Personal Development for Smart People Forums - View Single Post - 10 Reasons You Should Never Have a Religion (Blog)

Publius74 · 05-28-2008, 01:30 AM

I know that the post made was probably just meant to get the idiots or hypocrites among us up in arms, but I'll bite anyway.

Yes, religion requires that believers subsume their actions and thoughts to a higher being and purpose. It takes "me" out of the center of the equation. I can understand why people would have issues with this.

I can also understand how, in a world of science, "faith" becomes a dirty word. You want to "know" something, but instead you're required to "believe" in something. Kind of like believing that all knowledge can be gained by believing in the self's ability to determine reality apart from a god. Don't we all have faith in something? It's just that some people believe that the only thing that they should have faith in is themselves and their own reasoning. Again, I understand why faith is hard. Though I don't understand whether it's avoidable. You either believe in what you want to believe in or what you think you should believe in. Either way, don't we all believe?

I also understand how people (Americans, in particular) would find it difficult to believe that anything other than their own free will can determine one's destiny. I doubt it's as hard for those in other countries to see this because they have so clearly been shown how their own free will did not determine their destiny, but I understand the attractiveness of the belief.

I understand too how religion can be tied to some major crimes in the last century. I also understand how faith can be tied to fear, how some who are religious can be intolerant and how religion is just as likely to be inherited as it is to be believed.

What I don't understand is the alternative. Believing in yourself as the sole arbiter and determinant of truth? Believing that science has all the answers, without an ounce of faith entwined in it? Believing that having religious people commit crimes indicts religion? Believing that calling those who are religious "idiots or hypocrites" demonstrates the vastly superior tolerance of the irreligious?

Anyway, I still got a good kick out of your article, so thanks for it!

05-28-2008, 01:30 AM	#17 (permalink)
Publius74 Junior Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1	Egotism for Dummies I know that the post made was probably just meant to get the idiots or hypocrites among us up in arms, but I'll bite anyway. Yes, religion requires that believers subsume their actions and thoughts to a higher being and purpose. It takes "me" out of the center of the equation. I can understand why people would have issues with this. I can also understand how, in a world of science, "faith" becomes a dirty word. You want to "know" something, but instead you're required to "believe" in something. Kind of like believing that all knowledge can be gained by believing in the self's ability to determine reality apart from a god. Don't we all have faith in something? It's just that some people believe that the only thing that they should have faith in is themselves and their own reasoning. Again, I understand why faith is hard. Though I don't understand whether it's avoidable. You either believe in what you want to believe in or what you think you should believe in. Either way, don't we all believe? I also understand how people (Americans, in particular) would find it difficult to believe that anything other than their own free will can determine one's destiny. I doubt it's as hard for those in other countries to see this because they have so clearly been shown how their own free will did not determine their destiny, but I understand the attractiveness of the belief. I understand too how religion can be tied to some major crimes in the last century. I also understand how faith can be tied to fear, how some who are religious can be intolerant and how religion is just as likely to be inherited as it is to be believed. What I don't understand is the alternative. Believing in yourself as the sole arbiter and determinant of truth? Believing that science has all the answers, without an ounce of faith entwined in it? Believing that having religious people commit crimes indicts religion? Believing that calling those who are religious "idiots or hypocrites" demonstrates the vastly superior tolerance of the irreligious? Anyway, I still got a good kick out of your article, so thanks for it!