inherited worship

[meat]

I was talking to a friend today about religion. He spoke as to how he is Catholic but "not by choice." I asked him to elaborate and he claimed that he is Catholic because he was born into a Catholic family, but he then admitted that he does not believe in Jesus Christ. I kept stressing to him how religion is a personal choice, it's not inheritable like physical characteristics. I sadly believe that many people follow his same mindset; They follow a religion only because it's what their family and all of their friends did and they never questioned it. They must of either of been afraid to stand out or ignorant to the fact that they even could.

[oogaa]

I guess what it all comes down to is - "does it really matter? "

For me, it does because I don't want to be deluded by the  idea of a divine being that monitors me 24/7  from the moment I'am born to the moment I die. Well, he does not even stops at my death, does he?  I think the people who buy religion although they are reluctant to believing it's claims and facts don't really see it  as a harmful thing. As far as I'am concerned, it's a parasite. For some, it helps them in their way of life, helps them get along with their families, friends, peers etc. It's more about them not realizing  how much of a setback it could be rather than them not having the strenth to break out of their religion. Religion is ingraigned into indviduals like culture and that's what makes religion so hard to get rid of.

[born for banning]

They follow a religion only because it's what their family and all of their friends did and they never questioned it.

But something should fulfil this role, don't you think? Families stick together in a cultural sense through belief, which is an aesthetic desire for certain things seen as truth (who cares if they're true). Religion is part of this. You just need better interpretations of religion.

[meat]

You just need better interpretations of religion.

please elaborate..

[AttheGates1996]

I COMPLETELY agree. I have stressed this same point so many times. People believe what they were taught at a young age, and never actually stop and think about all the possibilities of our existence.

[born for banning]

please elaborate..

Thank you for asking. My statement was:

We need better interpretations of religion.

All religions seem to target the same topic areas:

1. Death
2. The meaning of life that balances it out
3. Self-value, including morality
4. A purpose to existence

Each has its own answer to the questions, but those come in different degrees of accuracy.

Q: How do I make French toast?

A (Christian - good): The toast must be kept apart from all contaminants, basted with the right degree of egg and nutmeg, and then fried according to ritual.

A (Islam): The toast must be understood as being in the hands of God, but God rewards aggression, so you must force that toast to mate with the egg and nutmeg, and then cook it until it fits your stature.

A (Judaism): All that matters is the quality of the French toast, so get good bread, measure the egg and nutmeg, and cook for five minutes on medium heat.

A (Hindu): The struggle of toast and egg is one that rewards those brave enough to take risks, and do what is not visually obvious but must be done, so mix egg and toast as appears beautiful, and the eyes of God will shine upon you if your method is sound. You alone must discover this method through struggle and piety.

These are types of method. There can then be degree of answer, degree of accuracy:

Q: French toast?

A (good): Put bread in egg with a pinch of nutmeg, then cook.

A (better): Soak a slice of bread in well-beaten egg and a pinch of nutmeg, cook for five minutes.

A (best): Beat egg until uniform, then add 1/2 tsp nutmeg and stir until uniform. Heat pan on medium heat, add butter, and wait until it has melted and distributed uniformly on the pan. Then add toast, and cook until brown on each side, flipping to toast both sides to a medium brown.

Our goal is to translate each of those religious answers into a "best" style solution.

Since each religion describes the same world, and the solutions to that world are roughly the same, there will be more crossover than not.

Spirituality, like music, is universal, but it has many voices, and where those voices are highly refined, there is overlap.

[GreatBlackJoy]

Not everyone needs to know about the varied possibilities of our existence. Specifically, people who don't begin to develope this awareness naturally don't need to be made aware of it.

It is much more important to have social cohesion than it is an 'enlightened' populace. There never has been an 'enlightened' populace. Skeptical materialism is at an all time high and it hasn't had any effect on our societies overall stupidity factor.

