Is religion a necessity for society?

[Lower Nubia]

Is that contempt I sense?

I dunno, why don't you guess what I'm contemptuous of and I'll tell you how close you get.

Why play games? Yes, no, or just a little?

[Alvecia]

I dunno, why don't you guess what I'm contemptuous of and I'll tell you how close you get.

Why play games? Yes, no, or just a little?

This really is me trying not to play a game. Why don't you just skip the foreplay and get right to the point you're trying to make.

[Region of Dwipantara]

Here's my opinion:

1. The Czech republic is a nice and peaceful central European country with good healthcare, high standard of living, and an irreligiousity rate of 72%. Meanwhile, Afghanistan is a totalitarian fundamentalist sh*thole country with quack infrastructure and subsistence-level income. I'm not saying that all religion is bad for society per se, some quite the opposite in fact, but I do say that religion isn't really an important factor.

2. The problem with most religion is that, being a dictatorial commandment from the sky that we must obey or else, they can't evaluate the result of their existence and correct them (or at least efficiently). Humans need principles, sure, but we also need a way to evaluate if those principles makes the world a better place or instead drag ourselves to the 6th century.

I think that's interesting what you said in your second point., that religion being a "dictatorial commandment from the sky" or else, in that perhaps religion is just a reflection human nature's desire for some sort of higher authority. People dont really do well in chaos so most people naturally accept a dictorial commandment from the sky. Now that being said I wouldn't say that it is good. People who are able to train themselves out of needing that dictorial commandment in the sky and see the absolute chaos and arbitrariness of the universe and are still able to hold that and be ok with, I think that's where real life begins.

(This is also the reason why I view the Soviet Union as a semi-religion: belief system from the sky [Kremlin] that cannot be challenged or evaluated and is indoctrinated to little children). I think it's more on the "religion is an effective tool to control the masses" thing. If you are a 11th century king ruling over a land of peasants where order is enforced through the sword, having Big Brother on your side greatly helps. An orderly state is much, much preferable to warring warlords. But as time progresses, those systems starts to get outdated and become irritating.

[Genivaria]

Not inherently but religion in its various forms be it Christian, Hindu, Muslim, pagan etc etc does provide a sense of community and belonging that thus far at least purely secular things have failed to match.

Are governments and corporations not by their nature secular?

[Europa Undivided]

What I think would be interesting is to compare different societies which have tried to eradicate religion versus those which were basically theocratic.

Say Communist Russia vs. Imperial Russia.

Communist Russia rather quickly replaced worhip of god with worship of Stalin, though. It would be better to look at cultures evolving out of religion, such as Scandanavia.

Scandinavia is still majority Christian and have state supported churches.

Oh, and Scandinavia is getting Islamized by the year. Sweden will be Swedistan within the century.

[Freakoland]

Personally I don't think so. That which religion provides can be provided through other means.

That said, even without it, people are gonna believe in some stupid shit. Just look at the paranormal, alien consipracies, or pseudoscientific bullshit.

I'm interested by what you said, how people are "going to believe in some stupid shit." Perhaps religion and spirituality are anthropological explainable phenomena. That people are going to believe in something because they want to believe in something. Whatever this "something " is that is where religious wars come in for us to help clarify.

[Lower Nubia]

Why play games? Yes, no, or just a little?

This really is me trying not to play a game. Why don't you just skip the foreplay and get right to the point you're trying to make.

people are gonna believe in some stupid shit. Just look at the paranormal, alien consipracies, or pseudoscientific bullshit.

Is religion on that same level to you, and are you contemptuous towards that "bullshit".

[Washington Resistance Army]

Not inherently but religion in its various forms be it Christian, Hindu, Muslim, pagan etc etc does provide a sense of community and belonging that thus far at least purely secular things have failed to match.

Are governments and corporations not by their nature secular?

I don't know about you anon but neither Congress nor Walmart give me a sense of community and belonging lol

[Europa Undivided]

Personally I don't think so. That which religion provides can be provided through other means.

That said, even without it, people are gonna believe in some stupid shit. Just look at the paranormal, alien consipracies, or pseudoscientific bullshit.

