This is the original post:
[E Master E]
Religion is, in my opinion, a form of control that keeps the peasants in order. All religions preach basic principals that strike people in their fear of death and exploit this fear. Most humans are afraid to cease existing therefore leaving a hole that religion fills at the price of one’s intellectual freedom.
People developed religion around the same time the moved from hunter-gathers to city dwellers. As people became clumped together they developed culture and abstract thought. This abstract thought lead to humans wondering what followed death and what created the world. People fused the ideas together and religion developed. Religious leaders saw the power they had. If people look up to one man who represents the gods they tend to believe everything he says. Religion was then fused with law to create strong societies.
Religion then ran into problems as people began to explore the avenues of science and philosophy. Much of the myth about the gods was cleared when people learned that most things were caused by nature and not the gods who had never appeared to the masses except in legends. Not long after this enlightenment the Christian religion took prominence in the Roman Empire. The Christians formed a church in which they developed a dogma and threw away many would be texts in favor of those that preached people must go to church in order to go to heaven. The most famous being the Gospel of John. Christanity became the official religion of the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine.
Romans forced conversions threw out their falling empire. Christianity became dominant in Europe for the next 1300 years. At about the same time Islam developed in the Middle East and Buddhism took control of Eastern Asia.
Christianity took control of people by making them put church at the center of their lives and living humbly. It also reassured the poor that the rich would have an unfavorable afterlife. Islam made itself the most important part of the person’s life and demanding that no one try to question God (Allah). Buddhism taught people to be humble and control their actions preventing revolts and violent actions. Hinduism doesn’t allow anyone to change classes so the poor stay poor and the rich stay rich.
As the era of Imperialism grew Christians forced Natives of Asia and North America to convert and work for the church as slaves. The religion tamed anyone who would resist foreign rule. Islam also took roots in Africa and Asia through mass conversion and Islamic trading.
In the 1600s the Protestants split from the Catholic Church. Religious wars followed as well as those who tortured those who might stray from the denomination that worked for. “Witches” were burned alive as well as Heretics who insulted the church or posed scientific question that didn’t match the church’s ideals.
With the bloom of Democracy religions the world threw feel threaten by science and deny it. Religion also no longer needs to act as law as the central government is now able to control its people. The modern day shows religion attempting to hold on to it’s dying power.
To further the distrot of religion there has been a raise of Socialism, Communism , and far left Anarchism. Most of the mainstream leaders of such movements have talked of removing this religious control upon people because of it's dividing nature and potenial for harm on society, which those movements are trying to better. It is fair to say that religion has run it's course.
This is not discrediting the ideals of faith and belief which are fine on a personal level, but when extended to churchs with class orders can cause stress upon society and impact them greatly.
People developed religion around the same time the moved from hunter-gathers to city dwellers. As people became clumped together they developed culture and abstract thought. This abstract thought lead to humans wondering what followed death and what created the world. People fused the ideas together and religion developed. Religious leaders saw the power they had. If people look up to one man who represents the gods they tend to believe everything he says. Religion was then fused with law to create strong societies.
Religion then ran into problems as people began to explore the avenues of science and philosophy. Much of the myth about the gods was cleared when people learned that most things were caused by nature and not the gods who had never appeared to the masses except in legends. Not long after this enlightenment the Christian religion took prominence in the Roman Empire. The Christians formed a church in which they developed a dogma and threw away many would be texts in favor of those that preached people must go to church in order to go to heaven. The most famous being the Gospel of John. Christanity became the official religion of the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine.
Romans forced conversions threw out their falling empire. Christianity became dominant in Europe for the next 1300 years. At about the same time Islam developed in the Middle East and Buddhism took control of Eastern Asia.
Christianity took control of people by making them put church at the center of their lives and living humbly. It also reassured the poor that the rich would have an unfavorable afterlife. Islam made itself the most important part of the person’s life and demanding that no one try to question God (Allah). Buddhism taught people to be humble and control their actions preventing revolts and violent actions. Hinduism doesn’t allow anyone to change classes so the poor stay poor and the rich stay rich.
As the era of Imperialism grew Christians forced Natives of Asia and North America to convert and work for the church as slaves. The religion tamed anyone who would resist foreign rule. Islam also took roots in Africa and Asia through mass conversion and Islamic trading.
In the 1600s the Protestants split from the Catholic Church. Religious wars followed as well as those who tortured those who might stray from the denomination that worked for. “Witches” were burned alive as well as Heretics who insulted the church or posed scientific question that didn’t match the church’s ideals.
With the bloom of Democracy religions the world threw feel threaten by science and deny it. Religion also no longer needs to act as law as the central government is now able to control its people. The modern day shows religion attempting to hold on to it’s dying power.
To further the distrot of religion there has been a raise of Socialism, Communism , and far left Anarchism. Most of the mainstream leaders of such movements have talked of removing this religious control upon people because of it's dividing nature and potenial for harm on society, which those movements are trying to better. It is fair to say that religion has run it's course.
This is not discrediting the ideals of faith and belief which are fine on a personal level, but when extended to churchs with class orders can cause stress upon society and impact them greatly.
Ok. So I agree with most of this, and start talking about it. I refute things like "HITLER WAZ AN ATHEIST!!!" (He was a Christian according the the Mein Kampf). But then I find this post, which enraged me beyond human comprehension:
soulesschick
Depends on what religion. Bhuddism, where you have to make offerings and sacrifices unless you'll anger the gods, that's control. I'm christian-catholic. Personally we don't control you. WE try to help you in a way. Show you a better life yada yada. But we don't control you. (At least not here in the Bahamas)
I was shocked. I mean, I'm not a Buddhist, but I'm pretty sure Buddhists don't even have ONE god, and they certainly don't make sacrfices to one.
I mean, it's an atheist religion, isn't it? More of a philosophy than a religion.
And then she goes on about how Catholics don't try to control you. It was ludicrous. I was seriously in shock. How could anyone be so ignorant?
Comments? Corrections?
Do we have any Buddhists in the house?