Hessians and nihilists need to stop whining about how oppressive religion is. It doesn't matter. All 'truths' will always have their exoteric and esoteric sides, and both of these sides have indispensable functions.

[meat]

Hessians and nihilists need to stop whining about how oppressive religion is.

I don't think I had mentioned religion being "oppressive" or bad in anyway in the above post. I just spoke as to how many people don't choose their own religion but rather just follow through with their family's choice.

[Mr. Master D. Evil]

I don't think I had mentioned religion being "oppressive" or bad in anyway in the above post. I just spoke as to how many people don't choose their own religion but rather just follow through with their family's choice.

"Just do as my parents did, because they seems to be doing good"
Seems somewhat lazy and destructive to me.
You are not living in your parents time!
Things are changing much faster nowadays!
Mass sharing of ideas, with technology like Internet and the Television!
You no longer only got the family telling you what to believe, so now, you gotta stand out even harder against the masses of braindead worshipers and their corrupt leaders (worshiplords), to find your own thruth!

[kontinual]

to find your own thruth!

Observation: most people can't find their own truth.

Better the offspring of a stable family continuing their religious tradition than a rootless child from a dysfunctional family "finding their own truth," which more often than not becomes a solipsistic exercise of no greater value.

[AttheGates1996]

I agree with some not being able to find their own truth. Perhaps it is somewhat excusable to corrupt a younger child with one's personal beliefs in the nature that it will keep the child from destroying his life with false envisions of what he/she really wants (abuse of drugs and sex, and violence towards one despised.)

These inevitable truths about life are what leads one to live on the streets, or in jail absorbing our tax money. But when an intelligent one reaches the age to think for oneself, they should learn and study all possibilities of our existence and choose the one that best suits their personal beliefs.

This is my view on the topic.

[Vorax]

 

A (Judaism): All that matters is the quality of the French toast, so get good bread, measure the egg and nutmeg, and cook for five minutes on medium heat.

Please, could you explain about this one, born for banning?

[Prospero]

I guess what it all comes down to is - "does it really matter? "

For me, it does because I don't want to be deluded by the  idea of a divine being that monitors me 24/7  from the moment I'am born to the moment I die.

That thing is called "subconscience"

I COMPLETELY agree. I have stressed this same point so many times. People believe what they were taught at a young age, and never actually stop and think about all the possibilities of our existence.

I really like what you brought here.

I read this book called "the meaning of death" where a pastor (named Edgar N.Jackson) mentioned the same thing. He said that people forget all we can explore within our existence, "all the possibilities of our existence". Thus, he said, his answer to "To be or not to be" would be "To be AND not to be".

In that same book, C.G. Jung stated that (I took it down):

"Anyone should draw the conclusion that the psyche, in its deepest reaches, participates in a form of existence beyond space and time. [...] Anyone who does not draw this conclusion, [...] from lack of courage or inadequate psychological experience or thoughtless ignorance, stands very little chance, statistically, of becoming a pioneer of the mind, but has instead the indubitable certainty of coming into conflict with the truths of his blood."

Thanks to GreatBlackJoy for his wise claim. I am too, tired of this religious bashing. Fortunately some of these topics turn into interesting metaphysical conversations.

Hessians and nihilists need to stop whining about how oppressive religion is. It doesn't matter. All 'truths' will always have their exoteric and esoteric sides, and both of these sides have indispensable functions.

However, you cannot write the word "truth" in the plural form.

[born for banning]

Hessians and nihilists need to stop whining about how oppressive religion is. It doesn't matter. All 'truths' will always have their exoteric and esoteric sides, and both of these sides have indispensable functions.

I agree here. If Christianity is a beast, make a form of Christianity that is less destructive. Seize power and make it conform. But to crusade against religion and expect people to throw the baby out with the bathwater is insane.

[born for banning]

Please, could you explain about this one, born for banning?

Judaism as a materialist belief system is going to care most about the experience of the french toast, not the perfection of form.