Reddit atheism detected.

Comparing religion with flat earthers is dumb. Reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally dumb.

[Sadakoyama]

Communist Russia rather quickly replaced worhip of god with worship of Stalin, though. It would be better to look at cultures evolving out of religion, such as Scandanavia.

But what about Russia after Stalin, say under Khrushchev or Gorbachev? I think worship of Stalin was no different than any other megalomania seen in say Hitler's Germany or present-day North Korea. But are these cults of personality really "religious"? I don't think so because they don't qualify to be religious in the sense that they lack the spiritual aspect of religion. Now, if you see religion as not specifically spiritual then that would be interesting for another discussion, but in regards to worship of Stalin replacing worship of God I would challenge you on that supposition.

After Stalin, traditional religion (which never really went away) experienced a resurgence. That's why I suggested looking at a culture evolving out of it rather than an artificially forced change.

[Albrenia]

All I know is I'm quite capable of following the laws and choosing to not be a dick without religion. Many of our laws are counter to many religions anyway, and different philosophies can give morality entirely separate from religion.

For most religious people I think religion isn't the sole reason they are good people, although it can help inspire them to be better... or in rarer cases it can inspire them to be worse people.

[Freakoland]

I think that's interesting what you said in your second point., that religion being a "dictatorial commandment from the sky" or else, in that perhaps religion is just a reflection human nature's desire for some sort of higher authority. People dont really do well in chaos so most people naturally accept a dictorial commandment from the sky. Now that being said I wouldn't say that it is good. People who are able to train themselves out of needing that dictorial commandment in the sky and see the absolute chaos and arbitrariness of the universe and are still able to hold that and be ok with, I think that's where real life begins.

(This is also the reason why I view the Soviet Union as a semi-religion: belief system from the sky [Kremlin] that cannot be challenged or evaluated and is indoctrinated to little children). I think it's more on the "religion is an effective tool to control the masses" thing. If you are a 11th century king ruling over a land of peasants where order is enforced through the sword, having Big Brother on your side greatly helps. An orderly state is much, much preferable to warring warlords. But as time progresses, those systems starts to get outdated and become irritating.

You know what's fascinating (and you're post just reminded me of this) is how the concept of hell or some sort of post-life eternal punishment in Christianity is explainable through the Church and nobility trying to assert their authority. In the early Chruch there wasn't the notion of "hell" as we think of it. Alot of the imagery of fire and brimstone actually came to us through Dante. But on the original matter, I've labeled as a heretic before because I advanced the theory that hell is just a historical construct and is actually un-Christlike and really doesn't exist.

[Sadakoyama]

Comparing religion with flat earthers is dumb. Reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally dumb.

Not really,the cognative origins of such thinking may be similar.

https://theboar.org/2019/01/religion/

If traditional religions don't fill that "hole", other things will.

[Genivaria]

Are governments and corporations not by their nature secular?

I don't know about you anon but neither Congress nor Walmart give me a sense of community and belonging lol

Fair enough, I will grant that a sense of community is not something to underestimate and we could learn a thing or two.

[Europa Undivided]

Comparing religion with flat earthers is dumb. Reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally dumb.

Not really,the cognative origins of such thinking may be similar.

https://theboar.org/2019/01/religion/

Meh.

[Neanderthaland]

Personally I don't think so. That which religion provides can be provided through other means.

That said, even without it, people are gonna believe in some stupid shit. Just look at the paranormal, alien consipracies, or pseudoscientific bullshit.

Reddit atheism detected.

Comparing religion with flat earthers is dumb. Reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally dumb.

You know it must be true because a guy on the internet said so. And he used a ton of "a"s.

[Alvecia]

Personally I don't think so. That which religion provides can be provided through other means.

That said, even without it, people are gonna believe in some stupid shit. Just look at the paranormal, alien consipracies, or pseudoscientific bullshit.

I'm interested by what you said, how people are "going to believe in some stupid shit." Perhaps religion and spirituality are anthropological explainable phenomena. That people are going to believe in something because they want to believe in something. Whatever this "something " is that is where religious wars come in for us to help clarify.

The cognitive flaws of the human brain are quite well known.

