]People seek solace, community, hope, justice, love, and purpose - all of which is rare in human existence. The majority of people turn to some sort of religion for this. I personally don't seek any of that, nor would I find any of it through religion, but I don't condemn those who do just to feel superior about myself.Nibroc420

This is an excellent post. I wholeheartedly agree.

The only thing I would add is; most everyone seeks to make peace with the great unknowables in human life. Religion is one way people do this.

But would it not be better to seek out answers to "the great unknowables"?
thousands of years ago, if someone asked where thunder came from, they'd say "Thor" or "Zeus"
Today we know thats not true ;)

First of all, that was a mythology in Greece, so if you are implying that nearly everyone wouldve said that back then, then that isnt true. And "the great unknowables" could fall in line towhat happens after death, heaven, etc stuff like that which advanced technology has no answers for.

[QUOTE="Nibroc420"]

[QUOTE="collegeboy64"]

This is an excellent post. I wholeheartedly agree.

The only thing I would add is; most everyone seeks to make peace with the great unknowables in human life. Religion is one way people do this.

gaming25

But would it not be better to seek out answers to "the great unknowables"?
thousands of years ago, if someone asked where thunder came from, they'd say "Thor" or "Zeus"
Today we know thats not true ;)

First of all, that was a mythology in Greece, so if you are implying that nearly everyone wouldve said that back then, then that isnt true. And "the great unknowables" could fall in line towhat happens after death, heaven, etc stuff like that which advanced technology has no answers for.

They believed it, they even had temples to worship their gods.
We simply call them myths because no-one really believes it anymore.

[QUOTE="gaming25"]

[QUOTE="Nibroc420"]

But would it not be better to seek out answers to "the great unknowables"?
thousands of years ago, if someone asked where thunder came from, they'd say "Thor" or "Zeus"
Today we know thats not true ;)

Nibroc420

First of all, that was a mythology in Greece, so if you are implying that nearly everyone wouldve said that back then, then that isnt true. And "the great unknowables" could fall in line towhat happens after death, heaven, etc stuff like that which advanced technology has no answers for.

They believed it, they even had temples to worship their gods.
We simply call them myths because no-one really believes it anymore.

Yes, and also the fact that their records come from fictional books made by Homer, etc.

Do people only believe in God because of their fear (of hell) or desire (for heaven)? I am convinced that this is the only incentive for people to believe, and that religion just uses primal human traits, like fear and greed, to gain followers.

LiftedHeadshot

You're correct. Buddhist monks are in it for the money and to be feared. Those selfish bastards!

Seriously, this is an uneducated statement. Regardless ofwhat religion we're talking about, some people are good and others aren't. While some do believe in helping others just to go to heaven, I think that there are many(a majority)others who help people for the sake of helping people. Heaven is just a bonus for them.

[QUOTE="Nibroc420"]

[QUOTE="gaming25"]

First of all, that was a mythology in Greece, so if you are implying that nearly everyone wouldve said that back then, then that isnt true. And "the great unknowables" could fall in line towhat happens after death, heaven, etc stuff like that which advanced technology has no answers for.

gaming25

They believed it, they even had temples to worship their gods.
We simply call them myths because no-one really believes it anymore.

Yes, and also the fact that their records come from fictional books made by Homer, etc.

They're fictional because rather than being built on proof, they're built on faith.
And now we're back to Christianity, which follows the same logic.

[QUOTE="LiftedHeadshot"]

Do people only believe in God because of their fear (of hell) or desire (for heaven)? I am convinced that this is the only incentive for people to believe, and that religion just uses primal human traits, like fear and greed, to gain followers.

ROFLCOPTER603

You're correct. Buddhist monks are in it for the money and to be feared. Those selfish bastards!

Seriously, this is an uneducated statement. Regardless ofwhat religion we're talking about, some people are good and others aren't. While some do believe in helping others just to go to heaven, I think that there are many(a majority)others who help people for the sake of helping people. Heaven is just a bonus for them.

[QUOTE="ROFLCOPTER603"]

[QUOTE="LiftedHeadshot"]

Do people only believe in God because of their fear (of hell) or desire (for heaven)? I am convinced that this is the only incentive for people to believe, and that religion just uses primal human traits, like fear and greed, to gain followers.

LiftedHeadshot

You're correct. Buddhist monks are in it for the money and to be feared. Those selfish bastards!

Seriously, this is an uneducated statement. Regardless ofwhat religion we're talking about, some people are good and others aren't. While some do believe in helping others just to go to heaven, I think that there are many(a majority)others who help people for the sake of helping people. Heaven is just a bonus for them.

Not in a materialistic sense.

[QUOTE="gaming25"]

[QUOTE="Nibroc420"]

They believed it, they even had temples to worship their gods.
We simply call them myths because no-one really believes it anymore.

Nibroc420

Yes, and also the fact that their records come from fictional books made by Homer, etc.

They're fictional because rather than being built on proof, they're built on faith.
And now we're back to Christianity, which follows the same logic.

I dont think Homer claimed to be a prophet or anything like that, just an author.

I dont think Homer claimed to be a prophet or anything like that, just an author.

gaming25

Nobody even knows who "Homer" was. So, "he" probably didn't claim anything at all.

[QUOTE="ROFLCOPTER603"]

[QUOTE="LiftedHeadshot"]

Do people only believe in God because of their fear (of hell) or desire (for heaven)? I am convinced that this is the only incentive for people to believe, and that religion just uses primal human traits, like fear and greed, to gain followers.

LiftedHeadshot

You're correct. Buddhist monks are in it for the money and to be feared. Those selfish bastards!

Seriously, this is an uneducated statement. Regardless ofwhat religion we're talking about, some people are good and others aren't. While some do believe in helping others just to go to heaven, I think that there are many(a majority)others who help people for the sake of helping people. Heaven is just a bonus for them.

Have you ever met a Buddhist?