This really is me trying not to play a game. Why don't you just skip the foreplay and get right to the point you're trying to make.

people are gonna believe in some stupid shit. Just look at the paranormal, alien consipracies, or pseudoscientific bullshit.

Is religion on that same level to you, and are you contemptuous towards that "bullshit".

Yes.

Personally I don't think so. That which religion provides can be provided through other means.

That said, even without it, people are gonna believe in some stupid shit. Just look at the paranormal, alien consipracies, or pseudoscientific bullshit.

Reddit atheism detected.

Comparing religion with flat earthers is dumb. Reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally dumb.

You're the one that brought up flat earthers.
I was thinking of "alternative" medicines.

[Freakoland]

Are governments and corporations not by their nature secular?

I don't know about you anon but neither Congress nor Walmart give me a sense of community and belonging lol

Costco and IKEA lowkey give you a sense of belonging though not gonna lie

[Lower Nubia]

Comparing religion with flat earthers is dumb. Reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally dumb.

Not really,the cognative origins of such thinking may be similar.

https://theboar.org/2019/01/religion/

If traditional religions don't fill that "hole", other things will.

Is that the bar we're setting now for scientific testing?

[Lower Nubia]

people are gonna believe in some stupid shit. Just look at the paranormal, alien consipracies, or pseudoscientific bullshit.

Is religion on that same level to you, and are you contemptuous towards that "bullshit".

Yes.

Oh look, I was right:

"For now, we'll just have to do with one camp being hateful, and the other camp being hateful, but wrongly."

[Alvecia]

Yes.

Oh look, I was right:

"For now, we'll just have to do with one camp being hateful, and the other camp being hateful, but wrongly."

k

[Lower Nubia]

Oh look, I was right:

"For now, we'll just have to do with one camp being hateful, and the other camp being hateful, but wrongly."

k

Your performance was most appreciated.

[Region of Dwipantara]

Personally I don't think so. That which religion provides can be provided through other means.

That said, even without it, people are gonna believe in some stupid shit. Just look at the paranormal, alien consipracies, or pseudoscientific bullshit.

At least they don't have laws passed by parliament that punishes anyone who criticizes their laughable (or, in the case of pro-diseasist antivaxx, dangerous) beliefs and put those critics to jail.

Personally I don't think so. That which religion provides can be provided through other means.

That said, even without it, people are gonna believe in some stupid shit. Just look at the paranormal, alien consipracies, or pseudoscientific bullshit.

I'm interested by what you said, how people are "going to believe in some stupid shit." Perhaps religion and spirituality are anthropological explainable phenomena. That people are going to believe in something because they want to believe in something. Whatever this "something " is that is where religious wars come in for us to help clarify.

There's more to that than a simple desire to "belive in a dogmatic set of things", actually. Conspiracy theorists are driven by distrust on the (at least from their PoV) all-powerful government who works for the benefit of the few. Islamic terrorists are choked with propaganda about the evils of western/zionist imperialism, how those Evil White People are behind the pain experienced by Muslims in [insert middle eastern hellhole], and how a global caliphate ruled by a Dearest Leader will end those problems.

[Europa Undivided]

I'm interested by what you said, how people are "going to believe in some stupid shit." Perhaps religion and spirituality are anthropological explainable phenomena. That people are going to believe in something because they want to believe in something. Whatever this "something " is that is where religious wars come in for us to help clarify.

The cognitive flaws of the human brain are quite well known.

people are gonna believe in some stupid shit. Just look at the paranormal, alien consipracies, or pseudoscientific bullshit.

Is religion on that same level to you, and are you contemptuous towards that "bullshit".

Yes.

Reddit atheism detected.

Comparing religion with flat earthers is dumb. Reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally dumb.

You're the one that brought up flat earthers.
I was thinking of "alternative" medicines.

"Pseudoscientific"

Oh, if that's the case, you will be ignored.

[Europa Undivided]

Reddit atheism detected.

Comparing religion with flat earthers is dumb. Reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally dumb.

You know it must be true because a guy on the internet said so. And he used a ton of "a"s.

Screw you. Foed.